Many of the BMG Equestrian Team compete in weekly events. Below is a snapshot of competitor accounts and highlights from recent events.
State Championships 2018 – Chanel Radburn 9F
Over the term break a number of the BMG Equestrian Team competed at the Victorian Interschool State Championships including myself, Kane Radburn, Emily Karp, Chloe Oughtred and Grace Riddell.
I competed on 3 horses (Chilli, Harry and Cindy) with a total of 18 rides all in different disciplines.
First was Showjumping on ‘Chilli’ and ‘Harry’ and I was very pleased with a second place against a huge field of riders from all over the state!
Then ‘Harry’ and I completed combined training, followed by a very busy day with all 3 horses competing with times clashing, which was very challenging.
‘Chilli’ and I had novelties and we came in 1st place, ‘Cindy’ did handymount and came 3rd and ‘Cindy’ also did preliminary dressage performing really well.
‘Harry’ and I completed preliminary dressage and came in the Top 10 which was a great achievement competing against 30 – 40 riders in each class.
On the last day of the tournament ‘Cindy’ had novice dressage placing 6th in a very big class!
Kane Radburn (3C) and ‘Jacko’ did combined training, dressage, novelties and handymount placing 2nd and 5th which he is very happy with.
This was a long week for riders and horses with it being one of the biggest Interschool competitions of the year. All schools from around the state were present and every class had multiple riders, so all placings and achievements were ones to be happy with.
A report from Grace Riddell 8A
This year I have sadly retired my Australian Riding Pony Joey as he has Cushing’s Disease. He is turning 25 in November and has been my best friend and teacher, taking me to places I’d never dreamed of, like the VEIS State Championships in 2016 and the National Interschool Championships in Sydney in 2016.
Last year Joey and I really enjoyed riding for Bacchus Marsh Grammar, and I was looking forward to another year with him. Unfortunately it wasn’t to be, and he is enjoying a very well earned rest. Instead, I have been riding a warm-blood gelding ‘Spielberg (Bergy)’. ‘Bergy’ and I have competed in four competitions so far this year, riding at Novice Intermediate level. Our first competition was the Assumption College Dressage day on 4 March. It was good experience to get know ‘Bergy’ a bit better and what he was like in the Werribee Park Equestrian Centre atmosphere. It was an exciting (enthusiastic and spooky) day, which left us with lots of things to work on. We next competed on 8 April at the VEIS State Championships, where we placed 6th in Intermediate Novice 2.2.
We attended the VEIS Royal Geelong Agriculture and Pastoral Dressage Day on 5 May, where we placed 1st and 3rd and Reserve Champion in the novice 2.2 and 2.3.
The most recent competition was the ISD Autumn Dressage Championships at Werribee Park Equestrian Centre where it was great to see some fellow BMG Equestrian Team riders competing. We placed 6th and 7th in the novice 2.2 and 2.3. I have really enjoyed riding and competing on ‘Bergy’ so far this year. It has been a big change from riding my pony ‘Joey’, but I hope to improve and be more competitive as the year progresses. I feel really proud to be a part of the Bacchus Marsh Grammar Equestrian team and look forward to representing our school at future VEIS events on the calendar.
A report from Mia McLean 9F
I competed recently, along with other members of the BMG Equestrian Team in the Ballarat International horse trials. It was a weekend full of torrential rain and freezing cold weather. I competed for Bacchus Marsh Grammar in the Interschool class of EV 80, ‘Raff’ (my horse) went really well and we went clear cross country and showjumping with a dodgy dressage test pushing us back to 12th place which I was really happy with as it was most likely my last competition with ‘Raff’.