For the first time, the club held dressage and show jumping at the Mudgee Showgrounds and then moved the cross-country to the spectacular Havilah course.

Light rain on Saturday did not dampen the enthusiasm of competitors, some as young as five while conditions were fine at Havilah on Sunday.

However, the rain caused a delay to the start of Sunday’s cross country with some competitors getting bogged entering the venue.

“We also needed to undertake a course check for safety at the take offs and landings because of the rain,” secretary Melissa Tym said.

“All were found safe and no jumps needed to be re-done and the going underfoot was excellent for the horses.”

The club had to call Max Walker’s water tanker to the rescue to fill the water jumps after Graeme Rogan’s water tanker broke an axle.

A challenging course set by Sue Douglas combined with the weather provided many challenges for riders in the show jumping.

“The course was longer and had more jumps than normal and while the riders showed great fortitude to complete the course, eliminations in this phase of the competition were higher than normal,” Tym said.

“We particularly wanted to acknowledge our youngest competitors in the ungraded class, who unfortunately had to wait until the end of the day, to complete their show jumping phase.

“As a result they were competing in the worst conditions of the day.

“Only one of these young riders was unable to present for the show jumping and all the rest completed the course with a clear round and a standing ovation from the spectators.”

Only three competitors scratched from the cross country and all were riders that had been eliminated the day previously in the show jumping phase.

While there were no falls during the show jumping phase, the cross country usually offers some more challenging obstacles and the horses are always a bit fresher out on the big course and as a results there were a few eliminations in the lower grades.