Victoria has just experience some of the worst Bush Fires in Australia which was early January just prior and during the 25th Anniversary Victorian Agricultural Shows Saddle Horse Championships held in January 2020 at the Bendigo Showgrounds. The Championships is held on the first weekend of January each year which is a very hot time of year in Victoria usually.
This year’s event took another positive step forward recording record entries with just over 350 Horses, 1200 plus individual entries and 242 Exhibitors.
The event features winners from all our affiliated Shows in a range of sections and one of the highlights is the Racing Victoria sponsored Off the Track Ridden & Led Series finals
Rehoming of racehorses is an important program for the racing industry and VAS Ltd has been working with Racing Victoria for several years now in creating Life after Racing in the Show Horse world.
To be eligible to compete entrants have to qualify their horse at a VAS affiliated Show in the OTT qualifying class. Winner of the ridden series received $1,000 prize money Sash, Rug, & Garland plus on offer is $500 for the runner up, finalists $100 and a saddle blanket.
State Final Winner – Natalie McKay (Horse Racing Name: St Andrews
Racing Victoria Off The Track Led State Final Winner – Katerina Herceg (Horse Racing Name: Rebel Rising) pictured below
VAS also partners with the Alabar HERO Series for Standardbreds at our local shows with the State final held at the Saddle Horse Championships annually. This year’s winner of the State Final Winner – Eboni Knights (Horse Racing Name: Equity Wizzbang) Pictured below with well know NSW Harness Racing identities Shane & Lauren Tritton & Russell Bracken Vic judges for the HERO competition.
During the International Dairy Week at Tatura, VAS held its State Final of the Young Dairy Judges & Paraders competitions.
Judging Winner: Zoe Hayes. Zoe represented Victoria in the National Paraders competitions a few years ago and was the winner and this time she will go to New Zealand to represent in the Young Judges competition.
Parading Winner was Georgia Sieben who has been competing in the competition in recent years and this time was lucky to win.