By Jeremy Sollars
Warwick Horse Trials have a new committee for 2017, and are looking forward to a huge year of competition at their Morgan Park headquarters.
Warwick’s home of equestrian eventing hosted two days of competition last weekend with around 200 competitors coming from as far away as Central Queensland and northern New South Wales.
The first of four major competition weekends planned for 2017, Saturday featured dressage and showjumping, while competitors took to the cross country course on the Sunday.
The grounds looked spectacular after last week’s rain and competition at the weekend wasn’t hampered by a couple of brief scuds.
New club president for 2017 Mike Reed told the Free Times he was thrilled to have a new and hard-working committee on deck, and paid tribute to them for their efforts to reinvigorate the club and make some significant improvements to their facilities.
“What we’re seeing here is the result of five months of very hard work, since the new committee was formed last November,” Mike told the Free Times.
“From an administrative point of view, we have our operating budgets and accounts in place and the physical work has happened in unison with that.
“We have repaired a lot of old and obsolete equipment and have brought it back into use – we also got rid of around 10 years’ worth of old furniture and other junk.
“We’ve also improved the safety standards of the facility in line with Equestrian Queensland requirements and standards, including our legal requirements and things like have an ambulance on site during competition, and evacuation procedures.
“It’s also things like buying 40 walkie-talkies, so we can all be in constant contact while there’s competition going on.
“This facility is the equivalent of any course in Queensland from a competition standard and presentation perspective.
With Mike not coming from an equestrian background – rather a corporate one – he says his new role has been “a learning curve”.
Mike was asked by his daughter Tiffany – who has been involved with Warwick Horse Trials for some time – if he would step into the president’s role and lend the club the benefit of his experience.
“But it’s not about me, it’s all about the committee, all of whom are women,” he said.
“They have simply done a fantastic job in the last few months and that really needs to be highlighted – they make my role easy.
“They are all very experienced, enthusiastic and capable – they have undertaken to accept the challenge.”
Warwick Horse Trials offers extensive facilities suitable for cross country schooling, group clinics or workshops and various events and competitions.
To find out more visit www.warwickhorsetrials.org.au
