President's Report

August 2008

Hi Everyone,

Well half the year is gone already, the Olympics are in full swing and we only have one more competition before the Champs. The August comp was blessed with a beautiful fine day. After the windstorm on the Friday night before, it was not looking good for Sunday. However, the weather Gods must be smiling on us so far - touch wood.

The set-up crew arrived on Saturday morning to find the arenas had been blown to the four corners of the common. Special thanks go to Kristy Cole and Harriet Elleman for retrieving parts of the arenas from the creek, bush, bull paddock and from Merv's, well done ladies, while the rest of us set about to re-erect the arenas. So if they weren’t perfectly straight on Sunday that is why.
The sand arena rode beautifully by all accounts, with good footing and a little spring. We hope to persuade one of our committee member's husband to build a judges box for us, (keep working on Steve, Danielle), and with the new arena we have purchased from the USA, it should start to look quite swish. I am going to try my hand at carpentry and build some fancy flower box letters for it also.

Some lovely tests were ridden on Sunday, with Ebony Holz winning the $100 CRT voucher for the best novice tests of the day. Next comp the $100 is up for grabs in the elementary classes. Well done to Jane Bramley, Jim Collin, Jane Bruce, Tibby Barbour and Ryhs Stones for 70% or better tests. I would like to extend a big thank you to Ros Quist and Jane Bruce for jumping in at the last moment to judge the FEI classes. As you are probably all aware is getting so much harder to obtain the services of high level judges, as their ranks are thinning a bit, so Kylie we all appreciate the hard and sometimes exasperating work you do booking judges for the comps.

Our next comp is on the 21st September and this will be our 'Charity Competition' with all the profits to be donated to the 'Guy Wallace foundation for injured riders' and the Shoalhaven Hospital, both vitally important and hopefully no one needs to use. There will also be a raffle going round so please buy at least one ticket. It will be drawn on the day. We will also have some different ribbons for you to win. The entry forms were in the last newsletter so please have them in on time and take care in filling them out, ensuring that all required information is entered on the form.

That's about all for now, safe riding to all.

Cheers,
Gayle