How delighted we were on Sunday to be granted the most perfect weather for our final horse riding meet for 2018 – the Upper Hunter Working Equitation Christmas Bash! And Oh! What a Bash it was!!
Come dressed up or come as you are – all made an effort to make the day as fun and fabulous as possible with horses and riders both donned in everything from Tinsel and Baubles sewn on caps, saddles and saddle cloths, to Deer Horns and Santa Caps and Santa Socks on furry forelegs!
Our very spectacular Secretary ran the day with great success, doing all the legwork (as always!) and guiding our girls as we mastered the Working Equitation Obstacle Course set up by all who attended under the newly finished, now fully covered (and very schmick, we must say!) Muswellbrook RDA Riding Arena.
Many thanks to the RDA once again for the use of their grounds and our heartfelt thanks to Jude for giving up her own ride to make ours happen! We would be lost without both of them!
We would also like to extend a very big thank-you to Mr Phillip Haggarty of Parkville, who volunteered his time, skills and donated the materials to mount our Working Equitation bull, which we blooded in a big way on our last gig for the year! (Not Literally!!) Such a big, ‘spooky’ obstacle, a challenge to all and very well handled by both horses and riders.
Our Christmas Champagne Obstacle Course was a laugh and a half as all ladies exercised (some for the first time!!) their yet to be fully mastered (for some), one handed riding skills, making their way from one end of the arena to the other, horse in one hand, glass in the other as quickly as possible, without spilling a drop! (Plastic glasses – and water for champaigne – but still loads of fun and lots and lots of laughter as Tilley did a series of donut burnouts in the middle of the arena (having never ridden one-handed), followed by a wild gallop to the finish line with, needless to say – a then empty glass. Round two saw Robyn cross the finish line first, riding like the pro that she is, with barely a drop spilled, only to have her girl shudder and shake off the flies – and empty her glass at the critical moment of truth!
It was a photo finish (serious business – our girls are a highly competitive bunch!!) with Kel winning both her heat and the final by a nose – actually a drop – to take out the much coveted prize of… a Cattle Ranch, erm – empty plastic cup!
Best dressed rider, best dressed horse and best dressed combo was voted for over a smorgasboard style lunch. Congrats to a very shocked Sandra who won best dressed rider, Anita with best dressed horse & rider combo and Cindy with best dressed horse!
A massive spread of assorted platters and the popping of non-alcoholic sparkling fizz ensued, with prizes (lovely diffusers and scented candle!) given to our category winners as lunch was ravished by a very famished hoard of exhausted, but very satisfied ladies!
A great day was had by all who were able to attend and those who couldn’t – we missed you ladies!
Our little club has gone ahead in leaps and bounds this year and we aim to continue this trend well into the future, all of us setting our sites forward to the coming year with great enthusiasm and anticipation for a productive and enjoyable year to come!
Our final club meeting for the year will be held this Thursday at the Denman Bowling Club at 6.30 pm, where we will set our riding day dates for 2019 and iron out anything we each feel needs attending. See you all there!
Meanwhile, we wish you all and each other a very Happy Christmas and may the coming year be a fun and fruitful one full of fab times and new friendships!
Happy Riding!!!
UHWEC.
UHWEC 