Kiwi carries off trot win

A COMPETITOR from New Zealand gave the Victorian Carriage Driving Championships at Catani an international flavour.
Kiwi Yvonne Weal was among the winners in the championships.
More than 30 competitors from around the state took part in the threeday event over the Labour Day long weekend.
Fine weather made for an exciting competition.
Five drivers from the local area took part and junior driver Andrew Damsma from Iona won the Alan Farmer Trophy for the best pony in the cones obstacle course event, beating experienced older drivers.
Winners in the novice classes were Vicki Stevenson, Madeleine Bentley and Jodie McKeone.
Open class winners were Diane Boardman, Andrew Pollock and Yvonne Weal. In the multiples classes, Nicole Allen, Win Westerhoff, Karen Rogers and Rachel Haslau took the honours.
Publicity officer Janice Gorick said the championships began with dressage events displayed in warm conditions on Saturday with competitors working hard to put on an elegant dressed in all their finery and with vehicles polished.
“The horses’ coats were glistening in the sun as they strutted their paces hoping for high marks. There were two arenas being used which enabled the judging to move along at a steady pace,” she said.
“Sunday was marathon day and it dawned cooler as the competitors headed off to complete the 21 kilometres broken up into five sections; starting with around 15 km along the local roads.
“Even though the terrain was flat, the times were tight, which meant that a steady pace was required,” she said.
“The final test was held on Monday during the cones course. A testing course, measuring 640 metres, involved a Ushaped obstacle and a wooden bridge which kept drivers and their equine partners on their toes while ensuring that the balls balanced on top of the cones (witches’ hats) were not knocked off and gaining penalties.
“With only a 25 millimetre clearance between the wheels and the cones, precision was the name of the game.
“Some ponies showed promise as show jumpers as they tried to jump the bridge and one of Wayne Armstrong’s leaders neatly jumped out of the Ushaped obstacle.”