Mount Gambier Horse Trials

Mount Gambier Horse Trials 2018

Lauren Hussell - Sponsored Rider


What a weekend! There were a lot of firsts this weekend, including first interstate trip and first Pre-Novice HT. Chance handled it all so well, such a cruisey horse for a 6yo!

The trip up went well. We stopped at the Mortlake ‘reserve’ (or lack of...) which was a tiny carpark next to a paddock. Safe to say we only stopped for 10mins! We arrived into Mt Gambier after 5 hours of driving not long before dark and settled chance into his yard at the Showgrounds just in time before a big downpour of rain.

The next morning we drove over to the competition grounds for dressage. Of course the arenas were right next to the landing strip of Mt Gambier airport- lucky Chance is so quiet!! It hailed a few times that morning (including when I was warming up for dressage...) but after a nice calm test we scored 67% and were in 17th place.

The Sunday was for jumping. I was quietly terrified for XC 😂 as there was a massive ditch brush and a few big skinny’s, but Chance is an absolute XC machine and jumped around so confidently to come in clear and under time. We were one of around 6 people in the EVA105 to actually get under time, so we were bumped right up to 6th place. Unfortunately Chance is still a little green in the SJ so we had 3 rails down but he jumped so confidently around and we ended up in 13th place.

We have Friends of Werribee HT coming up next weekend, so it’s time for some SJ boot camp and fingers crossed we can finish in the placings.

Lauren