Canowindra Challenge Part II - 2022
Updated: Jul 24
Successful Completions
10km Riders
Cooper Gill riding Kabell
David Gill riding Bliss
Sarah M'Crystal riding Arabella
Olive O'Dea riding Layha
Rebecca O'Dea riding Archie
Angela Payne riding Chopper
Grace Payne riding Sally
Charlotte Pearce riding Rathowen Velvet Bows
Hunter Pearce riding Houdini
Matt Pearce riding Billy
Jacquie Rodney riding Heathers Hefner
Allyson White riding Nothnbutagoodthing
Belinda Wright riding April
Paula Crowe riding Max
20km Riders
Anne Bailey riding Rosie
Melanie Carter riding Indian Crow
Karen Cave riding Egg
Ashleigh Cockburn riding Honey
Damir Cokas riding Tokai
Anita Dawson riding Wills
Danielle Doff riding Jillaby Midget
Emily Hill riding Twinkle
Kim Hill riding Coolinda Park Snooze
Leanne Holz riding Regal
Michael Jakob riding Lola
Olivia Jakob riding Boardershow Bunny
Jo McCabe riding Monty
Ruby McCabe riding Sonic
Bianka Micic-Cokas riding Uncle Gerry
Anna Norton riding Scarlet Oaks Rafi'ah
Amanda O'Connor riding Castomo
Tom Pankhurst riding Jagg
Jordan Piggott riding Zemzem Raya
Lesley Staniforth riding Saffron
Wayne Webster riding Sunny
Stacy Williams riding Harper
Frances Woodbridge riding Nina
40km Riders - Saturday
Annette Bailey riding Charlotte
Karen Casey riding Canalbyn Special Lady Kate
Brooke Dale riding Currowan Nikita
Cheree Dilley riding Tuldar Hamal
Lara Dilley riding Rosebrae Red Rustler
Roz Edmonds riding Mindari Ace High
Talea Hasko-Stewart riding Blakes Heaven Bombora
Faith Johnson riding Milandi Smokey
Georgia Johnson riding Henley Farm Rakkad
Greta Johnson riding JRK Cobra
Bridget Maher riding Future Dreams Smudge
Rachel Meek riding Canalbyn Glowing Elle
Caroline Schuster riding Simeon Bollinger
James Sheahan riding Bullio Pepsico
Jenny Shepheard riding Currown Meridius
Sorsha Stuart-Rokvic riding Berwick Royal Music
Mette Sutton riding Tuldar Tully
Sue Todd riding Shakari Bear
Jemma Touzell riding Harley
Sue Warren riding Razorback Darcy
40km Riders - Sunday
Anthony Parker riding Mindari Ace High
Anne Bailey riding Rosie
Cathy Banwell riding Blakes Heaven Caruso
Jeremy Banwell riding Scarlet Oaks Aziz
Carly Hallett riding Brian
Bruce Carter riding Mittani Hairan
Damir Cokas riding Tokai
Vicki Mathew riding Cedar Glen Raffaela
Bianka Micic-Cokas riding Uncle Gerry
Mark Norton riding Zemzem Raya
Deborah Pippen riding Blakes Heaven Winter Knight
Karlee Rose riding Dark Intentions
Caroline Schuster riding Simeon Bollinger
Sorsha Stuart-Rokvic riding Berwick Red Princess
Sue Todd riding Shakari Bear
Bianca Watman riding Dunbar Coco Chanel
80km Riders - Sunday
Heavyweight
Graeme Burchell riding Kiowa
Tahnaya Mercieca riding Henley Farm Fursan (BEST CONDITIONED)
Jo Davis riding Jamal Desert Mist & Sue Warren riding Razorback Darcy (EQUAL)
Ian Dreghorn riding Ausden Nile Prins
Mark Glanville riding Woodbourne Anna Brown
James Sheahan riding Brechenridge Icon
Gavin Peacock riding Chop Chop
Jolene Cole riding Kurrajong Aces
Allan Caslick riding Picnic Park Roger
Corey Tubnor riding Karrabil Birrali
Middleweight
Jenny Shepheard riding Currowan Maximus (LINE HONOURS & BEST CONDITIONED)
Ellen Murdoch riding Henley Farm Janazah
Jessica Williams riding Alzarah
Bev Turner riding Dane
Brett Willis riding Carlwood Ghost
Anna Norton riding Rivernook Sadiqa
Marissa Levitt riding Rivernook Zulfiqar
Clare Feary riding Equilo
April Newman riding Tarnette
Sam Peters riding Love In The Mist
Brandon Dick riding Cameo Persiaa
Courtney Wiltshire riding Dumaresq Party Girl
Lou Piddington riding A'Landell Soul
Mette Sutton riding Tuldar Tully
Isabella Circosta riding Ropa Park Bella Shakila
Amanda Apperley riding Bonnvoyage
Caitlin Langley riding Currowan Music
Jill Kalkman riding Miss Muppet
Leesa Mak riding Blakes Heaven Venus
Ben Hudson riding Oso Surprise
Sharyn Coulston riding Bullio Pan Pacs
Rachel Benaud riding Veloce Divine
Lightweight
Nichola Mepham riding Meracious Marousseh
Kim Gaspari riding Cooinda Park Willow
Clare Fleming riding Flemingo Bomsaway (BEST CONDITIONED)
Celia Hodgson riding Aloha Desert Thor
Fia Hasko-Stewart riding Blakes Heaven Adventuress
Louise Stevens riding Blakes Heaven Bon Vivant
Lauren Roper riding San Ella Estelle
Kim Hill riding Twinkle
Raelene Whitfield riding Wootton Charismatic
Susan Woodward riding Castlebar What's the Goss
Robin Gossip riding Raymar Amira
Faith Robinson riding Espirit Serena
Edwina McCarron riding Aloha Sweet Brier
Avril Cummins riding Ironbark Park Whispering Jack
Linda Logan riding Willow Valley Dartanyan
Jodi Dewick riding Wickwood Badira
Shelly Ison riding Marcon Elafi
Amanda Myers riding Stoodleigh Sun Rise
Kali Sloane riding Blakes Heaven Carousel
Arabella Ward riding Oso Elloise
Tiana Baldock riding Hartfield Untouchable
Jemma Touzell riding Flemingo Star
Heather Parry riding Dallas Arabians Orlando
Junior
Kaitlyn Mercieca riding Henley Farm Burosh
Modena Schofield riding Amarin Brindi (BEST CONDITIONED)
Julia Hill riding Safour
Tayla Hunt riding Castlebar Icon
Alissa Myers riding Grattai Station Traveller
Caryss Parry riding Mishael
Lou's Ride Review
The Canowindra Challenge ride saw 145 entries over the two days and it was wonderful to see so many people returning from 2021 and many new people entered for their very first taste of endurance.
The weather held up for us giving us a nice sunny day after a very frosty start for the Sunday 80km riders who departed at 5:30am, and the countryside looked fabulous with all the farm stock in their prime after the superb wet start to Winter that we have had.
We had 2 members stepping up in distance for the first time which is always exciting. Karen Casey from Garland successfully stepped up to a 40km ride and Junior, Tayla Hunt successfully completed her first 80km ride. Well done girls !!
Our Best Managed Standardbred Award went to Damir Cokas riding Tokai who successfully completed 20km on Saturday and then 40km on Sunday.
Our Spirit of Endurance Award went to April Newman who received a clothing pack sponsored Alfa Equestrian. April has completed 9,200km in 'endurance' rides and 665km in intro and intermediate rides and is a wonderful ambassador for our sport always showing excellent horsemanship and sportsmanship
Congratulations to all the winners, placegetters, competitors and social riders. Everyone showed great horsemanship and took fabulous care of their horses.
Thankyou to all our sponsors including the Canobolas Endurance Club, Archer Equine, Cowra Vet Centre, Canowindra Services Club, Canowindra Real Estate, Canowindra Produce, Canowindra Tyre Service, Earsmans Mixed Concrete Canowindra, Horse Supplements Direct, Freeform Australia, Bushgrove Endurance, Mats By Design, Alfa Equestrian, Margo Bailey and the NRG team.
Our vet team comprised Rhys Powell as Head Vet, Georgia Ladmore as Treatment Vet and endurance vetting newbies Ryan Lane and Max Woods. Our Chief Steward and timing whizz was Tom McCormack and we had Gordy Smith, Di Cameron and Margo Bailey taking expert care of the timing stations and final weighing. Our office team were Helen Brown, Jo Davis, Erica Allan and myself. Cat McDonald and Steph very efficiently handled the logbooks data entry and Eric Brown was our Vetting Marshall keeping the vet area running smoothly. Our TPR’s were Ian Mepham, Bindi Reinhold, Rob Gossip, Faye Stockley and Karen Casey.
Out on Checkpoint number 1 was John Robbo and Paul Mercieca who I'm sure were freezing their butts off at 5:30am in the crisp morning air. You guys were awesome!! Roz King kindly held up Checkpoint 2 solo and loves seeing riders go through always showing a keen interest in our ride. Thanks Roz. James Ryan and Chris Kinsela were on hand with the rescue float (luckily we only had to use it once and nobody was injured, just very tired) and they both had the Ride Base running efficiently all weekend. Chris and James also help out behind the scenes organising water pods, and troughs and helping with track marking, slashing the ride base and way too many other jobs to mention.
We can't run our ride without the help our landowners, David Harrison very kindly allows us to use the Cranbury Hall and grounds, Matt and Tamara Pearce own the ride base (Matt, Hunter and Charlotte rode in the 10km this year), Adam Nash allows us to cut through his property to avoid Canowindra Road keeping riders safe and went out of his way to clear a new path along the fenceline so that riders didn't have to navigate through a very muddy area and finally, Roz King allows us access through her property giving us a nice 4km of bushland to break up the laneways.
We welcomed new photographer and videographer, James Bacueti to our event who took some amazing footage for Prime 7 news and our promotional video not to mention some fabulous photos. We also had Jo Arblaster of Animal Focus out on track capturing memories and Jo very kindly put her Journalist hat on for some promotional stories featured in the Canowindra News, Cowra Guardian and The Regional.
We look forward to welcoming riders back to Canowindra again in the future. If you are new to the sport or even just thinking about getting into endurance, please get in touch because we would love to hear from you. Endurance is a wonderful, family friendly and inclusive sport for ALL ages and skill levels.
Until next time..... Lou x