This year’s Sydney Royal Easter Show was one of the largest ticketed events held since the COVID-19 pandemic has swept the world, and it was staged without a single Covid case. 700,000 people gathered over the 12 days of the show, with limits of 60,000 each day. Brisbane went into lockdown for three days, but the event still went ahead without any problems. It did make it slightly harder to show horses with less entries allowed, more regulations, and lots of Covid rules. As a horse photographer, we were not allowed in the media centre due to space issues, so I hung out in the stables with the great team from Suburban Lodge, the Robinson family, who lent me a corner of the table to edit while I watched their well-oiled show team get prepped for their classes with military precision. Twelve days of sleeping above stables takes its toll on anyone, but they were all still smiling until the end.
The Australian Arabian Derivatives come in all shapes and sizes, many with multiple registrations. They are renowned for winning in open competition and Sydney Royal is the pinnacle of that competition.
The below is a quick look at some of the top award winners in other breeds that are also registered Arabian derivatives.
Gentry Park Take Note
Perhaps the biggest winner this year with three of the coveted Purple Rugs was Gentry Park Take Note (Lyrics x Glyndebourne Scuzi-Me), an Arabian riding pony owned by Sara Osaulenko and Kerry Avarmidis. This black gelding won Champion Show Hunter Galloway, Champion Ridden Saddle Pony, and Champion Ridden Part Welsh – quite an achievement having just come from SHC Grand Nationals where he was also Champion Show Hunter Galloway. Gentry Park Take Note has so many awards in his two years of showing under saddle and is a testament to his incredible nature and correct training, having a clean sweep of Show Hunter Galloway Champions in all of Australia’s top shows.
Arabian Riding Pony Gelding Royalwood Touch of Lyric (Royalwood Boy Soprano x Rathowen Touchwood) won the Best Novice Galloway and Reserve Champion Open Galloway for Sue and Ralph Oberg and Universal Stables, another great achievement.
Meanwhile, Arabian Riding Ponies also took these awards:
Karma Park Bellagio
Karma Park Bellagio (Wesswoods Raven Caste x El Raz Tequila Rose) won the Child’s Galloway, the Novice Galloway 14.2hh-15hh, and Reserve Champion Led Arabian Derivative Mare for Naomi and Ritchie Brincau. They also own Royalwood Song Book (Royalwood Scallywag x Oakvale Songster), who won the Novice Pony 13hh – 13.2hh.
Harrington Park Dream Chaser
The Best Led Australian Saddle Pony Gelding went to Harrington Park Dream Chaser (Tungarra Dream x Nampara Royal Affair) for Candace Ellis and Diane Firth.
Wilgo’s Pure Bliss
Wilgo’s Pure Bliss (Royalwood Rossini x Bliss FF) won her led riding pony filly class for Julie and Rodney Hewitt.
The winner of the open pony 11.2hh – 12hh was Yartarla Park Louis Vuitton (Yartarla Park Chipmonk x Arrondale Jade) for Miss M Magnier.
Mandaley Silk Road (Beckworth Rising Command x Mandaley Pure Silk) was the winner in the open pony 13hh – 13.2hh for the Morelli family.
Meanwhile, the current Australian Champion Arabian Pony Koora-Lyn Enchanting (Koora-Lyn Majestic x Koora-Lyn Enchanted), owned by the Robinson Family and Margie White, was crowned Supreme Australian Pony and Reserve Champion Part Welsh Mare.
Gemsfield Clementine
Jacqui Langfield’s Gemsfield Clementine (Lone Pine Flyn x Gemsfield Cleopatra) won the Arabian Derivative under three years and was also fourth in the Australian Stockhorse Filly aged two and under.
Joemoor Designer Label
The Reserve Champion Led Australian Saddle Pony Mare title went to the part-bred Joemoor Designer Llabel (Taringa Sandal Wood x Sienna Exklusive) for Catriona and Phoebe Sviderskas.
Finally, the part-bred stallion SPB Noble Dynasty (Noble Dancer x Dailara) took the ridden partbred welsh stallion class and Champion Led Part-bred Welsh Stallion for Amanda Jeffreys.
The Arabian Warmbloods also shone:
EBL Quiver (Quaterback x Mayhem) won the Child’s Hack and Champion Ridden Arabian Derivative for Annette and Emily Mears.
Illarak Donnerge
The Novice Show Hunter Hack 15hh – 15.2hh went to Illarak Donnerge (Warawee Donner Duell x Deveron Georgette) for the Walsh Family.
Melissa and Ashley Clarke’s Tallyho Velocity (Hohenstein x Tallyho Practical Magic) won the novice show hunter 15.2hh – 16hh.
Cedar Park Tequila Rose
Cedar Park Tequila Rose (Starnberg x W.E.S. Marylan) won the Childs Show Hunter Hack for Melissa and Ashley Clarke.
Gladstone M.H.
Arabian Performance Index registered Gladstone M.H. (NL) (Bordeaux x Widallisto M.H. won the Best Novice Show Hunter Hack for Sabble Farms and also placed second in the Childs Show Hunter Hack.
The Champion Arabian Derivative Stallion title went to the Arabian pony Riverglen Zion (Koora-Lyn Acclaim x Riverglen Zephryn) for Aileen Burns and Wendy Bust.
Aloha Desert Elegance
The Arabian Warmbloods also shone with the big titles. Aloha Desert Elegance (Arabian Park Desert Dashar x Noran Amazing Grace) took the Champion Arabian Derivative Mare and Supreme Led Derivative for Melynda and Molly-Rose Eather.
Aloha Jackman (Aloha Majestic King) was named Champion Arabian Derivative Gelding for Patricia Robinson.
Finally, EBL Quiver was crowned Champion Ridden Arabian Derivative (below).
What a great way for our Arabian derivatives to shine in open competition!
You can read more show reports here.
