GEELONG'S Royal Show proved there is plenty of room in Victoria for another big event with royal sanction.
And it was much welcomed by horse competitors who flocked to it in droves to be presented with a very wide range of classes to keep them occupied over the four days.
The arenas and surrounds were very dusty, but given the area has been in a disastrous drought for some years, it is understandable.
Heath Harris' Girls Girls Girls trick riding team showed their acrobatic performance to an appreciative crowd and caused the parents of some wide-eyed junior pony riders to warn them not to try this at home.
The strength of the local horse community was shown later in the show, with several of the district winners taking the same award in the open classes.
District classes on the first day were solidly supported, with Col Cameron's Rhyl Cover Story winning champion led Galloway and later the open led award.
Taylah Arnott won the district champion junior rider, 14 and under and the open rider championship in the same age group. Bev Richards 'Rathowen McNamara was champion ridden Galloway and a really lovely young horse in Rachael Addison and Cameron Boyle's Boyfriend was champion led and ridden district hack and also the best novice hack of the show.
Bree Roberts Mandalay Pure Silk was champion open big pony, while Rathowen McNamara repeated his district win in the open Galloway.
Chanele Hunter rode Michelle Labahn's Rothwell Fairy Fable to claim the Small Saddle Pony Championship.
The Otway View Shetland ponies are always to be found in the front line of Shetland Saddle Ponies and Otway View Xenia was champion ridden Shetland with her stablemate, Otway View Windermere reserve.
Jodie van Brueghal had a great show with her show pony hunter Salisbury My Guy winning the Riding Pony show hunter championship and the open title as well.
Penny Smith and Cherrytree Vagabond have had a great partnership in pony show hunter classes and were champions, and Tara McKay enjoyed her ride on Cheraton Mikado to win the show hunter Galloway.
Jacqui Librio won the show hunter hack title on Caruso.
Sophie Coleman's Top That of Astral won the small hack championship and Georgia Cleeland's Invermay Striking Bob took the big hack title and supreme champion hack.
In the Galloway section, Rossanne Mason won the big Galloway championship with Kolbeach Magic but had his colours lowered to Marcia Beard's Kolbeach Circus, winner of the small Galloway championship in the supreme award.
There was a wide range of stud classes for led horses and there were some beautiful animals on show.
Jenny Reeve-Singles Palomino stallion, Loriot Royal Dalton, was a deserved winner as supreme led Palomino.
Geelong always attracts a huge number of miniature ponies and with prize money of more than $5000 on offer it was no wonder some of the best tiny ponies in Australia appeared.
