DRY and hard conditions created by Victoria's long, hot summer made for difficult conditions at the weekend's Victorian Agricultural Societies Limited Equine Nutrition Saddle Horse Championships at the Prince of Wales Showgrounds in Bendigo.

Horses and riders qualifying to compete with performances gained at last year's Victorian agricultural shows.

Laura Thomas, 22, of Riddells Creek, who rode Time Gallery, was crowned the Victorian Supreme Champion Senior Rider of the year.

Thomas is no stranger to ring competition, winning her first major award at the Royal Melbourne Show at the age of two when she took out the Miniature Turnout Leading Rein championship.

The last two decades has seen this young lady win at all the major royal shows. She is also a master in side-saddle classes winning every major award.

It's of no surprise that Thomas has natural ring craft, her grandmother Eddie Thomas of Sunbury, has shown ponies, Galloways, hacks and harness horses at royal shows for more than 60 years.

Her aunt Beverley won the famous Garryowen Trophy in 1971, and her cousin Adele placed second in 2006.

Thomas' father Raymond won world cup showjumping and numerous Victorian jumping titles and started his riding career winning the leading rein at the Melbourne Royal arena in the same way as his daughter.

Competition judge Maree Tomkinson, of Wallan, said: "Laura was so correct, the horse went correctly and she rode very well".

Tomkinson has won the Garryowen Trophy three times and is now one of Australia's leading dressage riders.

Abby Heffer, of Wallan, was the supreme Junior Champion rider and also won the Good Hands competition for girls.

Shelley Penny, of Trafalgar, won the Champion Show Hunter Hack riding SP Havana, the Show Hunter Galloway was won by Jody Van Breugel's Salisbury My Girl, and the Show Hunter Pony winners were Weston Park Vivaldi owned by the Howe family of Drysdale and Nilton Azure, owned by Jo Cash.

Bruce Flood made the trip from Sydney to win the Open Small Hack championship riding DP Mayfair, owned by himself and Maryanne Marshall.

The beautiful black mare, Dreamtime Oprah, owned by Julie Conti and David Warde, won the open large hack championship and was declared the Riding Star Saddle Hack of the show.

The open large Galloway championship went to Janevelyn Chivas Regal, owned by the Waldock Family. Duneim Showdown, owned by Maddison Zammit, was the open small Galloway champion.

The McMahon and McCormick families of Pyalong won the Champion large pony with Leanda Hello Dolly and the champion small pony with Silkwood Angel Wings.

Thorpeville Trendy, owned by the Reimer Family, of Lara, won the Open Shetland Pony championship.