FIVE days of fine weather plus 4700 class entries made the 41st Barastoc Horse of the Year Show at Werribee Park last week one to remember.
The show provides competition for young and old, experienced and novice, and a variety of breeds and equestrian occupations.
It also moved two lovely mares into superstar status, with the diminutive Silkwood Angel Wings winning her third consecutive Barastoc title in the small show-pony section.
Despite having had a solid show career spanning three states, Angel Wings always travels as if she's having the best time, with ears pricked and a happy expression.
In the show hack section, the Tasmanian thoroughbred mare Consequence, shown by Tania Hay, moved into the class of three time winners Lure and Picasso when she won this year's class.
English judge Claire Dew described Consequence as "breathtaking" and said she would love to be able to take her home to England, but doubted her cheque book would be large enough to buy her.
Most of the finalists in the show hack section, including the winner, did not work to their best, made anxious by gusty weather that caused the shade tents around the arena to rattle.
Professional rider Michael Christie had an excellent show, winning the open Galloway championship with the lovely chestnut mare Mirinda Eyeliner, which has also won on a previous occasion.
Christie also showed Caroline Reid's Tonic to win the Newcomer hack award and rode Little Hawk to a reserve championship win in the newcomer Galloway class. Carmen Novak's Kolbeach Aster won both the newcomer and open large show pony sections.
Stuart Ryan's four-year-old Shetland Thorpeville Trendy was judge Adrian Flint's choice as Shetland pony ridden champion from a fine group of good moving little ponies.
A new section this year was one for senior horses. The animals had to be 12 years old or more, and apart from delighting the crowd with their performances, showed that the days of being referred to as "aged" at a mere eight years old are over.
Many horses today have careers that span almost 20 years.
At least two in the section were over 23 and were as sprightly as three-year-olds. Stacey Oakley's WS Adelente was winning senior hack 15 to 16 hands.
Interlude, owned by Karen Shaw was champion senior Galloway, and the winning Senior large pony was Karen Fry's Kirreway Beaumont.
Falconhurst Pussy Galore shown by Hayley Gears was champion small pony, and Nicole Morrison's Lundella Holly, not only won the senior Shetland saddle class, but was judged as reserve champion International Challenge Shetland by English judge Matthew Lawrence.
The International Challenge, judged during Saturday evening indoors during a formal dinner, provided some great performances under lights.
Kerry Mack's magnificent Warmblood mare Spa White Girl strode away with the championship for big show hunters, and Jan Langley's handsome Langtree Opium, previously used as a sire before being gelded, won the smaller show hunter title.
Lyn Warburton's Kolbeach Class was International Challenge champion big pony and the Maurice and Smith families were delighted with Oak Park Juliet's win in the Shetland class.
