Inaugurated in 1967 and run by Goulburn Valley Horse Trials Association, the Avenel Horse Trials are one of the longest running events of their kind in the country. Competition returned this year after a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic and a wet weather postponement.
As the name suggests, Avenel Horse Trials originated in the Victorian country town of Avenel 130km north of Melbourne – originally at Glen Appin, a property owned by Mr D.W.R Knox, and later at Grenada Park in Mangalore, a property owned by Mr and Mrs J.G. head. Following the sale of Grenada Park, the event moved to Oaklands Hunt Club at Oaklands Junction in 2005 – a venue that was home to not only the historic Hunt Club but also Oaklands Pony Club, and which also hosted the pentathlon at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics and was the original home of the Melbourne Three-Day Event before its move to Werribee in 1980.
For almost a decade, Oaklands Hunt Club welcomed back top-level eventing to the edge of the northern suburbs before ever-encroaching land development resulted in its closure. Avenel Horse Trials once again upped roots following the 2014 event, but this time the move was only a short ride down the road to Greenvale Equestrian Reserve.
While the event is no longer run out of Avenel, it retains the name and traditions established over many years operating within the Avenel region – and it still has the hardworking GVHTA committee at its helm, all of whom have contributed towards the continuation of the event and making it what it is today.
OLYMPIC PROVING GROUND
When the inaugural Avenel Horse Trials took place on 5 March 1967, it saw the likes of Olympians Bill and Wayne Roycroft competing, although it was Susan Russell and Hi Fi who lifted the very first Avenel Trophy. Bill Roycroft came back and won in 1968, with sons Wayne and Clark also claiming wins in the years that followed. Eight-time Olympian Andrew Hoy still holds the record for the most wins in the top class at Avenel, with six victories throughout the 80s and 90s.
Many other current and future Olympic contestants have tested themselves over Avenel courses throughout the years. A glimpse at the start list for the Junior competition in 1990 reveals three future Olympians: Shane Rose, Sam Griffiths and Amanda Ross. Fellow Olympian Heath Ryan has also claimed victory in the headline class, alongside other well-known riders such as Michael Baker, David Middleton, Seamus Marwood, Robert Palm, Rohan Luxmoore, Emily Anker and Del Ogilvy, just to name a few.
HAPPY TO BE BACK
The 2022 event was originally due to run in October, however, like many events it fell victim to heavy rain and waterlogged grounds. Rescheduled to the penultimate weekend in January this year, the Avenel Horse Trials were finally back in action, with classes ranging from 65cm to two-star on offer. “It went really well,” says current GVHT vice president Michael McCarrey of the event’s return. “We had a stack of riders in all classes. Most people had a good ride, and everyone was just happy to get back out again after the past few years.”
Sophia Hill (née Landy), 25, added her name to the Avenel honour roll in taking out the headline Cavalor Equine CCN2*-S riding seven-year-old warmblood gelding Tulara Baltango, with the pair finishing on their dressage score of 31.4 penalties.
“I purchased him as a five-year-old competing at EvA80 level and have been producing him through the levels,” explains Sophia of the horse. “Avenel was his first two-star competition, so it was very exciting to achieve such a fantastic result in a big field. ‘Tango’ is fantastic in all three phases of eventing. He has great movement and is bred to jump, so that comes very easily to him. He is the most incredible horse to sit on, with so much power and athleticism. I definitely think he has what it takes to be competitive at the top of the sport.”
Sophia also finished fifth in the CCN2*S with nine-year-old off-the-track Thoroughbred Seattle Park, who was also having his first start at the level. “Finishing fifth and being named Best Performed OTT was a fantastic result. I got him off the track around three years ago. He is a very cool little horse and is great fun to ride. He is definitely a favourite for everyone on the team, being incredibly gentle and sweet to handle on the ground. He stands at 16 hands and is a very compact type, and extremely quick on his feet. He isn’t quite as fancy to look at as Tulara Baltango, but he knows how to get the job done and is a brave and careful jumper, and very rideable in the dressage.”
Sophia also had a number of horses across the lower grades, including young Australian Stockhorse gelding Bundabulla Earl Grey, who won Division 1 of the EvA65. “I am competing him for his owner, Michelle Turner, to give him some experience before she competes him! We were thrilled with how he performed over the weekend. He was quite green on cross country but every time I put my leg on, he went forward, and the whole weekend was a great experience for him.”
As Sophia explains, having events such as Avenel that run the lower-level classes alongside the upper levels is important. “The EvA 65 classes make EA eventing much more accessible for a wider range of horses and riders, which is definitely a positive thing. Producing any horse – or rider – through the levels is a matter of slowly building confidence and skill, so offering a lower starting point can be fantastic for green horses or green riders to gain some experience before stepping up.”
Like many riders, Sophia is fond of Avenel Horse Trials and the event has become a regular occurrence on her competition calendar. “I have attended Avenal Horse Trials many times now, including when it was held at Oaklands,” she says, adding that the year she remembers most vividly is 2014 when she was 16 years old and gale-force winds made it trickier than normal. “I was on a very spooky horse in the one-star, and he kept trying to bolt every time the saddle blanket flapped against his side!” she laughs. “Thankfully the weather was on our side this year, and we had two beautiful sunny days and fantastic going.”
Historically running in September, the committee opted to move the event to Cup weekend due to the gusty winds ever-prevalent through the district in the first month of spring. Michael explains that on consulting the Bureau of Meteorology, it was in fact confirmed that September is the windiest month for the Oaklands and Greenvale area!
Sophia was also rapt with the new and improved jumping arena, and government-funded club house pavilion: “The recent improvements to the grounds also added to this year’s event. The new clubroom and the new and more central location for the show jumping were great.”
Will Enzinger was second to Sophia in the CCN2*S riding Epic Xtreme. No stranger to Avenel, Will has previously claimed the top honours on three occasions: 2006 with Badger Bay, 2008 with BWS Eagle, and 2014 with Bellhaven Sanskrit.
“The Stella Cup was donated by
John Winchester as a memorial to
his champion eventing mare…”
In other results, the World’s Best Hoof Oil CCN1*S Division 1 went to Baylee Eve and Kenlock Indiana Sky, while the Sheamus Mills Bloodstock CCN1*S OTT went to Mia Wright and Range View Toranos. In the EvA95 classes, the Interpath Division 1 went to Fiona Fox and Peek A Boo (OTT); the Feedxl Division 2 went to Isabella O’Donnell and Courtier; the Yoicks Equestrian Division 3 went to Teegan Ashby and Riverdowns Legacy; and the Young Horse Division went to Lucy Kolomanski and Fanatical (OTT).
The EvA80 classes saw Jessica Biggins and Regardez Secrets claim the Ketalia Equestrian Division 1; Kim Hughes and Highfield Luda Melba won the Tazzie Eggins Photography Division 2; Emily Walker and the pony Pretty Hill Startdust won CKA Designs Division 3; and the Young Horse Division went to Bounce AE, ridden by Asha Warnock.
Finally, in the EvA65, Carlee Ryder and One Direction were the other winners besides Sophia and Bundabulla Earl Grey, with the pair claiming the Horse Bit Emporium Division 2. The Young Horse Division saw Fonzy claim the win with Georgie Birrell in the saddle.
Since its inception, the event has also run an award for the best performed mare (or the leading lady rider if fewer than three mares are entered) in the top class. The Stella Cup was donated by John Winchester as a memorial to his champion eventing mare who was lost in the 1965 Avenel fire. Over the years, award winners have included the likes of Vicki Roycroft and Plea (1976) and Mary Donvig and Hanburg Duellway (1982) – the latter, of course, now Mary Hanna, who has since represented Australia at six Olympic Games in the sport of dressage. This year, Samantha Cesnik and Graftango took home the accolades.
ALWAYS EVOLVING
The event continues to evolve each year in its new location, with GVTHA planning for the addition of higher levels in the future. It had run at three-star level for two years prior to the pandemic, however, a change of rules requiring a higher-level cross country course designer meant none was available for the rescheduled dates. The event’s current designer, Jarryd Stanley, has now achieved the required Level 3 Course Designer status, paving the way for the rebuilding of a three-star track for the next edition of the event in early November. “Jarryd will bring our course back up to three-star at our event later in the year, and then we’ll aim to press on to four-star,” enthuses Michael.
The current Cup weekend dates were implemented with the thought to being a good lead-up to Adelaide Three-Day Event two weeks later, however, with that event now shifted to April, Avenel has instead become a precursor for Victorians heading to Wallaby Hill.
Just 20km from Melbourne’s CBD and likely the closest event of its kind to the city, Avenel Horse Trials are back better than ever and now in a secure long-term home. With a 10-year licence agreement on Greenvale Equestrian Reserve through council and plans to roll it over into the future, it looks as though the event will gallop on into its 56th year and remain a much-loved fixture on the Victorian eventing calendar for many years to come. EQ
Results from Avenel Horse Trials (21-22 January) can be found here.
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