Above: Caitlin Bolger and Caprino, winners of the Grand Prix. Photo Credit Eric Lloyd Photography.

If there has been any indication as to the health of showjumping in Western Australia, the Yalambi Jumping Classic held at the stunning Yalambi Farm Stud in WA’s picturesque south-west wine region was it! Huge entry numbers saw a last-minute decision to include a third ring in the new Yalambi indoor arena. Owner and Director of Yalambi, Rory Hovell, said that due to the upheaval in the season caused by the COVID pandemic, he wanted to give everyone the chance to compete and didn’t want to have to turn anyone away from the event.

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And what an event it turned out to be. Three incredible days of jumping, three rings of competition and class numbers exceeding 80 combinations. In addition to the jumping, Yalambi again put on the well-received Riders’ Welcome Cocktail Party on the Friday night, generously sponsored by the wonderful caterers Two Queens.

Arena One was held on the fantastic main grass field, with the 10-acre lake and stunning lake house as a back-drop. Technical and testing courses were built all weekend by main arena builder Kevin Tully, who made full use of the massive arena and truly incredible jumping gear at his disposal. Yalambi had many of these fences custom made to represent some of the major tourist features of the region, including the Busselton Jetty, the Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse, the many wineries of the region and even the Yalambi lake house!

A last-minute decision was made on Friday to move Saturday’s speed class to the indoor arena under lights, and this class turned into a real social highlight of the weekend! The indoor viewing platform was packed to absolute capacity, the bar was open serving some hard-earned drinks and the wonderful Two Queens were cooking up delicious wood-fired pizzas for the hungry masses. The addition of the night program was well-received by riders and spectators alike, and will no doubt remain a staple of the Yalambi Classic for years to come!

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The feature classes on the Saturday were:

• Hygain Feeds & EWA Jumping Novice Series Under 6 Points Final – won by Rosie Oliver & Carina (Caracus)
• West Coast Vets & EWA Bronze Series Under 20 Points Final – won by Emily Gray & Jocular Vision (Jubilee Bay)
• Two Queens Catering & EWA Jumping Under 21 Years – won by Chloe Versteegen & MC Pico Diamonds (Pico Bello)
• Rosily Wines Open 135cm Welcome Stakes – won by Leon Carroll & Delisch (Conquistador)
• Quickmail Open Speed Table C – won by Chelsea Wittington & Gladdys van de Breemeersen (Breemeersen Adorado)

The premier class on Sunday was the Australian Underground Drilling & EWA Jumping Yalambi Grand Prix featuring the EWA Jumping Horse of the Year Final. Kevin Tully set a challenging track for the 17 combinations, set at a height of 1.40m to 1.45m. Round one saw just two clear rounds, Georgie Siciliano and Gladiator P, and current WA State Senior Champion Caitlin Bolger and Caprino.

Combinations with nine faults or less were invited back for the second round against the clock. The class came right down to the wire, with second-last on course Georgie Siciliano and Gladiator P putting in a sensational double clear, in a handy time. But it was the final combination on course who took the win, Caitlin Bolger and Caprino absolutely powered around the course to knock nearly two seconds off Georgie and Gladiator P’s time.

Above: Caitlin Bolger and Caprino, winners of the Grand Prix. Photo Credit Eric Lloyd Photography.

Final results from the class were:

The other feature classes of Sunday were:

• Rainbow Classic for Horses Under 20 Points – won by Rosie Oliver and Carina (Caracus)
• Equineworld & EWA Jumping Amateur Final – won by Chelsea Wittington and Gladdys van de Breemeersen (Breemeersen Adorado)
• Busselton Toyota & EWA Jumping Silver Series Final – won by Spook March and Pico Bellini (Pico Bello)

Another highlight of the weekend, and a staple of the Yalambi Classic, is the annual dog race. Run at midday on the Sunday, many laughs were had amid the total chaos of approximately 50 dogs of all sizes being let loose on the main arena. Also needing to be mentioned was the truly moving rendition of the National Anthem which was performed by young rider Olivia Muir as a precursor to the start of the Grand Prix; many goosebumps were felt and even some tears were shed!

Another feature that really elevated the event was the fabulous live-streaming that was provided by I-Video Production; comments were coming in from all over the world from California to The Netherlands to Germany!

The biggest congratulations needs to be given to the entire Yalambi Farm Stud team: Rory, Emily, Sue and Clive, as well as their tireless crew of staff. The venue, the entertainment, the attention to detail; every aspect of this event was planned and executed to perfection, resulting in an event that could have been celebrated at any of the major venues in the world!

Things are looking very exciting for showjumping in Western Australia.

Source: Gemma Alexander Yalambi Farm Stud