Youngsters make great strides

Three young aspiring Great Southern equestrian competitors performed well at the recent 2016 Gallery Equine Grand National Championships and the Sydney Royal Easter Show on the east coast.

Mt Barker siblings Brent and Ivy Parsons, along with Albany’s Addison Moir, made the long trek to New South Wales last month to compete in the two show-horse events.

The Grand National event was held at Olympic Park in Sydney and then over the Easter long weekend, the Sydney show was held at Spotless Stadium.

Ivy was awarded top 10 in her Rider Nine-12 Years division, Top 10 Large Show Pony and Top 10 Child’s Show Pony on Cimeron Prince Charming.

Brent finished top 10 in the 12-15 Years division and was awarded Best Presented Small Show Hunter on his warm blood mare Lillebonne, while Addison did not placed on her pony at Grand Nationals.

The trio then went to the Sydney show, where Ivy won the Child’s Show Pony 12.2-14h, was third in her Open Pony division and worked out for Champion Pony in the big arena.

Brent also had a good show, placing fourth in his Rider division and fourth in the Rider Showcase.

Addison bounced back in Sydney to place fourth in a large class in her Lead Rein Pony Class.

Her pony Popstaar, ridden by usual rider Ivy Parsons, placed fourth in her Novice Show Pony under 12h division and second in the Open Pony 11.2h and Under division.

Ivy also rode Owendale Valencia for well-known NSW rider Jess Stalling, placing second in his novice show hunter class.

Ivy has been riding since she was three, and she and Cimeron Prince Charming were an unbeaten combination in the child’s Show Pony classes in 2015, taking out all four of the Grand National qualifying events they competed in.

After suffering a fractured arm in August, Ivy missed one event, but made a quick comeback to get back on board her pony to win the EA Medium Pony of the Year title in September and qualified to travel to Melbourne in December to the Nationals event.

At the 2015 Grand Nationals, Ivy and Cimeron Prince Charming were top 10 Large Show Pony winners.