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Riders from Methven and Tinwald pony clubs are in training for the Methven Rodeo Club Springston Trophy being held in the district next month.
It is being hosted by pony clubs: Mill Creek, Methven, Rakaia and Tinwald at two venues in Ashburton and Rakaia from October 2 to 4.
As well as teams from both Methven and Tinwald, there will be a composite team of Lily Oliver of Methven and Heidi Quigley of Tinwald.
The 54th annual event involves dressage, showjumping and cross country.
Committee chair Kim Solly said 27 pony club teams from throughout the South Island will camp at the Ashburton A&P showgrounds.
Teams were made up of six riders – seniors (24 & under) jumping 105cm, intermediates (17 & under) jumping 95cm, and juniors (14 & under) jumping 80cm.
The team with the least penalties during the three-day event will be crowned Springston Trophy 2026 champions.
This will be the fifth time the trophy has been held in the Ashburton District.
Dressage and showjumping will take place at the Ashburton A&P Showgrounds on October 2 and 4. While the cross country competition will be at the recently upgraded Rakaia cross country venue on October 3. Action starts each day at 9am.
The Rakaia cross country course has undergone a major renovation and redesign in preparation for this prestigious pony club event.
"A dedicated band of pony club families have run working bees and local contractors have generously donated their time and equipment in kind to build a course our community can be very proud of,” Solly said.
"The upgraded cross country course will become a valuable training ground for local equestrians and will go on to host many more events over the years to come.
"The organising committee have also enlisted a great number of generous sponsors, secured grants and dug deep with fundraising efforts to run the event.”
Methven Rodeo Club are the official naming rights sponsor for Springston Trophy 2026 and Solly said they were delighted to have them on board.
“To have a club with such a great depth of horse mastership experience provide this level of financial support for the development of young pony club riders means so much.
“The Springston Trophy requires a huge amount of training and then there’s pressure of actual competition. Dressage, cross country and show jumping are challenging disciplines on their own. “Put all three together and you have an event that really shapes rider abilities.
“We are so glad our local cowboys and cowgirls share our passion for the development of young equestrians,” Solly said.
The Springston Trophy website state it is the largest pony club event in the Southern Hemisphere.
The idea for the trophy developed over the breakfast table of the late Mary Dalley at Pemberton, near Christchurch.
Don Collett and the late Joan McCall were travelling back to the south with horses that had competed at the 1971 New Zealand Pony Club Association horse trials championships in Masterton.
All three agreed it would be a good idea to have a competition that allowed ordinary riders in the branches who may never attend the championships the opportunity to compete.
Mary proposed the Springston branch hold the first event, provided the Gore branch, to which Don Collett and Joan McCall belonged, agreed to hold the one following.
"I'll ask a parent to donate a trophy and we will keep the costs down and run it as cheaply as possible" Mary said.
The first event being held at Springston on August 26 and 27, 1972 on the properties of I & K Bailey and Mrs. C Wright.
The parents who donated the trophy were Margaret and Murray Foster.
The Springston Trophy eventing was first held in the Ashburton District in 1976 with showjumping and dressage at the Ashburton A&P Showgrounds and in appalling elements the cross country was held at Mt Hutt.
In 1987, the dressage and showjumping was at the showgrounds and cross country and Tinwald Pony Club.
In 2004, with 40 teams competing the showjumping and dressage were at the showgrounds and cross country at the Rakaia course. In 2017, Rakaia hosted the showjumping and dressage at the domain and cross country and the purpose built course.
Springston Trophy provides a magic grassroots platform for New Zealand’s next generation of Olympic equestrians; it is the event where NZ Olympians Mark Todd, Jonelle and Tim Price began their eventing journeys.