Eyreton Pony Club members have extra incentive to host the 2015 Springston Trophy after their Navy squad rode away with the main honours at the 2014 edition of the competition at Middlemarch yesterday.
All 23 squads got a taste of Otago weather over the weekend, as conditions swung from a warm Friday afternoon to snow on Saturday then strong northwesterly winds during the prizegiving yesterday.
In fact, Saturday was a write-off due to the snow.
''It took one of our officials three hours to get from Outram to Middlemarch and he ended up following the snow plough to get through,'' event director Anne Beattie said.
While the weather might not have been friendly, Beattie said the local community more than made up for the chilly conditions.
''I think the thing people appreciated was being in a really small rural community with the hospitality and the friendliness,'' she said.
Eyreton Navy's squad, made up of senior riders Cam Robertson and Brodie Roberts, intermediate riders Grace O'Sullivan and Maria van Kujik and juniors Charlotte Hamilton and Johanna Wylaars, held off Halswell for the overall trophy win, with the Waihora/Bangor/North Canterbury composite squad in third place.
Local club Saddleview won the horsemastership award, while the dressage section was won by View Hill Red, from Canterbury.
The showjumping yesterday proved to be the difference in finding the winner, Beattie said.
''There were quite a few penalties - the showjumping really set the competition.
''The cross-country rode really well - there were quite a few stops but no accidents and that's what you like.
''The good riders are rewarded and those that are struggling have run outs [away from the fences] rather than get hurt.''
