Eventing Southland’s New Course Will Test South’s Riders

Eventing Southland’s new cross-country course will be put to its first test on Saturday, with more than 120 horses and riders set to converge on Donovan Park for Eventing Southland’s one-day event.

The course has taken months to design and build and has cost between $60,000 and $70,000.

And, with numbers registered for Saturday’s event up by about 40 on regular events, it seems it will all be worth it.
Director of Saturday’s event Alan Bear said the best thing about the new course was it gave the organization some certainty.

Traditionally Eventing Southland one-day events have been held on farms around Southland but, with increasing numbers of those farms converting to dairy, many courses have become redundant.

The new course, which includes two water jumps and a keyhole jump among other features, is up to international standard and was designed by Nightcaps’ John Carmichael and built by Taupo’s Robbie McLean both of whom have international course experience….

Read the entire story by Jerrie Andrews
Date: 1-15-2009
By: www.stuff.co.nz