The new Forbes Pony Club arena at Forbes Showground will be a hive of activity this weekend with Forbes Pony Club hosting its biggest weekend of the year.
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This weekend will see the Charlie O’Connor Memorial jumping day and the annual pony club gymkhana.
The club’s Lisa Glasson said good numbers of entries were coming in with about 50 competitors expected for both days, although entries were still open at time of writing.
Mrs Glasson said there would be plenty of action and a canteen in operation at the showgrounds right through the weekend for spectators to come on down and enjoy.
“Council has come to the party and is going to help us get the surface right for the weekend, so everything’s looking really good,” she said.
Saturday is the Charlie O’Connor Memorial Day event, and sees competition across a range of jumping and dressage events.
The jumping will commence at 9am across two rings, with A, B and C Grade competitions in the first and introductory levels of competition in the second.
Activity will also start about 9am in the dressage arena with competition ranging from the under 9s to the 17 and under 25 years.
The Prix Caprilli Dressage – a test of dressage with jumps included – starts at 1.15pm.
Sunday is gymkhana day with competition across jumping, dressage, hack (show riding) and sporting events including keyhole, barrel racing bending and running T. Events again start at 9am.
One of the big events for the weekend will be contested on Sunday – all action traditionally stops for the John Stewart Memorial Barrel race at 3pm.
The five fastest riders from any age group will qualify for the final which is hotly contested. John’s parents have been invited to present the trophy to the winner again this year.
It’s a big weekend for visiting sports, Forbes Junior Soccer Club also expects to host hundreds of junior soccer players at the Botanical Gardens on Sunday.
It’s the club’s annual gala day and there’ll be action from 9am to 4pm.
Competition is in age groups from under 8s to under 16s with teams coming from Cowra, Bathurst, Wellington, Griffith and more.
Today (Friday) the club is hosting a school girls gala day, sponsored by Northparkes Mines, with some 400 young players attending from both local and out of town schools.
