Tweed Valley Equestrian Group held ‘The Power of Pink Dressage’ late last year to raise money for breast cancer research.
There were more 125 entries with riders coming from Port Macquarie to Brisbane entering the event.
Dressage is a female dominated sport so TVEG thought it would the perfect event to raise money for.
Rural women are often too busy to think about themselves having big families and farm duties to attend to or too far away to get to services like mammograms.
TVEG hoped that an event like this one would help raise awareness to those rural women.
There were prizes to the winners in all divisions but also fun prizes for the Pinkest Horse, Pinkest Rider and ‘Pretty in Pink’ best dressed horse and rider in pink. All riders had a fantastic day with smiles everywhere you looked.
There was also a large division of junior riders (all girls) and organisers hoped that from a young age they could help them understand the importance of being aware of this disease that affects so many women.
Almost every rider there had someone in their family or knew someone closely that has/had breast cancer. Dressage is often a very serious sport, so to see every rider with a splash of pink or more somewhere was fantastic.
Businesses donated thousands of dollars of prizes for riders and the monster raffle, which was fantastic.
They also had some cash donations on the day and the Mt Warning Dragons Abreast, breast cancer survivors, ran the canteen on the day.
Home-made slices, cakes and delicious lunches were on offer all day with the ladies run off their feet and sold out at the end of the day.
Raffle tickets sold out towards the end of the day as well!
The event is getting so big that it will be held over two days this year and a showjumping program will be added as well.
The group’s efforts for the day raised more than six thousand dollars which is donated to The National Breast Cancer Foundation. There have been numerous emails from competitors guaranteeing they will be back next year, with the word spreading of the event it may become a major regional event every year.
Sponsors: Nissan, Wollumbin Arabians, Tuff Rock, Equinenews, HyFeed, Garrads, Caribu Horse Wear, Horseland Lismore, Nicole Browne – Piroutte Park, Infinity Cottage, John Whiteley, Blacksmith Services, Barefoot Blacksmith, Gidgee Eyes, Murwillumbah Cellars, Pharmachem, Mavlab, Foal Guard, Mitavite, Khonke’s Own, Hygain, Alpha Gro, Club Colours Direct, Virbac, Madura Tea, Lynette Moore Rug Repairs, Cherie Cole Rugs and Repairs, Tweed Equestrian, Pauls Ice cream, Quality Browbands, International Animal Health Products.
Winners on the day:
Champion Prep Junior: Amber Chegwyn
Reserve Champion: Georgina Moore
Champion Prep Senior: Di Baxter
Reserve Champion: Lynette Moore
Champion Prelim Junior: Hannah Barker
Reserve Champion: Summer Chaseling
Champion Prelim Senior: Toni Jack
Reserve Champion: Keighley Leeson
Reserve Champion: Gabby Veitch
Champion Novice Junior: Jade Cole
Reserve Champion: Tia Gotterson
Champion Novice Senior: Sally Evans
Reserve Champion: Angela Beresford
Champion Elementary: Cherie Cole
Reserve Champion: Angela Beresford
Champion Medium: Leanne Colby
Reserve Champion: Hannah Barker
Champion Advanced: Michelle Bellue
Pinkest Horse Jnr: Jade Cole
Pinkest Horse Snr: Cherie Cole
Pinkest Rider Jnr: Ella Bown
Pinkest Rider Snr: Keighley Leeson
Pretty in Pink Jnr: Bianca VanKampen
Pretty In Pink Snr: Christin Mueller
Best Dressed Volunteer: Margaret McMillan
Pinkest Family: Moore Family
Jnr Encouragement Awards: Grace O’Reilly & Tulsi Devine
Snr Encouragement Awards: Michelle Black & Dorothy Dunmore
