Why not give endurance riding a go with NSWERA?
Endurance riding is a great opportunity to spend time with your horse in some of the nicest places to ride in Australia. If you like camping with friends and being outdoors, endurance could become your favourite equestrian activity. Endurance is a social sport where you can ride with your friends with lots of opportunities to make new friends. Endurance is a family sport, catering for all ages from young kids to grandparents.
Many different types of horses participate in endurance. Arabian horses are common but you will also see Standardbreds, Anglo Arabs, Quarabs, Thoroughbreds, Stock Horses, various pony breeds, Morgans, Appaloosas, Walers, Saddlebreds, Buckskins, Palominos and Paints.
Endurance riding in Australia began in 1966 when RM Williams, after hearing reports of the 100 mile Tevis Cup in the USA decided to challenge Australian riders to demonstrate if they had the skill and horsemanship of our early pioneers to "ride 100 miles in a day". RM asked his mate Tom Quilty, a great horsesman and cattleman in the Kimberley of WA to support his venture and Tom donated $1000 to pay for the gold Tom Quilty cup and endurance was born in NSW.
Today, endurance rides are run by volunteers on most weekends throughout the year with a break in the summer. Riders can choose from 20 km social rides, training rides that are usually 40 km and endurance rides that can be from 80 km to 160 km in one day! Also on offer are marathon rides like the ultimate test; Shahzada 400 km over five days, held at St. Albans, near Sydney.
Would you like to learn more about endurance riding?
We have a collection of articles and stories to share.
If you would like to see what is involved, read our Starting Out guide.
Interested in joining our association? Download the membership application form. You do not need to become a member to ride - day membership is available for people new to the sport who would like to give it a go.
One feature of endurance is that you are not required to wear a uniform (an approved helmet is compulsory) but we do have a Rule Book to ensure the safety and welfare of all participants, especially the horses.
News and Special Events
updated 6/2/12
Exciting News!- National Parks to be reopened to Horse riders-
Your Input Needed!
At the recent Annual General Meeting, our very hard working course preservation delegate Fiona Meller presented some very exciting news for all horse riders;
Trails to be opened to horses around NSW!
The "blame game" is over, and instead of pointing fingers at horse riders and accusing us of damaging the bush, for the first time in many years, the National Parks & Wildlife Service (NPWS) is working with us instead of against us. NPWS is looking at the possibility of opening up more tracks for recreational horse riding, and they want to hear from riders about where you would like to ride.
Options include;
reopening trails closed to horses in the past
rediscovering forgotten or disused trails
allowing horses where never previously permitted
creating new link trails to form loop rides
NPWS will focus on areas of highest demand, with particular attention on tracks with cultural heritage significance, and tracks and areas where horse riders would like to have opportunities to ride.
So ask yourself three questions:
Where would I like to be able to ride?
Why would I like to ride there?
What connecting links between trails would create loop rides?
Once you have answered these questions, identify the trails or locations.
draw them on a map, describe them using specific place, trail or road names, mark any obstacles to access like locked gates, cattle grids or fences, if possible, identify the park they are in, Include information on why you and others would like to ride there, and provide your contact details in case we need more information - you may be asked to show NPWS the trails or areas.
Then SEND me the information - don’t tell me!
My contact details are: Fiona Meller, PO Box 147, Kurmond NSW 2757.
Email: effandee@iprimus.com.au
Be patient - it won’t happen overnight. Some changes will be quicker than others, and highest priority will be given to the “quick wins” which are low cost and easy to do. Some changes will require legislative amendments by State Parliament.
Most importantly, please don’t anticipate by riding on trails BEFORE they are officially open to horses, and don’t create any new link trails without consulting NPWS first. If we jump the gun we could get ourselves into all sorts of trouble. All of this doesn’t mean we CAN ride in these places yet, only that we have taken a major step towards being able to.
What caused this huge turnaround from NPWS? It's a direct result of the change of state government, the outcome from a Memorandum of Understanding signed between the Liberal/National Coalition, the Snowy Mountains Bush Users Group and the Australian Horse Alliance. [Click here to see the full Memorandum of Understanding.]
[For more details, click here to see my full report to the AGM.]
Fiona Meller
2012 NSWERA State Championships- Wingello April 27th- 29th
The 2012 NSWERA State Championships at Wingello, in the NSW southern highlands was an outstanding sucess. A big thanks you and congratulations to Bec Hogan and her team who put together the ride. And a Big Congratuations to Jenny Annetts who is the 2012 NSW state Champion!
2012 State Championship Webpage
2012 Tom Quilty Gold Cup National Championship.
St Helens, Tasmania- 8th-10th June 2012.
The NSWERA SMC is currently calling for any interesed Horse and rider combinations that are wishing to compete in the 2012 Tom Quilty to apply for the NSW team. please complete the nomination form and send it to the State Secretariat.
Latest News on Hendra Virus
The NSWERA SMC, in conjuction with the NSW DPI have set up a risk reduction procedure for endurance rides being held in NSW for the safety of riders, horses and helpers. The Risk Reduction Procedure is a summary of practical measures complied from various sources and our experiences in developing and applying biosecurity measures at our recent rides. These measures are designed to futher reduce the already very remote possibility of horses or people being infected by Hendra at one of our events.
Risk_Reduction_Procedure_updated
As part of the procedure competitors are ADVISED to check and record the temperature of their horses for 3 days pior to the ride and present the temperature log apon arrival to the event.
Latest news- 16/02/12
NSW DPI is assisting the Queensland Centre for Emerging Infectious Diseases and Biosecurity Queensland in conducting a survey of Australian horses owners to determine knowledge, attitude, opinions and practices in relation to Hendra virus. Results of this survey will help to provide the most appropriate information to the most relevant sectors of the horse industry to help minimise risks from this dangerous disease.
It is vital that more responses are received from horse people in all states.
Here is a link to the survey:
https://www.research.net/s/Horse_Owner_Survey_on_Hendra_virus
The NSW DPI has asked that horse associations put this link on their website, and request that their members participate.
Please take a few minutes to complete the survey, it may assist us in the future.
For more information on Hendra, The NSWDPI website link-
http://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/agriculture/livestock/horses/health/general/hendra-virus
and also;
Hendra-alert-for-the-horse-industry
for ride organisers;
http://www.farmbiosecurity.com.au/files/2011/04/Horse-Venue-Biosecurity-Workbook.pdf
Biosecurity Queensland has also released a guideline for holding equine events;
Guidelines-for-holding-equestrian-activitie-21Oct20101
Equine Veterinarians Australia have also released the following fact sheets for horse owners;
Feedback
The State Management Committee (SMC) wishes to ensure the committee remains grounded with the membership and that the needs and views of members continue to be factored into management decisions. We are, therefore, trialing a member feedback system.
The feedback system will be open for member comment on any topic at any time and will be used by the SMC, from time to time, to seek input on specific topics.
Click on this link to go to the feedback page.
Current Topic-
ERA logo
The NSWERA SMC are investigating the possibility of a new Logo as suggested from the AERA. check out the proposed logos and let us know what you think. All designs are interchangeable so mix and match what you believe would suit NSW and let us know on the Feedback page.
following the successful 2011 NSW State Championships event, NSWERA is proud to announce HORSEZONE.com.au as continued sponsors of the NSW Endurance Riders Association.
When a member of the NSWERA lists a horse for sale on HORSEZONE.com.au they will be presented at checkout with the option to have HORSEZONE.com.au contribute 10% of the total listing fee to the NSW Endurance Riders association. NSWERA will then receive the sponsorship money from HORSEZONE.com.au once the balance reaches $200.
For all the latest News, Pictures and Discussions.
Equitana Sydney
The NSWERA SMC held a very sucessful demonstration and stall at the recent Equitana conference.
Sue Todd, Peter Grelck, Bronwyn Monaghan , Dave & Wendy Porter, Faith Robinson, Marita Rifai, Ava Pellizzari, Marg Boland, Gay Bonham, April Bonham , Tom & Lou McCormick, John Howe, Helen Rich, Greg Moore, Ian Dreghorn, Eileen McIlwain, Colin Pitstock, Charlie Gauci, Dave and Wendy Porter, Gail Fisher, Eileen McIlwain, Kym and Kim Hagon, Hayden Fisher, Diamond R Boston, Jo Arblaster and Justine Blunt all gave up thier time to man the stall and promote endurance riding in NSW. The State Mangement commitee sincerly thanks them for thier efforts.
A massive thank you must go to Marlee Wah who organised the stall and manned it all weekend. Well done Marlee!
Latest AERA rules 2012
2012 additions, applicable from 1st January, 2012.
The AERA is seeking Expressions of Interest from persons wishing to be appointed to the position of Bookkeeper.
All information and forms can be found on the AERA Website at www.aera.asn.au
Governance Manual
The Governance Manual presented and endorsed ‘in principle’ at the 2009 AGM has had its individual documents systematically reviewed, refined, and adopted by SMC resolution through 2010. It is now a live manual and there will be a period of adaption as SMC members try on these new Position Descriptions and adjust for fit. This manual is only intended for a positive purpose, to provide support and clarity of purpose and role for individuals who volunteer to serve our sport as members of the SMC.
February 2010 - Compiled and initial release by Tom Perkins.
July 2010 - Progress update by Tom Perkins.
The overview of the Governance Manual can be accessed from here or from the forms page.
Want to try endurance riding?
Neroli Cooper's poster promoting endurance riding is now available from the Forms page in the section for ride organisers. You don't have to be a ride organiser to use this colourful poster, anyone can spread the word about our great equestrian sport. There are two versions - a low resolution pdf (566 KB) for those who may have trouble downloading large files and the high resolution pdf version, 4.4 MB.
Find a colour printer and you are set.
Ride Survey
Don't forget to provide feedback to ride organisers via the ride survey page. If you would like to congratulate them on their successful ride or have some constructive suggestions for improving the ride, take a moment to send them a message.
Unfortunately, ride organisers cannot control the weather.
Most of the files available from this website are Adobe Acrobat (pdf) documents. You can get the latest version from the Adobe website.
Website designed by Carol Layton 2010