Sport
22 May, 2026
Riders ready to take the reins
Riders from across the state will converge on the Central Goldfields this weekend for two exciting navigation ride events.
Thanks to a partnership between the Dunolly Horse Activity Club and the Maryborough Horse Riding Club, riders will participate in a local jackpot series, testing various skills.
Navigation rides see pairs follow clues around a set course as they attempt to answer questions and complete the course in a set optimised pace.
The series will start tomorrow at the Maryborough Harness Racing Club with a short ride of approximately 14 km.
Competitors will only have to travel a short driving distance to Sunday’s event, which starts at 55 Racecourse Road, Dunolly and treks through the surrounding forest for approximately 18 km.
“A lot of the questions are cryptic and you have to ride to an allocated time but you don’t actually know how long you’ve got to ride,” Dunolly Horse Activity Club’s Sonya Richards-Stuart said.
“There’s a little bit of orienteering as well thrown in because you’ve gotta be able to work out which way you’re going.
“We actually run the state championships, which hosted competitors from all over Victoria and even lower New South Wales so we are pretty experienced at running these things.
“Sometimes it’s a little bit scary because we have to ride along highways and encounter all sorts of things that horses are scared of, like pigs, sheep and cattle.
“We are sponsored by Harness Racing Victoria’s Hero, which encourages the use of retired standardbreds and Off The Track, which encourages the use of retired thoroughbreds, so we got really good sponsorship and prizes.”
Entries were open to all members of The Horse Riding Clubs Association of Victoria, regardless of experience or ability, something Maryborough Horse Riding Club committee member Mandy Hunt believes is crucial.
“It’s really important for the sport to be able to open it up to lower-level riders like myself and that’s the beauty of navigation rides,” she said.
“If you can manage to get a ride with a top rider, you learn so much more about pacing yourself and little things like what some of the questions might likely be.
“We can also implement skills that we’ve been working on at home and at our rally days into competition, which is nice. You need something to work towards.”
The two local horse riding clubs are also preparing to combine their efforts for a Winter Woolies Celebration Show later in the year.
“It’s important for small clubs like us to be able to do that because, especially with petrol and everything nowadays, it’s very hard to get people to come out,” Hunt said.
“Both clubs are small, inclusive clubs. We do everything safely and it’s a warm environment to be in.
“It’s not about winning ribbons or any of that sort of stuff. It’s about encouraging people to get up and get going.
“It’s a great sport and if anyone out there’s got a horse and wants to join, there are two clubs here that would love to have some members.”