Celebrating its second season, Southside Jumping Club organised WA’s D-Grade State Championships for the second year in a row. Held this year at Gosnells, Southside’s two-day show provided not only a new venue with a good surface for the event, but also new jumping equipment. The brightly painted jumps and wings which were admired by riders and spectators were a bit less popular with some horses that were startled by the lovely, fresh gear. From the start, Adelaide course designer, Michael Haese, made it clear that his courses would reflect the championship nature of the show and the fact it was being held at the end of the showjumping season. Tracks were technically challenging, with fences set at maximum height, but the distances measured true and rode well on a forward, rhythmic stride. The courses generally looked inviting and open, but Michael’s designs were particularly ‘modern’ and he often placed at the base of jumps, which distracted some horses by drawing their eyes down. Clear rounds weren’t an issue to Rick Dabner and King Courtenay McGill placed fifth on Pingsta in the 1.25m and 1.35m classes. Cobra, who won Saturday’s D-Grade competition, but didn’t participate in Sunday’s State D-Grade Championship, Southside’s ‘home grounds’ for 2013 may still look uncertain, as the horse had only been lightly competed this year. Nor did but positive feedback from competitors about the club’s final they present issues for top 1.05-1.10m placegetters, winners event certainly give it a thumb’s up for running shows in the Wendy Reid on Fancy Free. But, while riders universally praised future. the courses, clear rounds during the weekend were generally limited – sometimes to one horse per class, as in the 1.20m Open won by Courtenay McGill on Pingsta and the 1.30m Open won by Chaise Ludgate on Barrabadeen Wotz Up. In the Junior Jumper and Horse of the Year Qualifier, there were no double clears at all. Tracks throughout the weekend became increasingly technical, with a significant number of related lines that further tested training and skill. Jump off fences were consistently raised at least 10 centimetres. After placing fourth in her first-ever 1.30m on Saturday, Rosie Oliver won Sunday’s Junior Jumper on Kadova Scotch & Coke, only a quarter of a second ahead of Sophie Ahmat and Uncle Vinnie, both horses finishing on four penalties in the jump off. No fences came close to being touched by this year’s D-Grade State Champion, six-year old Dutch Warmblood stallion Chicago and owner-rider Chadd Donovan, with the horse showing displayed both scope and speed in the third-round jump off, held between four double-clear competitors. “The whole point of an end-of-year D Grade Championships is that these horses should Bianca Hodge and Barrabadeen Calypso. be ready for C-Grade,” said course designer Michael Haese, who intensified the lines and further tested the D-Graders by raising jump-off fences to 1.25m high by 1.20m wide. Also with doubleclear rounds were Caitlin Bolger and thoroughbred Danzastar in second and third-placed Bridget Kelly on her young Conquistador mare, Conquista. With technicality turned up a notch (or two), there were no double clears at all in this season’s final 2012 Horse of the Year Qualifier. Once again, the fences were full height, with the first round up to 1.40m high with challenging double and treble lines. Shawn Squire and Spanish warmblood Yardah Cairo produced the fastest round, second place going to Matt Godwin and Phantom Vortex. The standard was also set high in the Sarnia Park Future Stars class, with fences at 1.25m high by 1.35m wide, testing related lines and visually challenging fill that included a white gate at the base of the 1.70m wide triple bar. Six horses made it to the jump off, with local speed specialists Darren Taylor and Barrabadeen Cougar becoming the winners just half a second ahead of Leon Carroll and Kunarra Park Rascal. Placed fourth in the D-Grade were Tova Pinsky and Senator Budweiser.