SOME of Australia’s top equestrian competitors, as well as numerous aspiring eventing riders and their horses will be in Goulburn this weekend for the annual Baxter Boots NSW State Eventing Championships.

The two-day event will be held at Lynton, the training course for the Australian team and other competitors at the 2000 Sydney Olympics.

Lynton is on Range Road, the extension of Clinton St just past the Mt Baw Baw Rd turnoff. It is a private property where the property owners have permitted the organisers of the event to set up numerous permanent or semi-permanent cross-country jumps and other fixtures.

This year the committee is expecting some 300 horses to compete in dressage, showjumping and cross-country.

The horses range in ability from introductory through to international three star class.

Goulburn rider Madeline Prell will be having her first ride in the Preliminary A class at this year’s event on Coolaroo Tanami.

Former Goulburn rider Tom Lyttle has two horses entered Phoenix in Preliminary B and Versace in preliminary C. Last year’s winner Chris Burton has four horses nominated, Shane Rose has six, Heath Ryan has three.

There is at least one New Zealand rider, 22 from Victoria, 11 from Queensland, 12 from the ACT and 20 from the Goulburn and highlands district.

Spectators are most welcome to attend on either or both of the two days. There are several new jumps on the crosscountry course this year and a couple of older jumps have been removed or modified.

As the cross-country spectator areas are not fenced everyone is requested to watch for approaching horses. Take notice of officials or other knowledgeable people, when they are asked to move as this will be for both spectator and rider safety.

Again for rider and horse safety, dogs are not permitted at Lynton.

Also visitors are reminded that this is a working property so anything you bring with you should be removed when you leave or placed in the rubbish bins provided in the main eventing area.

If you have never been to this annual event before the best time to view the action is on Sunday morning when the higher grade competitors will be competing on the cross-country course, which has been designed and built under the direction of Neil Kennedy.