SJ Shire President Rob Coales, Deputy President Reece Jerrett and Councillor Matt Scott were recently invited to attend the Western Australian State Showjumping Championships.
The event, hosted by the Serpentine Horse and Pony Club from May 1st to 3rd, enjoyed a substantial turnout, and many watched the event livestreamed from overseas as well.
Various competitors across several age brackets, ranging from small children all the way up to the elderly, played out the classic sport.
Sports commentator Rod McQueen came over from Sydney to host the event, and President Coales was featured on the panel for over 30 minutes of discussion.
“Rod McQueen is involved in equestrian himself. He’s a writer, so they got him over to commentate. With the live stream, it was actually pretty thrilling for it to be available throughout the world, and there are quite a few people in Europe that are very interested in horse riding and jumping, including that which occurs here in WA, so they were tuning in to watch the events,” said President Coales.
“It was great to be on the panel with Rod. We got to talk all things equine, which is of course a major aspect of SJ, and central to tourism in the area, which we want to grow.
“It’s fair to say that this event was indicative of an increasing interest in SJ equine tourism, as the event drew over 200 attendees into the Shire, thus putting money into local businesses. Serpentine Falls Tavern on Friday night was completely full.”
SJ maintains the title of not only the baby capital of WA due to its comparatively high birth rate, but also the state equine capital, with more horses than any other Local Government Area in the state.
Summarising the event in the broader context of SJ equine tourism, President Coales said: “This great competition is just another example of a free event where people from the Shire and people from outside can come down and watch and just learn more about what the Shire is all about in terms of horse-related activities. It’s great to have an event where people of all ages can participate.
