Potter turns in a blinder

Ann Potter aboard Glenlee Repertoire was in total control. PHOTOS: BOB GARNANT

Exhilarating is how campdraft competitor Ann Potter described her 91-point ride on Australian stock horse Glenlee Repertoire, after she blitzed the field of 26 entries in the restricted open on Sunday at Capel.

Judge Paul Vary, of Barraba, New South Wales, said the weekend produced some superb runs and Potter's ride was exceptional, adding that she demonstrated excellent control.

"It was a very tidy ride," Vary said.

Potter, who is 69 years old, said she had ridden all her life and at one stage represented WA in polocrosse.

She was all smiles after the exceptional ride and her competitors raved about her performance.

"The 13-year-old gelding was brilliant," Potter said.

"Repertoire has won a few opens previously as well as working stockhorse titles and will continue to improve."

In the open campdraft event, held on Saturday, an 81-entry competition had riders separated by only a handful of points.

In the exciting final run-off, Leigh McLarty, riding Zac, produced something special to win by a point.

"After John Edgley's great ride to finish second, just before my go, I knew my horse and I needed to go one better," McLarty said.

The most consistent horse and rider at the Capel event was Ross Hall and Daddy's Diva.

Winning an incredible marathon and taking out the maiden and novice titles, the pair began their campaign with a high 90-point effort in the maiden and finished strongly in the novice to become the most celebrated blue ribbon winners at Capel.

The six-year-old quarter horse mare was trained by Hall after being acquired from a Tamworth stud as a three-year-old.

"Diva found great form in her first campdraft wins," Hall said.

Rachel Thomson won the encouragement draft, riding Indy's Oak, an open horse owned by James Roxburgh.
Juvenile winners Chad Dudley and Andrew Rumbel were under the watchful eye of judge Dan Steers, an ex-WA campdrafter, who now lives in the east and is a horse show entertainer.
Junior winners were Jayden Panomarenko and Louise Richards.
The next campdraft, the Australian Stockhorse Championships, will be held this weekend at Coolup's Murray Equestrian Centre.

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