Glory for Makaylah Fenwick in QOTT Showjumping Showcase

By Andrew Smith

A partnership four years in the making paid dividends for Makaylah Fenwick in Monday afternoon’s Queensland Off-The-Track (QOTT) Program Showjumping Showcase at the Ekka.

The 17-year-old took out top honours on the back of retired thoroughbred Grace And Glory in the 120cm class in the Main Arena.

“It feels amazing and I’d just like to say thank you to the Royal Queensland Show and Queensland Off-The-Track for running such an amazing event and a thank you to the thoroughbred industry,” Fenwick said post-event.

“I got Grace when I was 13, she was my first straight off-the-track thoroughbred.

“She’s a bit cheeky, a bit naughty…but we get along pretty good.”

Grace And Glory had only four starts on the track in regional New South Wales but has gone on to carve out a successful career in the showjumping arena.

The competition had been tough in the opening round, with the top six progressing to a jump off.

It was there that Fenwick and Grace And Glory beat out some more seasoned competitors to take out the $10,000 top prize.

Hailing from the Newcastle area, Fenwick paid tribute to former Olympic equestrian showjumper Ron Easey for his coaching and support ahead of lining up in her first Ekka competition.

“I’d just like to say a big thank you to my parents for bringing me up here and to Ron for training me too,” she said.

“Ron’s taught me a fair bit - he’s taught me how to carry my hands, leg on…just a lot of training and hard work.

“I think it’s great to see retired racehorses out and about in showjumping.

“It’s really good for the horses and it feels good after you’ve trained them up all by yourself, and you come here and get a good experience.”

One of the nation’s most lucrative showjumping events, the QOTT Showjumping Showcase also included a new 105cm class on Sunday.

That event was taken out by Jaime Page aboard Travelogue, competing as Whizkey N Diamons, in a 19-strong field with a $25,000 prize pool in place.

Earlier on Monday, rain did not dampen the spirits of competitors featuring as part of the prestigious Thoroughbred and Standardbred Day.

The recently retired and two-time Rockhampton Cup winner Master Jamie was one of the record 195 entrants who took part in the show’s 18 Led and Under Saddle classes.

“Record-breaking participation in this year’s Thoroughbred and Standardbred Day just shows that the interest and demand for retired racehorses is increasing year on year,” RQ Senior Animal Care Manager Kim Duffy said.

“To see the horses presented so well with their owners and handlers out in the ring and showcasing the versatility of what they can achieve in their lives off the track is incredibly important.

“We’ve seen horses here today that excelled in their careers on the track, such as Master Jamie, but you’ll also see horses that were bred for the racing industry who might have been too slow and not suited to a racing career, but are now excelling in their careers off the track.

“The QOTT Program’s premium event partnership with the Royal Queensland Show has been developed to create an exciting competition opportunity, with significant prize money available, to support those who retrain retired thoroughbred and standardbred horses.”

Rachel Millard had travelled all the way from Inverell in New South Wales to compete Go Missy, competing as Diamond Park Khaleesi and Artistic Flite, competing as Diamond Park Artistic Flite in the Standardbred Led and Under Saddle classes.

While taking out Reserve Champion Standardbred, first place Standardbred Under Saddle and third place in Best Presented Standardbred with Go Missy, Artistic Flite also took out a prize on the day, placing second in the Standardbred Gelding Led class.

With the high standard of competition across the various Standardbred classes, Millard recognised the significance of showcasing the standardbred breed to the public at the Royal Queensland Show.

“There’s a bit of stigma for standardbreds, but having these types of events is essential for us and life after racing,” Millard said.

“They’re not just racing horses with a cart behind them - they’re beautiful and beautifully presented.

“They can have a life after racing, at big prestigious shows like the Ekka, or any other Royal and that’s really important.

“I’ve dealt with a lot of different breeds, but standardbreds have a great work ethic, they’re nice and quiet and they suit any discipline, they’re not just for racing.

“We are seeing increased numbers each year and the support we get from Racing Queensland and all those industry bodies, we’re so grateful for it.”

Click here for the full results from the QOTT Showjumping Showcase and Thoroughbred and Standardbred Day.