Local rider James Watson rode in the NSW Youth Team Penning event on the weekend. Photo Federation Fotos
Regional riders have been crowned state champions after their performances at the NSW Team Penning Championships held in Canowindra over the June long weekend.
Hannah Keen, Shailee Milthorpe and Faith Hutt combined to win the sub-junior section while the Price sister act in Emily, Kelly and Kate took out the junior section with an added bonus of taking home a saddle each.
Carlie Venables, Butch Stapleton and Heather Keen came fourth after holding the lead for a good part of the final day.
Team penning is fairly new to the central west, with yards set up in Canowindra and Lyndhurst, but it proved popular with people traveling from surrounding towns, the north coast, Nowra and Wagga.
Three people make up a team and, from 30 head of cattle, three beasts must be cut from the herd and driven to a yard at the opposite end.
In groups of three, beasts are marked with a coloured collar and, as teams make their way past the marker the announcer calls the colour the team must pen.
Team members have two minutes to cut the three colours from the herd and drive them to the other yard, putting the horse’s nose over and stopping time when their hand is raised.
After 150 runs per day over two qualifying days, the top 40 from both days went in on Monday to make the final 80.
Apart from those riders mentioned above, Cowra was well-represented with Ben and Laura Price, Monique Gillespie, Tori Wilton, Sam Nicholson and Jake Amos having great runs over the three days.
Kim Brien teamed up with a couple from Wagga to make it to the finals. Bob Myers, Matthew Price, Morris Nicholason, Dave Fermor, Peter Howard, Rod and Gail Shaw also competed.
Congratulations to the Canowindra committee for a very successful weekend.