Australia: Clare completes hat-trick

Invernell Times

LOCAL endurance rider, Clare Fleming and her purebred Arabian gelding Mangueira Moksha have continued on their winning way following the recent Eden Creek Endurance Ride.

The pair (pictured below) won the Best Conditioned Horse Award for the third time this season.

The two vets that presided over the weekends' activities, examined Moksha an hour after he had finished the 80km ride.

He was deemed to be the winner, based upon his ability to be able to go on, his fitness, freshness and soundness.

It was a big weekend, with close to 100 horses completing in either the 40km training ride or the 80km Endurance Ride.

Earlier Clare rode her Anglo mare Birramalee Queen of Hearts in the 40km ride.

They completed successfully, with a ride time of just over three hours. They were presented with a thermos as a completion prize.

On Sunday morning, the 80km ride started in the cold and wet track following an inch of rain on the Friday evening.

Clare decided to take it easy for this ride, as she is planning to ride Moksha in the 110km International Trans Tasman Endurance Ride on the June long-weekend in Nanango, Queensland.

Clare and Moksha did the ride in just under six hours.

They took it steady, so as to avoid any leg injuries or muscle soreness, which might arise from riding and sliding about in the muddy conditions. Moksha passed all the vet checks and successfully completed the ride. Much to her surprise, Clare finished second in the Lightweight division, and was third rider across the finish line.

At presentation, Clare was given two bags of horse feed and a feed bin for her prizes.