By Equestrian Life
Scone Horse Trials has been cancelled this year due to drought, which has resulted in hard ground and severe water shortages.
The two days of competition, held in early March, attracts hundreds of competitors each year. This year, it was also set to be the Eventing State Championships.
The course is bone dry and cracked under foot, and thus deemed too much of a risk to horse and rider. Lack of water at the venue is also an issue when there are hundreds of horses on site that need water to drink and also cool them down after a cross country round. Speaking to ABC News, the event committee said it absolutely had to put competitor safety first and that the decision had really been made for them.
As an international event, Scone Horse Trials is a key competition for higher-level riders looking to gain qualifications and also team selection. With the 2018 World Equestrian Games held later in the year in the US, Scone Horse Trials was set to be a key part of the preparation and selection process for those hoping to make the team.
Organisers of the Scone event said they would be working with landowners and the group Eventing New South Wales to find a suitable date later in the year.
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