On Aug. 18, around 30 horseback riders from across the region gathered at Venturing Hills Farm horse stable in Luskville to participate in a special show . . .

jumping derby.

Part of the National Capital Horse Trials Association’s (NCHTA) Upper Canada circuit, the event consisted of a show jumping derby with riders from a wide range of skill levels.

Last summer, the folks at Venturing Hills Farm had intentions of bringing an NCHTA’s derby to the Pontiac. But unfortunately, things didn’t fall into place.

So, the opportunity to hold one this time around meant a lot for those working at the stable, which was originally designed to host such events, according to the derby’s main organizer Amelie Villeneuve.

“We haven’t hosted competitions in years and years and years,” she said. “We’ve had clinics and that kind of stuff, but competitions have not happened.”

Mostly taking place in Ontario, this was the only derby from the NCHTA’s circuit hosted in Quebec, Villeneuve said.

Throughout the event, volunteers doled out hamburgers, beverages and other goodies from the barbecue station on site, as friends and family members cheered on the riders on the course.

Different than a typical hunter derby, the competition focused on ride times, as contestants were tasked with jumping over a series of obstacles scattered throughout the course in the fastest time that they could.

With riders spread out into four different divisions, ranging from intro, which features ponies and/or beginning riders all the way to the pre-training division requiring more skill with higher, scarier jumps the competition featured a wide range of riders of all levels of ability.

The top five contestants from each division went home with a ribbon, while the top three riders each earned an assortment of prizes, courtesy of local sponsors.

In the intro division, the winner was Morgan Baldwin. Courtney Avery topped both the pre-entry and entry divisions. Rae Becke finished as the champion of the modified division and Stephanie Côté went home with the pre-training division title, Villeneuve said.

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