Riding for Elliot

HORSE riders with flair will show off a new sport in South Gippsland while raising money for a Leongatha family in need in April.
Team penning is a cattle drafting sport and the newly formed South Gippsland Team Penning association is hosting the Dumbalk Team Penning and Ranch Sorting event on April 7 and 8.
All proceeds from the event will be donated to the Vanderland family of Leongatha, whose youngest son Elliot continues to fight ill health in the Royal Children’s Hospital, Melbourne.
He is enduring dyskeratosis congenital and aplastic anaemia, and his elder brother Ashton has also been diagnosed with the condition. The boys’ parents are Ian and Elissa Vanderland.
South Gippsland Team Penning was planning an event with the aim of raising funds for a community cause when they came across the Vanderland family’s plight.
“We know the funds raised will go towards a really good cause,” South Gippsland Team Penning secretary Anna Holwerda said.
Team penning involves a team of three competitors on horseback entering a pen of cattle marked by way of a paint marker or neck tag. A judge will call a colour and the competitors must draft three cattle of the same colour.
“It’s a fun sport to watch,” South Gippsland Team Penning president Stanley Harris said.
“It’s an American sport that’s been in Australia in Queensland for a few years and an event has been held at Garfield.”
Another sport to be hosted at Dumbalk is ranch sorting. Numbered cattle are placed in a pen. Teams of three competitors, again on horseback, are given a number. They must draft the beast with that number through a gate and then the beast with the next number, and so on. Fastest time to complete the draft wins.
An auction will be held on the Saturday night, as well as raffles. Donations are being sought.
Tarwin Valley Campdraft members will run a bar and music will be provided. Spectators are free to come along. Catering will be provided by South Gippsland Team Penning committee members.
Competition starts at 8am Saturday, April 7 and Sunday, April 8. Cost is $75 per team for two runs per team penning team, and $75 for one run at ranch sorting.
Team or single entries welcome, with entry fee $25 per person per run and $12 per junior per run. Also $20 event insurance per day.
Entries open Monday, March 15 and close Monday, March 26. Phone Mr Harris on 0427 573 209 or Claudia Harris on 0408 959 257.
To donate to Elliot’s cause via team penning, donate online: Bendigo Bank Foster Branch, South Gippsland Team Penning, BSB 633 000, account 162152292.

Riding high: from left, Simone Holwerda, her father Bill Holwerda and Stanley Harris compete in a team penning event. They invite the community to the Dumbalk event on April 7 and 8 to help the family of Leongatha boy, Elliot Vanderland.

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Posted by Tayla Kershaw on Mar 6 2018. Filed under Featured. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry