HPC HUNTER TRIALS
2010 Anzac Day Hunter Trials Report !
In Honour of the Anzacs and the 10th Light Horse
They shall grow not
old,
As we that are left grow old,
Age shall not weary them,
Nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun,
And in the morning
We will remember them.
As a fitting tribute to
the brave men of the 10th Australian Light Horse Regiment who served
and died in the First World War, Horsemens Pony Club would like to
honour their memory this year - the 95 year since the Gallipoli
campaign. The club's ambition was to redesign the event to reflect
the efforts, sacrifices and memory of those brave soldiers who
sacrificed so much for our country.
The Hunter Trial course elements were re-named for this event to
reflect the key geographical locations, events and important facts
that reflect the historical background of the military campaign that
these men undertook.
This years Hunter Trials course was dramatically changed with
some new and exciting elements introduced to the course in honour of
the Anzacs. The course was a little more challenging than in
previous years due to course being run in different direction and
the Eastern area of the cross country course was utilized. This area
has not been used for a a few years so all our competitors
certainly had to study the course in more detail
this year.
Well the HPC Anzac Day 2010 Hunter Trials is over for another year.
For those of you who missed the event - from the feedback from our competitors this years course was one of our best. The course contained some new elements, some new tracks and some old elements were dusted off for this years event and added to the course.
The weather on the day was absolutely wonderful and made the event all that more enjoyable for competitors, helpers and of course for our horses.
We would like to thank the hard working HPC committee, all of the event helpers, all of our members for the huge effort that they contributed this year to make the event the success it was and of course all of our competitors who are the event.
Hunter Trials is HPC's signature event and it is a pleasure to see the competitors faces when they complete the course each year and for many reasons this year those smiles seemed so much brighter.
Once again, thank you to everyone involved an we look forward to seeing you in September 2010 for the "Peter Wilkin Hunter Trials".
2010 EVENT RESULTS :
CLICK HERE FOR AGE CLASS RESULTS
CLICK HERE FOR HEIGHT CLASS RESULTS
Lest We Forget!
When war broke out in 1914, Australia had been a federal commonwealth for only 13 years. The new national government was eager to establish its reputation among the nations of the world. In 1915 Australian and New Zealand soldiers formed part of the allied expedition that set out to capture the Gallipoli peninsula in order to open the Dardanelles to the allied navies. The ultimate objective was to capture Constantinople (now Istanbul in Turkey), the capital of the Ottoman Empire, an ally of Germany.
The Australian and New Zealand forces landed on Gallipoli on 25 April, meeting fierce resistance from the Ottoman Turkish defenders. What had been planned as a bold stroke to knock Turkey out of the war quickly became a stalemate, and the campaign dragged on for eight months. At the end of 1915 the allied forces were evacuated, after both sides had suffered heavy casualties and endured great hardships. Over 8,000 Australian soldiers had been killed. News of the landing on Gallipoli had made a profound impact on Australians at home, and 25 April soon became the day on which Australians remembered the sacrifice of those who had died in the war.
Although the Gallipoli campaign failed in its military objectives, the Australian and New Zealand actions during the campaign left us all a powerful legacy. The creation of what became known as the “ANZAC legend” became an important part of the identity of both nations, shaping the ways they viewed both their past and their future
10th Light Horse Regiment
The 10th Australian Light Horse Regiment AIF was the only AIF light horse regiment recruited in Western Australia during the First World War.
The regiment was raised in October 1914 when it became apparent that Western Australia could provide more than a single squadron of mounted soldiers. The regiment joined the 3rd Light Horse Brigade in Egypt and served dismounted at Gallipoli. The regiment’s most famous actions were the charge at the Nek on 7 August 1915, and Hill 60 on 29–30 August. It was in this last action that Lieutenant V.H. “Hu” Throssell performed the valorous deeds for which he was awarded the Victoria Cross. He was the only Australian light horseman to be so decorated during the Great War.
After the withdrawal from Gallipoli in December 1915 the regiment was bought up to strength and reorganized. With the rest of the Australian light horse they defended Egypt from the Ottoman Army advancing on the Suez Canal. Through 1916 they drove the Turks across the deserts of Sinai, participating in the battles of Romani and Magdhaba.
In 1917 they were part of the Desert Column that advanced into Palestine. The regiment participated in the bloody battles to break the Gaza–Beersheba line and helped capture Jerusalem. They participated in the Es Salt Raid in May 1918. In August they were one of the regiments re-equipped with swords and rifle boots, and retrained to take a more orthodox cavalry role. In their new role they took part in the rout of the Ottoman army in the Jordan Valley, a campaign the light horse referred to as “The Great Ride”. In September the 10th was the first formed regiment to enter Damascus.
Turkey surrendered on 30 October 1918. After the end of the war, elements of the regiment saw action in putting down the Egyptian uprising of 1919. They were finally disbanded in 1920
