THE Upper Hunter will celebrate all things horses with the 2015 Scone and Upper Hunter Horse Festival from May 5 to 15.
Tent pegging, polocrosse, racing, polo, farrier competitions, equestrian vaulting, school horse sports and a charity rodeo will be among the horse events on show.
Thousands of visitors are expected to attend the 11-day festival, which also includes bush poetry, working dog trials, shearing displays and a dog high jump, as well as the feature event, a parade through the main street involving hundreds of horses.
Festival president Lee Watts said this year’s event had a ‘Horses go to Rio’ theme in light of the Rio Olympics being held later this year.
“With the Rio theme we can expect a lot of colour and excitement for the parade, which is a chance for visitors and locals to come together to celebrate our equine region,” Mrs Watts said.
Other events on the first weekend of the festival include the Australian Stock Horse Society ball, the Australian Tent Pegging Championships, equestrian vaulting competitions, the charity rodeo and the Professional Farriers Association NSW Branch title and blacksmith competitions.
The region’s racing industry will be on show with a two-day race program hosted by the Scone Race Club on May 13 and 14, the second weekend of the festival.
The $200,000 Emirates Park Scone Cup is the feature with the festive Friday meet a stand-out event for locals.
The eight-race program also features the $60,000 Scone Country Cup for country horses only, as well as the $100,000 Inglis Two-Year-Old Challenge an 1100-metre scamper restricted to juveniles nominated to the Inglis Race Series and that were offered at the 2015 Scone Yearling Sale.
Almost $1.2 million will be distributed over eight races on the Saturday, attracting top jockeys and trainers.
The program includes the $400,000 Inglis Guineas which is a set weight event restricted for Inglis sale graduated three-year-olds and the Group 3 $200,000 Dark Jewel Classic for fillies and mares, as well as the Listed Ortensia Stakes, the Luskin Star Stakes, Denise’s Joy Stakes and the Woodlands Stakes.