Three Arabian winners

Showing at the Victorian Arabian Horse Championships is a staple event on the calendar for Jayne and Trevor Bellchambers of Yarragon.

Having competed at the show for their 25th year recently, the husband and wife team returned from the event at Tatura with what has been their most significant result yet.

Three of their horses were crowned supreme champion at the Victorian show after winning their individual age classes.

From a team of seven horses, four finished champion and three reserve champion with three going on to take out supreme champions.

Judge was Janet Court from the United Kingdom.

Jayne said it was a significant achievement to win three supreme championships with horses bred and trained at the Westacres stud.

“There were a good amount of entries and strong level of competition.

“To get a clean sweep is rare and they had a lot of national calibre horses competing.”

Breeding between two and four foals each season, Jayne said they were particularly pleased with their female pure-bred winner, which is only a filly.

To cap a good show, the Bellchambers took out the gelding supreme champion with a senior horse.

“He’s by our resident stallion and only relatively new to showing,” Jayne said.

“It’s the first show we took him to since selling him to Stephanie Evans as a foal.”

Preparations for shows at the higher level can be lengthy, with some horses requiring between two and three months of work depending on their starting level. Jayne works the horses full-time, spending an hour and a half with each of the eight horses in their stable each day.

Horses are judged in hand for suitability to be bred with, confirmation and breed type.

While two events remain on the Victoria calendar, Jayne said they would look to the national event to be held in Sydney in March with high hopes, especially for their three supreme champions.

The horses will then take a spell over the winter months and having only missed the first few Victorian shows, Jayne said they were looking forward to returning to Tatura for the 30th event next season.