THE old drench drums that mark out Gurley Pony Club’s dressage ring are going, to be replaced by a portable arena, after the club secured a $3,420 grant from NSW Premier Mike Baird.
“It will mean that children learning dressage will have a real arena boundary to work within, which encourages discipline and horse control,” said the club’s senior instructor Rita Rogers.
Northern Tablelands MP Adam Marshall conveyed news of the one-off grant from the Premier to Mrs Rogers and club president Natalie Christie during a visit to Moree this week.
“The pony club has been making do with drench drums and wooden poles laid on the ground to mark out practice areas,” Mr Marshall said.
“The club was desperate to secure some funds to upgrade their equipment, so I approached the Premier and I’m delighted he agreed to the request for assistance.
“With a relatively small contribution, the state government is able to make a big difference to the club’s capacity to train young riders in a rigorous sport.
“This is one of those many instances I see as an MP, where small grants go a long way to supporting communities that make a huge contribution to this district.”