The Tom Quilty Gold Cup 2023, held on Saturday June 24 at Stirling’s Crossing, Imbil, Queensland, was the high point of the Australian endurance riding calendar. It was a high point for the whole Radincon team.
As a company, we were involved in so many ways.
- We sponsored the vet hospital, which included supplying all the mobile imaging equipment.
- We sponsored two riders, Susan Woodward and Kaitlyn Mercieca.
- We sponsored the bibs for the event.
- We presented The Radincon Vets Choice Award to the rider chosen by the vets to embody the spirit of endurance riding.
- And of course, we had a great weekend of fresh air, friends and equine exercise!
Here’s what the Quilty looked like from our perspective.
Mobile Vet Hospital Equipment
Let’s start with the most important part of all: the mobile vet hospital, set up on site to give immediate attention to any horses requiring it.
Radincon’s sponsorship included supplying all the imaging equipment needed for the hospital, namely
- 1 x RAD-X DR X1A 81oC Portable DR System
- 1 x Porta 100HF Portable x-ray unit – (Gold model)
- 1 x GE Versana Active Diagnostic Ultrasound Unit
plus all the accessories to make everything work together.
Radincon MD Jon Marriott drove our equipment up to Imbil from Sydney himself. Look at that spectacular sky as he arrived!
The hospital was also equipped with blood work machines (haematology and biochemistry) and a point of care machine to assess for infection. The vet team were well set up to manage any horse health problems which arose.
The race was divided into five legs, all starting and finishing at the central location. The setup allowed vets to check every horse at the end of every leg for
- heart rate
- metabolic parameters
- gait
- soreness, lacerations and wounds
With over 30,000km of riding happening in just the one day (188 horses over a 160km course), we were expecting a few injuries.
13-year-old Jess the Border Collie, vet hospital mascot, moved out whenever horses came in needing treatment. Luckily that turned out to be for just a handful of minor issues rather than anything serious. All the same, we were glad to be overprepared than underprepared!
A Huge Thanks To The Vets
An event like this wouldn’t be possible without the vets who attend. Care for the health and wellbeing of the horses is at the heart of endurance riding – that’s why there are vet checks after every leg.
Our heartfelt thanks to all the vets who traveled from across Australia and around the world to be a part of the Tom Quilty Gold Cup 2023. A special shout-out to Head Vet Harry Weaver, who led the team with utmost expertise and passion, but we appreciate the commitment of each and every vet who cared for our equine athletes.
| Senior Vet Team | Divisional Association Line Vets | |
|---|---|---|
| Harry Weaver, Head Vet | Chris Dowey | Alex Chick |
| Lachlan Cameron, 2IC | Paul Lubbe | Laoise Ni Tuama |
| David Nolan, Treatment Vet | Sue Martin | Rebecca Wasmund |
| Sara Rodes, On Course Vet | Helen Spencer | Matthew Walker |
| Bruno Ros, On Course Vet | Anne Barnes | Rebecca Wasmund |
| David Nolan, Treatment Vet | Sue Martin | Darien Feary |
| Line Vets: | Georgia Ladmore | |
| Nick Page (New Zealand) | Rhys Powell | |
| Mike Tomlinson (USA) | Laura Salisbury | |
| Prawit Butudom (Thailand) | ||
| Katie Pantlin | ||
Congratulations To The Riders And Their Horses
The low level of injury at the Tom Quilty Gold Cup 2023 is a credit to the care the riders take of their horses, not just on the course itself but in the long weeks of preparation.
Tom Quilty Gold Cup 2023 Winner
Congratulations to Ashley Cole, riding Tonki Dee Boo Novak, who completed the course in just 8 hours, 44 minutes and 54 seconds. Amazing.
Success For Our Sponsored Riders
We’re thrilled that both Susan Woodward and Kaitlyn Mercieca earned a coveted Tom Quilty Gold Cup 2023 buckle by completing the course!
Kaitlyn and her mare Henley Farm Burosh crossed the line with a time of 12 hours 33 minutes. Susan, guiding Brookleigh Matisse around her first 100 mile ride, took 13 hours 46 minutes to finish, achieving 25th place.
Kaitlyn and Henley Farm Burosh at pre-ride vetting
The Radincon Vets Choice Award Winner
What impressed Head Vet Harry Weaver and his team about Aimee Jeffrey, so much that they awarded her The Radincon Vets Choice Award?
It was her obviously close relationship with her mount, Die Kinder Kosmonaut. Kozzi is a 9-year-old partbred Arabian who didn’t want to have his temperature taken during vet checks. However, while he certainly has a mind of his own, Aimee was able to coax him into compliance – keeping an eye out for the welfare of the vets at the same time!
This connection between horse and rider, along with respect for the vets and others who make the event possible, is truly in the spirit of the award. Congratulations to Aimee and Kozzi.
The Strappers Race
Let’s finish this wrap-up with some fun.
For the Tom Quilty Gold Cup, the vetting process is ‘Vet Gate into Hold’ rather than traditional vetting. With the clock still ticking until the rider and horse scan into the vetting area, locations close to the in gate are prime strapping spots. Every year teams of strappers line up and then race to secure the best spot they can. It’s a few moments of craziness, usually with a few collisions. (This year those collisions included our sponsored rider Susan Woodward, who tripped over one of the Team Kurrajong strappers.) Enjoy the video.
Congratulations are also due to the Stirling’s Crossing team who organised such a successful event.
We at Radincon had plenty on our plates, but the organisers had far more.
Next year’s Tom Quilty Gold Cup will be held in Wirrina, South Australia. Despite the effort involved, we’re looking forward to it already!
