A mother and daughter are among hundreds of competitors taking part in this week’s Equestrian Victoria Masters Games at Werribee Park.
More than 220 riders have entered for the mature-age competition, which runs from Friday to Sunday.
Vicki Sykes, 53, has been involved with horses for as long as she can remember, an affection she shares with daughter Tracy, 27.
While Vicki is usually the one helping Tracy, the Geelong pair will switch roles for the event, with Tracy helping her mum strap Twiggy, a thoroughbred former racehorse.
Vicki says the games give both her’s and the family’s retired racehorses a chance to compete again. “It gives the horses another life after racing,” she says. “But it also allows us to take new horses into a racing environment before they begin racing.”
This year’s games will showcase a Pas De Deux, a competitive dressage performance to music by two horses and riders.
There will also be a historic carriage show with carriages that have appeared in movies including Phar Lap, Ned Kelly and Australia.
General admission is free.
