AFTER a two-year break, one of Tasmania’s most popular horse events will get underway later this month. The Tasmanian Mountain Cattlemen’s Association Get Together will be held at Harveydale near Westbury on January 27-29.
TMCA vice-president Tanya King said many people will be keen to saddle up for this year’s Get Together, which is the state’s biggest horse event. As usual, camping will be available for visitors and participants and everyone is welcome, including dogs.
While horses are a major focus of the Get Together, Mrs King said the event offers fun for the whole family. “There’s something for everyone from the standing whip crack events – you don’t need a horse for that – right through to the dog jump and, for those who are up for it, our Iron Man event which is always popular with spectators,” she said.
Mrs King said while the Get Together has not been held for two years due to Covid, the organisation was extremely grateful for the support from local competitors who continued to attend the TMCA events over the past two years.
“Our last Get Together as we know it was in 2020,” she said. “So in 2021 and 2022 we ran some challenge events that were very well supported by local competitors and that’s what really kept the organisation alive while we were unable to operate the Get Together due the pandemic, so we’re really grateful for those competitors.”
The Get Together is organised and run by a small but dedicated group of volunteers. Mrs King said the local Rural Youth club and Lions clubs were also playing a crucial role in helping to run the event this year.
Gates to the Get Together this year will open at 9am on the Friday and the first competition events will get underway at 3pm that afternoon. “We’ve just grown way too big for a two-day event now,” Mrs King said. “We’re starting with the barrel races on the Friday afternoon and there are fairly substantial prizes up for grabs in those events.”
Entertainment will be provided on the Friday night and there will also be a band playing on the Saturday night. Food and refreshments will be available through the Get Together and the bar will be operating on Friday and Saturday.
The hotly contested TMCA championship events will get underway early on the Saturday morning, including the stripling, junior and open competitions. Fourteen-year-old Gemma King and 12-year-old Marli King started competing at the Get Together in 2016 when they took part in the billy can races.
This year they will both be taking part in the stripling championship section. Marli said she was looking forward to the chance to try and beat her sister in the event this year.
Mrs King said there will be plenty of competition action to keep the visitors entertained throughout the event. Full weekend and day pass tickets will be available for sale at the gate.
To find out more go to http://www.tmca.net.au or got to the TMCA Facebook page.