By BRIDGET SCOTT
A 25-YEAR-OLD event in Berwick will go ahead in October after failing to run earlier in the year.
Horse lovers and equestrian riders will saddle up on Sunday 26 October for the annual Riding of the Bounds.
Despite the future of the event being in the balance earlier this year, the City of Casey Council has confirmed it will go ahead and invite horse enthusiasts to make tracks down to Hillcrest and take part.
The event will kick off at Hillcrest Christian College where riders on horseback and those on horse-drawn vehicles will gather with City of Casey mayor Geoff Ablett.
Riders will trot through more than 10 kilometres of Casey’s picturesque countryside to inspect the boundaries which separate the municipalities of Cardinia and Casey.
Cr Ablett has encouraged residents to take part in the historic event.
“I encourage residents to bring their horses and join in the fun as we gather to mark a quarter of a century of this great Casey tradition,” he said.
Member of Casey Equestrian Reference Group and Equestrian co-ordinator at Hillcrest Christian College Deb Lovett has praised the event and is excited to be involved with Hillcrest College for the second year in a row.
She said the school won the best group award last year and students loved to take part in such an important event for the City of Casey.
“It’s the community spirit and something very different which has a bit of tradition to it,” she said.
“It’s a historic event for them to be involved in.”
Ms Lovett said the school had 12 riders last year and there were likely to be more getting involved this time.
She urged not only her own students, but horse riders and lovers from across the area to take part.
“It’s a call out for all equestrian people to lift together and continue to make it a success,” she said.
“Equestrian is the largest business for the City of Casey and Shire of Cardinia,” she said.
Ms Lovett said a highlight of the event, which she had been involved with for the past eight eyars, was to see the community come together on different levels.
“It’s great to see the cross-section of horse people like dressage, Western, stock riders and those for pleasure,” she said.
She said that the change in season for the event would most likely boost numbers.
“I think having it later will benefit the amount of people coming,” she said.
Riders must register by 17 October and no registrations will be accepted on the day.
