Queensland Endurance Riders Association

29/10/2026

The Far-A-Way Riders Association will be holding the final ride of the 2026 QLD endurance season 🏇

Any new QERA member who joined this year and attempts their first 80km ride at 'Sparklier' will be reimbursed $50 from QERA.

Please get your nominations in ASAP to assist the club with planning - https://www.aeraonline.com.au/Event?id=113741

TAKE TWO!!!

Far-A-Way Endurance Riders is proud to announce we will be hosting "Sparklier" the weekend of 7th and 8th November 2026. Nominations will open on AERA Online very shortly. Ride start times will be pending weather but planned for Saturday afternoon with 80km, 40km and 20km events being held.

This will be a no frills event with no catering or major prizes due to the last minute organisation.

We would appreciate all the support in nominations and volunteers were possible please reach out.

27/10/2026

The QERA SMC is holding their next meeting this Friday evening at QSEC in Caboolture. Meetings are open to all current QERA members.

If you'd like to attend in person or online via Zoom, please email Sue Sutcliffe at [email protected]

Remember you must have your camera on at all times during meetings if you are attending online.

The meeting will include portfolio reports from all SMC members, general business and agenda items consisting of AGM motions/nominations and a proposal to include endurance in interschool competitions.

22/10/2026

Unfortunately, the Johns River ride in NSW has been cancelled due to weather. QERA send our support to the ride committee - cancelling rides is never an easy decision.

Nominations for the Far-A-Way Riders Sparkler ride in Imbil QLD have been reopened and we welcome our southern friends to attend 😊

Johns River Endurance Ride 24th-25th CANCELLED DUE TO WET WEATHER

The Johns River ride committee are very disappointed to announce the sudden and huge amount of rain at our ride base has deemed it impossible to hold our event this coming weekend.

We were delighted with our entries and support and we thank all our volunteers, sponsors and everyone who nominated. We will process all refunds asap. Our beautiful trophies and sponsor prizes will carry over to our ride next year on the 18th-19th September.

It takes a lot of work to run these events and I'd like to thank our small but hard working team. We are just as disappointed as you all are.
Peter, Linda, Anne, Roz, Phil and Karen.

19/10/2026

QERA is pleased to announce the 2026 Tom Quilty Gold Cup has been approved as an eligible national championship event under the Queensland Government's Grassroots to Gold program.

This program supports eligible young athletes, coaches and officials aged 10-18 years to progress on a development pathway by providing financial assistance to help alleviate the costs associated with attending state, national and international events.

Eligibility criteria for financial assistance for TQ26:

✅ Entered the 2026 Tom Quilty Gold Cup and listed on the AERA Space start list (the rider doesn't need to have successfully completed TQ26)
✅ QERA member who is a current resident of Queensland
✅ Aged between 12 - 18 years of age at the start of the event (4 July 2026)
✅ TQ26 must have been at least 125km road distance (one-way) from their place of residence

If the above criteria are met, please email Sue Sutcliffe at [email protected] to request selection documentation for the rider. A letter signed by QERA confirming the rider entered TQ26 will be emailed to you. Please submit the letter with your application here: https://www.qld.gov.au/recreation/sports/funding/grassroots-to-gold/apply

Applications can be made up until 6 months after the event start date, meaning applications must be submitted by January 2027. We thank Equestrian Queensland for assisting us with this application.

18/10/2026

The endurance horses had a chance of pace yesterday at the Torbanlea Picnic Races, taking on the 1600m purebred Arabian race 🏇💨

Congratulations to Jill Colwell and her mare Zalina, who won the race for the 8th time from 10 attempts!

Well done to the jockeys, strappers and the endurance community who supported the race.

🥇 Zalina (Sachin x Dunwingeri Bint Zarana) ridden by Jill Colwell
🥈 Sedition (Kassanova x Burralga Saucy Minx) ridden by Virginia Barber
🥉 Gamaal (A Jakarta x Gameelah Ka) owned by Kylie Attwater
4️⃣ Concerto (Count Crysdafa x Cameo Coquette) ridden by Georgie Barber
5️⃣ Silver Centurion (Sachin x Crystadella) ridden by Ellie-Rose Bowden

Between these horses and riders, there are a number of Quilty buckles, marathon completions, wins and serious kilometres 💪🏼

15/10/2026

📢 Information for members wishing to travel to the 2027 Tom Quilty Gold Cup in Collie, Western Australia 📢

The TQ27 committee is holding an online Zoom info session on Wednesday 25 November at 7pm QLD time about 'How to Cross the Nullabor to get to TQ27'.

If you would like to attend this online meeting, please email Hannah Roscoe at [email protected] to receive the meeting link and an info pack.

You can keep up to date with all things TQ27 on their official page 2027 Tom Quilty Gold Cup and the event website tomquilty.com.au

We hope to see a few QLD riders and horses make the journey across to Collie next year! 😊

14/10/2026

Another update on QERA Junior member, Levi Berryman, from his parents.

Levi wishes to say a big thank you to the endurance community for their outpouring of support and well wishes. He is still at the QLD Children’s Hospital and improving each day 💪🏼 Levi has loved receiving visits from his friends and family, as well as a few dogs!

Levi has a few more scheduled surgeries over the coming weeks, but his family are hoping to have him back home next month 💕

13/10/2026

Our Queensland endurance horses were well represented at the Downs Arabian Club Top of the Range Show over the weekend.

Ken Moir was an outstanding judge for the endurance classes. Thank you to all competitors who entered and congratulations to the class winners.

⭐️ Junior Handler - Lilly Stephens
⭐️ Novice Endurance Horse - Wollumbin Amaretto
⭐️ Endurance Horse Derivative - Cameo Ontario
⭐️ Halter Horse Purebred Gelding - Dunbar Mazerati
⭐️ Halter Horse Purebred Mare - Malala
⭐️ Champion Endurance Halter Horse - Cameo Ontario
⭐️ Junior Rider - Lilly Stephens and Cedar Glen Nala
⭐️ Endurance Ridden Class - Dick Collyer and Emilina

These lovely photos were taken by Mini Pankhurst and Coralie Gordon.

13/10/2026

Very exciting to see a star lineup cast for the Australian film 'Chiquita'!

The filmmakers are still looking for volunteers to be involved. If you're an experienced endurance rider with a suitable horse and can commit to filming on 26/27 October, please register your interest to [email protected]

The full article can be viewed here: https://deadline.com/2026/10/mad-max-alyla-browne-elsa-pataky-cast-in-chiquita

We're thrilled to share our upcoming Aussie family adventure film CHIQUITA has started production in Byron Bay! 🐎

From writer/director Kiah Roache-Turner (Beasts of War) and led by Alyla Browne, Elsa Pataky and Michael Caton, the film follows a rebellious girl who befriends a wild rescue horse on her Grandfather's stud farm.

Coming late 2027.

12/10/2026

Nominations are now open for the QERA State Management Committee. Positions on the committee will fall vacant according to the Rules of Incorporation.

There are six positions to be filled: President, Vice-President, Treasurer and three committee positions. Persons may nominate for either the executive positions OR a committee position. Each role has a two-year term on the SMC.

Please refer to your emails for a copy of the nomination form. Nominations are to be emailed to QERA Secretary, Sue Sutcliffe, at [email protected] by 5pm on 4 November.