Narrabri Polocrosse Club’s annual carnival 2023

Narrabri Polocrosse Club hosted yet another super weekend of polocrosse when it held its annual carnival at the Narrabri Racecourse from Friday to Sunday.

The club put on a meet and greet on Thursday night for the four rep sides that competed across the weekend, including the Australian President’s XIII junior team, the NSW under-21 side and the New Zealand junior and intermediate teams.

There were 70 teams in total across all divisions at this year’s carnival, which included open, women’s and sub-juniors, as well as the highly-anticipated junior challenge.

Players came from inter-state and from overseas to compete.

Narrabri Polocrosse Club president Trent Mortimer told The Courier that it was a fantastic weekend full of top quality polocrosse.

“It was really good, a great weekend,” he said.

“All club members chipped in and made it successful, which is good. It made things easier.

“There were 70 teams all up. That’s definitely up on last year. We had players from eight-years-old all the way up to about 60-years-old.

“We didn’t know what to expect with the rain we were predicted to get, but thankfully we only got 9mm, and it last rained the weekend before.

“That made the grounds perfect, they were nice and soft.

“I’d like to thank all of our sponsors and everyone who helped run the carnival, and we hope to do an even bigger and better job next year.”

Mortimer said that it was quite an achievement for the club and the town itself to get the nod to host two rep series, and he added the annual junior challenge was evolving to be bigger and better each year.

Five players from the Narrabri Shire clubs within the North West Plains zone lined up in the representative sides to take on New Zealand.

One was Narrabri Polocrosse Club’s Brittney Schwager, who played for the Australian President’s XIII junior team.

The Aussie side won the junior test series against New Zealand with a clean sweep after prevailing 34-15 on Friday night, 30-10 on Saturday afternoon and 27-7 on Saturday night.

Four of the local clubs’ rep players lined up for the NSW under-21 team that contested the 2023 Trans Tasman series and helped the state take back the Roger Ross Memorial Trophy, which NSW lost during an away series against New Zealand late last year.

They included Narrabri Polocrosse Club duo Makayla Elford and Hayley Constable, Galloping Gully Polocrosse Club’s Holly Turnbull, and Cubbaroo Polocrosse Club’s Billy Brodigan.

NSW beat New Zealand 20-13 on Friday night, then 20-10 on Saturday morning and 17-11 on Saturday night.

Elford debuted for NSW when she was just 12 years old, and has since played 54 games for the state and has also lined up in 20 international games for Australia.

She was named the best female player of the series this year, which she said was a really special honour with it being on home soil.

“I’m pretty proud of winning that, but there were lots of really talented girls, and I think that any of them could have won it and it would have been well-deserved,” she said.

“It was a fun series and it was good to have it back in my home town.

“It was good to win it back off them. Hometown advantage really helps. It’s always a different story when we go over there.”

It was a successful weekend for the Narrabri and Gully clubs.

Narrabri’s C-grade women’s team was the runner-up in that division, with Rebecca Cullen and Akaysha Zielinski from that team being named best number one and best number two, respectively.

This year’s Dimity Harris memorial encouragement award in the subbies went to Narrabri Polocrosse Club’s Ava Hunt.

Narrabri juniors Hallie Thompson and Skye Manning were part of the E-grade junior challenge-winning team TPW Angus and Skye was named best number one girl in that division.

Narrabri junior Darcy Dickinson was a member of the C-grade junior challenge-winning team Boggabri Coal One.

The winning team in the A-grade junior challenge was Noonamah, which included Narrabri junior Ella Hunt.

Gully was crowned champions of the D-grade opens division, with Clancy Knight being named best number one, Fergus Hunter named the best number three, and Jack Kinder awarded best horse and rider.

Gully junior Max Hunter was named best number two boy in the A-grade junior challenge.

Keely Johns, Erin Bryce, Sav Hunt and Heidi Cruickshank enjoyed a night out at the polocrosse.

A results list from the 2023 Narrabri Polocrosse Club carnival at Narrabri Racecourse is as follows:

A sub-juniors:

Runners-up – Burrawong.

Winners – Goldies.

Best number one – Cameron Clark (Yass).

Best number two – Billy Murphy (Jugiong).

Best number three – Daragh Galvin (Foothills).

Best horse and rider – Cameron Clark (Yass).

Dimity Harris memorial encouragement award – Ava Hunt (Narrabri).

E-grade junior challenge:

Runners-up – Boggabri Coal Two.

Winners – TWP Angus.

Best number one girl – Skye Manning(Narrabri), best number one boy – Kiowa Morning (Burradoo), best number two girl – Anna Benson (Guyra), best number two boy – Fletcher Grey (Braidwood), best number three girl – Jade MacFayden (Quirindi), best number three boy Maxwell Schafer (Guyra).

Best horse and rider – Jade McFadyen (Quirindi).

D-grade junior challenge:

Runners-up – Southern Gems.

Winners – Goal Diggers.

Best number one girl – Zoe Owen (Albury), best number one boy – Ted Gleeson (Warwick), best number two girl – Piper Mortimer (Warwick), best number two boy – Riley Mauch, best number three girl – Elle O’Leary (Warwick), best number three boy – Hugh O’Leary (Warwick).

Best horse and rider – Ted Gleeson (Warwick).

C-grade junior challenge:

Runners-up – Mach Energy.

Winners – Boggabri Coal One.

Best number one girl – Bridie Williams (Lake George), best number one boy – Ben Caruana (Muswellbrook), best number two girl – Chloe Clinger (Guyra), best number two boy – William Bowd (Bunnan), best number three girl – Chloe Tunicliff (Muswellbrook), best number three boy – Dave Caruana (Muswellbrook).

Best horse and rider – Chloe Tunicliff (Muswellbrook).

B-grade junior challenge:

Runners-up – Edenhope.

Winners – Dartbrook.

Best number one girl – Maddison Russell (Tara), best number one boy – Zane Smith (Quirindi), best number two girl – Storm Gould (Wandoan), best number two boy – Charlie Stuart (Mendooran), best number three girl – Annabelle Gleeson (Warwick), best number three boy – Jake Wamsley (Bunnan)

Best horse and rider – Jake Wamsley (Bunnan)

A-grade junior challenge:

Runners-up – Silverhills.

Winners – Noonamah.

Best number one girl – Zoe Stevenson (Sydney), best number one boy – Jim Henry (Jugiong), best number two girl – Georgia Knapp (Perth), best number two boy – Max Hunter (Gully), best number three girl – Erica Stuart (Medooran), best number three boy – Ryan Weston (Jugiong).

Best horse and rider – Maggie Fuller (Burradoo).

Major junior awards:

Champion junior girl – Erica Stuart (Mendooran), champion junior boy – Jim Henry (Jugiong), champion junior horse – Noonamah Dora, best overall junior – Jim Henry (Jugiong).

E-grade opens:

Runners-up – Maitland.

Winners – Quirindi Two.

Best number one – Matt Bonsing (Muswellbrook).

Best number two – Mick Diamond (Quirindi).

Best number three – Will Parker (Quirindi).

Best horse and rider – Will Parker (Quirindi).

D-grade opens:

Runners up – Guyra One.

Winners – Galloping Gully.

Best number one – Clancy Knight (Gully).

Best number two – Scott Carpenter (USA).

Best number three – Fergus Hunter (Gully).

Best horse and rider – Jack Kinder (Gully).

C-grade women’s:

Runners up – Narrabri Two.

Winners – Lake George.

Best number one – Rebecca Cullen (Narrabri).

Best number two – Akaysha Zielinski (Narrabri).

Best number three – Zoe Fuller (Lake George)

Best horse and rider – Elesha

Spillane (Central Coast).

C-grade opens:

Runners-up – Inverell.

Winners – Warwick One.

Best number one – Bridget Shephard (Tansey).

Best number two – Mark O’Leary (Warwick).

Best number three – Rachel Wacker (Tansey).

Best horse and rider – Bridget Shephard (Tansey).

B-grade women’s:

Runners-up – Bunnan.

Winners – Gulgong.

Best number one – Tanya Mulligan (Gulgong).

Best number two – Amy Hart (Corio).

Best number three – Isobelle Deshon (Gulgong).

Best horse and rider – Skye Anderson (Gulgong).

B-grade opens:

Runners-up – Bunnan.

Winners – Lake George One.

Best number one – Jason Smith (Lake George).

Best number two – Murray Thomas (Lake George).

Best number three – Damien Gould (Wandoan).

Best horse and rider – Damien Gould (Wandoan).

A-grade women’s:

Runners-up – Jugiong.

Winners – Albury Holbrook.

Best number one – Katie Wills (Albury).

Best number two – Oliva Bolingbroke (Foothills).

Best number three – Lucy Grills (Albury).

Best horse and rider – Katie Wills (Albury).

A-grade opens:

Runners-up – Tansey One.

Winners – Quirindi.

Best number one – Hayden Turnbull (Quirindi).

Best number two – Stuart Shephard (Tansey).

Best number three – Will Weston (Jugiong).

Best horse and rider – Hayden Turnbull (Quirindi).

Major awards:

Best lady player of the carnival – Lucy Grills (Albury).

Best male player of the carnival – Hayden Turnbull (Quirindi).

Champion overall horse – Hayden Turnbull’s black mare.

Gilbo Harris memorial award for best intermediate player – Ollie Greentree (Quirindi).