Tom Quilty Gold Cup 2008 Nanango

 Bookings are essential for the Quilty Dinner as there is limited seating.  0741710193

• Free Admission for all spectators- all days.
• Event Dates 19th to 21st September with Quilty Week being 15th to 22nd September inclusive.
• Ride Base: Nanango Showgrounds
• The aim is to provide an excellent course, excellent ride base in a friendly and comfortable atmosphere.
• Ride base: The main camp is in town itself, within walking distance to the CBD. The grounds cover an area of 32 acres with approximately 20 acres set aside for camping.
• The entire grounds are surrounded by a 3 metre security fence that has vehicle access at only three sites and pedestrain access at another two.  These grounds are fully secured, with locked gates at night, and will have security officers in charge when the away check points are operating.
• The grounds are extensively supplied with power outlets, so that all sites can be powered:even more power outlets have been installed since the June 2007 rides.
• There is sufficient access to reticulated water. No campsite will be more than 50 metres from a water point.
• There are 7 woman's and 6 men's showers, as well as a disabled shower.  These are gas fired hot water.
• There are 22 ladies, the equivalent men's and one disabled toilet, as well as a baby change room, in 4 seperate blocks.
• The grounds have a large enclosed canteen/ bar/ entertainment area.
• Secure vet hospital.
• AERA Awards Night will take place on Thursday Night 18th September at Nanango Showgrounds.  This will be followed by hot food and Country & Western entertainment.
• The Quilty Dinner will be held on Sunday Night 21st September at Nanango Cultural Centre (presold tickets only) This is a chance to dress up a little and let your hair down, Nanango Style. A good night is assured.

Equine Influenza Updates

Camping Details- the Nanango Showgrounds are only available from Monday 15th September thru to Monday 22nd September for use by our Quilty Event.  Outside these times other arrangements need to be made if anyone wishes to camp extra days before or after the event. Contact can be made at Blackbutt Showgrounds (40km south of Nanango) . Peter Farrell  0741700983 or Bev Pascoe 0741630090 

OR  Wendy & Scott Matthews, Nanango who have offered an alternative option 0741637200 / 0417717330.

Free Live Entertainment

This is your chance to be part of the Quilty Nanango Celebrations. Thursday Night 18th September Venue Nanango Showgrounds. This sees  the official beginning of the Quilty Celebrations. The AERA Awards night will be held incorporating live entertainment by Dean Johnston and his band.  Full bar and food facilities will be operating till late. 

The Rising Star of Australian Country.

Plus

Sunday night is the official closing "Quilty Dinner" where Dean and his band will perform again. Bookings essential for Sunday 21st September, Nanango Cultural Centre.

Update No 2.  The Quilty date seems to be coming around awfully quickly and this is to let everyone know what is happening at the present.

It seems the cost of fuel is going to rain on our parade, this is something that I guess no one really predicted, and there is buggar all that can be done about it except wear it. The only consolation for all interstate competitors is that here in sunny Qld there is no state fuel tax so once you cross the border the price of fuel will drop, depending on where you are as to how much it drops, but it is significant.

My advice for those competitors travelling thru country NSW is to cross the border at Goondiwindi, there is a Shell servo at Boggabilla that sells fuel at Qld prices, from Goondiwindi follow the signs to St George/Moonie, then Moonie, Dalby, Kingaroy, Nanango. Word of advice, don’t take the shortest route via the GPS as it will take you over roads you wish you hadn’t come! The above mentioned route is good roads with little traffic.

As the Quilty course will be in a ticky area, spraying post ride will be a requirement, these protocols will be issued closer to the time. A waybill is required to travel horses in Qld, this is not new and has always been the case, these are available for downloading off the Qld DPI website.

A course description is currently on the website, the Quilty will be 6 legs with the longest leg being 38kms. We are expecting more younger, and less experienced horses competing this year, the first 2-3 legs are of moderate difficulty. The aim of this Quilty Committee is to obtain a 70% completion rate, whilst allowing the competitors to still ride a “true” Quilty course.   Research overseas has shown definitely that horses cope much better and have a greater chance of completing events with shorter legs and more rest periods.

The Chief Steward Team will be led by the ever unflappable and very experienced Tom McCormack, ably assisted by Dorta Colja (Qld) Jeff Bonham (NSW) and Janet Bull (Qld).

The Veterinary Team will be headed by the very experienced international and national veterinarian Dr Brian Sheahan, ably assisted by Dr John Robertson, who, if vets were awarded completion buckles would have more than most as (and I stand corrected by him here) John and Merry have been assisting and vetting at the Quilty since 1994. Every State Division is sending their honorary vet, also we will be hosting vets from NZL and the USA, plus many experienced Queenslanders, a total of 23 altogether. 

On the lighter side of things, this TQ committee have engaged Dean Johnston and his Band from the Hunter Valley in NSW. Dean Johnston was a finalist in the ‘Toyota Star Maker Tamworth 2008 Quest’, and has played as support to Adam Harvey, The Sunny Cowgirls, Felicity Urquhart plus many more. Full details about Dean can be found on our website. The entertainment will be on the Thursday night following the AERA awards at the showgrounds and the Sunday night Quilty dinner.  

The Living Legends will begin arriving in town from the Thursday onwards, legends namely, Erica Williams, Ron and Val Males, Chuck Stevens, Col Adams, Bob Sample, to name a few, without these above named people plus others to be included the Quilty would never have become the icon it truly is. The TQ Committee is grateful to the AERA for supporting the visit of these legends.

The TQ Committee also wishes to gratefully acknowledge our major sponsors, who are ensuring this Quilty will be a huge success. The Queensland Events Regional Development Program (QERDP), QERA Inc. Sample and Partners, Heritage Nanango Community Branch, South Burnett Regional Council, and many more sponsors from both within endurance and locally. We would like all endurance riders and the crews who visit our town during Quilty week to ask that you all support those local business houses that are supporting this Quilty, without all the large and smaller sponsors this simply would not happen, all sponsors of whatever amount are all listed on the website and will be acknowledged in the Quilty booklet, (not sure why this is referred to as a “booklet” it’s a glossy mag and costs heaps to produce!)

Re iterating, all general enquiries to Secretary, Colleen Shaw colleenshaw@flexinet.com.au           (07) 4171 0835

All inquiries to do with ride entries, camping etc to Carol Jarvie

jarviebay@bigpond.com     (07) 4171 0193

Keep checking the website for updates   www.tomquilty2008nanango.com as all forms for everything is available for download plus merchandise now in stock and thank you to Carol Dixon for having a stock of our merchandise for sale.

Barb Timms

Tom Quilty Committee

Barbt35@bigpond.net.au

 Update No 1. As most endurance riders are aware, this show has only been on the road officially since March 1^st,when the AERA granted Nanango Heritage Endurance Riders Assoc. Inc. (NHERA) permission to stage the Quilty.

Since then a dedicated group of some 8 people consisting of local Nanango folk and local endurance riders, plus a larger local community, have been rather busy gathering information and hitting the road with many submissions for sponsorships, and fortunately some have been most successful.

Quilty Ride Week;

Venue: is the well appointed Nanango Showgrounds, easy walking distance to all shops etc. These grounds do not become available until Monday Sept. 15^th (the beginning of Quilty week) due to other local organisations using the grounds. If any travellers need to arrive before this date, you will need to contact committee members to arrange private accommodation. 

Official Quilty celebrations and the serious business of ride entries will commence on Thursday 18^th Sept. The AERA distance and point score presentations, will be held in the early evening and followed by a dinner with country and western music and party night.

Friday 19^th will continue with acceptance of entries and pre ride vetting, followed by the pre ride briefing in the evening.

Saturday 20^th Ride day

Sunday 21^st, BC workouts, presentations and the fabulous Quilty dinner in the evening, four days of experiencing the great event

Interesting  additions this year will a visit to the Quilty from people who, in the past have been responsible for, firstly having the foresight and grit to get this event off the ground against much opposition in 1966, and then to have the determination to ensure its place in history, not only in Australia but worldwide. Thanks to the AERA and NHERA, there will be an opportunity to meet the “Living Legends” of the Quilty, more on the actual Legends later, however NHERA feels that, following the EI outbreak and the subsequent recovery, it brought home to us how much we owe those who were responsible for getting endurance riding started in Australia some 42 years ago and how EI  nearly put an end to endurance riding life as we know it, this is a time and a year to celebrate and recognise our legends and our history.

The Course: Suffice to say it is befitting a Quilty course, not too hard but challenging, Colleen Shaw the course director has various alternatives depending on weather conditions, Colleen proved the ability to remark a 160k course at very short notice last June following 3 inches of rain 36 hours before ride start, hopefully this will not be necessary this year as we have the best and most interesting trails in Australia traversing the East Nanango forest, from spectacular views from the ridge tops to interesting forest trails with hoop pines and Bunya pines that only grow in this part of the world .The 1^st and 2^nd vet checks will be away. There will a mini village in place to cater for all requirements, this will be approximately 8ks on a bitumen road from the ride base with excellent radio and phone reception.

Barb Timms

President    2008 Tom Quilty Committee

The Tom Quilty 2008 committee are proud that this event is also supporting other local community organisations.  We thank the following for their eagerness and positive approach to this event.

• Nanango SES
• Sandy Ridges Rural Fire Brigade
• Nanango State School P & C Association
• Nanango Amateur Swimming Club
• Nanango Darts Club
• Nanango Soccer Club
• Nanango Senior Football Club