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Hamilton and Alexandra College is expanding its Equestrian Centre with a roof and lighting, ensuring all-weather riding conditions.

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The Hamilton and Alexandra College is an independent, co-educational day and boarding school, catering for over 500 students from ELC through to Year 12.  The College has an onsite Equestrian Centre which is used by both Junior and Senior Campus students, including boarders who agist their horses during the school term. This is a unique facility and College is one of only three schools in Victoria that provide an onsite Equestrian Centre. We have students travel significant distances, even from abroad, to board and bring their horse to be part of the program. The Equestrian Centre is used for after school and weekend lessons, as well as during the school day for Horsemanship classes that are part of the elective curriculum offering. The facility is also regularly used by community groups. Currently the College Equestrian Centre has two safe areas to ride, an outdoor 40 x 20m arena and an outdoor 45 x 70m arena. Current downfalls:1.    We are limited as to the competitions that can be held because it is not a full-size 60 x 20 arena. 2.    The arena cannot be used by students or the community in wet weather. In Australia, the high rainfall zone usually means areas with an average annual rainfall greater than 600mm. The Greater Hamilton area is among the five per cent of the continent to fall into that zone, with an annual average of 680mm. The heaviest rainfall is generally recorded from May to October, with a growing season of 8-9 months. [1] Therefore, we are greatly impacted by the amount of time we are able to use the current arena. In summer, the roof would also provide a cooler and sun-safe environment to ride.  Potential benefits:Extending the current sand arena to be a full-sized 60 x 20 arena, as well making it undercover with lights, will create many new opportunities for our students and the wider equestrian community in South West Victoria. ·        College students will be able to attend Horsemanship lessons in the arena on wet and extremely hot days.·        Co-curricular equestrian lessons and inter-school riding competitions could be held all-year round.·        Riding for the Disabled Association (RDA) use the sand arena free of charge on a weekly basis in dry months, but can cannot provide sessions in winter. With this renovated facility, they would be able to provide riding therapy to their clients all-year. Living regionally, there are very few engaging activities for people living with disabilities and this would be a wonderful service to provide all year. ·        Local pony clubs and adult riding groups will be able to use the facility all-year. The lighting would provide opportunities for evening sessions or to simply ride later during the shorter days of winter.·        The full-sized arena will provide opportunities to host community and inter-school clinics and competitions, such as dressage, show jumping and working equitation events.·        In regional locations, we are faced with a lack of facilities and services, which requires people to travel long distances. Providing this facility would reduce the travel require to learn, train and compete on full-sized arenas. ·        Equestrian clinics with visiting instructors could be held at any time of the year. Currently we cannot risk hosting them in the wet months. This limits the number of clinics that can be run throughout the year for College students and local riders. Many elite coaches will not train outside of a covered arena. Providing a roof allows us to engage with these coaches, for our students who are currently performing at state and national level.·        The College Early Learning Centre (3 and 4 year-old kindergarten), located beside the Equestrian Centre, could use this area on wet days when horses aren’t using it.·        That we can host awards nights and events on site after dark with the lights. Equestrian sports are a very popular activity in this region. At the moment, there are a large number of school-aged students competing at state, national and international levels across a range of disciplines. In 2023, equestrian students from The Hamilton and Alexandra College attended competitions across Victoria, New South Wales and South Australia, travelled to Perth and even China.  Supporting this project to expand and improve the school’s equestrian facilities would be greatly beneficial to students, but more importantly it will provide significant opportunities to community members in the local area. Particularly members of the local RDA who would have an all year-inground facility. [1] <a href="http://www.growingreaterhamilton.com.au/climate" target="_blank">Climate — Greater Hamilton | One Place, Many Possibilities (growingreaterhamilton.com.au)</a>

Undercover Equestrian Arena