The 13th annual Betty Burgess Trophy Show was a spectacle of brilliant equestrian ability that dazzled and wowed all in attendance at Mataffin Equestrian Centre.

The biggest equestrian show in the Lowveld and one of the biggest in Mpumalanga, the Cell C & Rocky’s Armature Winders Betty Burgess Trophy Show was held over five days of competition from Wednesday, November 26, until Sunday, November 30, and perfectly captured the heart and soul of the Lowveld equestrian community.

It was held for the first time in 2013 in honour of legendary horsewoman Betty Burgess, and has long been a cornerstone of the provincial equestrian calendar.

This year’s event featured a full programme of show jumping, dressage, equitation, stadium eventing, fun classes, and festive family activities – continuing a proud tradition of excellence and community spirit.

One particular item that was a fan and participant favourite was Saturday’s fancy dress item which encapsulates the sense of community and festive cheer that was evident throughout the week.

Although the overriding feeling was one of community and festive cheer, there were still competitions and disciplines to be won and riders and horses alike were sure to but their best foot and hoof forward.

In the fancy dress, Elliot Phelan on Tin Tin won best fancy-dressed pony, while Themba Mhlongo on White Waters Ruarch On Me won best-dressed horse. Charné Claassens won the fastest jump-off on Winter Nights Saphire, and Phillipa Moolman had the highest dressage score on Midas Touch Armani.

The show-jumping victor ludorum trophy went to Olivia McEvoy on Sky in the pony category, Jana Scheepers on Trompie in the junior category, and Mhlongo on White Waters Ruarch On Me in the adult category.

While a host of trophies and awards were handed out during the course of the competition the most coveted prize of all was the Betty Burgess Best Performance Trophy.

This crowned the best rider of the week with their performances across all five days and in the various disciplines taken into consideration.

Ultimately it was Mbombelan rider Mia Tinkhoff, riding Callaho Lorenza, that shone brightest to claim the Betty Burgess Best Performance Trophy.

Hanelize Kamffer on Back to Black was the runner-up with Hannah Luyt on Encore LC in third.

Racheal Luyt riding Swazi Lizkar Sky Alliance won the Dynamic Vision Newbie Trophy as the best newcomer while Abigail Arde on La Viva was second.

The show pays tribute to Betty Burgess, one of the Lowveld’s most influential horsewomen, who passed in 2012.

Burgess dedicated her life to nurturing young riders, developing solid horsemanship foundations, and growing the sport across Mpumalanga long before the region had the facilities it enjoys today.

Her passion, fairness and integrity shaped generations of riders, and the annual trophy show was created to honour the profound impact she had on the equestrian community.