2025 Southern Hopefuls Camp

Huntingfield PC Grounds, 152 Howden Rd, Howden

Thursday 2nd, Friday 3rd & Saturday 4th January 2025

Open to pony club riders aiming to compete at the 2025 State Trials (Gr 1-3) held in March 2025 and currently competing at Grade 3 or above (or Grade 4 approaching Grade 3). Riders need to have been attending pony club rallies and qualifying events and have a good level of fitness for both horse and rider, as it is an intensive 3 day camp.

Southern Hopefuls Camp 2025 have again been able to secure the ever popular Yona Lloyd, 4 star event coach from Victoria, who was born and grew up in Tasmania. Yona grew up in the Huon valley attending Huon Pony Club and evented to a high level in Tasmania before moving to the mainland to pursue his dream of working with horses and competing at the highest level.

We also have our very own amazing Andrew Gibson for Show Jumping & Fiona Fehlberg for Dressage!  How lucky are we?

All coaches are highly qulaified coaches who also coach regularly at pony clubs.

Unfortunately, it is not possible to cater for riders who can only attend one day.

Southern Hopefuls Camp may be used as ONE qualifying rally for Trials. 

⭐️Information on Southern Hopefuls Merch will be avaiable soon - stay tuned!

⭐️This year there is an option for adults who will be staying at camp to be included in meals. 

Any queries to Meagan Sommerville - 0409 239 872 / sommertonstud@bigpond.com

ABOUT YONA LLOYD

Yona was a local Tasmanian rider who grew up in the Huon Valley. He was a member of the Huon Pony Club for many years and competed to the highest level he could in Tasmania. Once he realised his dream was to compete at the highest level and wanted to persue a life with horses he moved to Melbourne when he was 18! He had to work hard 7 days a week to gain experience and money to ride and compete his horses. 

Yona now runs a very successful business just out of Ballaratt where he coachs, trains his own horses, clients horses, OTT and breaks in horses. He is a very busy man!

He also now has a lovely family who are also madly into their horses. His wife Nina also competed to a high level and more recently in dressage. She now has a very successful bit fitting business, teaches at the local TAFE, coaches and still rides when she has time and looks after her family. They have one daughter Asha who also attends Ballarat Pony Club and started her evening career on her ponies.

Both Nina and Yona devote a lot of time to both Pony Club and EA evening in Victoria. Both are instrumental on the running of Ballarat Pony Club.

A bit more about Yona and his horses..........Yona has produced 5 Star horse Sergeant Crisp, and multiiple horses to 4 Star level including Rivendell Heritage, Roadshark & Spenser Street.

He has also produced 2 Star horses including Springfield Fergus, Calypso Summer, Ballahowe Serengetti (previously & now known as GV Serengetti) & Ballahowe Connor, and has taken to 1 Star level Icarus Frosty, Tornado Two Step, Royal Honour, Ellesmere Amici, Ballahowe Jollimont & Ballahowe Artic.

4 Star Ballahowe Paramount 3 Star Alby Talkative, 3 Star Ballahowe Osprey, 2 Star Ballahowe Wildside. Currently he partners 3 Star Ballahowe Ayurvedic, Carlyle Park Bravo 2 Star, Icarus Gwen 95, Ballahowe Skyfall 95, Ballahowe Cruising ev80 and the 3 youngsters Mischief Managed To Day, Ballahowe Erised and Ballahowe Aquamente.