Hillcrest Christian College equestrian trainer Deborah Lovett and Bill Norris from the Independent Schools Association with VCE and VET students Emily Penman, Andy Carroll, Sabina Huma and Brookie Welburn.
IT’S YEA or neigh for Clyde North’s horse lovers.
Hillcrest Christian College has been shortlisted, along with two other schools in the south east region, for a $150,000 grant to construct an indoor dressage arena.
The grant is part of the Federal Government’s skills centre funding in schools and would go towards Hillcrest’s VCE and VET program, a Certificate Two in Equine Industry.
Equestrian teacher Deborah Lovett, who is a qualified British Horse Society instructor and horse manager with Horse Safety Australia, said the next stage of the application was to make a five-year business plan.
“We have one equestrian program at the moment but we want to expand on that,” Ms Lovett said.
At the moment the school’s equestrian facilities are used by other schools and equestrian clubs.
“If we had an indoor arena we could extend the equestrian facilities to night and weekend work in all weather,” Ms Lovett said.
She said by expanding the program there was also more incentive for students considering a career in the industry to stay at school.
At the moment Hillcrest Christian College has a full-sized polo field, two competition dressage arenas, trail riding facilities to the wetlands, showjumping and catering facilities.
The school will be notified later in the year if they were successful, with work to begin next year.
