Day yards are Officially Open!

The ten Day Yards next to the Evening Peal Court carpark have been completed and are now ready for use. This afternoon, they were officially opened by Cr Michelle Rich (the Shire President). Michelle is shown cutting the opening ribbon in the following video.

This opening is the culmination of a joint project by the Darling Downs Residents Association (DDRA) and the Shire of Serpentine Jarrahdale (SoSJ). The DDRA and the SoSJ have addressed an important safety issue by completing this project. People will no longer have to tie their horses to floats, trees, or posts before and after riding in the 70 Acres area of the Darling Downs Equestrian Park (DDEP). In the past, horses have broken away from their ties and escaped. Riders will now be able to safely put their horses into the yards so they can’t break away and endanger themselves and others.

The DDRA would like to thank the Shire of Serpentine Jarrahdale for their support, effort, and the provision of about half of the funds to complete this project. Additionally, we would like to thank the local contractor who constructed the yards (Rod’s Equine Solutions) and the many dedicated DDRA volunteers who worked hard to ensure the project was achieved. Most importantly, we would like to thank Peter Benson (right in the photographs). Without his hard work and devotion to this project over many years, this important facility would not have been completed. Well done, Peter.

The DDRA would also like to acknowledge the funds provided by the Canning Districts Riding Club (CDRC) before it shut down, which helped to pay for some of the Day Yards project. The CDRC asked that their remaining funds be used to develop facilities to support riders using the unique Darling Downs Equestrian Park. As a representative of both the previous CDRC and the DDRA, Mrs Robyn Vale (left in the photographs) was pleased to hand over a cheque that signified the transfer of these funds to the Shire through the DDRA. Robyn is the person to the left photographs.

The Day Yards are just one part of a larger program for developing the DDEP to benefit all users of this area. More information on these developments is available on the DDRA website: https://www.ddra.org.au/ddra-projects.

These types of developments also demonstrate what can be achieved when the SoSJ and the residents work together to improve the local facilities and help everyone who uses the Darling Downs Equestrian Park.