Greg Willoughby Memorial Horse Endurance Rides - 1-2 August

Townsville Amateur Radio Club, operating on behalf of the Mackay Amateur Radio Association Inc., provided volunteer communications support for the Valley Riders Endurance Riding Association’s Greg Willoughby Memorial Horse Endurance Rides, held at Our Retreat Station on Denison Creek near Nebo over the weekend of Saturday 1st and Sunday 2nd August.

It was a real mixed bag of weather — cold, warm, drizzly and sunny by turns — but a great weekend all the same. Fearless leader Gary VK4CUZ thanked everyone for pitching in, and the organisers shouted the team to dinner at the nearby Retreat Hotel on Friday night (with a home-delivered meal for George, who was already on-site at his checkpoint by Saturday). Sadly, Doris and Wayne VK4WSG had to head home before the riding began after Doris injured her ankle beachcombing in Mackay — get well soon, Doris!

Checkpoint-to-base traffic ran through the Blue Mountain VHF repeater, switching to 146.5MHz simplex overnight while the repeater was off-air between 10pm and 5am, with strapper alerts and organiser comms handled on UHF CB Channel 16.

100kmLongest Ride

5Checkpoints Staffed

9Volunteers on Deck

On the Radios

Ride Base
Lyndall VK4ZM & Gavin VK4ZZ
Cedar Gully
George VK4HAN
Four Gates
Bruce
Denison Gate
Bob VK4HRE
Gate 8
Gary VK4CUZ & Lachlan VK4AJY

Saturday’s program covered the 100km Elevator, 40km, 20km and 5km rides, continuing with 40km, 20km and 5km rides on Sunday. A cool, drizzly Saturday night saw the 100km riders wrap up at the 80km mark, giving everyone an early night ahead of Sunday’s 6am start. Between checkpoints there was time for some HF operating too, with George VK4HAN, Lachlan VK4AJY and Gavin VK4ZZ working the nets as backup comms — Lachlan notching a QRP contact on the 7100 Net with an end fed random wire and unun borrowed from Bob VK4HRE. No incidents on the tracks, and every horse and rider vetted through safely — another great weekend at one of the best comms support spots in the country.

TARC operators with the Valley Riders & Endurance Inc. Start/Finish banner

The Greg Willoughby Memorial Ride program whiteboard with ride times and UHF channel

Amateur Radio Volunteer Comms Support vehicle set up under the gums

Wide view of the checkpoint camp among the gum trees at dawn

Checkpoint desk with UHF handhelds, phone and the day's countdown clock

HF transceiver and Morse key set up on a portable fridge

Two operators at a checkpoint, one on the radio mic

Checkpoint operator logging entries in the ride book

Horses and riders gathered near the vetting marquees under the gums

Two young riders on grey horses at the venue

Camp lit up under the gum trees after dark

Sunrise over the track near Denison Creek

Thanks to everyone who staffed a checkpoint, kept Ride Base company, and pitched in to make it another smooth-running weekend for the Valley Riders Endurance Riding Association Inc. See the Communications Support page for more on the club’s volunteer program.

Greg Willoughby Memorial Horse Endurance Rides — 1-2 August