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Next trail ride is on this Sunday

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THE March ride for the Tambo Upper Trail Riding Club will be led by Jackie Whiting on Sunday, March 20 from her property at 164 Cunningham Rd, Swan Reach. The group will head into the nearby Colquhoun Forest. The forest covers quite a large area and is a very popular area for anyone who enjoys outdoor activities. Ms Whiting has ridden in this area for many years and knows it well. She will lead the riders into banksia gullies and along single tracks as well as through open bush. Conditions can vary significantly due to rain and boggy ground we are currently experiencing, this could alter the route and length of the ride. Ride out time is 10am sharp and riders should bring a saddle bag lunch to have on the trail. The February ride was at The Barn at Calajero on Iguana Creek. Some members arrived on the Saturday to take advantage of the overnight facilities at The Barn. They saddled up for an afternoon ride led by Anne Rees. The small group of eight crossed over the Dargo Road a couple of times before heading along bordering properties and sections of bush. The Sunday ride had 24 riders saddle up for the day. The route featured lots of shaded gullies, rocky creeks with towering tree ferns and high ridges with

Andrea Grant, Ashlie and Lacey Bryan during the February ride at The Barn. Photo: Contributed

great views. The horses moved along nicely and there was lots of chatter among the group enjoying each other’s company and the environment. The terrain was rocky and steep in places and kept the horses focused on the job with plenty of natural obstacles and challenges to negotiate safely. It was great to see family groups enjoying the day together. Ian and Alison Naughton made the trip up from Erica and were joined by their daughter Shelley. Sisters Heather Jones and Lyn Brehaut came along for the day ride as did Mandy Hansford and her daughter Molly. Joining in for their inaugural club ride were Ashlie Bryan and her daughter Lacey doing a great job on experienced bush horses. More first timers were Andrea Grant and Tania Coleman who relished the conditions and are looking ahead to more rides. On returning to The Barn after five and a half hours the horses were tended to firstly before the riders enjoyed a delicious afternoon tea. Floats were loaded and the group headed off home after a challenging and satisfying day. Members are given advance notice that due to Easter, the April ride has been pulled forward to Sunday, April 3 at Flaggy Creek. Camping is available for the weekend and a shorter ride will also be offered on the Saturday. Details will be released to the club page as they become available. Tambo rides are held on the third Sunday of every month and are suitable for most standards. Visitors are welcome and juniors are also encouraged, but must be accompanied by a guardian and able to ride independently.

Latrobe Orchestra on lookout for more musicians to join

Tom Parry

THE Latrobe Orchestra are on a desperate hunt to find new players. The Traralgon-based ensemble is encouraging musicians of any age and experience to join their rehearsals in preparation for future concerts and performances. Committee member and clarinet player Alison Teychenne said that the Latrobe Orchestra has members from “all walks of life.” “We’ve got schoolchildren, we’ve got young professionals, we have people with caring responsibilities… and we have retirees who are just looking for ways to stay engaged with the community,” Ms Teychenne said. Latrobe Orchestra musical director Colin Iversen also talked up the benefits for older players. “There are endless studies talking about the importance of music in the way children develop, but in fact (for) older people … it becomes a really powerful part of maintaining connections with other people and with the community,” Mr Iversen said. The Orchestra boasts players from across the Gippsland region, including Sale, Stratford and Maffra, with a strong connection to the latter. “We perform with the Maffra Municipal Band

The Latrobe Orchestra are on a desperate hunt to find new players.

Photo: Contributed

each year, so we share lots of players with them as well,” Ms Teychenne said. “And lots of our players are involved with (Maffra’s) strings program and their concert band program too.” The Orchestra performs a mix of traditional a n d c o n t em p or a r y c l a s si c a l o r c h e st r a l music, ranging from Tchaikovsky’s Romeo and Juliet to the Pirates of the Caribbean soundtrack, so as to appease everybody involved – those who listen, and those who perform in the ensemble. “I try (to) find stuff that … I enjoy conducting, but also that the Orchestra will enjoy playing, and so far I’ve been pretty good at doing that,” Mr Iversen said. Rehearsals take place during school term on Thursday evenings in the Kath Teychenne Centre, Traralgon – named after Ms Teychenne’s grandmother, a founding member of the Orchestra. The younger Ms Teychenne believes that it is important to carry on her Grandma’s legacy because the things she valued and saw important to Gippslanders are still relevant today. “She saw the important place music has in people’s lives, how making music together breaks down all sorts of social barriers, how regional areas often miss high-quality musical exposure and opportunities for purely geographical reasons, and how good for the soul sharing music-making with others is,” Ms Teychenne said. Violinists, trombonists and percussionists who are fully vaccinated against COVID are particularly being urged to join. Those seeking more information about the Latrobe Orchestra are welcome to send an e-mail to info@latrobeorchestra.org.au

Gippsland Grammar school captains Mia Mackintosh and Rory McLeod took part in the Clean Up Australia Day activities recently. Photo: Contributed

Students clean up

LEADING the charge at Gippsland Grammar on Clean Up Australia Day were school captains Mia Mackintosh and Rory McLeod. The pair, along with the Prefect body, encouraged all students to keep their school neat and tidy. “Connecting with all students and picking up stray pieces of rubbish was all part of Clean Up Australia Day at our school,” the captains said. "Encouraging everyone to respect our environment is key." GP1640273

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