The Pegasus Wings Jump
As a proud participant and supporter of all things equine in WA, Pegasus Feeds are pleased to have been involved in Equestrian in the Park since its inception several years ago. Equestrian in the Park (EITP) has become the pinnacle of equestrian competition here in the west, and presents a unique opportunity to bring horse sports to the wider community, through TV and media coverage.
In the past few years, our KER-Pegasus Nutrition Bar jump has featured in the competition. This year, we decided it was time for something fresh, and the idea of the ‘Pegasus Wings’ was born. The concept started with building a jump that created the visual effect of horses with wings when they jumped it. Achieving the right blend of visual appearance, technicality, and jump-ability was a challenge, but skilled and experienced jump builder, Mark Warren, was able to bring the concept to life.
Firstly, the design, dimensions, height, width and logistics of the jump were created. Then Mark got to work cutting out the design and building the pieces. We wanted to create a 3D effect for the jump, so each wing is actually made up of five sheets of ‘feathers’.
Once the pieces were ready, in their raw form, the next task was to dress and paint them. Talented artist, Sharleen Dale, who works at Milne Feeds, took on the task. The brief was to try and incorporate the Pegasus colours, from the different products, into the design. The graphics were created digitally, and then the painting began – by hand! After several coats of primer, each colour was applied individually to all 10 pieces. Then the black was filled in, the ‘feathers’ were drawn on and the colour touch-ups began. After many hours, a final coat of varnish finished off the job.
The wings were packed up and sent off to join the ‘body’ of the jump for assembly. The jump then made its way on to the grounds, where the final touches were applied and Philippa Collier’s amazing course dressing team made the jump really pop.
And what a spectacle it was! The jump looked fantastic and proved popular with both the crowd and the horses. It made for some amazing photo opportunities, and we hope riders enjoy photos of themselves ‘jumping with wings’.
This year’s event was made all the more special for Pegasus Feeds, with both the Diamond and Grand Prix classes won by Team Pegasus riders. Emily Gray and Legal Chase put on a speed jumping display to take out the Diamond class, whilst Laurelle Hayes and KD Mister Knightly were precision perfect in their Grand Prix win. Congratulations to both riders and their connections!
A big thankyou must go to Mark Warren, Sharleen and Celine Dale for their efforts to bring the jump to life and to Kentucky Equine Research for their contribution. Congratulations to the hard-working EITP committee, volunteers and sponsors that make this wonderful event possible.
Team Pegasus Riders Philippa Collier and Emily Gray checking out the Pegasus Wings jump
See the video story on our tiktok page https://vt.tiktok.com/ZS8JTMaDQ/ https://vt.tiktok.com/ZS8JTMaDQ/