The third annual Snowy Mountains Showjumping Festival started yesterday, with 300 riders and 450 horses making their way to Cooma for the week-long event.

The event has quickly gained popularity and standing within the showjumping community, and has become one of the pre-eminent showjumping events in the country.

This is possibly the biggest equestrian event ever held on the Monaro, and event organiser Tim Dreverman is very enthusiastic about the carnival, which has brought a number of high-class horses and riders to the town.

The festival is held over five days, and will feature a number of different classes, with 130 riders taking part in the biggest class.

There will also be 2500 rounds of competition, featuring a very vast range of riders of different abilities.

A unique feature of the Snowy Mountains Showjumping Festival is the range of ability levels that it caters for.

There will be three rings set up on the Cooma Showground to allow for riders of different ability, ranging from possible first timers, through to Olympic quality riders, who will be challenged by the course which has been designed by an international course designer from England.

The Snowy Mountains Showjumping Festival is in its third year, and this is the biggest year yet.

Fifty temporary stables and 50 temporary yards have been rented to meet the needs and requirements of the horses that will competing.