Two perfect autumn days and an unexpected international audience helped set the tone for Euroa's first staging of two state championships for carriage driving.

The 2026 Victorian Graded Driven Dressage Championship was held at the Euroa Showgrounds on Saturday 18 April, followed on Sunday by the 2026 Victorian Show Driving Championship.

Visitors and competitors alike were treated to clear skies and mild conditions, which organisers said played a big part in the event’s success.

The event was hosted by Mornington Carriage Driving Club, with local promotion in the community building interest ahead of the championships.

The club's president Deb Hoffrichter said the day had exceeded expectations.

“We’ve had a great day and the weather has been very kind,” Ms Hoffrichter said.

“Given the circumstances, we were overjoyed with the level of support we’ve had.”

She said entry numbers were strong at the introductory level, and the event drew steady interest from spectators throughout the day.

“We had people coming up to ask questions and talk to us about the sport,” she said.

“It was really good to see people getting involved.”

Among the crowd were visitors from overseas, adding to the sense that Euroa had briefly become a focal point for the niche equestrian discipline.

Also helping to boost crowd numbers was the Euroa and District Poultry Club's auction held on Sunday, which provided an instant audience of more-than-curious spectators.

In a courteous quid pro quo, some carriage competitors put in a bid or two at the auction with competitor Blaire Redgrove saying there was a bit of 'back and forth'.

"One lady in fact - Pru - she went in quite a few times," Blaire said.

"Everyone was loving it, it was a great time."

Ms Hoffrichter said the event was important for introducing people to carriage dressage and demystifying a sport many had never seen up close.