The People’s Cup makes history on snow at Mt Buller

The Melbourne Cup has travelled more than a million kilometres and visited hundreds of destinations around the world, but last weekend it added a new experience to the list – skiing at Mt Buller.

Mt Buller welcomed the iconic 18-carat gold trophy to the mountain for the first time on Saturday 15 August as part of the 2026 Melbourne Cup Tour, following a day of celebrations in Mansfield and Merrijig – including a special stop at the Hunt Club where a horse or two might have walked inside to the bar…

For a trophy that has been just about everywhere on the planet, Mt Buller found a way to make the visit something unique and new.

Local Winter Olympian Anton Grimus clicked into his skis as the sun peeked over Mt Stirling and took the Cup onto the slopes, marking the first time in the history of the Melbourne Cup Tour that the famous trophy has been taken skiing on snow. It was a fitting combination of two sporting traditions with deep roots in the Mansfield and Mt Buller community.

Anton grew up at Mt Buller in a family synonymous with the mountain. His father Hans was one of the resort’s pioneering figures, helping build Mt Buller’s early lift infrastructure and holding a place as an important part of our community over almost five decades. Anton represented Australia in skier cross at two Winter Olympic Games, competing at Sochi in 2014 and PyeongChang in 2018. 

“It was such a thrill and a privilege to carry the Cup down one of Australia’s most spectacular ski slopes,” said Anton reflecting on the experience.

“To ski on my home mountain holding an iconic part of Victorian and Australian racing history is something I’ll never forget and I’ll be telling this story for a long time to come. The photos from the morning will be something I’ll treasure, especially getting to hold the Cup with my daughter at the Grimus chairlift on a bluebird day – Dad would have got a kick out of that for sure.” 

The Cup’s visit was part of a joint Mansfield and Mt Buller stop on the 2026 Tour, weaving together the High Country’s strong connections to racing, mountain sport and community.

From horses and racing in the valley to skis and snow on the mountain, the two-day visit in our region provided plenty of opportunities for locals to get close to one of Australia’s most recognisable sporting trophies.

Visitor Experience Manager for Mt Buller Nick Reeves was pivotal to the tour coming to Mt Buller, “This whole visit was such a great community and collective effort,” he explained. “From early conversations with the Mansfield Race Club and the Council we quickly realised what an exciting opportunity it was to apply to host the Cup Tour in our region – one that has horse and racing culture at its heart – and take it to the top of a ski mountain for the first time.”

“Everyone at the VRC, on Mt Buller and in our Mansfield and Merrijig community jumped in and helped made it happen. From sharing the Cup with our elders in town, including my dear race-loving Mum, to bringing together people with deep connections to the race, to trainers, owners, jockeys and fans it was a special experience that will be remembered for years to come” he added. 

The Mansfield and Mt Buller visit is one of dozens of stops on this year’s Melbourne Cup Tour, which takes the People’s Cup through communities across Australia and overseas before returning to Flemington for the first Tuesday in November.

After more than 20 years on tour, there aren’t too many firsts left for the Melbourne Cup. We’re pleased that skiing at Mt Buller is now one of them.