Carl and Marcy Agnew have been publicans at the Dog n Bull Hotel in Bonalbo for almost a year.

It’s been a challenging year, Carl said.

“Everyone said it would take 12 months to get bedded in.”

No one told him about the Bonalbo Bonanza Campdraft tradition. The one where the horses come into the pub.

At the end of every campdraft, when the trailers and campsites have been packed away, riders take a trot around town and a few of them decided they’d take their horses into the bar.

Two horses go into bar, but only one is a talking horse.

He tells the bartender “I like to drink a bit, so a schooner of draught please.

“And my bridle have a pony of light.

“She’s my mare, but she acts like she’s the town mayor.”

“Saddle for your order?” asks the bartender.

“Nay. Some oats for my mane course, please.”

“How’s your day been?” asks the bartender.

“Well, I had a problem with the trots.”

“Do you need to see a vet?”

“Not those trots. I’ve been at the trotting track and lost a lot of money. It’s been a cow of a day.”

“Well, don’t drink too much and stirrup any trouble or I’ll have to shoo you out.”

Carl said it was a lot of fun having the horses in the pub.

“There was nothing to clean up,” he said, meaning the horses didn’t poop in his pub.

Carl reckons a few locals want to write a song about it.

“Someone’s got to write a song,” he said.

“Maybe Chad Morgan will.”

Chad performed at the Bonalbo pub earlier this year and was a big hit with the locals.

Maybe the song should be called The Pub With No Chaff.

This article appeared on indyNR.com on 8 July 2023.