Honor Auchinleck, Corryong Courier
The days, weeks and months have been very full since I received an email from Pat Leary – the inspiration behind the plan to ride the General Sir Harry Chauvel Memorial Foundation’s Border Light Horse Trail.
Pat wrote “I am looking into the idea of riding in light horse uniform and saddlery along the Australian Light Horse trail starting from Shepparton to Harden and then from Harden back to Tallangatta. I’m looking at starting in Shepparton on 4 March, the anniversary of General Sir Harry’s death in 1945 and finishing in Tallangatta on 16 April, the anniversary of his birth in 1865.
“My idea is that we can work together to bring awareness to both dates.”
When Pat emailed in July 2024, the General Sir Harry Chauvel Memorial Foundation had only just published its Chauvel Border Light Horse Trail, a project taking three years. The Foundation had wanted to wait for two memorials to be unveiled – Sandy the Warhorse in Tallangatta and the Light Horse Memorial in Wagga Wagga.
The Corryong Rotary Club, The Man from Snowy River Tourism Association and the Sandy the Warhorse Memorial Committee in Tallangatta supported the project with generous donations enabling brochures to be printed. This was the beginning of a venture that was to become a significant journey that would challenge conventional commemorative protocols and make us all pause to reflect in the lead up to Anzac Day.
Pat Leary’s email came as a surprise to the Chauvel Foundation. We could not believe that someone was prepared to ride the 750km trail. The Foundation agreed to support the proposal providing it was given credit for the authorship of the Chauvel Border Light Horse Trail, credit for its support and that the Australian Light Horse Association had to be invited to take part. In the event up to 50 riders took part in the ride, occasionally with only three riders.
Initially, the Shepparton RSL was hesitant about its role in launching the Memorial Ride feeling Ewen McLean’s Pledge was too long. Yet when Ewen recited it during the service to launch the ride, everyone was won over to believing that these riders really had the determination and resilience to make their initiative work.
When Melbourne University’s agricultural campus at Dookie heard about the ride, it invited the participants to address its new students. Overcoming a rather hesitant RSL in Wangaratta, the riders received a wonderful welcome in Wodonga with the RSL inviting a horse to join them briefly in the bar and donated $1,000.
By linking the Upper Murray, Tallangatta and Wodonga in Light Horse, racing and railway heritage, the Sandy Warhorse Memorial was key to making the trail work.
As the trail and the ride both highlight local history Wodonga City Council, commissioned a plaque to be placed near the old Wodonga railway station, commemorating the men and their horses who during WW1 came in from the Upper Murray, Tallangatta and the Wodonga districts on the Tallangatta train. In Wodonga men and horses changed to the mainline trains taking them to training areas at Maribyrnong and Broadmeadows and eventually to ships sailing to the battlefronts in France, Egypt and Palestine.
Sandy has been the catalyst to highlighting that rich piece of history.
Albury mayor, CR Kevin Mack, turned out in his scarlet mayoral robes to the service at the city’s War Memorial, thanking each rider in turn. I hope to find that Albury has Light Horse links beyond its two Lone Pines (one in the Commonwealth War Graves section of the Albury Cemetery, the other in the Botanic Gardens). In Albury’s Pioneer Cemetery there is the grave of 125 Trooper H A Gibbons, 6th Light Horse Regiment who died on 10 July 1974, aged 74.
Rider and support crew numbers were sometimes depleted during the trek when farmers needed to return home for calving cows, to check water and feed their stock. When bush poet Ewen McLean was missing at some commemorations Pat Leary or Ross Smith stepped up to read his moving pledge.
Returning home from Albury meant that we didn’t manage to attend the ride’s commemorative NSW events between Albury and Harden-Murrumburrah until the ride reached Tumut. I hadn’t realised that Tumut and its surrounding district was one of the largest recruiting areas in the country for the Light Horse.
In the Upper Murray the Memorial Ride concentrated on bringing profile to the smaller communities of Tintaldra and Cudgewa where each town quietly brought their heroes to light. Too often those who served in the Boer War are forgotten. However, in the Upper Murray there is a growing awareness that these pioneer spirits who served in South Africa and during the first decade of Federation saw the formation of the Light Horse Regiments within the developing framework of the Australian Army.
By the time the Memorial Ride rode into Tallangatta, the success of the venture was readily apparent and a crowd was forming around the Sandy sculpture to welcome the riders. The service that followed was a magnificent commemoration of the ride’s aim to highlight the legacy of the Australian Light Horse as a voice from the bush in the spirit of Anzac commemorating all those who have served their country throughout Australia’s service in the Boer War, both world wars, Korea, Vietnam and subsequent conflicts.
By visiting the smaller communities, commemorating their local light horse history and taking the story of the Light Horse into schools and aged care facilities the riders have won hearts along the entire length of the Border Light Horse Trail
As Ewen McLean wrote in his pledge “This ride is more than just a journey, it’s a commemoration of the courage and sacrifice of those who served in the Australian Light Horse regiments. It’s a celebration of Australian history and the spirit of remembrance.”
It is truly remarkable that these riders sacrificed their time, effort and weeks of their income to commemorate a legacy that is at the heart of every community in the nation.
The success of the Chauvel Australian Light Horse Memorial Ride is a remarkable gift to our cross-border communities.
This article appeared in Corryong Courier, 24 April 2025.
Related stories: Lighthorse riders set off marathon trek, Horse ride highlights war history
