Equestrian

The Cook Government has set new standards to strengthen the health and welfare of horses in Western Australia. The Standards and Guidelines for the Health and Welfare of Horses details the minimum standards and recommended practices to optimise the health and welfare of horses, backed by scientific evidence and industry knowledge.

Experienced event rider Delwyn Ogilvy and her current mount, Walter, are proving that in the sport of equestrian, age is just a number. Walter, a Thoroughbred who raced as Bonny Ezra, only came off-the- track about eight months ago after 56 starts and winning more than $500,000 in prize money.

Soil compaction is quietly limiting pasture productivity and affecting horse health. Thanks to the work of 2022 Nuffield Scholar Adam Williamson, the thoroughbred industry now has practical, evidence-based strategies to address it.

Gunbower Racing Club is taking a big punt on itself – and the payoff would be huge. But more for Gunbower Lions Club and Echuca Regional Health’s Wellbeing Centre, because there’s $50,000 up for grabs as part of the 2025 Lexus Melbourne Cup Tour National Sweep.

Country race meetings are the heartbeat of regional Australia. Unlike city races where only a small percentage of people attend, country race days see entire towns turn out to support their local event.

A philanthropic gift to Toowoomba's Cobb+Co Museum has helped bring to life a new exhibition honouring the craftsmanship, legacy, and future of saddlery. Garth and Sandra Delbridge alongside The Saddlery exhibition at Cobb+Co Museum.

The world record of a 50-horse hitch set 30 years ago will be broken in Australia at the 2025 Good Old Days Festival at Barellan by the greatest horse teamsters of the modern-day era. Bruce Bandy, Barellan, Steve Johnson, Lake Cargelligo, and Aleks Berzins, Exeter, will combine their Clydesdale, Australian Draught and Suffolk Punch horses to create a mega team of more than 50 horses pulling an historic Bennett wagon ...

Last week young students at St Patrick's School were treated to an entertaining session on campdrafting. The idea was to educate and obviously amuse the students in readiness for the Pacific Seeds 88 to Educate Charity Campdraft to be held on 23 and 24 August at the Allora Showgrounds.

Peter Hibberd. Even though it was only a 6-race program at Charlton... it will go down in history, as the track record for a mile rate was broken not only once, but twice ... the two horses that broke that time are trained by the powerful Emma Stewart stable.

The Junee Prime Lamb sponsored REA Horse Trials at Narrandera over the weekend of 9-10 August at the Narrandera Pony Club grounds are set to mark 50 years of equestrian excellence with more than 250 entries, a new record for the event.

The Towong Turf Club has been shortlisted for a Country Racing Victoria (CRV) award in recognition of the success of its annual cup meeting. Four club awards will be announced at a gala ceremony on Saturday August 23rd celebrating the best club and community club throughout the past season, as well as the events of the year at both club and community club level.

The Naracoorte Polocrosse Club wrapped up another spirited season at its scenic Hynam grounds ... Polocrosse is more than just fast ponies and fierce competition—it’s a sport where families ride together ... The club crowned Southend’s Tory Mueller as the most consistent player, and also honoured her Stockhorse mare, InStyle Kara, with the most consistent horse award.

Australian racing history was created in Grafton during the 2025 XXXX July Racing Carnival when trainer Jeff Dunn and jockey Rikki Jamieson turned the Grafton District Services Club (GDSC) Ramornie Handicap into a true family affair after they combined to win the time-honoured 1200m sprint with newly purchased stable star Sha Of Gomer.

It’s 23 years since Woodenbong has had a rodeo. Renai Pearce and John O’Reilly changed that by putting on a rodeo at Woodenbong Showground yesterday, Saturday, July 20.

Winter is the time of year when many hug their fireplaces with a book and warm lap rug but it’s also when breeders of horses and ponies like to brave the cool breezes and join together at shows to compare their youngstock. There were all sizes, breeds and colours at the NSW All Breeds Foal, Youngstock, Winter Hack, Hunter and Newcomer Show at Hawkesbury, with Buckskins well to the fore in the Welsh rings.

Jessica Rea. In 2025 The Downs Polo Club celebrates 130 years of polo on the Darling Downs. One of the oldest polo clubs in Australia finds its home in Clifton, keeping a tight grip on its rural roots whilst producing some of Australia's great polo players and ponies.

Having only started competing in working equitation in 2023, Tamara Patch from East Greenmount has done remarkably well to qualify for next year's world championships in Spain. This will be the first time an Australian has competed in the sport's top competition.

In 1949 four race horses illegally arrived in Nhill for an overnight stay, before heading to Flemington. Known as the "comedy horses", Royal Gem, Comic Court, Comedy Prince, and St. Comedy they were stabled at the rear of the Union Hotel after an almost 8 hour road trip from Adelaide.

There hasn’t been a rodeo in Woodenbong for at least 23 years. Renai Pearce and John O’Reilly are about to change that ... On July 19, the rodeo is back at Woodenbong Showground.

The Good Old Days Festival is set to not only break the Australian record for the greatest number of draught horses in harness pulling a wool wagon in 2025 but is also expanding to a three-day event ... Mr Bandy said to harness more than 50 horses would take around two hours and be a spectacle in itself.

Congratulations to Maldon Pony Club, who have been announced as recipients of a grant that they will use to run a Confidence and Connection Camp later in the year ... The Confidence and Connection Camp, which will take place in November, is a chance to get everyone from the club together, forge friendship bonds and strengthen the club community.