Darling Downs Heavy Horse Festival
Allora might be a small town but they really know how to stage a big event with their showgrounds the location of two days of wonderful celebrations of the contribution that heavy horses, mules, bullocks and other draught animals and pioneers made to the development of the Darling Downs.
Show a spectacle of flying feathers and jingling harness
The Clydesdale and Heavy Horse Show held at Werribee Park each year is an absolute spectacle. People have a deep love for the past and the great horse that made Australia, so to see them on display as they parade on the green grass is something really special.
Snake Valley event attracts big field of endurance riders
Victorian Renee Henry and Kollage MI have taken out the Snake Valley Dash Endurance ride’s perpetual line honours trophy ... There were 80 horse and rider combinations competing across four distance levels - 20km, 40km and 80km distances as well as a 5km course to accommodate younger riders and newcomers to the sport.
Allora welcomes Heavy Horse Festival
Step back in time to a world of yesteryear when draught horses ploughed the fields and pulled the wagons. This weekend the Allora Showgrounds comes alive with the third annual Darling Downs Heavy Horse Festival – a celebration of our agricultural history and the pioneers who built this great nation.
Forecast not enough to put off determined showies at VASA
“Neither rain, nor snow, nor sleet, nor hail shall keep the postmen from their appointed rounds.” According to Wikipedia, the original saying was spoken about 2500 years ago by the Greek historian Herodotus but it could have been applied to the hardy showies who competed on the second day of the Victorian Agricultural Shows Annual Championships at Bendigo.
Carriage drivers cut a dash at Battle of the Borders
Carriage drivers from all around Australia, plus volunteers and visitors from as far away as Canada, made the Level 2 “Battle of the Borders” CDE at Carbery Estate, Mullengandra NSW, an outstanding event.
“Rimfire, you beauty!” Progress on Birchip silo art project
Robin Letts. It was 1948, the year after I had left the Royal Australian Naval College at HMAS “Cerberus”, to take up a position with the family newspaper, “The Donald Times” ... During an informal chat prior to the running of the 1948 Melbourne Cup, Howard had told me of a small wager he had made on a horse called Rimfire, to be ridden by Birchip jockey, Ray Neville.
Idyllic racecourse has a shady history
An exciting new radio play is about to hit the airwaves. ‘Trouble At Towong’ has been written by Carol Lowden and centres on the alleged appearance of Squizzy Taylor at the Towong Cup meeting of 1927. Carol is a Mansfield writer with ties to the Upper Murray and a particular interest in the Towong races.
Charlton’s Charlotte rides for Australia
Charlton Pony Club local, Charlotte Stewart, will represent Australia next month in Mounted Games in New Zealand as part of the prestigious Horse of the Year (HOY) event held annually. Charlotte was selected as part of the team competing at HOY by the Australian Mounted Games Association committee.
International standard arena opens in Bundanoon
There is cause to celebrate in the Southern Highlands with the completion of an international standard Arena in Bundanoon, and everyone is invited to the Grand Opening at 11am on Saturday 17 February ... And this is another feather in the cap of the Carriage Club, which was awarded the 2023 International Carriage Club of the Year by the British Carriage Driving Society.
A win for Aussie battler
Peter Hibberd. Victorian harness racing hobby trainer, Paul Castle, and his wife, Fiona, didn’t hold back their emotions when ten-year-old gelding Touchandgo (Down Under Muscles) got the money at his 49th race attempt. The victory at the Wedderburn Cup meeting ... had added significance, as it was the first training success for Castle, of Swan Marsh, 20 minutes from Colac.
Clydesdales cancelled?
Due to compliance issues with Council, Sandy Creek Clydesdales owners Matthew and Jaimie Thompson say they have been forced to cancel much of their business activities ... well-known and much-loved enterprise ... “We delved into just what changing the land use zoning would require,” Jaimie said.
And they’re off – Young riders face first race ever at Magic Millions
The Magic Millions on the Gold Coast is recognised as the second largest horse race event in Australia after the Melbourne Cup. Local riders from Woodburn and Casino raced in the National Pony Club Racing Series at the Magic Millions.
Tasmanian exporter, Scoot Boot, wins Australia’s prestigious E-Commerce Exporter of the Year Award at 61st Australian Export Awards
Scoot Boots are a healthier, natural barefoot alternative to metal horseshoes to help protect horses’ hooves and the innovative Australian company has taken out the prestigious E-Commerce Exporter of the Year Award at 61st Australian Export Awards.
Spring classic welcomes Shetlands to show hacks
The Show Horse Council’s Spring Classic at Werribee Park is one of the last big shows for the year in Victoria before the action heads to Sydney for the EA Nationals. Victorian SHC chairman Andrew James said he was very happy with the numbers that turned out over the weekend.
It was beauty and the weather beast for riders at Mansfield
Mansfield holds the distinction of being one of the most beautiful settings for a horse trials in Australia. Like many other events last weekend it was beset by the Victoria’s storms, but eventing people are tough and the rain did little harm (though spare a thought for intrepid photographer Derek O’Leary, who got caught on the cross country course in the worst of the storm).
Welsh supreme ‘a true hunter type’, judge says
There's no denying that the Welsh breed of ponies is one of the world’s most beautiful and the South Australian All Welsh Show at Strathalbyn had some of the best on display. Victorian judge Paul Morath was pleased with what he saw from both event and competition perspectives.
Good luck topping the girls from Ironbark, they’re on a roll
The girls from Ironbark Equestrian Club have done it again. On the back of a win at the Top Teams showjumping championships at Mansfield last month, the club has now also taken out the main event of the Top Teams Dressage championships at Benalla.
Gundagai hosts carriage drivers for NSW championships
The NSW Combined Driving Championships held at Gundagai attracted 48 entries across 18 classes ... It was a great setting for dressage and cone phases, with competitors also enjoying a 14km marathon course comprising 7km of local roads and tracks and 7km containing seven timed man-made obstacles.
Hobart Royal gets on with the show despite redevelopment
The Royal Hobart Show horse program had a bit of a shake-up this year due to continuing redevelopment works at the showgrounds. Classes were held at the Tasmanian Equestrian Centre at Lauderdale instead of the Glenorchy site, which has been the home of the royal show since 1904 except for the past two years while work progresses on a new arena and pavilions.
