Current Issue
November/December 2008
- Ringwould Jaguar Olympic Team
Silver Medallist - Spotlight on our Sponsors: Kent Saddlery
CLICK HERE TO READ THIS STORY - A Stockman and a Horse Named
WARRENBRI HOPE
CLICK HERE TO READ THIS STORY - Paradise Lagoons Campdraft
- 2008 Annual General Meeting
- 2008 Brisbane Royal Show
- More News from the EKKA
- Innovative new therapy for bowed tendons
As well as all the regular articles including:
- Glen Gough's Training Tips
- David Farmilo
- Branch Reports
- Kid's Page
Chairman's View
How exciting to have an Australian Stock Horse compete so successfully at the Beijing Olympics. Congratulations to Sonja Johnson, the rider and trainer and Gussy and Jim Saunders, the owners, who made sure Ringwould Jaguar’s lineage was well documented so that the commentators were able to share his heritage with the world.
It is interesting to note that other Australian Stock Horses have competed before in Olympic Games remembering Kevin Bacon and Chichester (the Black Kangaroo) and the great horses of John Fahey. Even prior to the Foundation of the Society, at the 1960s Olympics in Rome, the great performance of Bill Roycroft on his ex polocrosse, Stock Horse mount.
One of the strengths of many of our Australian Stock Horse foundation lines is their ability to jump. Unfortunately, this fact has been forgotten by many of our current One and Three Day Eventers who look for overseas lines to ride when competing. Hopefully, with the performance of Ringwould Jaguar people may realise that horses to compete at this level can be sourced from our own “home grown” product.
I recently attended the EI Summit in Sydney with our General Manager. The proposal for ongoing vaccination was soundly defeated with only the Thoroughbred Industry wanting to vaccinate. The problem with anyone vaccinating, as I see it, is that vaccinated horses can carry the disease and shed it without showing any signs of having the disease. This leads to the need to continually test vaccinated horses to see if they are carrying the disease. In the case of an outbreak both vaccinated and unvaccinated horses would be locked down. If we vaccinated there is also the chance that some overseas countries would not accept our EI free status.
Congratulations to Tocal College who will be conducting the first ever Australian Stock Horse Sale by an Agricultural College early in November. I hope they have great success on the day and it becomes an annual event.
Sally Scott, our new Director from Western Australia, has certainly stepped right into the job taking over the reigns as Treasurer in her first term. Sally has a list of skills that will be of great benefit to the Board. Welcome Sally!
Our National Championships will take place at the end of November. Even if you are not competing come along and help make the event a success. Members with Gold Badges will be admitted free of charge and everyone entering will receive a sample bag. An invitation is also extended to visit the hospitality tent for a complimentary cup of tea or coffee. An attraction on Saturday will be a parade of the Helmsman Auction Stallions or their progeny just prior to the sale. At the same time some of our Victorian Members, led by Gordon Nash, will be showing their Stock Horse wares at Equitana. Best wishes to all involved with both events.
This last year has robbed our ranks of Members who have worked hard for the Society in varying capacities. Nugent Fitzgerald, a Foundation Member of the Maranoa Branch in Queensland, Kelvin O’Brien, a well respected and long term Member of the Eastern Branch, Terry Cawdell-Smith, a past President of the Hunter Branch, Barry Sawyer, former Director and Coach and Allan Kendall, Studmaster, who stood one of our most successful current sires, Lindsay. Our Society is the poorer for their passing.
I wish all Members and their families and of course their horses a very Happy, Healthy and Prosperous Christmas.
Till next time, take careJoy Poole