Fran Cleland
Quiet joy of showing traditional harness soothes the soul
THE jingle of chains, the sparkle of big, turning wheels and the steady clop of hooves made the Victorian Tradesmen and Delivery Horse...
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Fran Cleland
Mar 15, 20233 min read
Bits: Stockman's challenge, off-the-track dressage and a first for NSW show
THE Wimmera Equestrian Club held its Stockman's Challenge recently at the beautiful Dimboola Showgrounds as the third round of a super...
Fran Cleland
Mar 8, 20232 min read
Youthful approach at Heytesbury ensures a top day of showing
HEYTESBURY has for years been one of Victoria’s classic Western District shows. The finest of the state’s livestock gathers and in autumn...
Fran Cleland
Mar 8, 20233 min read
There's much more to annual stud show than just the classes
GOING to the Victorian Stud Show is like going to a school reunion. Go away for 20 years and come back and the same familiar faces are...
Dale Webster
Mar 8, 20232 min read
Farewell Mickey, 48 years (and possibly more) is a great effort
THERE is a Shetland-sized hole in the hearts of the Scott family of Emu Creek this week after they said goodbye to Mickey, just shy of...
Fran Cleland
Mar 8, 20232 min read
Classy performers stand out at dressage, showjumping champs
PONY Club Victoria’s State Dressage and Showjumping Championships held at Yarrambat’s grounds north of Melbourne provided some hot...
Fran Cleland
Mar 8, 20232 min read
Interschool showjumping kicks off its 15th year in Victoria
SOME kids like to sit around gazing into their phones, but looking at results for events in late February a vast number of young...
Fran Cleland
Mar 8, 20232 min read
High five for Australia's world endurance stars
AUSTRALIA’S two riders at the FEI Endurance World Championships at Butheeb UAE finished well, with Jodie Salinas and Baroud Rio coming in...
Fran Cleland
Mar 8, 20233 min read
Bits: A special visit, overseas news and NT rider up for major award
DARTMOOR Ponies are reasonably rare in Australia, so when Karen Parrish took her dainty championship-winning filly Rejoice to visit...
Dale Webster
Feb 24, 20234 min read
Bank body silent on disabled access breach of its code
TODAY we learned three things: the Banking Code of Practice isn’t worth the paper it is written on, the format for emailing Westpac...
Fran Cleland
Feb 22, 20233 min read
Fresh ideas and moving with the times keeps Barastoc on top
BARASTOC Horse of the Year Show number 54 remains as important to the show horse world as it did way back when it was just a support...
Tania Hay
Feb 22, 20234 min read
Entries up and juniors star at Tassie's horse of the year show
EQUESTRIAN Tasmania’s Show Horse of the Year championships saw an increase in numbers in a lot of sections, with the quality of the...
Fran Cleland
Feb 22, 20232 min read
Another win for Callahan shows what a star Danson Lincoln is
ERIN Callahan’s handsome grey Danson Lincoln continued his rise up the eventing ladder with a win in the 2.5-star S class at the Geelong...
Fran Cleland
Feb 22, 20232 min read
Vision is much more than seeing says 'the blind chick'
BOOK REVIEW SUE-ELLEN Lovett is a blind cancer-survivor and paralympian who will not take no for an answer. I found her warts-and-all...
Fran Cleland
Feb 22, 20232 min read
The heat is on as Battle of the Borders makes a comeback
LATE summer is showtime and the hacks are spending more time plaited and dressed up than loafing in a paddock. Two massive shows in...
Fran Cleland
Feb 22, 20233 min read
Bits: Horse and human losses, pony club news and mental health
THE police horse known as Mr Reliable during his 20-year career at Victoria Police has peacefully passed away in retirement. The big grey...
Dale Webster
Feb 18, 20232 min read
Open letter to Albo: Apparently you have the power to pause bank closures
Dear Mr Albanese, For a federal parliamentary petition to be approved, the rules state the request must be for something the House of...
Dale Webster
Feb 17, 20233 min read
Westpac's deception by omission will not be forgotten
COMMENT I’M sure there will be beers all round tonight for the Westpac communications team who managed to flip the bird at six federal...
Fran Cleland
Feb 15, 20233 min read
Show scene hots up in NSW as Easter finale approaches
THERE was a big weekend of shows in NSW as the build up to the Easter finale at Sydney Royal rolls on. The Riding Pony show held at...
Fran Cleland
Feb 15, 20232 min read
Jeffree's four-star win boosts Paris Olympics campaign
YOU hear about “pop-up” restaurants, shops and dances but the Eventing Victoria’s Committee’s pop-up horse trials in February was put on...
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