NOW 212 PAGES
AUTUMN 2016 SPRING 2015 Discover the hidden treasures of
LITHGOW & OBERON town feature
The true grit of the
COO-EE MARCH Glorious gardens “Mayfield”, Oberon & “Hillview”, Forbes
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trading as Central West Magazine ABN 151 6322 9418 ADDRESS PO BOX 1050 DUBBO NSW 2830 PHONE 0429 441 086 FAX 02 6867 9895 WEBSITE www.centralwestmagazine.com.au FACEBOOK www.facebook.com/CentralWestLifestyle PUBLISHERS, ACCOUNTS & ADVERTISING Elizabeth & Alex Tickle info@centralwestmagazine.com.au EDITOR Elizabeth Tickle editor@centralwestmagazine.com.au CHIEF WRITER & PHOTOGRAPHER Jake Lindsay jake@centralwestmagazine.com.au ART DIRECTOR Zora Regulic artdirector@centralwestmagazine.com.au
DISTRIBUTION Central West Lifestyle magazine is published quarterly (available at the beginning of each season) and distributed to selected newsagents and retail outlets within the Central West and in the bordering regions of the Far West, North West, Southern Highlands, Canberra, Goulburn, Northern and Eastern suburbs of Sydney, in addition to a selection of other rural and coastal areas of New South Wales.
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CONTENTS AUTUMN 2016
12
113-PAGE TOWN FEATURE: LITHGOW & OBERON
We visit the thriving, industrious and contented communities of Lithgow and Oberon, justifiably proud of their rich histories and stunning backdrops and ever eager to create a bright future for their constituents.
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110
132
HISTORIC HOME
SOLDIERING ON
The enchanting Miss Traill's House and Garden accommodates a rich and colourful piece of Bathurst history.
CWL falls in line with a group of nostalgic adventurers re-enacting the Coo-ee March, 100 years on.
4 CWL
144
150
158
FLORAL HIGHGROUND
THE GOOD SOIL
MY BLUE HEAVEN
For Forbes Deputy Mayor Graeme Miller and wife Maureen, life is a bed of roses.
Rhonda Millar shares some gardening tips.
Create a room that's cool, calm and collected.
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162
176
168 HOUSE PROUD
TUSCAN TREASURES
LEGENDS OF THE FALL
We take a look inside this West Wyalong wonder home.
Pip Teys savours a romantic Italian adventure.
Anne and Paul Loveridge serve up some fabulous autumn dishes while Lorraine Hills shares some tried and true favourites.
208
190
202 EVENTS IN THE WEST
WEDDINGS
THE LAST WORD
CWL’s Orange launch and Bathurst Christmas party.
The Central West’s beautiful brides and dapper grooms say “I do” in true country style.
Bob Clarke loves his little house in Leadville.
NOW 212 PAGES
2016 N 2015 AUTUM SPRING s of
Discover the hidden treasure
LIT HG OW & OBERON town feature
The true grit of the
COO-EE MARCH “Mayfield”, Oberon & “Hillview”, Forbes
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inc GST
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AUTUMN 2016 VOLUME 12
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The magazine could not exist without them, and their loyalty shows their commitment to the communities of the Central West.
Glorious gardens
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WE ENCOURAGE OUR READERS TO SUPPORT OUR ADVERTISERS.
• EVENTS • TRAVEL AGRICU LTURE • STYLE GARDEN S • FOOD • L WEST REGION PEOPLE • HOMES • THE BEAUTI FUL CENTRA • AND MORE FROM CULTURE • BUSINE SS
in the west capt uring the best
ON THE COVER The Joseph family from Lithgow (page 38) enjoying the magnificent views from Hassans Walls Lookout, Lithgow. This lookout has been recently voted No.13 in the top 20 list of Australia’s Most Beautiful Views (Experience Oz and NZ). Photography: Shot by Jake CWL 5
SECTION
From the Publishers W
elcome to another beautiful season and the stunning colours that autumn brings for all to relish and enjoy!
We trust that your Christmas was a very special celebration for you and those dear to you, and we hope that 2016 will bring you all that you wish for, but most importantly good health, peace of mind and deep satisfaction in your daily lives. We are thrilled with the success of the Summer 2015 magazine, featuring the regional food and wine capital, Orange. The Orange launch was an incredible evening at Croagh Patrick, a most gorgeous venue (cover Summer 2015). Special thanks to all the attendees on the night, including Mayor John Davis and his councillors, our committed Orange advertisers and local identities. Orange has so much to celebrate and we feel honoured to be a small part of that good news. The Summer edition has been selling remarkably well, with orders being filled from far beyond the Central West, across the state, interstate and even overseas. The CWL team comprises a diverse group of professionals spread over the Central West and it was very exciting for us all to celebrate at the CWL Christmas party held at the iconic Abercrombie House, Bathurst. Special thanks to our gracious hosts, Xanthe and Christopher Morgan, for making the night so memorable. It has been a great pleasure to work on the Lithgow and Oberon Town Feature. Not only did we discover many hidden treasures in these areas but we met the most industrious and creative business people who are leaving their mark on the local economy. Thank you to both the Lithgow and Oberon councils for their foresight and vision in promoting their beautiful area to all our readers. Something special is in store for Winter 2016 when we feature the unique and beautiful towns of Crookwell and Boorowa. We are really looking forward to seeking out great stories for you to enjoy as well as showcasing the businesses that make these areas tick. I have to say this is what makes our job a “dream job�. We hope you are enjoying reading about the wonderful people, places, businesses and events in the Central West. We value our many loyal advertisers and thank you for your support of them wherever possible.
Above: Orange photographer Robert I Bruce and his wife Anne enjoyed the Orange Launch at Croagh Patrick. Robert shot the cover image for Summer 2015; Farmers Creek, Lithgow. Image: Delightful Perspective.
Enjoy the beauty of autumn and appreciate every wonderful day you have to share with family and friends. Warm regards,
Elizabeth and Alex Tickle
CWL team and special guests at the CWL Christmas party, Abercrombie House, Bathurst.
6 CWL
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Down to earth and out of this world
H
ello, good folk of the Central West!
Hopefully you have all survived another blistering hot summer in the bush and are now getting stuck into 2016 with new hopes and aspirations. I know you will have enjoyed our bumper Summer issue but now it is autumn and we have some cracker stories to help get you through the cooler evenings. It was a thrill to catch up with the Coo-ee marchers from Gilgandra as they proudly traipsed through Bathurst. It will go down as a gutsy “personal best” by all the men and women involved. I drop my lid to each and every one of you. It’s been a surreal experience visiting Oberon, the first real rural town west of the mountains. Thankfully it’s been spared traffic lights and fast national food outlets. OK, there are two roundabouts but, in essence, it’s a town that has forged ahead on its own back, thanks largely to a progressive, independent local council that represents the best interests of the community. Surrounded by rolling green hills and pine forests, I had to pinch myself that it was only six weeks before Christmas. The cold, howling winds saw me lighting the fire each evening, a chore traditionally reserved for winter but a simple duty that I loved nonetheless. With its unique alpine climate and close proximity to major cities like Sydney and Canberra, Oberon attracts visitors for weekend breaks to enjoy the simple pleasures of a refreshing country town. Having spent a good 10 days camped out at the “Billabong”, surrounded by inquisitive Angus heifers, magpies and hares (am I going mad or are they running around the house?) and with spectacular views over the valley, I got to relax, country style, while getting my head around the many and varied life stories of the town’s inhabitants. After hearing so many rave reports, I was finally able to visit Mayfield Garden (on the first and only sunny day of my visit), or at least the Water Garden section. The grandeur of the place simply takes your breath away. The panorama feature on my new Fuji camera had a solid workout. The gardens will certainly help put Oberon on the international map, along with the equally impressive Jenolan Caves. Being a history buff, I was naturally impressed with the historic “Sydmouth Valley” homestead, built, wait for it, way back in the 1820s when Sydney had a population of just 12,000 people. It is one of the oldest homesteads west of the mountains, and visiting the place is like stepping back in time. By the time I arrived in Lithgow for the second part of my assignment, I was ready for something big but hardly expected a small earthquake to herald my arrival! I have to say how impressed I was with beautiful Lithgow, cradled into a scenic valley and surrounded by mountains and bluffs. I enjoyed the new trendy Tin Shed and met plenty of people excelling in their field, including laid-back world champion axeman Brad De Losa and campdrafter Nigel Kable, who, like the “Lithgow Flash”, Marjorie Jackson, embody all that is good about sport. Talking of sport, I was left speechless in the middle of a possible cover shoot on the truly inspiring Hassans Walls Reserve, when I spotted 8 CWL
Teeing off at sunset; Brendan and Sarah Childs with Adam Cousins from the Mt Victoria picture theatre; "Forty Bends" cottage.
a few local fellows teeing off the cliffs into nothingness! Believe it or not! Staying in a 160-year-old cottage at “Forty Bends” was a priceless experience. Keeping up with my generous, fun-loving hosts, Brendan and Sarah Childs, was always going to be a daunting task but I joined them for a movie at the romantic old Mt Victoria picture theatre, fumbled my way through an old-time dance class in Lithgow and attended a lively musical revue in Blackheath. I learnt a lot about what makes people happy and Brendan and Sarah reminded me every day, through their actions, of the true joy of life – staying true to oneself, believing tomorrow will be an even better day and taking the road less travelled. Till next time, leave your hat on and remember you’ll always unearth the best in the Central West!
Shot by Jake
• Selling in every auction sale week • Leading wooltrade broker • Forward contract with Riemann • Offering Auctions Plus wool • Accredited & modern rehandle • Cash settlement on small lots • Merchandise • Shearing finance • Web access to client account • One competitive flat rate for all bales • Comprehensive market reporting • Detailed clip analysis
Since taking over our family farm I have been using Jemalong wool exclusively to market our annual woolclip. Using a combination of the traditional auction system and the internet based Wool Trade™ we have been able to take advantage of any upward movements of wool prices. This is due to personalised attention to detail and flexibility due mainly to Jemalong understanding our needs as a business. - Simon Squire-Wilson, Tiverton, Harden, NSW
Meet your team AUTUMN 2016 CONTRIBUTORS
ELIZABETH TICKLE
ALEX TICKLE
JAKE LINDSAY
Publisher & Editor
Publisher & Advertising
KATE BOSHAMMER
ZORA REGULIC Art Director
Advertising Designer
ANNA TICKLE
ELIZABETH SWANE
ANGUS WADDELL
PIP TEYS
DAYNA TIERNEY
Business Strategist
Writer
Home & Style and Travel Writer
Garden Writer
Writer
GINA CRANSON
Chief Writer & Photographer
Sub-Editor & Proofreader
LISA STARR
CATHERINE PLAYER Writer
JANE TICKLE
Photographer
Weddings & Events Writer
LORRAINE HILLS
PAUL & ANNE LOVERIDGE
Country Cuisine Writer
Seasonal Food Writers
As a long-term resident of Cowra, I have been reading Central West Lifestyle since the first edition came out in June 2013. I look forward to it every season. When I have read it, I post it to my son who is a jockey in New York, so he can keep up with the important happenings in the Central West. Both my sons are jockeys, as well as my husband Reg, a former Western District jockey lucky enough to have ridden more than 1000 winners! My grandson, Adam Hyeronimus, is also a jockey at Randwick and rides regularly for Gai Waterhouse. Keep up the great work producing Central West Lifestyle! Rose Paine, Cowra A very belated and huge congratulations on the Spring edition of Central West Lifestyle. What a wonderful feature on Young, the whole 90 pages of it! The stories and photos were excellent. I’m sure we all found out things about Young we didn’t know! It had a wonderful assortment of stories and was beautifully presented. It painted our town as the amazing and thriving place it is. Your professional and informative magazine is beautifully and meticulously researched and written. Jake has a wonderful gift as a journalist, talking to people and writing their stories so openly and honestly. Congratulations to your proofreader as well. The ads are well laid out and the photography is stunning. All the team involved in this stylish magazine, capturing the best of our local towns, deserve a hearty pat on the back, along with local photographer Angus for his beautiful images. Maree Myhill, Young
your letters We have had customers from out of town who came in after seeing our suits pictured in the magazine and purchased from us. One lady from Cowra had bought the magazine while her son was here on a training day and subsequently bought him a suit. We are confident that the money we are spending on advertising in Central West Lifestyle is very worthwhile and the growth in the magazine will only benefit our business. Mandi Byrne, Byrne Clothing, Parkes
I would like to express my gratitude and that of my fellow councillors to the Central West Lifestyle team for your impressive work in putting together the 2015 Summer edition and for the exposure this will bring to Orange and surrounds. Council was pleased to collaborate with you on this project and I’m sure it will bring benefits to our city, our businesses and our people. You are very professional in your approach and genuine in your efforts to promote and energise our region. The production quality of the magazine displays the same traits – genuine, professional and energetic. We know we live in one of the most picturesque parts of Australia and the images in this edition will only enhance that reputation. Cr John Davis, Mayor of Orange
I bought the Spring 2015 edition of Central West Lifestyle from the Blackheath Newsagency some time back. This magazine is truly excellent. The feature articles, especially the in-depth one on the town of Young, give really interesting insights into their subjects. They celebrate all aspects of the fantastic Central West. They cover a great variety of topics and, most of all, they are properly written! I see that you list your proofreader among your credits on page 10. She deserves the highest praise. Proper proofreading is the backbone of any decent publication, as evidenced by the excellent standard everywhere in this one. I intend to get hold of back issues of Central West Lifestyle, and I will look forward to future editions. Well done to everyone on the editorial team! Julie Waterhouse, Blackheath On reading a past copy of CWL, the Spring 2014 magazine, I noted how good I felt after an hour or so of reading. The thought hit me as to why this was so. The ordinary media is full of bad news or tough news or vested interests, which agitate the body’s physiology. Reading this magazine shows what can be achieved in spite of environmental difficulties and setbacks. Your magazine is an achievers’ magazine. It does not avoid the obstacles but explains how people have overcome difficulties to achieve and make their area a better place. The Mudgee town feature was fantastic as well, so as soon as time permits several couples from down south will make the journey to Mudgee and see firsthand all the wonderful points of interest it has to offer. Your magazine will be our guide! Ross and Carolyn Marsh, Griffith
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LITHGOW & OBERON
12 CWL LITHGOW & OBERON
LITHGOW & OBERON
Welcome to
LITHGOW TOWN FEATURE WORDS & IMAGES: SHOT BY JAKE
LITHGOW & OBERON CWL 13
FROM THE MAYOR As a young child growing up on a farm at Meadow Flat, I would never have thought that one day I would be following in my father’s footsteps to become Mayor. It has certainly been a life-changing experience for me. Having lived in the Lithgow region all my life, I feel so fortunate to have been raised here. The support I have received from the community, the councillors and the council staff on being elected Mayor has been humbling, and we work as a great team to continue to improve and promote this beautiful area. I have been a hairdresser for 47 years, 43 of those in my own business. I have also been involved with community service work of varying kinds over the past 45 years. The Portland Art Society was a big part of my volunteering life and for almost 20 years I proudly held the position of chairperson. I run the farm that my late husband Bob and I started many years ago. Bob passed away in 2007. Our daughter Emma and I felt his loss deeply and still do today. As a way to focus on a new direction in my life, in 2009 I established Maree Statham’s Absolute Edge. I teach young men and women etiquette, grooming and assist them with work placement skills. On a personal level, Emma and her husband Anthony had their beautiful baby daughter Porsha arrive on December 9, 2015. She is my first grandchild and brings so much joy and happiness to my life. Last year Lithgow City Council won the Rural Councils section of one of the most prestigious awards for Local Government, the AR Bluett Memorial Award. To win is a big achievement and I feel so proud to have been a part of it.
We have a Lithgow CBD revitalisation program in place.
Some great projects have come to fruition in recent years, including the new Lithgow Indoor Aquatic Centre, a wheelchair accessible boardwalk at Hassans Walls and Pearsons Lookout, extensive flood mitigation work and the Black Bridge at Wallerawang. The Blast Furnace Park is currently under restoration and we have a Lithgow CBD revitalisation program in place. Lithgow City Council will continue to improve and showcase this region to the rest of the world, from its natural beauty offering numerous outdoor activities such as four-wheel driving, walking, mountain biking and canyoning to the less adventurous activities such as shopping in one of the numerous privately owned and run boutiques or dining in one of our cafés or restaurants. The region includes many small villages with communities who are passionate about their area, each offering their own unique combination of things to do and see. As a community member and as Mayor, it gives me great pleasure to share with you, the readers, my home, the Lithgow region and all it has to offer as part of the Autumn issue of Central West Lifestyle. I encourage you to visit. You will be welcomed with a smile and leave pleasantly surprised as you begin planning your next visit to the beautiful Lithgow region. Maree Statham, Mayor of Lithgow 14 CWL LITHGOW
Lithgow City Council representatives accepting the AR Bluett Memorial Award. Image: Natalie Bailey Photography
alluring LITHGOW
LITHGOW CWL 15
Sights to BEHOLD O
ver the Blue Mountains at the point reached by Blaxland, Wentworth and Lawson in 1813 and just two hours’ drive from Sydney lies Lithgow, rich in historical and natural splendour.
Within minutes of the city of Lithgow, you can be walking through historic villages, visiting spectacular lookouts, sitting beside clear, flowing creeks or discovering the many beautiful valleys that dominate the region. Fascinating history abounds in the Lithgow area, which was home to the Wiradjuri people until first settled by Europeans at Hartley in 1817. The valley occupied by the city of Lithgow was named in 1827 in honour of William Lithgow, Governor Brisbane’s private secretary. From those humble beginnings Lithgow grew to become the birthplace of Australia’s heavy industry with woollen mills, coalmines, iron and steelworks, copper smelters, brick and pottery works and the Southern Hemisphere’s first mass-production manufacturing plant, the Small Arms Factory. Most of these industrial heritage sites are now operating museums, including the Small Arms Factory Museum, State Mine Heritage Park and Railway, Eskbank House and Museum and the remains of the Blast Furnace, part of the first steelworks in Australia. Many more historical sites exist around the area just waiting to be explored. Lithgow is also an exquisitely beautiful area boasting rare flora and fauna. The Lithgow region hosts seven National Parks, of which three are World Heritage listed. Highlights of our National Parks include the Glow Worm Tunnel, Lost City, Newnes Ruins and the Capertee Valley,
16 CWL LITHGOW
which is the world’s second largest canyon. Capertee Valley is 1km wider than the Grand Canyon, but not quite as deep. Rising majestically out of the Capertee Valley floor is a monolith in size and spectacle, Pantoney’s Crown. The Capertee Valley is home to a large number of bird species including the endangered Regent Honeyeater, making the valley a bird watchers’ paradise. Lithgow is also known for its political and sporting prowess, with two prime ministers having lived or worked in the area. Sir Joseph Cook and Ben Chifley both graced the Lithgow area. Sporting champions including Marjorie Jackson-Nelson, Denis Tipping, Spike Cheney and Joanne Banning have all represented Australia at the highest level of their chosen sports, none more so than the “Lithgow Flash” Marjorie Jackson. We cannot forget to mention our three recreational lakes, Lake Lyell, Lake Wallace and Thompson’s Creek Dam. Lake Lyell allows powered craft and is very popular with campers on weekends and holidays. Lake Wallace is the site of Charles Darwin’s visit to the area and is also an RV-friendly accredited camping area. Thompson’s Creek is purely for shore-based fishing. You’ll be surprised at the range of activities to enjoy in the Lithgow area and the wide choice of places to stay. There is truly something for everyone. CWL
Images: Capertee Valley Helicopters, Jade Images, Lia Jennings Photography
Days gone by
Images courtesy of the Lithgow Library. LITHGOW CWL 17
18 CWL LITHGOW
LITHGOW
RIDING HIGH CAMPDRAFTING ISN'T JUST A SPORT FOR NIGEL KABLE, IT'S A WAY OF LIFE THAT ONLY THOSE BORN AND BRED IN THE SADDLE CAN EVER TRULY UNDERSTAND OR APPRECIATE.
S
tocky, resolute and tough in mind, Nigel knows no other way. Since taking up the sport at the age of six (before age rules were introduced), he has been a formidable force on the NSW and Queensland campdrafting circuit for more than 40 years, amassing over 200 trophies in the Open Draft alone. In typical country style, he says it isn’t him but the horses he breeds that should take credit for any success he’s had. Despite his genuine humility, he can’t hide the victory spoils that adorn every mantelpiece, cabinet and wall in his country base at “Farnleigh”, Rydal, on the peak of the Great Dividing Range between Lithgow and Bathurst.
To remind him of his efforts over the years he merely has to look at the front covers of various rural newspapers and horse magazines. Typically, they depict him as a fearless rider with a loose rein, deftly steering a beast through a course he knows like the back of his hand. He’s a natural horseman and his 2500-acre property, which has been in the family since the 1860s, is the perfect location for stock work. “It’s good, sweet fattening country for cattle or sheep and with all the steep hills is an excellent place to train horses,” he says. Horses have always been the preferred mode of transport when it comes to moving his 800 head of Hereford and Angus cattle.
Today Nigel and wife Carol run about 60 Australian stock horses, including 13 of their own breeding mares. It’s not just a sport but big business, with others keen to share the genetics of their top bloodlines. Over the decades there have been many memorable wins and just as many near misses, tumbles and disappointments but Nigel takes it all in his stride. One long week in October 2008 is one he’ll never forget, clinching the famous Warwick Gold Cup – a prestige event often dubbed the Melbourne Cup of campdrafting. >
Above: Carol and Nigel Kable with their three talented sons Jack, Tom and Daniel. LITHGOW CWL 19
e the right way
actually show m never had anyone
self-taught and l el w y tt re p m a “I t over the years.” ou it ed k or w st ju ain a horse. I’ve or wrong way to tr Saddled up on his favourite black stallion Chevin Ivory, he won by four points, beating a strong field of 747 contenders. The formidable pair also teamed up to snatch the World Championship at the Sydney Royal in 2007 and again in 2015. Many people in the sport rate Ivory as the best campdrafting horse ever bred, winning more than $260,000 in prize money and siring over 700 foals. Of course, breeding champion horses doesn’t happen overnight. Nigel says his horses are trained for years before he even thinks about campdrafting. Horses in this sport, at least, generally peak at about 10 years of age, but fast and athletic Ivory is still going strong at 18 and there are no plans to retire him just yet. “You can breed cow sense in horses, just like working dogs,” Nigel says. “Working with cattle all the time does help. The work is instinctive with these horses and there is a lot less training involved to get them to do the right thing.” After achieving everything there is in the sport, the only things keeping Nigel in the saddle are his three talented sons Jack, 17, Tom, 13, and Daniel, 10, who have inherited their parents’ love of campdrafting and all things equine. 20 CWL LITHGOW
Like their father, the boys were riding before they could barely walk and started competing from the age of eight. “I started flag and bending events at the local gymkhanas when I was knee high to a grasshopper,” Nigel says. “At a few of the shows there’d be a campdraft and I’d have a run in that as well.” He won his first open draft at 14 years and has been putting his fellow competitors (who are mostly good mates) on notice ever since. “I am pretty well self-taught and never had anyone actually show me the right way or wrong way to train a horse. I’ve just worked it out over the years – what works and what doesn’t work for me. I don’t have a plan and just take each horse as it comes.” Today the sport is one of the fastest growing in the nation because of its strong family orientation. Nigel admits Lady Luck plays a good part on competition day but what really sets a champion apart is the ability to pick the right cattle coupled with the skill and determination to get a beast around the course.
The Kable family attend about 12-15 events each year during the campdrafting season (between September and March) when they all pile into their Mack truck, with its massive 45-foot gooseneck, and drive to places like Rockhampton, Walgett, Sydney Royal and Warwick. In keeping with the tradition, Carol is no slouch in the saddle, having won two national finals in Tamworth and the Ladies Campdraft at the Sydney Royal. “When you’re married to one of the best in the business, you obviously feel proud but it’s even better to get that bit of inside knowledge,” she says with a twinkle in her eye. “It’s a great family lifestyle and it’s wonderful to see the kids grow up among like-minded country people.” With the entire family hooked on campdrafting, Nigel says he won’t hear of retirement, at least not while his boys are on the scene. Expect to hear a lot more from this horse-mad clan, particularly when the Kable lads hit their straps. CWL
Above: Nigel Kable riding Chevin Ivory. Image: Wild Fillies Photography
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