© COBY HARRIS
STONEWALL EQUESTRIAN SHOWGROUND Mangrove Mountain WORDS SUZY JARRATT
‘Heath and Krissy Harris are creating a beautiful equestrian park that will be like no other in this country. It will be Australia’s version of Spruce Meadows, in Calgary and Aachen, in Germany, which host the most prestigious horse shows in the world.’ Olympian, Rod Brown
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any people dream about owning a Melbourne Cup winner or conquering Everest. Others yearn to one day write a novel or live on an island in the sun. Former international showjumper, Krissy Harris, has always wanted her own showground. ‘When I was little, I’d go to a lot of equestrian events that were often held in beautiful historic surroundings,’ explained 58-yearold Krissy. ‘My favourite part was arriving early at these ag shows, settling in the horses and watching how the grounds came alive. The traders putting up their stalls, competitors arriving in floats and trucks, the “carnies” assembling the rides and sideshows. I loved the atmosphere. ‘When I began working on films with my husband, Heath [renowned, international movie horse trainer], it was a similar experience. We were always on set very early when technicians and operators would be all around us preparing for a scene. By the time the director called “action” and the cameras rolled, much of our work was done.
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‘I’ve always enjoyed the setting-up process, and when Heath retired after 50 years in the film industry I told him, “I’d like to own a showground.” He looked at me and said, “You’re crazy, but I’ll help you”.’ And so began the creation of Stonewall. Spread over 45 hectares at Wisemans Ferry Road, Mangrove Mountain, what was once a neglected citrus farm is being transformed into a world-standard equestrian facility. In February 2016, a stream of semi-trailers removed countless loads of rubbish – fridges, stoves, car bodies and tyres abandoned beneath jungles of lantana. Once it was all cleared away, the couple had a blank canvas upon which they could start realising their vision. They planted 2,000 trees, with more to come, and built nine kilometres of roads, the surfaces for which came from the North Connex tunnel excavation. ‘This new motorway cuts out Pennant Hills Road which has made it so much more convenient for people coming here from
