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FEATURE Stonewall equestrian showground, Mangrove Mountain
STONEWALL EQUESTRIAN SHOWGROUND
Mangrove Mountain
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WORDS SUZY JARRATT
Olympian, Rod Brown
Many 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.
‘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
places like the Camden area,’ pointed out Krissy.
The first thing all visitors see as they drive though the entrance are the curving rows of drystone walls after which the property is named.
‘They run for two-and-a-half kilometres, and the sandstone comes from various local quarries,’ explained Heath. ‘They’re organic and unpretentious.’
And there are more walls in the making as is evident from the three heaps of stone stacked high beside the road referred to as ‘one-man’, ‘two-men’ or ‘machine’ piles depending upon the size of the rocks.
When it comes to horse arenas, one thing they should never be is too hard underfoot. Experts consider Stonewall’s arenas to have excellent footing.
Two arenas have a bespoke surface mix invented by Heath, and there is an enormous grass arena.
‘It’s 1.5 hectares and one of the largest competition grass arenas in the southern hemisphere,’ declared Heath, who is the facility’s major designer. He is also very handy on a backhoe, bulldozer, bob cat and, most importantly, an onsite sawmill, a great skill to possess as Stonewall’s bridges, clubhouse, terraced seating, staff accommodation and private dwellings are all being made using huge logs salvaged from a Newcastle subdivision, logs that were, incidentally, destined for shredding.
There is also a separate 90m x 40m warm-up arena for horses and riders, with provision for trade stands, and food and VIP marquees. »
© COBY HARRIS
A spring-fed weir flows into Popran Creek.
The new farmside training arena. Above and to the right of the arena is the site of the future stables.
Krissy Harris and ‘Corvette GHP’ in the 1.3-metre class at Stonewall in October 2020.
In a year or so, when all work is finalised at Stonewall Equestrian, there will be 20 hectares of beautifully appointed parkland with a four-hectare wildlife corridor leading to the remaining acreage on which Heath and Krissy will build their home. These two Aussie entrepreneurs are presently based at Ashbrookes Farm, Mt White where, among other things, they train, ride and care for horses and run a boutique saddlery.
One of the most appealing aspects of Stonewall is that everything blends into the landscape. Nothing is ugly or intrusive. It is as if the dam and its ducklings, the Hay Plains’ windmill and the waterfall have always been there, along with the corrugated iron cabins reminiscent of the iconic movie, The Man from Snowy River, which Heath worked on in the early eighties.
The medley of grasses appears to have existed for decades around the water’s edge and waterfalls. In fact, they were only planted recently by landscaper, Michael Cooke, one of many locals working on the property.
‘Brad Hunter, who does all our excavating, is from Somersby and his right-hand man, Adam, is just six minutes up the road. It’s lovely having these guys,’ said Krissy. ‘There’s a lot of underground water at Mangrove and they understand the terrain.’
When the couple had to build a drain along their land they didn’t resort to unsightly pipes or trenches; instead they created a waterfall with a habitat for frogs. ‘We call them “chubby gang gangs”, although I’m sure they have a more scientific name.
‘We’re going to plant a few more water natives, and more gums,’ added Krissy. ‘The trees here now aren’t suitable for koalas but we’re hoping to introduce the right species very soon. We’re also speaking to a fellow who has native bees and hives.’
Beginning just a few months ago, showjumping events are now regularly held on the property, as well as dressage weekends.
At future events, the pair will showcase market stalls featuring local businesses and fresh food producers. And Krissy predicts there will be a boost to B&Bs and real estate in the area.
‘Stonewall, I believe, is at the forefront of a movement towards rural recreation across the mountain district,’ she said.
At the first showjumping event at Stonewall, the main class of the weekend was over 1.25m jumps, and won by jumping legend Vicki Roycroft and ‘Licaviv’.
Because it is so horse and competitor friendly, The Central Coast Dressage Association has recently made the grounds its permanent venue and, as a result, its membership has significantly increased with such beautiful grounds to compete on.
Stonewall is also the official home of the Thoroughbred Sport Horse Association (TSHA) which Krissy founded in 2019 to help create a life after racing for retired thoroughbred racehorses.
This year, Krissy is organising TSHA jumping and hacking classes, culminating in the inaugural Australian Thoroughbred Sport Horse Titles in 2022.
As well as being a competitive venue, Stonewall is also the training site for high performance three-day-eventers. Former showjumping Olympian, Rod Brown, from Kulnura, is one of the instructors.
‘Already it is an excellent centre which, upon completion, will be absolutely magnificent attracting spectators as well as equestrians!’ Rod says.
Vicky Roycroft has declared it, ‘an amazing facility.’
Five-time Australian showjumping champion, Chris Chugg, who has been one of the country’s top riders for 30 years, and a producer of Grand Prix horses, an international competitor and an influential trainer agrees.
‘It’s about time we had well maintained surface-built arenas. The footing is outstanding … you couldn’t make the going any better.
‘Stonewall is a practical horse place run by practical people who have made use of the property’s natural resources and worked out what is sustainable and workable. It’s world-class.’ Undoubtedly Stonewall will make a difference, not only to the region, but to equestrian events in Australia.
Stonewall Showjumping Championships, 8am–5pm, November 24–27. facebook.com/stonewallequestrian/ Gina Montgomery on her eight-year-old, imported Oldenburg stallion, ‘Braveaux’ training at Stonewall.
© AMY-SUE ALSTON
