OUR THOROUGHBREDS

from Equestrian Hub Magazine December 2019

STARS BY EPONA

FEATURE

Honouring your beautiful Thoroughbreds & Standardbreds

We asked for photos and stories, you gave them to us in spades. Here, we publish our top ten, with prizes for all. Thank you for showing us how special your horses are to you in their lives after racing.

Here at HorseVibes, many of us have Thoroughbreds we’ve competed on, bred from, had as companion horses, play with in therapy work, and generally enjoy. They have larger-than-life personalities, for sure, and we were so moved by your stories and photos that we’ve chosen eleven of the best, which we are sure will move our readers as much they moved us.

Congratulations to our top three. Amy Cullen wowed us with her story of Cartoosh. Amy has won a copy of the just published book, From Newmarket to Riverside, the journey of the Thoroughbred auctioneer company, Inglis, from their humble beginnings to their amazing complex at Warwick Farm. She also receives a one-year subscription to the printed edition of HorseVibes, and a woven belt. Our runners-up Jodie Lee and Stephanie Huntley have both won a one-year subscription to HorseVibes, and a beautiful woven belt.

Our other entrants have all been given a oneyear subscription to HorseVibes. We hope you enjoy your prizes and congratulations.

We are so thrilled to have given you the chance to show off your Thoroughbreds. Long may they rein over us!

AmyCullen

Cartoosh is 22. She was born in November 1997, and her race name was Royal Cartoosh. She wasn’t a brilliant race horse, she only won a small amount of money, so she went on to be a broodmare, and had two fillies. Originally she was meant to be on a three-month lease with me. I got her in poor condition, and after I got her the owners communication ceased completely and she’s been with me ever since. We will have been together seven years on the 28th of November this year, and I got her when she was 15.

She has the absolutely sweetest temperament. It’s true with mares, once they trust you they give you their all. And she sure does. We’ve showjumped, evented, and we did some dressage through 2013-2014.

In 2015 a stick went through her leg at the beach and she tore her digital flexor tendon, and her suspensory tendon. I was told she wouldn’t be paddock sound. 295 days later we were back in the saddle starting a rehab program. She’s had the largest vet bills: torn tendons, two-eye lacerations, torn hamstrings, colic, surgery at UQ Gatton, where a mass needed to be removed from her sinus – she had an Ethmoid Heamatoma, she’s had leg and shoulder lacerations, abscesses. You name it, she’s had it, but every

Winner: Amy Cullen with her injury-prone princess Cartoosh • Amy’s photos taken by her soon-to-be-husband.

Ali Searle with Bruno at Ev80 Canberra CIC Sept 2018 • Image: Amy McIlrick India Cochrane with Para Mi Amor • Image Blue Ribbon Photography

time we’ve come out on top and beaten the odds. In 2017 we changed disciplines and tried our hand at trick riding, and she took to it like a duck to water, but at the end of the year I injured my back and we were both out of action for around nine months. Last year, my partner left for the army, and Rella was there for the entire year picking me back up while I was down. When my back got better, we restarted trick riding and learned mounted archery and she’s just taken everything in her stride. She always takes care of me when I’m on her back! Next year I’m getting married to my partner of six years, and she’ll be my companion walking down the aisle. I am very excited to be able to Trick ride in my wedding dress on the day with my best four-legged friend. It’s been a roller coaster ride!

Ali Searle

Bruno raced as Cheval. He was a pretty unsuccessful racehorse – but he’s a freak showjumper! He’s like a giant puppy at 17.2, but he can be a challenging ride with so much leg to try and coordinate! He’d love it if bitless competition was legalised across all disciplines.

India Cochrane

Para Mi Amor is my super talented and athletic nine-year-old OTT. He was a very good racehorse with 28 starts under his belt. After racing he was campaigned to 2* eventing in just three years. Now he has been passed onto me and I love eventing him! At the recent inter school nationals competition held in Sydney Amor placed 2nd in the Combined Training 95cm winning

Tameka Ellard with Shanghai Noon aka Cappa • Image: Chrissy May Photography. Kathleen Howse with Classy Candidate • Image Alex Stotter Photography

Runner-up: Jodie Lee’s Savannah doing a nursing round • Image: Jodie Kajewski. Annabelle Mill with Brahmastra, aka Ned • Image: Rebekah Kinley.

the highest placed OTT award. Amor is such a gentle giant with the kindest nature and I wouldn’t change him for the world.

Tameka Ellard

Shanghai Noon (Cappa) is an 11-year-old OTT out of Cape North who raced until he was five in the Pilbara region and is now doing really well in the dressage and show horse ring! We recently participated in the PHP Rising Star awards. He has the most wonderful nature!

Kathleen Howse

After 191 race starts Classy Candidate (show and race name) is doing it really tough as a show horse! Perhaps spoiled rotten would be a better name!

Jodie Lee

We’ve had our OTT, Savannah, since she was a two-year-old straight from the track. She is now seven-years-old, my children compete at pony club on her, a lot of kids and adults have learnt to ride on her and she also goes to nursing homes, going for walks around the home for the elderly to enjoy time with her. We are blessed to have Savannah.

Annabelle Mill

Brahmastra aka Ned thought racing was overrated, so since I bought him at the start of this year he’s become my best friend and partner in crime at pony club, dressage, showjumping, and eventing. I bought him myself soon after finishing year 12, and I work two jobs to cover his costs but it’s all worth it. From never having competed he’s now got numerous successes under his belt including many ribbons/rosettes, reserve dressage champion, reserve champion hack plus more. From not having any jumping education, or ever having done a dressage test he’s now easily getting around 60-70cm courses and novice level dressage. We’ve also done musical rides, polocrosse, mounted games, obstacle courses, horse ball, trail riding plus more! I honestly couldn’t ask for a better horse. Next year we’ll be moving interstate to complete a Diploma of Sports Development so who knows what the future will bring.

Stephanie Huntley

Agent 86, who formerly raced as Casting, retired from racing as a six-year-old, ended up neglected and was surrendered to

Runner-up: Rachael Baker on Stephanie Huntley’s Agent 86 • Image: Jasmine Dunmore Photography. Salena McBride with 20-year-old Mr Jacobs • Image: Kelly A Lucey Photography.

the RSPCA. The RSPCA took him on and handed him over to Save A Horse Australia, a Queensland based horse charity, back in 2014. I adopted him from in January 2016 after he was brought back to health. He was an eventer until he fractured his pedal bone on cross country. He has been rehabilitated and is now a para dressage pony and doing a mighty fine job of it. In this photo Rachael Baker is riding him.

Salena McBride

Mr Jacobs is 20-years-young, and he raced for eight years on the northern circuit. He wasn’t a big prize winner, but he is a lovely gentle horse, so I think that’s why they persisted with him for so long. But now he’s conquering the show ring. He’s had a couple of different owners, but we have owned and competed Jake for three years. My daughter Leah successfully competes in dressage showing and hacking as well as using Jake for Pony club and as a school master at one of our local riding schools.

Rebecca Phillips

The Prodigy is a nine-year-old Standardbred mare that retired from racing in August 2018. She won her first race as a two-year-old in a Heat of the WA Sales classic and was then lightly raced for a further two wins and 12 placings, and a winning mile rate of 1.58.3. Since retiring from racing she has been started under saddle and has attended Adult Riding Club. She was awarded Supreme Champion Standardbred at the 2019 Perth Royal Show, at only her third competition, which was amazing! I have attached two photos from the event.

Centaur Connection

Maroon Creek, who is now called Shival, was saved from the knackery and retrained. He now has a new career as a much-loved riding school horse for beginners in Cairns, Far North Queensland. He really seems to enjoy his job and the attention he receives. Yvon Raywike, the instructor at Centaur Connection, says this horse definitely needs to take centre stage! I know he is the most kind hearted, patient and forgiving horse I’ve ever came across in my whole horsey life – 27 years – with kids as little as seven years being able to ride him.