PRECEDE
The enthusiasm and commitment on show at a young endurance horse riders camp at Imbil provided plenty of optimism for the future of the sport. ERLE LEVEY was there to look, learn and listen.
BREAKOUT QUOTE
“The aim is encouragement as opposed to competitiveness at a young age.”
Horse riding is more than a past-time or a sport … it’s about passion and commitment.
It’s about getting out into nature and connecting with your horse.
Endurance riding creates a bond between horse and rider – an understanding of each other’s character and disposition.
It brings with it the responsibility of care … unless the horse is looked after, it is a long walk back to ride base.
At the same time horses have an inherent nature to respond to their riders due to their prey instincts, sensitivity, and ability to form emotional bonds through learned communication.
They are highly perceptive and attuned to subtle cues in a rider’s body language, tone of voice, and emotions.
A Queensland Endurance Riders Association (QERA) junior camp and Dingo Creek Equestrian (DCE) no-frills ride at Imbil was designed to encourage junior riders to engage and continue deeper into this inclusive sport.
Held at the picturesque Yabba Creek Farm, it was the latest in a string of education weekends held over the past five years at Imbil or Wondai – home of DCE.
What it showed was a supportive group of experienced endurance administrators and riders who were eager to pass on their knowledge to the new group of riders coming through the sport.
There was a feeling of excitement and anticipation in this, the fourth such event due to the interruption of Covid in 2020.
The campsite was well set up with plenty of space for vetting and pre-ride talks.
These followed the period of skills coaching, fun and novelty events on the Saturday morning. Events included egg-and-spoon relays while mounted on horses, an introduction to poles and jumps … even the sport of hoofball in which horse and rider combined to move over-sized beach balls or soccer balls around the field.
This was done in the spirit of establishing team-building and camaraderie.
Early Sunday morning saw the starts for a 40km ride and a 20km ride through the Imbil forests.
These events allowed participants to record rides and times in their Australian Endurance Riders Association (AERA) logbooks to start building their experience and stamina for future events.
With endurance, both horses and riders need to qualify over set distances before they can move onto longer events.
The weekend gave explanations of why riders and administrators do things to ensure horse safety and well-being.
These included the pre-ride vetting with Dr Harry Wever, the run-throughs with Ken Moir to check on the horse’s gait. There was an understanding of the metabolics or digestion system of horses with host Kaylea Maher.
AERA secretary Kim Moir said skilled and experienced riders had willingly volunteered to provide mentoring and make the connection with young participants.
“It’s not just about having a conversation about what to do,’’ Kim said, “it’s a matter of being with them in the process … with them as they go through each step.
“This can be from planning the journey to the event, setting up a yard with access to water and feed for the horses feed, and what you need to pack to get there.’’
Apart from the junior riders there were others at the weekend gaining more knowledge.
QERA and DCE volunteers or committee members, together with those from Imbil clubs such as Stirlings’ Crossing or Far-A-Way, explained the need to fill in log books and then be cognisant of time checks, whether that be at the start or at the end of each leg of a course.
Veterinarian checks are conducted before a ride then at every 40km. Water is provided for horses after every 10km.
Etiquette on the course and around the camp was explained, as well as care for the horses.
At the conclusion of the first day, riders and horses made their way down to Yabba Creek to cool off with an enjoyable swim.
Above all was the need to be respectful of the land, other riders and horses, as well as administration people who had given of their time and travelled great distances to pass on their knowledge.
NO QUESTIONS ARE SILLY
Among the volunteers was Virginia Barber, a highly-experienced rider now based at Wondai and an organiser of the youth camps.
Just back from riding in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Virginia said the concept was for those who hadn’t ridden or were new to the sport.
“It’s an education weekend for newcomers and juniors to learn about endurance – what they need to know to prep the horses and what they need to bring, how they set up.
“It’s a fun team-building day so they know how to socialise amongst each other.
“Part of the mix this year was doing other things – not just learn about endurance but to teach them horsemanship, and riding skills such as flat work and some jumping.
“The aim is encouragement as opposed to competitiveness at a young age.
“It was a matter of putting them into different groups so that they could learn to get along and encourage other riders.
“Make new friends and help each other – understand that you have to rely on others, that you can chat and can ask questions.
“We want to create an environment in which to give your point of view, which for children at this age is something that can be hard to do.
“There is no such thing as a silly question. That came through multiple times at the weekend.’’
The two rides on Sunday had 14 riders in each distance – 20km and 40km.
It gave the the juniors and newcomers the chance to have their points and distances calculated.
“We didn’t have the vets at previous young rider weekends, Virginia said. “It was simply a matter of instruction.
“This time we wanted to offer them the abilities to do the camp and then go on an official AERA ride.
“We organised support riders and mentors to help them get through.’’
For volunteers such as Virginia it’s a continuation of what they’ve been doing throughout their horse riding career.
Having negotiated her way into getting her first horse at the age of six, Virginia didn’t have the luxury of instruction such as this.
Instead, it was very much a case of learn as best you can from a young age. Yet it set her on a riding career in which she now encourages others in the sport.
This can be through her horse riding lessons but also through NDIS sessions for those with different needs, including people with impaired vision or total loss of sight.
Through Virginia’s sessions, riders have discovered the connection with horses and for it to be a very powerful enabler.
“I wasn’t in endurance as a junior,’’ Virginia said. “Introductions such as this is a gap in many sports.
“This is about educating the young ones coming through each discipline and encouraging them to learn more – especially the camaraderie because so many sports do not have that opportunity to get together and enjoy that time.
“We want them to help each other rather than have a high focus on competitiveness at this age.’’
GROWING UP IN THE SADDLE
Kaylea Maher, a winner of the peak Australian endurance ride – the Tom Quilty Gold Cup in 2019 – has grown up in the saddle, learning from her mother Jeanna from about the age of five.
Her father Brian completed the Tom Quilty in 2016.
Now Kaylea is showing the patience learnt from her mother in teaching daughter Bella horsemanship, as well as mentoring young riders.
Kaylea organised the track and marking for the Sunday rides, that took in rainforest trails among jacarandas and flame trees, as well as crossing Yabba Creek.
“I love the experience,’’ Kaylea said. “The fitness from riding, the challenge of commitment and training.
“It’s about getting out in the bush and being in nature – that connection with the horse.’’
Morayfield rider Tash Willemse was keen to show me Joslian Commander Spock, a 10-year-old part-Arab paint gelding with distinctive medicine hat black marking on his forehead and ears, and with a stable name of Spookle.
While he has completed a handful of 40km rides it will be the first for the 19-year-old on their journey as horse-and-rider toward the Tom Quilty 2026, to be staged at Stirling’s Crossing Equestrian Complex at Imbil in July.
“He’s the perfect boy,’’ Tash said. “Very calm, very quiet.
“He’s a ’yes’ pony – you tell him to do something and he will do it.
“He’s done a couple of 40km events and he has to do an 80km, so we’re building him up.
“Rhiannon started to ride three months ago and this is her first 40. We’ve got the calendar printed out and all the rides planned.’’
LOVE OF HORSES RUNS IN THE FAMILY
For Toowoomba Range riding instructor Jay Randle, her support of young riders is hereditary.
Her parents were very much into long distance riding, right from their early days in Dalby.
Jay’s mother and her auntie started the first pony club in Queensland, when they were aged 15 and 16.
Her mother Carmel White and aunt Zeta Denholm (nee White) were later based near Moggill.
“There were seven in the family and we could all ride from a young age,’’ Jay said. “Mum loved going on long distance camps and they would take riders for 20 miles, camp overnight and then ride another 20 miles through the bush.
“And so it went. It was awesome … a great upbringing.’’
Jay runs Splendacrest Stables and her commitment as well as support of young riders coming into horse riding – particularly endurance – has been outstanding.
Her inspiration? “It was something I did. I was riding before I could walk.
“I’ve been training horses and riders for 25 years.
“You get absolutely nothing out of it,’’ she joked, “… except for a lot of debt and ageing horses.
“Honestly, it’s about seeing the kids being the best version of themselves.’’
