8th June 2011 Hi Everyone and welcome once again. Well the Morgan horse and their owners were full of fun and laughter at the recent Australian National Morgan Horse Show, Toowoomba Queensland. And the show did go on…even in the absence of a horse. Morgan horse owner Diane Howard presented herself, instead of the horse that won second place, to the Judge. She collected the second place ribbon for Mt Tawonga Campbell, in one event at the Show. Photo courtesy Heavy Thunder Down Under.
The Morgan Horse Encounter at …The National Morgan Horse Show
‘Hands up!’ called out the photographer excitedly. ‘You need some ears.’
And with that Diane obliged looking as much like a horse as she possibly could. She was awarded the second place ribbon for Mt Tawonga Campbell, owned by Kerry Hill, and, when all the ribbons had been presented, she cantered off as best she could with the other Morgan horses.
Such is the nature of Morgan horse owners. The spirit of the Australian people matches the spirit of the horses. They are not only fun and kind, but also genuine and willing…This was in fact the spirit of the whole horse show.
There are around about 300 Morgan Horses in Australia today which was a far cry from small beginnings in 1974. This was when the first Morgan’s were imported to Australia to begin a pure bred Morgan breeding program. For more information please go to http://heavythunder.com/the-morgan-horse-little-giant
As the Morgan’s were small in number in Australia the dedicated few in this country decided to organize a National Show to increase Australian public awareness in the breed. And so the first National Morgan Horse Show was held at Wodonga in New South Wales 1994.
Just four short years after the Morgan Horse Association of Australia Incorporated was formed. Enthusiastic Morgan horse owners at the time were so excited about their breed they all got behind the inaugural show determined to make it a success. Today, the Australian National Morgan Show is held annually to showcase the breed.
And showcase the horse they do!
We were very impressed with the youngest competitor. She was 7 years old and Amy Hvejsel won a blue ribbon with her part bred Morgan mare Wirraway Nefertiti. Morgan's are so forgiving and willing…But the do no more or no less than the owners ask. The horse’s kind nature shone through as was evident when 9 year old Nina Hvejsel competed in her event with the same mare, affectionately known as ‘Billie
Morgan horse owners came from Qld, NSW, VIC, South Australai and from as far away as Western Australia and the United States of America! The 58 horses and their owners that converged on Tooowoomba would be an amazing response for any show society to achieve, but an exceptional result for such a close knit and supportive fraternity.
The breeders all get together not only to promote their breed, but to have fun and celebrate the continuing success of the Morgan Horse in Australia. So with the great bunch of people involved with the Morgan horse, both the horses and the show are destined to become a must attend event for anyone interested in horses in Australia. Now the word is out, there will be no stopping the event.
The next National Morgan horse show is scheduled to be held in Toowoomba in 2012 on the 16th to the 18th March. .
But in the meantime let us all celebrate the fun and great companionship of the Morgan horse fraternity here in Australia. And let’s all look forward to the Morgan horse encounter aka the Australian Morgan Horse National Show next year.
Once again thank you for joining us, it was great to see everyone once again and we’ll look forward to seeing you next time with more fun and surprises.
Cheers
Paul and Jann
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