In 1925, the purebred Arabian stallion Shahzada was imported to Australia by Mr A E Grace, to stand at stud on "Woodlands Grace" near Denman. In his later life he was bought by Mr R Williams of Booralong. The influence of Shahzada on the Arab & Stockhorse in Australia is well known. Some of his famous progeny are Sirdar, champion at the Sydney Royal in 1934; Genghis Khan; Ishamael; and a daughter Judith. The well-known sires Delos and Aethon both trace back to Shahzada, as do well renowned endurance horses - Stony owned by the Webb family; Shieke, bred by R M Williams; Oonoonba Leo owned by Gordon Hobday; and Ralvon Aeneas owned by Sandra Hatton.
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| The inaugural Shahzada
400 km (250 miles) ride, the longest event of its type ever held in Australia,
proved to entrants, organisers and spectators alike, to have been worthy
of all the effort and time spent in bringing it to fruition, following
some years of contemplation. On August 29th, 1981, the quiet and historically
beautiful town of St Albans in NSW, became the base for this most challenging
and unique event. With 80 km of hills and trails to be ridden in two legs
each day for five consecutive days, the course was laid out with a differing
route and colour marker to be followed each day. The marking system utilised
a new and most successful idea. Short strips of venetian blind, in bright
and easily discernible colours, were tacked to trees and turning points,
thus never leaving riders with any doubt as to where to go, for longer
than a few minutes between markings. This method could well be the ideal
for all future ride organisers to copy.
Equally new, and differing to the normal one hour maximum for vet checks, riders were given the option to rest longer, but they still had to cover the daily distance within the allotted riding time. The daily starting time was also flexible on all but the initial leg. On Monday, August 30th, at 4am, 26 riders left the misty and cold starting line and headed off into an unknown and unexpectedly exhilarating week. Within the first 50 km it appeared as if the front runners, setting a cracking pace, were unaware what this event meant to most riders, who used the allotted available time to their advantage. After the first leg most took just the one hour break and continued straight out again. Not so the local family riders Carl and Darren Slattery. For them it was immediate tactics and after returning home for lunch and siesta, they perused the time sheets to see what time the front runners had completed the second leg in. Handily armed with the information and two good horses, we saw what was to be the eventual winner begin to open up a gap to the next horse - and suddenly Darren had a first day lead of 32 minutes ahead of Gordon Hobday. Tuesday dawned hot and those who didn’t leave as early as 4am, found themselves riding their second leg of the day through the most picturesque of surroundings and mountain ridges, with brow and beast sweating alike. Three horses vetted out through lameness and three withdrew on the fist day, and a further two withdrew and another two vetted out on the second day. The lead was still held by Darren Slattery riding Conrad Clo, followed by Gordon Hobday on the magnificent veteran Oonoonba Leo. Next was June Petersen riding Australia’s most campaigned endurance horse, Tequila. It is a tremendous achievement that this gentleman who came to fame by winning the 1978 Tom Quilty 100 mile Ride, has now passed 3000 km of successful competition. That’s further than some cars get in their life and all without one drop of Arabian crude either! (and with only one careful lady owner). Next was a relative newcomer to the sport, yours truly Howard Harris, riding another old hand, the partbred Arab, Ralvon Lyman. In the handy position of fifth place, was Trevor Knight, riding a beautifully groomed and much pampered purebred Arab stallion, Oasis Desert Song. In sixth position after 160 km was the only Queenslander brave enough to venture south for this historic event, Tony Elphick riding his unregistered Arab gelding with the unlikely title of Jonathon Nobody. Then came Lindsay Knight (no relation) on Jaraan, a part-Arab gelding. It is most interesting to note that after the Tuesday there were no more retirements until the very last minute. On Wednesday, the day when most of the fittest horses were finding their riders psychological attitude was beginning to swing into the pace of a daily 80 km jaunt, there was a noticeable improvement in the performance and attitude of most horses. The keenness and desire to work was shown by an increase in the pace, with the average speed across this never-flat-for-very-long terrain above 9 mph... or, in more tangible terms, that of an extended trot! Thursday saw the positions unchanged among all but a few of the slower competitors. There was, however a mule that felt this was the perfect time to show those lanky and speedier fellows of the alleged upper-class equine breeds a thing or three as to how to handle the hills. Patsy Sinfield has campaigned the round and highly under- rated mule, Juanita, for some three years and over 1000 km of successful competition.
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I’ve trained many miles
this year alongside this team and never have I seen such an amazing display of flailing
hooves up, and especially down, the steeper sections of hill work. While
I would be off, jogging down a steep and difficult section leading my horse,
Patsy was being given the ride of a lifetime. ‘And, no! I never did see
them again that entire leg. The carrot was firmly ingrained in that mules
brain, and the flavour must have permeated the bit as well.
While many may wonder as to the diet and strapping methods of an event of this type, suffice to say that while the strappers ate and slept to the probable gain of numerous waistlines, there was a remarkable and stable condition seen in all horses. Not one animal completed the ride that was not looking an absolute picture of health and with one exception, all were ready to go out and do many more days work should it have been asked of them. Stud mixes were a popular and convenient means of keeping both energy and grain intake at a good level. Most horses increased their intake levels to around 25 pounds per day. The hours of available eating time after 80 km per day, and allowing for strapping time, deemed it necessary to keep roughage intake levels to around 15-18% of the ration, and a careful watch of the electrolyte levels to prevent dehydration and any ensuing loss of performance. Shoe wear, though expected to be a major consideration was generally quite low, with most horses using less than half the available metal due to the non-abrasive conditions of the course. The circuit of trails, roads and numerous farm paddocks passes through many expressions of NSW wildlife and flora. Not a single moment was tedious to the eye until the last leg on Friday when almost every rider was travelling with heart in mouth and living each and every hoof placement over each pebble and twig. After so many miles, there was little or no gain to be achieved by riding fast. Amongst the front runners only Gordon Hobday had any chance of catching Darren Slattery who finished in an incredible elapsed riding time of 29 hours, 30 minutes and 34 seconds. Only 12 minutes behind came a saddened Gordon Hobday’s gelding Oonoonba Leo. Unfortunately, he had slightly injured himself on a protruding branch and was lame at the finish. This meant that second place went to June Petersen riding Tequila. Fittest horse judging was taken from a different set of parameters than the usual first five horses. At the request of the organisers, all successful competitors were to be considered for the award of Best Managed Equine, and to the delight of the riders and competitors alike, this went to Patsy Sinfield and her mule, Juanita. They finished the ride in eighth place. Results: 1st Darren Slattery, Conrad Clo (29:30:34) 2nd June Petersen, Tequila (31:12:51) 3rd Howard Harris, Ralvon Lyman (34:32;18) 4th Trevor Knight, Oasis Desert Song (35:05:40) 5th Tony Elphick, Jonathon Nobody (37:16:18) 6th Lindsay Knight, Jaaran (37:34;04) 7th Gordon Whittaker, Tristram Nero (38:26:24) 8th Patsie Sinfield, Juanita (39:23:26) 9th Paul Chandler, Cyclone (41:26:16) 10th Graham Blackwood, Shay-B (42:20:19) 11th Debbie Valerius, Bloodwood Bearcat (45:33:37) 12th Mark Johnson, Grey Atom (45:34:16) 13th Jackie Mann, Retford Mantilla Les (46:09:04) 14th Denise Trollope, Remique (46:31:24) 15th Alan Mackinder, Charlie (48:13:55) Story by Howard Harris. Published by Australian HORSE & RIDER November 1981. Reprinted by kind permission of Howard Harris
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