Look! It's Not An Arab!

Standardbreds in Australian Endurance Competition


Jo Brock (author) on Lady, and Glen Kennedy on My Friend Jack

Blue Rock Endurance Ride, June 2004

 

"I'd love to try endurance, but I don't own an arabian"

This is one of the most common misconceptions heard from potential newcomers to the sport of endurance.

While there is no doubt that arabian horses are particularly suited to this demanding discipline, this does not automatically mean that other breeds are excluded from doing well in the sport. Successful endurance horses have included thoroughbreds, stock horses, various pony breeds, morgans, appaloosas, walers, saddlebreds, buckskins, palominos, paints ... and of course Standardbreds.

Endurance riding started out as a sport in Australia back in 1966, when RM Williams, inspired by the 100 mile Tevis Cup in the USA, challenged Australian riders to demonstrate whether they had the skill and horsemanship of our early pioneers to "ride 100 miles in a day". Kimberley cattleman and long standing mate Tom Quilty donated the prize, and the Tom Quilty Gold Cup was born.

Even in that inaugural event, second placegetter "Rarmar" was a Standardbred.

Endurance competition today offers opportunities to ease newcomers into the sport with introductory rides as short as 16km, the distances gradually increasing until open competition (80kms and above) is reached. As with other equestrian disciplines, the lower levels of endurance are well within the realms of most Standardbreds, and with careful selection and training, some can and do go on to compete successfully at open level.

The aim of this site is to promote the Standardbred as an endurance horse, and to review and follow successful Standardbreds in past and present endurance competition within Australia.


GENERAL ENDURANCE INFO

 

PUREBRED ENDURANCE STANDARDBREDS

 

PARTBRED ENDURANCE STANDARDBREDS

 

ENDURANCE STORIES

 

LINKS TO OTHER RELEVANT SITES

 

Standardbred Pleasure Groups and Associations

 

Standardbred Discussion / Chat  Groups

          Facebook Groups

 

Retrained Standardbreds

Private businesses, not-for-profit organisations or individuals who specialise in re-educating off-the-track standardbreds to saddle, for resale or rehoming:

Standardbred Performance Horse Breeders

Private businesses or individuals who are specifically breeding pure and/or partbred standardbreds for the performance sport horse industry:

 

Do you have an Endurance Standardbred?

We would love to read about it on this site!

Please email  brockie@skymesh.com. au


Copyright Jo Brock 2001-2012
Articles and photographs on this site not to be reproduced without permission

Thank you to Vanessa Smith from Roadster Sporthorses  for assistance in sourcing material for this site