Horse Stories – Stock Horse Tribute
Every horse has a tale, and their tales tell of more than just the horse. They tell of the people and the places connected to the horse; the owners, breeders, breakers and riders. Some tales are funny, some are tragic and some are truly inspiring.
The Artworks
Fans of campdrafting, cutting, the Australian Stock Horse, or horses, in general, will enjoy the artworks displayed on the wall of the Killarney Show and Rodeo Society pavilion.
The artwork tributes three influential Stock Horses stallions:
- Creswood Rivoli All Talk
- Kyabra Abbey’s Cattleman
- Rifleman
The artworks feature stylised images of each sire, with a background comprised of the names of their first-generation offspring. Between them, these horses have over 300 offspring, and their impact spreads across Australia through many families and horse sports.
More about the Australian Stock Horse and the breeding of our “sires of influence” can be found on the Australian Stock Horse Society website.
The Film
The stories of the horses were captured in a mini-doc created by Ian Glasby following the event. This wonderful film uses original footage of the horses competing at campdrafts during the 1980’s in Tannymorel, Killarney and the Northern Rivers filmed by Lorna Tucker.
The Tribute Dinner
A Stock Horse Tribute dinner was held in June 2022. It featured stories, poems and songs along with a special performance by Norma O’Hara Murphy.
The Stock Horse Tribute Dinner was the final of three story-telling events organised by the Killarney Bushfire Recovery Project Team and held in Killarney during 2021 and 2022; in addition to the Story Weekend in November and the Brown’s Falls “Fish Picnic” in March. These events were proudly funded by the Australian and Queensland Governments through the Disaster Funding Arrangements.
We thank and acknowledge Ian Glasby for his support in the creation of this project.