Here is a genuine feel good news story that shows ex-racehorses with love and patience can be offered a fulfilling life after their racetrack careers have concluded.
It’s been a big month for extremely talented equestrian rider Rebecca Farrow and her retired ex Dynamic Syndications racehorse PERSISTENCY (Testa Rossa x Rorkes by Rory’s Jester).
PERSISTENCY who is affectionately known as “PERCY” is an 11 year old gelding who has been given a new career in the equestrian world.
PERSISTENCY competes on the show circuit under the name “STAGE PRESENCE”.
However to everyone, he is simply known and loved as PERCY.
PERSISTENCY aka STAGE PRESENCE with rider Rebecca Farrow
After his only race start in January 2012, he was retired from racing after tragically, he bowed both front leg tendons when he slipped upon jumping out of the barriers.
After recuperation, his owners
Dynamic Syndications, D C I Syndicate, Mr J P Keeley, Mr G Rassos, Benchmarkers Syndicate, Mr W S Pelchen and Mr J N Allen, gifted away Percy as a show prospect.
The GARRYOWEN:
On Sunday at the Melbourne Royal Show, thoroughbreds took centre stage in coveted Garryowen event.
Racing Victoria’s Off The Track (OTT) program was the Premier Supporter for the prestigious “Garryowen Equestrienne Turnout”, regarded as the “Melbourne Cup” of the horse showing world.
The “Garryowen” has been part of The Royal Melbourne Show since 1934 and has a strong affiliation with retired racehorses.
Conducted annually by the Royal Agricultural Society of Victoria (RASV) as part of the Horses in Action Program, the Garryowen is the ideal fit for the OTT program to support, given its stature in the equestrian world and the recent dominance of retired racehorses.
OTT thoroughbreds had won the past six editions of the Garryowen, which sees horses and riders judged on manners and paces, riding, saddlery, costume, conformation, soundness and general appearance.
Sunday's prestigious Garryowen Equestrienne Turnout saw Rebecca Farrow and her former Dynamic Syndications galloper Stage Presence (Persistency) being victorious.
STAGE PRESENCE (Persistency) nicknamed PERCY winning the GARRYOWEN
As a result, an Off The Track thoroughbred has now won for the seven consecutive years.
Fittingly, Stage Presence (Percy) is himself a Victorian product having been bred by industry stalwarts Carol and Andy O’Shea at their Lang Lang farm.
A son of Testa Rossa from the Rory’s Jester mare Rorkes, Persistency a ¾ brother-in-blood to Dynamic Syndications Blue Diamond Winner REWARD FOR EFFORT.
He raced just the once in the Dynamic Syndications colours.
The 2018 edition of the Garryowen, held on Sunday, 30 September featured 23 ex-racehorses among its 40 entrants.
RV’s Equine Welfare Coordinator, Lauren Moor, said the OTT program was delighted to sponsor the Garryowen with strong prospects of another retired racehorse taking the coveted honours in the 2018 renewal.
“We are thrilled to be the Premier Supporter of this year’s Garryowen Equestrian Turnout and with more than half the field made up of former racehorses it was the perfect fit,” Mrs Moor said.
“There are currently thousands of OTT thoroughbreds competing in a range of disciplines across the country and they are especially dominant as show horses. Their forward and fluid movement, impressive appearance and general demeanour, make thoroughbreds ideal in the show ring.”
Stage Presence, the 2017 OTT National Show Horse Championship winner, was in red-hot form coming into the competition off an event win at Pakenham and Percy proved too good.
Persistency from Dynamic Syndications on Vimeo.
Another interesting entrant in this year’s Garryowen was Bart Cummings’ former grand stayer Precedence. A veteran of four Melbourne Cup starts and a two-time Moonee Valley Cup winner in 69 racetrack appearances, Precedence is forging an exciting equestrian career for owner-rider Fiona McIntyre.
Another notable OTT entrant was last year’s winner SLM Mercedes and rider Catherine Neill, who returned for a second tilt at the coveted title.
Handsome black gelding Taittinger, who won the 2016 Col. A.V. Pope Cup with rider Jess Stalling, was nominated.
Also OTT Acknowledged Re-trainer Katie Ramsay and her Sharkbite gelding Inafrenzy rounded out an all-star line-up of horses in strong contention for the title.
History had been made at last month’s Pakenham Show, the main lead-in event for the Garryowen, with the inaugural TBV member sponsored ‘Off The Track’ Class competition. The Pakenham Show was the first in a new sponsorship partnership between Racing Victoria’s Off The Track program, Victorian Agricultural Shows Ltd, Thoroughbred Breeders Victoria and their members.
That event was won by Rebecca Farrow upon ex Dynamic Syndications galloper Stage Presence.
STAGE PRESENCE (PERSISTENCY) Career Highlights:
2014
“Percy” was successful in the Novice Division over 16 hands at the Sydney Royal Show.
That day in Sydney, Rebecca Farrow spotted him during his novice class. Her horse, Kholo unfortunately was injured in the marshalling yard prior to its event.
Rebecca “borrowed” Percy from his custodian and rode him for just two minutes then went straight out and won the class.
Two months later Rebecca took over the ownership of “Percy”.
Since then, Rebecca Farrow and “Percy” have enjoyed plenty of success and good times – including:
2016
Reserve Champion Hack – Show Horse Council Show (end of the year show)
2017
National OTT Championship at Equestrian Australia Show Horse Nationals.
Reserve Champion – Barastoc Equestrian Victoria Horse of the Year
Royal Melbourne Show – Open Ridden Gelding
Sydney Royal Lady Championship Rider
Sydney Royal Hack Championship
2018
Pakenham title, Rebecca and Stage Presence (Percy) won a special Balius Farm/TBV/OTT winners’ rug + $50 from the OTT program + $150 from Balius Farm + an OTT sash
Royal Melbourne Show – Garryowen
ADAM WATT (Dynamic Syndications) with our ex galloper PERSISTENCY & rider REBECCA FARROWThe History and Disciplines of the Garryowen:
Mention the name ‘Garryowen’ to a cross section of Australian equestrians and most of them will know it is a showing class.
However ask a Victorian show rider about the Garryowen and they will probably be able to fill you in on all the details, while the girls you speak to will express their life-long desire to win this highly sought-after title.
"It is like the Brownlow Medal to football or the Melbourne Cup to a trainer and jockey" judge Dennis Heather said.
"It is something you will have for eternity and people will pass and say she won the Garryowen a greater accolade you can't possibly have."
The Garryowen turnout event honours Victorian equestrienne Violet Murrell and her show horse Garryowen.
A photo of Violet Murrell & Garryowen
Back in the late 1920s early 1930s, Garryowen was a horse who won numerous prizes and titles including many of the big show titles at the Royal Melbourne Show.
He was owned and ridden by Violet Murrell, who was considered one of the top show riders of her day. Violet Murrell was a trail blazer, riding against male jockeys on the race track and competing in point to points.
One night in 1934, the stables at Violet’s home in Mentone, Melbourne, went up in flames and in a desperate attempt to save her beloved Garryowen and other horses and animals, Violet ran into the stables.
Tragically at the age of 29, she died in the fire and in a second tragedy her husband Bill, who had tried to help his wife, died three days later from the injuries he sustained.
It was a story that touched the hearts of the Melbourne people and the story has lived on in the show class that was named after Violet’s horse.
Such is the memory of the tragedy the Garryowen is covered every year in all the mainstream Melbourne news outlets.
Now in its 84th year the Garryowen, a class exclusively open to young ladies over the age of 18, has become the showing class that everybody in the showing field longs to be part of, and to be part of it you must first qualify to ride at the Royal Melbourne Show.
Once you have qualified, you can then nominate for the Garryowen class.
However, the planning for this class starts months earlier where those riders hopeful of nominating will have spent many hours, days and weeks, planning their ‘costumes’ and checking out suitable equipment for their horse.
In dressing the horse and rider for the Garryowen it is all very traditional English hunting gear, simply what you would have expected to see any well-dressed rider wearing in years gone by and sometimes still today.
From a rider’s point of view, woollen breeches are worn with three buttons above the boots showing on the breeches and the garter strap of the boots sitting between the second and third button.
The well-polished boots, complete with spurs, have to sit just below the knee.
The white shirt must have cufflinks and then there is the checked waistcoat and the traditional black woollen jacket.
Then there is the white stock, which must be tied to perfection.
Hair has to be put up, hairnets worn and jewellery of any sort is out of the question while the only move away from tradition is the wearing of a velvet safety hat.
To complete the outfit, traditional gloves with pearl buttons.
It is of equal importance for the horse to be ‘correctly dressed’ and like the rider’s outfit, the horse’s tack is what would expect to see a well turned out horse on the hunting fields of England.
Everything has to match. The bridle, saddle, saddlecloth, stirrup leathers and girth and all the buckles on the bridle and the girth should be on the middle holes.
Girls ride in a double bridle with a plain cavesson noseband and plain browband.
All the silverware, the stirrups, bits and spurs must be polished.
Six judges all judge their separate categories; manners and paces, conformation and soundness, costume, saddlery, riding ability and general appearance of the horse and rider.
A Maximum of 200 Points are available as follows:
Conformation and soundness–50
Manners and paces–40
Saddlery–20
Costume–20
Riding Ability–50
General Appearance–20
Dynamic Syndications wish to congratulate
Rebecca Farrow upon her excellent results with
Percy and we look forward to hearing more about this
Dynamic Duo in the future.