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Merrinvale Voss +S (Deceased) Aethon x

Gidget [Welsh pony]

My first endurance horse “Voss” or ‘Beau’ as he was

affectionately known, was put down at 28 years of age with cancer.

Voss graced the pages of AHN on several occasions, mostly due to his great endurance career, and I still feel no other pure or part bred Arabian would have gained his Halter Championship in the AAROM at age 16, following two Working Championships at Endurance riding to gain their SUPREME AAROM.  His legs remained blemish free throughout his 10 years on the endurance trails as can be attested to his record of NIL vet-outs until he reached 5,000kms in Open competition, he went on to complete almost 6,000kms.

Beau’s Endurance career began in 1979 with two wins in the Lightweight division before he commenced his OPEN career later that year, for a 3rd placing at Tooraweenah, at which he gained Best Conditioned Horse.  This was in the days prior to novice pace. He placed in the Top 5 OPEN on almost 25 occasions [ie Middle and Heavyweight].  Beau did three great Tom Quilties, his first Top Twenty in 1981in 13+ hrs; 6th in 1984 and Top Twenty in 1988 at Kenilworth in 14 hrs, his slowest at 16 yrs! He was also National and NSW Distance Horse as well as One Horse/One Rider Nationally in 1983 and runner-up on points.

Voss was best known for his Shahzada antics and remains a talking point to this day. His first Shahzada was in 1982 when he placed 4th; in 1984 he placed 2nd in 29 hrs; and 1985 a very fast 3rd place in 27 hrs, always with an average pulse under 40. 

Many earlier riders can attest to him trotting up the likes of Prestons, Ned’s Hill and Terraborra, like they didn’t exist.  When I fell pregnant with Mark, my husband Alan rode him to 3rd Open at the Colo Classic over the old Quilty course in 11 hrs. 40mins carrying 87 kgs. Easy you may say...but Beau was only 14.1hh and around 350kgs! His success in the toughest rides in the state was testament to his ability to ‘dance’ through rough country - “when the going gets tough, the tough get going” was his motto.

Beau made molehills out of mountains and continued to do so until 1988 when he retired to the show ring to gain his Halter championship.  He won many championships and placings at A class shows, winning his class two years running at the National Capital Show.

Beau made a brief debut into harness endurance, exiting in his first, after crashing the sulky at Glen Alice. His competitive nature could not let those endurance horses pass him and he tried to rid himself of the baggage!

He was a true character, eating everything from chocolate cake to fingers and never resisted the temptation to dump me in a “one and a half with tuck” shy during training. Though he found shying a waste of time at rides as this only negated his objective - to get from A to B as fast as he could, or his rider would allow him.

In 1988 on Voss’s retirement, we purchased a similar looking, bred and conformed horse in the Arab colt Oakeleigh Park Silver Shadow at 2 yrs being by an Aethon stallion out of an Aethon mare, and thankfully he is still competing now at 21 yrs and producing wonderful endurance horses.

Beau was the best BIG little horse in the business.

A Tribute to “Foz”

Kintamani Fosta +Ch+Ch+Ch AAROM

(Arowana Mamaragan+S x Malpars River Lisa)

Born two days before Christmas in 1980, this great little guy was ignored and rejected by his mother “Lisa”, forcing Alan to find a surrogate mum for him in “Misty Doon” an old thoroughbred type that had recently lost her own foal.  She happily raised Foz as her own until Mr Independence decided to join the herd.

He was broken as a 3yo and sold on to a young Cathy Walker for Pony Club, however, Cathy encountered problems riding him along roads after a nasty incident with a truck. Once he reached ‘endurance’ age at 5, he was leased to Nina Klesnik who had never tried endurance, yet very bravely tackled Shahzada first up as an adventure.  She arrived at camp with a tent with no poles, 2 poles for a horse yard and some old rope….needless to say…Fosta took full advantage and regularly pushed his way out of the yard to catch a snack on the banks of the MacDonald.  Nina had the commonsense when she thought he felt a bit ‘iffy’ on Thursday [Day 4] afternoon, to withdraw him from the competition, and this remained his only non-completion of the Shahzada marathon ride as he went on to complete his next 10 in fine style as detailed below.

The Walkers sold Fosta on to Adele Hales who lived in the northern suburbs of Sydney where she had to negotiate heavy traffic to access the trails, so needless to say with his fear of traffic, she had her hands full.  It was whilst Adele owned him that he featured on “Simon Townsend’s Wonderworld” racing around the bush as an example of endurance, whilst Adele’s husband showed off the show jumping side of equestrian sports.

When Adele felt she needed something a “little more competitive” we were very pleased when our friend and neighbor Jenny Robertson bought him to compete on and we borrowed him back for the 1987 Shahzada where he and Alan placed 4^th and were awarded the coveted “Best Managed/Conditioned Horse” in the great time of 30.56hrs. Jenny did several rides before moving south, leaving Fosta in the care of her ex-husband John who then rode him around Shahzada [7^th] in 1988 and placed 2^nd at Pigeon House Mtn 80kms [Best conditioned] and Tantawanglo 80kms.. 

Jenny successfully rode Foz around the Victorian Quilty 160kms in 1990 then gave Fosta to our young son Mark.  It was not long after this that Alan won the Shahzada 400kms in 1990, a fantastic result for any owner/rider/breeder. 

Alan went on to have a lot of fun competing on Foz with several top five placings and many miles in 1991 saw him again compete at Shahzada for another 4^th placing, but his fastest time to date, in 28.08 hrs. 

It was late this year that Fosta’s first major disaster struck when he was bitten by a brown snake at our Cowra property.   We actually lost a filly the previous week with snakebite, so at least recognized the symptoms immediately. 

As the vet pumped huge amounts of antivenin into Fosta’s neck he even pointed out the point of bite on his neck, probably as he was sticky beaking at this stranger crossing his yard.

For the next three weeks it was very touch and go for Foz as we watched him dwindle away to a shadow of the horse he was.  When the vet advised it was time to start intravenous nourishment and fluids, Fosta must have heard him as he hates needles, and began wandering very gingerly one step, then two, up and down the laneway picking the heads off what little grass there was [he wouldn't accept hay or soft feed] and began picking up within weeks. 

As typically there can be damage to kidneys and liver from brown snake bites, we were very reluctant to ride him for quite some time and in 1992 began a series of blood tests to ascertain his status, then slowly began light work, building up to the Gundagai ride in late April where he successfully walked around in just over 9 hrs. and was gleaming with health.  He then raced around Wagga 100kms for 2^nd outright and then on to join the NSW Team at the South Australian Quilty where he was successful and 13^th place.

Later in 1992 I placed 4^th on the by now, very experienced Shahzada horse whilst still feeding my 8 month old daughter Erika, and this was both mine and Fosta’s 4th buckle each, but he certainly made it easy for me, getting in fast off each leg so that I could appease a hungry baby.

In 1993 I trained Foz up for the Shahzada once again, only this time it was me that became ill and on the Sunday after vetting I offered the ride to my friend Louise McCormack whose little mare had rolled in her yard and injured her shoulder.  The pair made easy work of the 400kms, I recovered mid week and so did Louise’s mare.

In 1994 my 7 year old son Mark began riding Fosta (or rather Fosta teaching him how to ride) around home and completed several training rides on him including Barmedman and Wagga before attempting the Whitton 80kms.  Mark thought he would show his mates Fosta’s trick, when you click your fingers he picks up his front hoof for you to inspect.  Only problem was Mark was standing the wrong way around and when Fosta’s front hoof came up, it surprised him, cutting his forehead, requiring stitches at the local hospital!  After a late night and a little shock, Mark only rode 40kms before tiring and Alan went on with Bindo for 2nd place.

1994 went on to become Fozzie’s [and my] big year, with 14 successful rides in a row culminating in him becoming both National and NSW Distance Horse of the Year, with 1660kms.  His achievements were amazing including a Kenilworth Quilty, another win at Shahzada 400kms marathon and a Top Ten NSW State Champs at Mt Macquarie.  He also managed to gain several Top Five placing at minor rides to boot.

Helen Riding Fosta at Shahzada in 1994 Placing 1st

In 1995 another good friend Helen Brown was still dreaming of her Shahzada aspirations, having vetted out on her own mounts, when we offered her Fosta [Mr. Automatic].  Helen first rode him at Yengo 80kms where they had fun and got to know each other, then we all set off for St. Albans yet again.  It was the hottest and driest Shahzada on record, with temperatures regularly in the 30’s and very little water on track, so the pace was easy, the roads hard and another completion bought him to No. 8 buckle and a 1^st for Helen Brown!

1996 saw my son Mark a little older and wiser, so at 9 years, was ready to seriously complete some 80kms rides on Mr. Foz, beginning with Gundagai 80ms, then Woodstock 80kms and finally a 3^rd and Best Conditioned Junior at Binya.  Fosta very safely carried Mark out in the dark on each occasion on a loose rein, only wearing a halter, and cantered alongside his best mate Bindo carrying mum. 

Fosta proved to be a fabulous ambassador for the Arabian breed with his even temperament and incredibly sound career, and I completely trusted him with his very valuable cargo at all times.

1997 saw Louise McCormack ride Fosta once again around Shahzada for his 9^th buckle and Alan took him to his 10^th in 1998, a fantastic achievement only gained by one other horse “Gilgelad”, but Fosta’s completion record was 10 out of his 11 starts [the first being his only withdrawal back in 1986].  He was only then to complete two more open rides in 1998, one with Alan and one with myself before his next big challenge became the recovery from a very serious bout of “Stringhalts” which just about claimed his life once again.  For six months Foz struggled around his paddock with his rump mostly in the air as both back legs were affected. 

We persevered with magnesium orotate, and every other concoction referred to us, until we just about gave up.  In the end I put him out in a large paddock with a dam and his mate Bindo, who continued to bully Foz into moving around the paddock to keep him from seizing up.  Within months Foz began to walk almost normally again and the trot took even longer. 

With a little easy Pony Club work and consistent exercise, he came out the other end with large calluses and scar tissue on both back fetlocks, and a little residual arthritis, however, he began the fun of teaching our daughter Erika to ride.  His patience was remarkable as Erika had some previous bad experiences on ponies and was a nervous passenger.

In 2002 the 22 year old Fosta and 10 year old Erika entered and completed their first 40kms trainer together at Eumungerie riding with Alan on our stallion OP Silver Shadow, Alan went on to complete the 80kms.  At Tooraweenah they tried to organize the same deal, ie Erika doing the trainer with him then Alan finishing 80kms,  however, the 2^nd leg was the trainer, so Erika had to go out on her own with Foz and a few others on unruly horses.  Foz remained Mr. Calm at all times and stood calmly whilst Erika was on and off walking down hills and in fact kept the other horses behind him to settle them.  They trotted in with big grins and Erika was very proud of the way that he did not worry about the wild pigs, both dead and alive out in the paddocks??? And even stuck in the dam during this terrible drought.

Their first 80kms together was the next month at Sofala, a very tough assignment, however both came through with flying colours.   Unfortunately the next ride at Darlington Point saw Foz pick up a rock in his hoof and was vetted out lame on a 45 degree day.  I don’t think either were disappointed!!! However, this was due to his age my decision to retire him from endurance, as like his buddy Bindo [who did his last ride at 23 years] enough was enough and Pony Club is a great way to keep him ticking over without the rigours of the trail.  I firmly believe that completely retiring these old warriors is the wrong thing to do, as they thrive on work and enjoy the trails and young company.  Two more years of Pony Club Camps, jumping, polo cross and fun days dressing up etc. and again Foz was taken down to St. Albans as we felt he would love to go back to St. Albans and take Erika around the 30kms trainer, which he thrived on, teaching one of our young horses the rigours of the Shahzada track which he knew so well.  All were successful and I could see the smile of Fosta’s face as he traveled down past Bailey’s “Lyndrian” to the base and home.

He is a true champion campaigner, custodian and careful friend.  He was regularly ridden around home until meeting his new friend Catherine McDonald in Orange [pictured] and occasionally filled in at Pony Club for both Erika and other children who want a safe, reliable mount.  Last year he went to the Grenfell camp for a week of fun and trail rides.  Erika said he was acting like a 2yo out on the trails as he was having so much fun and in musical flags, found ways to trick the other horses!  He jumped the odd D grade round and DIDN’T enjoy musical dressage…..BORING!!!

Kintamani Fosta's Successful Ride History:

MAIN POINTS A tribute to “Foz” in brief..........

Ø             Fosta reached 8,000kms at Shahzada, 1998.......4,000kms of these completed at Shahzada alone!

Ø             Fosta has gained Fastest Time at Shahzada in 1990 with Alan and 1994 with Helen.

Ø             Fosta has also placed 4th on 3 occasions with his Personal fastest time of 28.08 in 1991.

Ø             Fosta has been called in for Best Managed/Conditioned on Six (6) occasions 1987, ‘90, ‘91, ‘94, ‘95 & ‘98, winning it in 1987

Ø             Fosta has also been successfully ridden at Shahzada by John Robertson, Helen Brown, Alan Lindsay, Helen Lindsay and Louise McCormack(2)x

Ø             After his initial withdrawal at his first Shahzada on Day 4, Fosta completed every Shahzada entered and with great times and consistency.

Ø             Fosta was Withdrawn Thursday pm at his first Shahzada when 5 yrs old and his first Endurance ride!  He had escaped from his yard the night before and played “Hide & Seek” for hours before his rider Nina, found him.  Nina was the first of 6 different riders to enjoy the trails of St.Albans on him

Ø             1998 saw Foz getting into fine rhythm, working his way up to 5th by Wednesday afternoon only 17 minutes behind the eventual M’weight winner.  Thursday morning he was kicked in the nose by a training ride horse and bled profusely.  He had to slow back to 10th overall in 34.08 hrs.  Foz never vetted over 46 all week and only received one B for gut sounds early in the week, otherwise a straight A student! He then completed Kapooka Classic 80kms the weekend after.

Ø             Fosta is by our own successful Shahzada stallion “Ragan+S” who completed  Shahzada in 1985 and is now deceased.   His dam “Malpars River Lisa” was a little Stock horse mare. 

Ø             Fosta has also 3 Quilty buckles 1990(Vic); 1992 (SA); and 1994 (Qld) and been in the NSW team on two of those occasions.  He also has a NSW State ride buckle 1994, an Islands 160kms buckle (5th Place); Bendoc 2 day 160kms (5th Place)  and placed in many 80kms rides.

Ø             Fosta was 1994 National Distance Horse of the Year and NSW Distance Horse of the Year.

Ø             Fosta has also been a reliable Junior horse carrying our son Mark around 3 x 80kms rides with his last a 3rd and Best Conditioned in 1996.  Many years later he carried our daughter Erika around Sofala 80kms when she was 10 and he was 22!

Ø             Has enjoyed Pony Club in his retirement

Ø             He has many successful half brothers and sisters on the trails and many more to come.

Ø            Since retiring from the endurance tracks, Fosta has been a safe and reliable Pony Club horse, just as happy jumping, playing games, bare backing etc. and many children have enjoyed him, yet he will always remain at Kintamani along side his best pal “Bindo” another great distance achiever, with over 11,500kms of endurance.  These two hardy old boys rule the roost at the stud, and have been happy to teach many youngsters how to handle themselves out on the track, either leading them or alongside them under saddle, an especially valuable role.

 We thank you Foz for being such a reliable, sound, safe and happy mate out on the trail and an incredible character to boot!   

 Alan ,Helen, Mark and Erika Lindsay

BINDO {Burremah Djerribindo} by Scimitar Desert Prince x Bindicarra

Born November 1975. A bay Part Arabian/ASH. Bindo reached a career all time distance of 11,269kms, the first horse to reach the 10,000kms award.

Bindo reached this historic goal mainly ridden by  Alan and Helen, however also carried the late Ian Stockley, Karen Voyzey, Michael McMahon, Terri Chandler, John Aitkin, Claude Filleul, Kim Freeman, Donna Tidswell and Frank Partridge to success. Bindo was the first horse to reach 9000kms and in typical style won the 90kms Darlington Point ride in doing so.

Bindo’s endurance career began in March 1981 as a 6yo and competed successfully every year up until his retirement in 1998.

Career Highlights: 

Ø      His first win at the Rydal 80kms back in 1984.

Ø      Winning the Victorian State Championships 160kms in 1989 and Best Conditioned

Ø      Winning the FEI Islands Classic in 1993 vetted by the legendary Kerry Ridgeway of USA

Ø      Winning the Snowy Mountains Zone Championships 160kms at Bendoc only 3 weeks after the Islands.

Ø      3 Tom Quilty buckles (1991 Top 10) His third at Kenilworth for 13^th in time of 13.05 aged 19

Ø      Shahzada buckle in 1982 [the 2^nd held]

Ø      2^nd at Tumbarumba 200kms

Summary of his 128 starts:

• 1st     14

• 2nd      7

• 3rd     12

• 4th      9

• 5th      4

Totalling 46 Top 5 and further 32 Top 10 finishes [i.e. 78 Top Ten in total].  Of his 128 starts, Bindo only vetted out/withdrew 13 times giving him a 90% success rate.

Today Bindo still grazes serenely at our stud at the ripe old age of 32 years.

Vale - Ragan+S [Arrowana Mamaragan] - Cool Hand Luke x Maharahni

A few weeks ago we sadly lost part of our family,namely Ragan+S our Arabian stallion who Alan had purchased as a yearling.  He was the founding member of our Kintamani Stud and after 24 years with us, his presence is felt everywhere at home, especially in his progeny.  Ragan had a reputation of producing sound conformation and fantastic legs as can be attested by the feats of his stock, especially Kintamni Fosta+CH+CH+CH who after an initial withdrawal from his first Shahzada at 5 years old [his first endurance ride], went on to not only complete the next 10 that he entered, he was mostly placed in the Top 5, with two wins to his credit.  His temperament was also a testament to Ragan, as not only did he carry 6 different riders around Shahzada successfully, he carried our son Mark [then aged 8]around his trainers and three 80kms all willingly, but on a loose rein.

Ragan gained his SUPREME in the AAROM with Progeny, Performance and Working [one of the few stallions to gain it in this way - a working horse producing working horses]

Ragan has been out there ‘DOING IT’ right from the word go, travelling to every show on the South Coast as a youngster and later to many Nationals, where he was regularly placed in harness, saddle, costume and progeny classes.  He attained many A class championships in harness and regularly placed under saddle and in hand, with the real winners coming from his early offspring.  One son Kintamani Rad attained his Supreme AAROM in working [dressage] performance and halter, was five times champion ridden Arab gelding and once went on to Supreme Ridden Arabian at the National Capital show.  At this same show around the same years, Ragan’s daughters Anchors Shandarra Miss and Karabil Tintinara both were champion partbred mares under saddle. His grandson Pinosa Park Nichodemus was also a multi supreme under saddle and in hand.

His endurance progeny include K.Mist [NSW State 160 + 1800kms]; K.Fern [14hr.Qld Quilty 160 + 2000kms]; K. Fosta [10 Shahzada + 3 Quilty and 4 160ks]; Turon Valley Snow Prince [Quilty + 1000+kms]; Salamay Naomi [State 160km + Snowy 160]; Balcaskie Cooee [Shahzada and State 160km] K. Raz, K.Kahlua, K.Charisma; Salamay Mahala; Brigenbrong Teagan;

Ragan himself had successfully completed 2,220kms in endurance rides including Shahzada and Quilty buckles; and 2,440kms in harness drives, including a 2nd place in Melbourne to Sydney and many drive/ride combos of between 160kms and 200kms; mini-marathons of 240kms etc. Giving him a total mileage of 4,660kms. 

The weekend before his death was the Woodstock ride where his daughters Salamay Naomi and Salamay Mahala[bred by Ursula & Bernie Quinn] completed together, with Naomi successful at the 2000 Windeyer State Ride 160kms a few weeks later. 

Since his death, he has 3 fillies on the ground, with 4 more foals due, 100% for his last season at 23 years.  Altogether Ragan produced 24 fillies and 16 colts and of these 40, 11 are successful endurance horses[6 successful at 160kms]; 11 are still too young to compete. A further 9 are successful show horses.

Whilst on the coast, Ragan was regularly booked to take the bride to church and has been the only horse ever allowed access to Albatross Air base for a wedding, where he had paratroopers falling out of the sky around him.

Ragan will be sadly missed as part of our everyday lives, an entertainer, a good mate and a great ride!

ENNOVYAR PURE MAGIC

[Scimitar Desert Prince (Abiram x Flamenco by Crystal Fire) out of Ennovyar Pure Gold (Ralvon Pilgrim x Ennovyar Fortune by Bayang) 15hh bay mare born 31/10/1985]

We had the pleasure of owning Magic for many years with the aim of breeding with her on her retirement from endurance.  We were lucky that her owner Karen Chappel phoned us to offer her as she was by ‘Prince’ as was our famous “Bindo”. Karen was pregnant and didn’t want Magic to go to waste, so we purchased her.

Karen had shown her very successfully on the South Coast with wins in A and B class shows and it was not until she turned  12 that she began her endurance career with success with Alan at Whitton 80, Wagga 80, Yarralumla 80 to get out of novice then in 1998 completed 80kms at Denman in good time then was off to the South Australian Quilty [the ‘nasty’ year] but no matter how intense the icy rains became, Magic kept her ears forward and on the job right to the finish, a great worker.  She then completed a few 80s before heading off to the NSW State Champs later that year where she completed easily in 15 hrs.  Two weeks later she was ridden to 3^rd HW at Woodstock 80 by visiting WA rider Mike Gill.

As we had other young horses coming on, we leased her to young Melissa Oborn who rode to 2^nd LW at Tottenham 100kms in 1999 then 1st LW at Barmedman 80kms in 4.11; and finally Coolamon 80kms placed 3^rd LW in 4.42 and awarded Best Conditioned Catchweight. Melissa then took her on to the Shahzada where she was performing good times with excellent pulses however, Thursday afternoon saw her eliminated with greasy heel for a very disappointed Melissa; and again at the end of the 160kmd Cobb and Co after putting in a very creditable time of 13.3 hrs.

We then put Magic in foal to our Poldark stallion OP Silver Shadow several times before she eventually fell pregnant and produced a very handsome look alike son “Kintamani Sahir” who has been purchased and is being ridden by Annie Rouse in Tasmania.

Unfortunately Magic would not go back in foal as she had developed problems so back to work in 2004 with our daughter Erika riding her at Woodstock, but unfortunately she went out lame at the half way after a nasty shy.

Alan rode her then at Windeyer 80kms in 2005 taking Erika around to get her out of novice.  The same year she competed in the Victorian State Champs at Lancefield with Alan; alongside her training partner Kintamani Silver Motif with Erika in the Junior.  She had just turned 20 and was putting in a brilliant ride til the end of the 4^th leg when slightly sore, but had pulsed well and was keen to that point. Motif and Erika went on to win the Juniors whilst Magic fretted for him back in camp.

We tried once again in vain to put Magic in foal, however, with all avenues exhausted, we decided to return her to her previous owner who was by then looking for a quiet pony club mount for her now 8 year old daughter, so after going full circle, she is back on the south coast. 

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