Shire Breeders Saving the Breed from Extinction
In the 1800s and early 1900s, Shire horses were imported into Australia for both heavy hauling and agricultural work. However there were not enough of them to sustain the breed, and by the mid 1920s they had died out.
In 1981 Helene & Greg Scarf brought the breed back to Australia by importing the Shire stallion Ladbrook Edward. The following year, with another couple interested in Shire horses – Mike & Barbi Chandler, the Scarfs imported three Shire mares. Through their dedication and commitment, these Shire enthusiasts are collectively responsible for the reintroduction of Shires in Australia. They imported a total of two stallions and twelve mares between them.
In the late 1990s, Bill Lambert imported the horse Trelow Father Abraham to Australia. At her country estate, Princess Anne did the official 'handing over' of Abraham to the Australian High Commissioner Phillip Flood, prior to the stallion leaving for his flight. Bill has a written a record of all shire horses in Australia.
New breeding programs continued to pop up and the Shire has been growing in numbers ever since. Despite a wonderful resurgence of interest, the Shire is still very much a rare breed. In Australia, there are only about 350 Shires, just 200 of which are breeding horses.
The Shire Horse Breeders Australia (SHBA) is dedicated to preserving and growing the number of Shires in Australia and is organising the 8th National Shire Show and Southern Highlands Heavy Horse Show at the end of this month, at the Moss Vale Showgrounds. The show is an opportunity to continue to promote the Shire breed in Australia and other heavy horse breeds.
The Show is on the 30th to 31st March 2019. There are over 30 classes including led, ridden, working horse classes. Other classes which you may not traditionally associate with Shires and heavy horses include show jumping and dressage. There will also be novelty events such as fancy dress and the Concours D'Elegance, a great day out.
Spectators are very welcome and the more the merrier. The cost is $10 per person and $25 for a family. There will be coffee carts and food stalls during the two days.
For more information visit http://shirehorse.com.au/shhs/
Supplied by SHBA
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