Main photo: Mentors David Manchon riding Rhondhu Fiddlers Roc Q (second from right) and Ingrid O Neill (far right) with the Outback 8.

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1 Outbac Take 8 kids aged from 12 to 14 four from Australia and four from the UK only two of whom have ever ridden before. Fly them to the Outback, mount them on Quarter Horses and in just four weeks in front of Australia s Network Ten and BBC television cameras turn them into jackaroos and jillaroos and send them out to muster 350 head of cattle. This could have been a recipe for disaster. Instead, it is the most ambitious and successful children s television series ever filmed in Australia. by MaryAnne Leighton Main photo: Mentors David Manchon riding Rhondhu Fiddlers Roc Q (second from right) and Ingrid O Neill (far right) with the Outback 8.

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3 The 8 The Outback 8 is a group of city kids with attitude to burn. All mad animal lovers, they were taken to Longreach in Central Queensland, far from the comfort of their homes and families and put under intense pressure to learn how to catch, saddle and bridle a horse, to ride, care for their horses and tack, read and control cattle, drench and shear sheep, preg test cows, build fences and install and maintain irrigation systems. Their days were long and hard and soon they discovered that filming this series involved a lot more work than they expected. They had to learn to survive in the bush and to accept that everything they were taught was essential to their safety. Six of these kids genuinely couldn t ride and it was a struggle to teach some of them sufficient skills so that, at the end of a very brief training period, they could muster competently and safely. They challenged everything, they argued about everything, they fell off their horses, backed them into hot wires and cried tears of frustration. Tears of frustration as they struggled to master new skills turned to tears of homesickness, then to tears of joy at their achievements and finally to tears of sorrow as they parted at the end of the four weeks. They started out tough but during their brief time in the Australian Outback these intrepid kids turned themselves and their attitude around and became a tight-knit group, very supportive of each other. When one boy s grandmother died in the UK and he was unable to fly home for her funeral, he said, It didn t hurt as much because the kids here have become my family.

4 The horses and horsemen (and women) Guiding and teaching the eight junior jackaroos were two expert mentors, David Manchon, Queensland Quarter Horse trainer and Australian Outback Spectacular performer, and Charters Towers champion campdrafter and former Australian Agricultural Corporation Longreach Campus student, Ingrid O Neill, along with instructors from the Australian Agricultural Corporation Longreach Campus. When the Outback 8 arrived at Longreach some literally could not tell one end of a horse from the other and they had no idea just how dangerous a 450 kilogram horse can be. David Manchon says, On day one I didn t yet have a handle on the kids, didn t know to treat them like sheep dogs, telling them to sit and stay. Heart in mouth, he describes how his wonderful gelding, Rhondhu Fiddlers Roc Q (Outback Roc Q x Beavers Spinnie Q who is by Beaver Doc Q-2980 and out of a Spinifex mare), was thrown in at the deep end when one of the kids decided he wanted to be on the gelding s other side. He didn t walk or even run around. He didn t ask if it was safe or even if he could do it, he simply ducked under Rocky s belly. Rocky wasn t fazed but the horsemen who were watching thought they would have to change their jeans. Rocky handled the cameras, microphones, quad bikes and production crew with aplomb and, apart from being David s mount, his claim to fame in the series is that he taught all the Outback 8 how to saddle and bridle a horse safely. These kids really started from scratch. One had to be shown that you do not pick up and carry the bridle by the bit, another that carrying a saddle is easier over your arm than on your head, and yet another that the safer and more comfortable place to sit when you mount your horse is in the saddle, not in front of it. The kids were mounted on horses bred by the Australian Agricultural Corporation Longreach Campus and their horses by Docs Lawson Q (Doc s Spinifex Freckles Bohemia), Genuine Roy Q (Playboy Roy* x Yugilbar Petra Chex) and Oaks Rush FS took filming in their stride. None was bothered by the tiny cameras mounted between their ears or on the cheek straps of their bridles, there to capture the kids reactions when they were in the saddle. David Manchon gives full marks to the Australian Agricultural Corporation Longreach Campus breeding programme, saying, The horses were a tribute to the College, they were very forgiving and handled the kids well. Like the stars of the series, the Outback 8 producers and directors also knew nothing about horses and they tended to underestimate how long it would take to set up scenes. The cinematography for this kids television show was at an unusually high level and, with six cameras in action, planning each scene was a complex undertaking. David spent a lot of time at night talking with the producers about what they wanted and the following day helped them set it up. Challenges Doug from the Capricorn Coast knew he wasn t born to be a ringer and tears of frustration tracked down his dirt-blackened face as he struggled to master basic riding skills. He progressed so slowly that Tony Mawhinney, horse instructor at the Australian Agricultural Corporation Longreach Campus, feared he wouldn t be able to take part in the final muster. This makes for excellent viewing, especially the episode when Doug finally gets his horse to canter and his elation is visible for the world to see. Maisie is from a rough part of London. David called her Sunshine because she never smiled and he says, She was trouble right from the start and it was difficult to get her to do anything. One day she was particularly obnoxious. She let us know she didn t want to learn to preg test a cow but when she put her hand inside and felt the calf, her face lit up the screen and her attitude changed in an instant. David adds that to see how the kids progressed and how their attitudes changed was an unexpected bonus. By the time of the Longreach Show in mid-may, four of the kids were competent enough to contest the working station horse class and others paraded Santa Gertrudis bulls. They entered the Dunny Derby at Winton and Tony Mawhinney says, By the end they had all progressed to where they would be of value in a stock camp. This is high praise indeed. Tony found it easier to teach these kids, who had no prior knowledge of riding, than riders with bad habits. He says, If they got into trouble, they listened to what I was saying instead of trying to sort it out for themselves. However, he adds, By the end of filming the kids had had enough and I had run out of my nice. Tony, whose 17 years as a head stockman and overseer made him well qualified to train the youngsters, wasn t daunted by working in front of cameras. He enjoys training, passing on his skills and knowledge and is delighted to say that one of the boys from the UK has already rung him to enquire about coming back to the Australian Agricultural Corporation Longreach Campus when he leaves school, to train as a jackaroo. Their involvement in the making of this television series is bound to have a profound impact on these young people and I hope Network Ten follows up in five years or so to show us the direction their lives have taken. Network Ten recruited the Aussie kids through an open casting call on the Totally Wild website. The cast, crew, mentors, and the two nannies who looked after the kids day and night, stayed at the Australian Agricultural Corporation Longreach Campus. The series was filmed in late April and early May at the College, along the Thompson River and on other properties owned by Australian Agricultural College Corporation, including Manningham Sheep Station.

5 David Manchon and Rhondhu Fiddlers Roc (centre) leading the OUTBACK 8 in a mustering scene from the series. Photo: Margaret Oakden, EquiGraphics At only their second outing, David Manchon and his stallion, A Smart Twist Q-44689, placed third in the Intermediate Open at the Queensland Reining Championships in July. David Manchon A natural showman and born entertainer, David Manchon was the logical choice to mentor the Outback 8 kids during filming. A city boy by birth but a bushie at heart, David s French grandfather was a horseman and agricultural engineer who visited Australia, fell in love with the bush and immigrated with his family. David was bred and raised in Brisbane where horses played an integral part in his upbringing and sporting life. He attended Marist College at Ashgrove and competed at a State and National level in gymnastics and athletics. After graduating from Queensland University of Technology in Brisbane with a Bachelor of Journalism degree, he turned his back on the written word and headed for the Outback to work for Liz Miller at Rhondhu Stud, and later for Damien Curr. At the beginning of last year, David accepted a position with the Australian Outback Spectacular on the Gold Coast where he plays the part of Jim, the head stockman at Austral Downs Station, and usually rides the Quarter Horse gelding, Brendale Buc Shot Q (WB Bar Dot Buc Freckles x Lena Gay Doc). He says, Working with the Australian Outback Spectacular and Tony Jablonski has inspired me to begin training my own liberty horse, Rocky. David was one of five Outback Spectacular riders who auditioned for the role of mentor to the Outback 8 kids. On camera, the five candidates were asked a series of questions about themselves, their background and their ability to relate to, and teach, kids. David s response to the questions about kids was, Kids you win them in a raffle, don t you? His on-camera presence, riding ability, sense of humour, piercing blue eyes and clean-cut good looks secured him the job. He first met the excited Outback 8 kids when they were invited backstage after a performance at the Australian Outback Spectacular, and within weeks he was on a plane with them, bound for Longreach. Working at the Australian Outback Spectacular is the perfect job for David who breaks and trains horses during the day and performs in the show five nights each week, making his entrance into the Outback Spectacular arena by 7 pm and arriving home after the show at pm. He and his partner, UD TRUCK & COACHWORKS TRAILER Immaculate Condition MK km, Mr Bullbar polished bar, driving lights, two alloy long range tanks, interior curtains in cab, cd player, immaculate condition with tray and tack/saddle/feed/equipment box. Coachworks Trailer, 30ft x 8ft wide, 5 horse, kitchen, a/c, shower, cupboards, queensize bed, change area, barn doors with slide out tailgate, full air brakes. This outfit has been shedded all it s life, and both are in immaculate condition. $130,000 + GST. Call or

6 Sophie Houlihan, who is studying for an Associate Degree in Applied Science (Equine Studies) at the University of Queensland s Gatton campus, have bought 40 acres at Rosewood, west of Brisbane which they have developed into an impressive facility for David to break and train reining and challenge horses. Five of Flex Breaking and Training s first clients have 2YOs coming up to futurities that David broke for them, and he says his next step is to train clients futurity and challenge horses himself. He trains and shows his own reiners and takes only five outside horses at a time, putting a reining foundation on them and riding each one in a 500-acre paddock, taking them up and down gullies and through and across varying terrain. To allow David time to catch up on his sleep, Sophie feeds the horses in the morning and she saddles his horses and accompanies him when he takes youngsters on their first ride in that 500-acre paddock. During his brief career as a breaker and trainer, twenty-four-year-old David has been overwhelmed by the support he has received from other trainers. He makes particular mention of Warren Cox who generously gives of his time and knowledge, and who gives David constant support and encouragement. Warren is a mentor to the mentor, so to speak. Filming the television series has opened new doors for David who says, I had the time of my life making Outback 8. It wasn t something I ever envisioned happening to me but it is certainly something I want to go on with. I enjoy entertaining so if there s an opportunity in the future to combine the two, I ll be there. Geoffrey Cooper, Network Ten Executive Producer, says, For someone who had never worked in TV before, Dave really excelled. I think we can expect to see more of this young horseman not only on our TV screens but also in the show ring. He is self-effacing about his talent, describing himself as a tadpole in the reining industry but this tadpole has the potential to become a piranha in the reining pond, devouring the opposition. Outback 8 is a 13-part observational series which will screen in Australia on Network Ten and in the UK on the BBC at the end of September. Flex Horse Breaking and Training David Manchon Pictured: Stylish Playboy Q Ad here Starting 2yr olds: Reining, Cutting, Challenge Horses Developing soft supple and willing horses Sale Preparation/Campaigning Make your two yr old a Flex horse Rosewood, QLD 4340 PH: or