secretary@clydesdalesvic.org.au Straight from the Horses Mouth CCHS Vic Secretary Email News August 2012 Welcome to the September edition of Straight From The Horses Mouth. It has been another busy month for Daryl and I with preparations for the AGM, getting the invitations out for our daughters wedding and a trip to the USA which I hope you will enjoy reading about in this issue of SFTHM. It is that time or year again when all those in the Clydesdale world begin to get busy with show season, foaling and breeding season. Royal Melbourne Show is again on our door step for some and for others the foals are already being born. Hopefully all of you will have received a copy of the highpoints competition which I hope you will participate in. I have tried to clarify a few things in this issue but I m sure as with most new things there will probably be a few hiccups along the way, so please bare with me as we try the competition this year. Until next month, enjoy the read and hope to see you at the AGM on the 9th September. regards Secretary CCHS Vic Branch John Kohnke Newsletters John Kohnke has expressed his appreciation for the great hospitality shown to him by committee and members at the recent Clydesdale Seminar. If you would like to receive John s newsletters by email please contact Gary at newsletters@kohnkesown.com Newsletters are free. Clydesdale Seminar & Showing Forum A great time was had by all at the recent Clydesdale seminar and showing forum. People were enthralled by talks on the Saturday from John Kohnke on nutrition and fertility and by staff from the Equine Hospital discussing AI & EI. Some even took home some great prizes. On the Sunday those interested in the show ring were privileged to hear our top judges speak on what they look for in the ring and then hear them talk in a life like show ring demonstration. Although it was a cold day members warmed up with a provided BBQ lunch and a good old chin wag amongst friends. I would like to congratulate Kristen Marriott and the Benalla Group for organizing another successful day for members. I hope there will be another in the future. Thank you. www.clydesdalesvic.org.au

Highpoint Competition Highpoints competition has started! The competition will begin with the Castlemaine and Dandenong foal shows for the foals and the Royal Melbourne Show for all other Clydesdales and finish on the 30th June before the results and awards to be announced at the AGM next year. All registered Clydesdales are eligible to enter but members need to be a financial member for the year of competition. A competition form is included in this months SFTHM which states the rules of the competition. Forms will be available in next newsletter or from the branch secretary and on the website. For enquiries regarding the competition please contact the Vic Branch Secretary. Lets support this competition and get our clydesdales out to public shows. More shows you attend the better your chances. Reminder each horse must have its own form. Please note: For all sections the points are awarded to the horse and not to the driver ( for harness) as stated on the entry form. Any class which a CCHS registered Clydesdale is eligible to enter will count toward the competition. If a class is specifically for a driver/handler then the points will be awarded to the driver/handler. Eg: Junior handler Led Class or Novice Delivery Horse Driver. Ridden classes will also be accepted in the competition as a separate section. So the three sections will be Led, Harness, Ridden. You may enter the same horse for each section but would need to use separate forms for each section. I hope this clarifies the rules of the competition a little more but I m sure we will have a few teething problems along the way as we hopefully run a successful highpoints competion for the year. AGM Reminder AGM Sunday 9th September 2012 Year Book The 2012 year book is out now! Please purchase a copy and support this great resource book. The price of the yearbook for Victorian Branch members is $20 and $30 for all other branches and the public. Books can be purchased from Colin Cox, Thelma Ronzio or the Vic Branch website merchandise store. Thank you to Colin & Tara Cox on producing another fabulous year book. Condolences On behalf of the CCHS Victorian Branch members I wish to express our deepest condolences to Julie Barber on the recent passing of her father Ivor Barber. Deepest sympathy to all the Barber Family at this time.

Coming Events... This is a guide only, please check with the relevant Society for more details. September 22nd Royal Melbourne October Show 6th Nathalia Show Sunbury Show 5-6th 20th Burnie Show TAS Geelong Show Kyabram Show Benalla Show 21st 24-27th Rutherglen Royal Hobart Show TAS 27th Bendigo Show 28th November Cobram Show For further enquiries regarding advertising in Stallions at Stud 2012 please contact Tanya Fullarton tanyaf@slatterymedia.com or (03) 9627 2683 Royal Melbourne Show 2012 Well the countdown has begun and exhibitors are beginning to prepare for the Royal Melbourne Show. I would like to take this opportunity to wish all exhibitors a successful, and enjoyable show. To those wishing to participate in the Junior Presentation Classes information and entry forms are on the event page on the Vic Branch website or can be requested from the Vic Branch Secretary. 3rd Whittlesea Show 3rd NEW Dookie Show 3rd Bairnsdale Show 10th Dandenong Show 11th Ballarat Show 17th Deloraine Show T 17th Yarram Show 17th Noorat Show 17th Lilydale Show For further coming events Visit www.clydesdalesvic.org.au

Bud Barns & Baseball By Junita Wiltshire With a busy couple of weeks ahead we hurriedly packed our bags, checked our tickets and had a final look over our full on itinery. The boys had made it home safely from another busy day at school and it was now time to say our goodbyes before we hit the road on our adventure which we had dreamed about for almost 30 years. Although having dreamt and planned in our heads for so long, it was actually a quite spur of the moment trip. Having just moved into our new home we were walking down town one day and decided to stop in at the travel agents as we walked past and get a quote. After receiving a good price for tickets which apparently finished the next day we went home and within the hour said to each other, OK, lets do it. And the rest is history. We firstly visited the Wild West in Wyoming visiting relatives, Robin, Kate & Patrick Wiltshire who showed us around their wonderful part of the world, Dubois Wyoming and its terrific sights nearby. The teton mountains, the famous Jackson hole, the wonderful people and terrific weather were all there to show us a great time but the one thing that was missing was the famous wild west wild life...none... Not any to be seen. For years we have seen the pictures and heard the stories about the wolves, bear, buffalo and moose... But for us there was none to be seen. Maybe due to the drought they are experiencing at Magnificent Wyoming Views the moment. After an exhausting, but fantastic week we headed to Denver for a few days before boarding another plane and jetting to the Home Town of the Famous Budweiser Clydesdales. Landing in St Louis we hired a car and headed for the town of Boonville about two and a half hours outside of St Louis. It was here we saw our first US wild life... That evening we saw a possum... Yes we came all that way.. And saw a possum. The disappointment for the lack of wild life was soon forgotten the next day when we got back in the car and headed to the nearby Warm Springs Ranch, the home of the Budweiser Clydesdale breeding farm. As we drove through the elaborate front gates we were directed to, what the Bud guys call the barn. We looked in the barns direction but had to stop and pick up our bottom lip from the asphalt before we proceeded, The barn was a massive stable complex in the shape of a H which is used for housing and breeding the The Barn Budweiser Clydesdales. It features more stable stalls than I could count, a loft for all the bedding and feed, a serving room which also doubles as a bar for the tourists, a veterinary room with crushes for examinations and scanning, an office which doubles as a pharmacy, wash bays, store rooms, gift shop, bathrooms and more. It made you want to go home rip everything down and start again. But despite all the glamour of the Ranch we soon realized it was just like any other breeding farm. After an extensive two day personal tour of the facility by a great guy named John and his team of co-workers - Eric, Jim & Adam (yes.. Only four of them run this amazing facility) and viewing over a hundred clydesdales we came to realize that under all that glitz and glamour they have the same problems as we all do. Same problems foaling, getting foals to drink, getting mares in foal, foot problems, joint problems, etc. They of course have greater access to veterinary products which may assist them and expertise at hand. We saw like most studs, mares and foals we would like to take home to our own stud and some we wouldn t. Some were of great size but most were similar size to the large mares we have in Australia. It is only the exception to the rule

so to speak that actually make the hitch. They must be 18hands, full bay, 4 white legs, etc. As we all know it is hard enough to breed a colour let alone the colour,markings and height so most of what we saw were not the typical looking Budweiser Clydesdale but each had a mixture of what would make that perfect hitch horse. Some had great height but had a black leg, others had white legs but lacked the required height, and others still had the height and legs but too much roan or white markings on their bodies. They also face the same disappointments we do when what seems to be moving along as the perfect horse for their need some how blows a hock or acquires another injury which renders them no good for the hitch or for breeding. We saw two stallions being used extensively in the breeding program at present. Both were a similar style horse to what we have in Australia and both Budweiser mares & foals measured around 17.5hands. One is a Millisle Perfection grandson named Priest Lake Perfection and the other Millisle Dominator, is a Scottish import by Dillars Leader. Both were putting some nice foals on the ground. Priest Lake Perfection Millisle Dominator John and his team were terrific and made us feel right at home. John has a great knowledge and plenty of experience in breeding clydesdales which he generously shared with us along the way. John is responsible for breeding on average around 40 foals per year. With so much to take in of this beautiful facility and the valuable information shared by John it was no wonder we were feeling rather tired as we anticipated the drive back to St Louis. Wash Bay View from the feed loft A couple of the boys at Warm Springs Ranch But we headed back with the knowledge that our exciting tour of the Budweiser facilities was to continue the next day at the famous Grants Farm. We said our goodbyes to John and his team, had one last glance at the mares in the white lined fields out the windows,and a quick last look at the barn in the rear vision mirror,before we exited the gates and headed back along the McDonald s lined highway back to St Louis. With a short nanna nap in a parking lot along the way we made it to our new motel for a much needed rest before heading to Grants Farm for our own personal tour early the next morning.

Although Grants Farm was not as large as the breeding farm it still had the same majestic feel about it. It is situated in the middle of a housing estate with houses surrounding the white fences. We were amazed at the minimal security around the facility. On one side of the establishment you see the iconic white fences and red barns, horses peacefully grazing and today no tourists in sight but other days about 5000 tourists. On the other side of the road is a high fence of green foliage which houses the wild life farm... Yeah we finally got to see wild life. After meeting with supervisor Amy,we visited more clydies. Some will remember the cute little foal in the Bud commercial who pulls the wagon from the barn (with a little assistance of course), well he is now all grown up and graces the fields at Grants Farm. We then moved along to an amazing stable facility with a carriage collection which could only make the average harness enthusiast drool, before we ventured into the wild life park and were given a private meeting Bud Baby ( Evan) all grown up Grants Farm - Coach House with an elephant whom we were privileged to feed, a room full of rare parrots and macaws, and a close encounter with a python and anaconda before a final drive through of the wild life reserve to see buffalo, zebra, deer, and more. Again we left a great facility excited and exhausted and readied ourselves for the final day of Budweiser touring. Our last full day in St Louis was another Budweiser day. First we visited the Budweiser Brewery where we were taken on the brew masters tour which took us through all the workings of how the beer is made (got to taste on the way) and showing us all the facilities at the brewery including the stables. We had a quick look at the stables before heading back to the lounge and being invited to sample all the beers and beverages made by Budweiser. Some time later, feeling a little worse for wear we were directed back to the stables for our own personal tour with Tony. The stable facilities at the brewery is the one you have probably all seen with the amazing chandelier in the centre of a round brick room. It is absolutely stunning. It was here we came to see Big Jake. Along our travels at the breeding farm and Grants Farm we were told we must see Big Jake. Living up to his name Big Jake stands around 20hands. He is seven years old and has not been working in the team due to his size since he was three years old. Our son Jake was privileged to meet Big Jake when he was out with the hitch on Jake s first trip to the US four years ago. They can not find another horse to match him with so he is now on display at the Budweiser Brewery Stables

stables. Big Jake is a real gentle giant with a lovely nature which allowed me to quite easily stand under his neck for a photo without feeling like a mouse under an elephant. Although large he still seems in proportion to his height and stands quite close from behind, although we did not see him walk very far to see how he moves. Big Jake is now one of the hero horses at Budweiser. This is the name they give to there special horses such as those who appear in the commercials. There are not many of the original hero horses left from the first football commercial but we were privileged to meet one named Marty while on our holiday. Marty is now owned by Robin. Marty enjoyed waking us each morning we were there by banging on the decking of our cabin to let us know he wanted breakfast and could we hurry up. Marty has quite the appetite. Big Jake Hero Horse - Marty After another great day and now feeling sober after the days beer tasting, we went out that night for our last Budweiser experience. Having been and done it all this was to be our last night out on the town and an experience not to be forgotten. Baseball... Yes, we just had to see a game of baseball. Thanks to our tour guide Kate who lovingly booked all our fantastic trip. Yet again Kate had not let us down and had organized a fantastic last night for us at Budweiser Stadium the home of the St Louis Cardinals. Wow... What a game! Done with true American style we sat through a couple of hours of stimulating atmosphere. Fireworks, clapping, music, singing, kissing, catching, were all the things to entertain the crowd... Oh and a terrific baseball match. Well the dream of 30 years has now finally come to an end and we are now back in our life of reality. The dream is now gone and has now been replaced with memories Was it all we expected it to be? Nah... It was better!... Now for the next dream Stalls at the Brewery Stables New baby at the brewery