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“Over the
last few years we have been reducing our numbers as planned towards a
retirement for Bruce and myself. Well that day has come. After a
lifetime of riding (I commenced at 3 years) and loving horses it is very
hard to let go especially as I keep getting lots of ideas to breed
better horses but as the saying goes, “The mind is strong but the body
is weak”.
Those
words were written 10 years ago and I have finally realised that
I have too many things I want to do and too many ideas to put into
practice to retire – I see horses and pupils going into the future just
the way two mirrors reflect a never ending line.
That
retirement is just not going to happen!
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We are
finally out of our Sunnyside Farm property. The flagpole, the
Marena Stud sign and the Statue were the last to go.
On Saturday
28th March we moved our horse statue and set it up on
the new Stud property at 387 Yarramalong Road, Wyong Creek,
certainly a symbolic gesture of moving on into the future.
Pictured at right are (L to R) Luke, Peter, Keeley, Lindy,
Maureen & Bruce
Pictured at left is
Harry Hatherley (Kristie’s four year old son) having his first
lesson on that wonderful school pony Marena Goldmark who is 27
this spring. |
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Agistment, riding lessons and clinics will continue as usual. Our
Riding Pony stallion, Kolbeach Royal Print, will still stand at stud.
We have retained broodmares and some show horses for Lindy, Keeley and
our pupils to ride.
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Sydney Royal
- After competing for 54 consecutive years, sometimes with over
20 horses, it was with much disappointment we reluctantly
withdrew our entries from Sydney Royal this year.
I
first rode there when I was 5 years and completed each year
until the Show was discontinued during WWII. Then followed
Teachers College, teaching, marriage,
the move to Yango and children before I started taking the
stock horses to Shows and then Sydney Royal once more.
It is sad for us not to be at Sydney but necessary as we forge
our life on the new property but we will be there in 2016.
At Right is Maureen (Simpson) pictured with Golden Rocket after
winning Champion Lady Rider at Gosford Show when she was 16 y.o.
A special
edition of the Australian Riding Pony magazine is being
released for that Society’s 40th anniversary.
Apparently we have registered
over 200 ponies
with the ARP, which was quite a surprise to us because that
number of registered horses does not include the foals we have
registered with other Breed societies or the ones perhaps not
registered at all.
Over the
years we have bred Thoroughbreds, Australian Stock Horses,
Riding Ponies, Australian Saddle Ponies, Australian Stud Book
Ponies, Warmbloods, Palominos, and Miniatures. From now on we
are concentrating on our Stock Horses and ponies. We have
sold horses to all states of Australia and overseas to
Malaysia, Japan, England, USA, NZ, Hong Kong, etc. |
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The year
2014 has been a defining year in some our client’s lives too.
The Talbots have sold their Wyong Creek property and now live in
the Dooralong valley. This year is Bronte’s Higher School
Certificate year and she has been elected School Captain of the
Lakes Grammar School. She and Alexa have both grown so much
they are progressing onto Hacks.
At Sydney
Royal last Friday Bronte (pictured at Left) competed in the
Junior Judges Competition and came 3rd.
The
Evans’ have sold their property at Robinson and are moving onto
a new property at Mittagong where, like us, they have to set up
all new infrastructure and build a house. Nell, however, found
time to go to Robertson Show and not only won Champion Hack with
DP Jeremiah, and Open Hack with Geisha, but was also crowned
Miss Showgirl. Well done Nell.
Will has
not had much time for riding as he has built himself a new
house. That is very well done Will! |
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Sarah
Hooke has been very busy with her family and has also taken
a break from showing. Look out 2016 – everybody will be back in
action. |
Lindy has
been very busy with judging responsibilities at Melbourne Summer Royal,
Canberra Royal, and National Pony of the Year Show. She will also be
judging in May at Australian Stock Horse National in Tamworth.
Luke and
Keeley have settled in well to our new home on the Wyong River and
are enjoying kayaking and swimming in the river. They are enjoying the
second year at Lakes Grammar School and recently both were awarded
Certificates for their achievements for the term. Keeley won for ‘Soul’
due to her participation in class, in school life and her compassion and
help for others in need. Luke won his Class 6 award for ‘Strength’ for
his efforts and improvement in his school work this term.
We are
particularly pleased with the home we found for Marena Amber Wish
when we wanted to lease her.
We leased her to the Drynan
Family of Queensland last year. Charlotte and Harry are having a fun
time and are having a very successful Show run with her. She won
Leading Rein Pony of the Year in Queensland and so competed at the
recent at SIEC/Sydney. Ridden by Harry Drynan and led by
Ken. Wish went Top Ten Grand National Leading Rein Pony.
Lindy, Kristie and I went down to see her and were very pleased with the
condition she is being kept in. Congratulations to the Team Drynan.
As we still have
a lot of construction to do on our new Stud property, we have other
horses that we are willing to lease to suitable homes. We have a
galloway and a pony and some fillies from 2 years on available. If
anyone is interested, please ring Lindy.
 Jule
Manolas of Yass with Marena Charade. Charade was successful
recently at the ACTDA Dressage Competition winning Official Preliminary
Pony Championships. We are always pleased to hear of progress of our
Marena horses. Charade is pictured at Right.
We are so pleased to receive
news and photos of our horses from owners.
Thank you for
sending your messages.
Marena horses have
maintained their consistent excellence over the years, we are still
receiving news of our horses into their teens and twenties still making
their owners happy.
 Surely
one of the most loved and useful Marena ponies is Marena Concerto.
Purchased from us an unbroken 3 y.o. to Victoria, she was later sold to
Sheila Bryant and spent many happy years winning ribbons for her
daughter.
Concerto pictured at Left.
Lindy was
recently in contact with Peta McMinn in Tasmania. Peta spent some
pleasant times with us.
She said to Lindy “I still make my sandwiches the Marena way!”
Lindy said “How’s that?”
Her answer was “Buttered right to the edges.”
Peta bought four
of our horses who became Royal Show Champions and/or HOY winners -
Marena Mystic, Marena Charleston, Marena Storm Master and Marena Accent.
Certainly I have been lucky over the years to have had some great
experiences and happy times with so many horse people.
 We
are off to Melbourne this month to attend Bruce’s sister Beryl’s 90th
birthday party who still plays tennis.
We began breeding
horses in 1957. As a child I had a dream – I am still living it!
At Right, Maureen with Wyong Show ribbons and sash from Sydney Royal.
Past Prime
Minister, Malcolm Frazer, was well known for his words “Life was not
meant to be easy!”
On his death recently it was interesting to hear the full quote for that
one-liner.
Quote
of the Month
“Life was not meant to be easy,
But take courage child,
Because it can be delightful”
Love and
best wishes,
Maureen Walker
Home
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November, 2014
Marena Stud’s New Home is at 387 Yarramalong Road Wyong Creek.
 You are quite right! - we are almost
in the same place - our address was 336 Yarramalong Road, so we are just
down the road a little on the opposite side of Yarramalong Road, on a
smaller parcel of land.
We were unable to find a property to
suit our needs in the district and eventually purchased a cottage on the
beautiful Wyong River and planned to develop our property at 387
Yarramalong Road as the Stud property.
We have been so busy reducing our
operation to pocket size - not an easy job after 42 years of
collecting and spreading. We are most grateful to the new owners of
Sunnyside Farm for their help and their patience over the difficult time
of Bruce’s illness and this complicated transition to the new Marena
Stud.
We are starting from scratch, building
all the infrastructure of roads, electricity, water, stables and fences
on our new Marena Stud, a rather daunting prospect. The good news is
that Bruce is so much better that he is doing the fencing ably assisted
by son Peter Walker,
Angus Jones, and new helper
Chris Burrell.
We would like to thank Antony Joseph and Deena of Castle Personnel for
their dedicated assistance over the last several months.
In fact, we have been so busy that
Lindy and Keeley have not been able to compete any Shows since Sydney
Royal. Lindy is judging
Melbourne Summer Royal, Canberra Royal and National Pony of the Year
Show so will not be competing at any of these shows and, due to
our policy if Lindy or I are judging, nor will any of our clients and
pupils.
Coincidently, the Evans Family have
sold their Robertson property and are frantically moving and building
from scratch on their new property in the southern Highlands..
All riding lessons will be conducted on
the new property from December 2014. Ring Lindy for Bookings on 0418
433 710. We will be having our usual Christmas School and
Break-up Party on 18th & 19th
December We are looking forward to a fine new start in 2015.
Last regular lessons will be on 17th December, and regular lessons will
recommence Tuesday 13th January, 2015. Please talk to Lindy re
lesson times to beat the heat over the Christmas break.
We will be holding
a School in mid-January, possibly 16th &17th. Please check with
Lindy or watch our Newsletters for updates. We expect bookings to
be tight so please let us know of your interest.
Marena Stud Young Stock for Sale for Christmas - Our young stock are growing and a selection is
ready for sale, from yearlings to 3 year olds, Show Horses and some
broodmares so there is something for everybody just in time for
Christmas.
Contact Maureen or Lindy for full
details of what is available.
Phone: +61 (0)2 4352 1707 Mobile: +61 (0)418 433 710 or +61
(0)400 551 403 E-mail:
[email protected]
 The
Spring
has brought us five new foals. Gabi and Emma Hollows
Thoroughbred/Aust. Stock Horse mare,
Breezy Street was the
first to foal, a lovely chestnut filly by Queensland Aust, Stock Horse
stallion
Ervine’s Rollex. Pictured at Right Maureen, Gabi, Breezy and her
new born filly.
Emma who was based in San Francisco and
has now moved to Malaysia, has not seen her foal yet and is looking
forward to being home for Christmas, in the meantime Gabi is keeping her
up to date with the foal’s progress in photos.
Marena Radiance,
who is from Marena Accent, Supreme Champion ASH at Sydney Royal and ASH
Nationals, also had a foal by
Ervine’s Rollex. A
chestnut colt, with such a winning background we are expecting big
things from him.
Marena Moondance,
who is a member of the Dance Family which has produced so many Royal
Show Champion including Marena Mayflower, Marena Windflower, has a
stunning dark brown filly foal which will go grey like her famous
relatives. By Kolbeach Royal Print.
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Marena Mirage -
pictured at Left with Marena Moonflower on right, foaled
a chestnut colt by Kolbeach Royal Print. This is Mirage's first
foal and our
last foal for 2014 Mirage is another daughter of Marena Accent's so
has multi Royal Show Champions on both sides of her pedigree.
Kolbeach Royal Print
- our
resident stallion,
has proved himself a
remarkable sire, producing four seasons of foals for us with the mark of
greatness on them
and their
temperament is superb.
One of his progeny,
Marena Flame
(at Right) was
bought by Jo Cornale of Queensland as youngster and broken in and shown by her
12 year old daughter Maddy with immediate success. He was going
to be put on the market
as Maddy wanted to go campdrafting. She took Flame
to a Team Penning day and he was brilliant so she is not going to
sell him now. |
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Marena Amber Wish
(at Left) currently
being leased from Marena Stud
by
Ben & Megan Drynan for their children
for Charlotte & Harrison to ride.
Amber Wish
ridden by Harrison pictured at left after a successful day
where they
won Queensland Show Horse Council
Leading Rein Pony of the Year.
From time to time Marena Stud has Show ponies for lease as well
as Broodmares. Please contact Lindy to see what is
available for Lease or Sale. |
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Farm Clearance Auction -
Our thanks go to Justin and Kerrin Rumore of Country to
Coast Auctions for the help in running a successful Farm
Clearance Sale for us
on Sunday 22nd June
2014.
Antiques and Collectibles
- We still have some items for sale that we did not have time to
present at the Farm Clearance Auction including some very nice
antiques and collectors’ items. Contact us if you would like to
look.
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 60th Wedding Anniversary
Bruce and I will be celebrating our 60th
Wedding Anniversary on 8th January 2015. Our family are
giving us a party on Saturday the 10th January.
Where did the time go? It gets away
and we still have so much to do. I have spent my life teaching and
enjoying my beautiful horses, Bruce has spent his with all things
country, love of the bush, and has writing his poetry.
We have had a very fortunate life
together with a loving, loyal family and many dear friends
Love and
best wishes,
Maureen Walker
Quote
of the Month
-
"Do not regret growing older.
It
is a privilege denied to many."
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