Tara McGrath-West proudly displays some her recent prizes.
HARDEN’S 10-year-old Tara McGrath-west travelled to Tamworth earlier this year to compete at the 2012 Independent Miniature Horse Registry Australian (IMHR) national show, held over five days.
Following this show she then travelled to Sydney to compete at the 2012 Miniature Horse Association of Australia (MHAA) national show, held over six days.
About 600 horses attended the shows with Australia’s top studs and horses travelling form as far away as Western Australia, South Australia and Tasmania for the prestigious events.
Among Tara’s horses were Waya Lai Lai MJ Billy Jean and Alchemy Shamen’s Gift, which was given to her by one of Australia’s top trainers from Queensland and MHAA youth coordinator Justin Wertzler.
Both horses are being trained in performance by Sue Brown, formerly of Harden. Sue is the daughter of horseman and grazier Tom Rose, formerly of ‘Woodford’ Murrumburrah, who started the Demondrille Pony Club.
He held the Olympic three-day event trials at his property in the ‘60s and competed in all disciplines. He continued to compete until the age of 85 and it was from her father that Sue received all her training and expertise.
At the IMHR show Tara won the national sire’s futurity champion, national reserve champion youth trail (for nine to 11 years) national reserve champion, for a three-year-old mare 32 inches and under, Australian national champion small horse stallion, three-years old, and the Australian national champion amateur small horse stallion, among others.
At the MHAA show Tara won the Australian national grand champion miniature performance horse, the national champion miniature overall versatility and the junior miniature horse and the national champion, intermediate youth versatility.
