Barastoc, 50 years coming up!

The event simply known as Barastoc will run for the 49th time next weekend. The most famous horse show in Australia is followed online by thousands of fans here and overseas and will celebrate its Golden Anniversary Show next year.

It is second only to Geelong Football Club whose sponsorship by The Ford Motor Company has run for 93 years in having the same sponsor.

It has survived four company ownership changes and now, under the flagship of Ridley Agriproducts, its Golden Anniversary planning is well underway.

It was the first ever Australian Horse of the Year show, and has led the way creating new classes that have been copied Australia wide,

Equestrian Victoria Show Horse Chairman, Mitch Fox said,” The organising committee is busily planning a very special 2019 Barastoc which will celebrate past and present competitors and long-time supporters. Many great people have dedicated their lives to the show over the past 49 years”

First sponsored by Hutmill in 1970, it was panned and named by the company’s mill manager Peter Gahan using the letters BA- lanced RA-tions for STOC-k. It was Gahan and equine vet Fred Wiltshire who decided to run a show.

Peter was ring master for 20 years followed by Fran Cleland and then Fiona Mardling.

Originally held on the Olympic Park greyhound training track alongside the Yarra River, the hack classes were a support act for the Australian showjumping championships. It outgrew the grounds and moved to Royal Melbourne Showgrounds and from there to Werribee Park.

It survived Equine Influenza, running when other events were still timid, and continued to run on the week after Black Saturday, when organisers felt that people needed something normal to look forward to.

The name has moved into the Australian vernacular, and is the one event horse riders would like to win.

It has produced great horses, good young judges and created history that may never be repeated.

Article written by: Fran Cleland