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Cedervale Class HSH

This article is from the February 2019 Horse Deals magazine.

Lacey Kremer and Bob in September 2018

Lacey Kremer and Bob in September 2018

Stable Name: Bobby.

Height: 15.2hh.

Age: 20yo, going on 8.

Breeding: Australian Stock Horse. Sire: Terrigerry Rebel. Dam: Cedervale Cindy.

Owned by: Combaning Stockhorses (the Schliebs family, Terry, Rach, Jack and Darcy).

Top 5 Results: Too many to list...
• Winner small arena draft junior Sydney Royal
• Winner junior time trial at Sydney
• Winner station horse junior at Sydney
• Winner team penning at Sydney
• Consecutive years winner of the junior working at Canberra Royal

Plus over 75 Champions and 20 Supreme Riddens, in the Stock Horse ring throughout his career.

How did he come into your life?
I had just had the twin boys Jack and Darcy, and wanted a horse that I could just hop on and go do stock work or if I could, get back into showing. I have never bought a horse sight unseen; I bought him over the phone from an advert.

What was your reaction when you first laid eyes on him?
He was dropped off in town by transporter, I arrived to see this big baldy face looking at me over the round yard, he had come from an area that had ticks and he had no tail, and was half snorty. At this stage I thought ‘god, what have I here.’

What was your first ride on him like?
We were in the middle of drought 2006, (seems not much has changed). After having the twins my confidence was not great, and self preservation was paramount. We are on 3000 acres, and I remember trotting up the paddock, and feeling this horse had quite a bit of education under him. Then I looked up and a mob of roos were descending upon us. Remembering this as my first ride, and not knowing the horse, and self preservation kicking in (who was going to feed the boys). He did not flick an eyelid as 20 or so roos bounced past. I knew then he was going to be OK.

Did you have any training issues?
On doing some homework, and finding out Gerald O’Brien had broken him in, he had no issues. We were blessed to read that advert that day.

Temora Pony Club with Darcy (aged 9)

Temora Pony Club with Darcy (aged 9)

How did he handle his first show?
He has a slight dislike to loudspeakers, but I remember he was very competitive that first show.

This year will be his 12th Sydney Royal.

How have things changed with his prep over the years?
He is such a creature of habit, and copes so well at the big shows, he adjusts to being boxed 24/7 easily. At home as it gets so hot, horses won’t graze due to the heat, so we stable during the day and out in paddock at night. He is the easiest horse to have around.

How many riders has he taken around at Sydney?
Over the past 12 years he has carried over ten different riders to classes at Sydney, and has on those occasions being able to give each rider a placing in Stock Horse events since 2008.

Darcy (aged 11 ) and Bob at their first Royal together.

Darcy (aged 11 ) and Bob at their first Royal together.

Most annoying habit or quirk?
Terry (my non-horsey husband) still to this day cannot catch him in any paddock. If we are away and he needs to be brought in I get quite interesting phone calls from the person attempting to catch him.

And eating, he is the slowest eater, always has been.

Strongest personality trait?
Honesty.

Preferred work environment?
Even though we don’t run cattle, he is extremely cowy, and can perform from draft to draft without working cattle in between. He would be in heaven if we had cattle instead of sheep, although I have seen him work sheep alone in the paddock.

Work ethic?
Many times he has pulled big wins from down the line purely on his work, hack and working. He is not a led horse. He has a brilliant off/on switch, at Canberra Royal when they had the dressage he placed second in a novice test, and the next day placed in his open working gelding.

He hasn’t got extravagant movement, but he is honest and does what is asked.

Weekly training regime?
My father always said to me he liked baked dinners, but not for breakfast, lunch and tea... as you would soon sour of them. Bob would be ridden maybe three or four times a week, mainly around sheep or in bush on our property to keeps his mind fresh. He is the ‘go to’ horse for ponying young horses off, as he gives confidence and won’t deal with bad manners.

Best friend?
His horsey besties would be Prada, (Combaning Downs Prada), and Hussler (Asar Hussler). I run all the horses together, as I am fortunate to have the paddocks to do so, and I believe it is a big part of their mental health.

His human besties would be Jack and Darcy. They have had great experiences with this horse, and Bob has put them on the right track to continue what they have learnt riding him, to younger horses now.

First thing on your shopping list for him?
Apples, although it takes him ages to eat them as he is always so delicate biting them.

When was the last time he made you laugh or cry?
At last years youth ASHS Nationals, Jack was doing the station horse class, pattern went a bit like walk to drum, pick up drizabone, trot a circle, place coat back on drum, dismount, trot horse to gate, remount, open gate, proceed and do a figure of eight with flying change, and stop in marked box, then loose rein walk back to judge cracking the whip. I was watching from a distance, and from what I saw, was pretty happy for Jack; Bob seemed to do everything as well as he could, Jack had his trademark grin. As he got closer said “Can you fix my reins?” When he dismounted and remounted at the gate in the pattern, he twisted the reins, so the figure of eight, flying change, stop, walk back etc was all done with Jack actually pulling the opposite reins. He didn’t place, but we still laugh at how Bob and Jack coped that day.

Most treasured moment?
Anytime the boys are riding him, and he carries them safely around.

Darcy and Bob at Cootamundra Ag Show 2018, winning Supreme Ridden ASH.

Darcy and Bob at Cootamundra Ag Show 2018, winning Supreme Ridden ASH.

What celebrity does he remind you of?
Roger Federer, just gets better with age, is a nice human, and is still winning. Plus the public love him, Bob is the same, he has been around so long, people still comment on him. And Federer is quiet and quite unassuming.

Does he get much downtime during the year?
All of our horses have May to July off as we are sowing and shearing that time of year, and then late November to January. In saying that, they are still stabled/paddocked and hard fed, and rugged. Just not ridden.

The next 12 months...
I see him carting younger kids around that are keen to compete. The boys still ride him, but have moved onto younger horses, who knows, he is still very competitive and sound.

What would you trade him for?
Over the years I have been offered good money for him, but he is family. I could not part with him. He has been too good a horse for us, with too many great memories.

3 things we don’t know about Bobby...

• In 2015 he was diagnosed with a nasal fungal granuloma. They are rare, not seen by my vets at university, but it was treated and cured.

• He has a severe dislike to rubber mats, tarps and hot tape.

• You cannot double dink on him, he will buck.

Jack and Bob at the NSW ASHS State Show, third in the Juvenile Challenge.

Jack and Bob at the NSW ASHS State Show, third in the Juvenile Challenge.

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