This article is from the March 2020 Horse Deals magazine.
If you love gardens, you will love Sunnyhill. If you love horses, you will love Sunnyhill; it is that kind of place and hard to believe that nine years ago it was just a bare 55 acres with cattle and barbed wire fences. “I wanted a nice horse property and it just sort of grew really,” says owner, Janet Seccull. Janet is a fourth-generation horsewoman whose grandfather, Tom Luxton was one of the founding fathers of Equestrian Australian back in 1956. Janet rode in the Garryowen and trained with showjumping legend, Art Uytendaal for many years. But it is dressage now for Janet and with help from trainer, Lone Jörgensen she has had some impressive results with the imported mare, Maritza by Blue Hors Zack, scoring over 70% in Advanced competition. Bloomfield Vegas, five years old and Bloomfield Vici, three, round out Janet’s main team.
Oh, and did I mention that Janet is a landscaper designer and her husband, Andrew was the owner and creative director of one of Victoria’s premier landscaping companies? They literally met in the garden. “I have introduced him to the horses and thankfully, he loves it,” says Janet. Andrew was not totally unaware of horses, as his father owned Manikato. The horse facilities are absolutely first class, not over the top and extravagant, just well designed, well built, functional and attractive.
“I had an idea of what I wanted in my head,” continues Janet, “and we have done a lot in nine years.” The property just off the road from Yellingbo to Macclesfield in Victoria, and an hour from the centre of Melbourne, is far enough off the road to not be noticed, but close enough to be convenient.
Photos: Julie Wilson
Article: Anna Sharply
Down past the barn to the beautiful view beyond.
There are several of these metal gates designed by Andrew. This one leads to the charming B&B cottage on the property. There is also an issue with rabbits and wire is often necessary to keep them from devouring the garden.
Say what you like about Agapanthus, but they certainly put on a magnificent display at this time of year. Looking from near the entrance to Sunnyhill up to the barn.
There were several dogs at Sunnyhill, but eight-month-old Penny was our constant companion as we walked around the beautiful property.
The four wonderful outside stables are set in a square and get the afternoon shade. "They were an afterthought," says Janet. The 4m x 4m boxes give the horses safe access to one another and afford them with plenty of fresh air and great views. These boxes are mainly used for visiting horses.
An aerial view of Sunnyhill showing the barn at the bottom of the photo, the house and the indoor arena beyond. A central laneway runs through the property giving access to the turnout paddocks. When they arrived nine years ago, there was nothing here but cattle, barbed wire fences and two oak trees. Janet and Andrew have created what you see.
The stable door opening to the tack room has been designed to rest a saddle on the bottom door.
Janet's neat tackroom is a wonderful space, full of well maintained gear and lots of family photos and memorabilia.
Another view of the Janet's tack room with the CCTV monitor on display. She can access the monitor on her phone and from the house.
One end of the barn is given over to five tie up areas with rubber footing, a vet crush and opposite the indoor hot/cold wash. Janet was a long time pupil of Art Uytendaal and he officially opened the barn in September 2012.
A view down through the barn, the shell of which was built by Aussie Made Garages and Barns in Lilydale. With Penny watching our every move.
Two tie up bays and the indoor wash, all with rubber footing.
The inside of one of the outside boxes.
The notice board surrounded with family photos. There is a series of photos of Janet taken during the Garryowen when she was 18-years-old.
Notice the sausage dog stool.
The agisters' tack room with individual lockers and plenty of room for gear.
No space is wasted with this area a convenient home for all the mucking out equipment.
The laundry room, barn kitchen and rug storage. This is also another space for agisters' tack.
A great idea. Turnout rugs hanging on numbered hooks.
Even though all the boxes have rubber on the floor, Janet also likes a good covering of shavings, to encourage the horses to lie down and to soak up the waste. Bloomfield Vegas shows us his room. There are six boxes, all with whirly birds, three are 4m x 6m and three, 4m x 4m. Stephen Irwin built the stable frames, sent them down from NSW, and their wonderful handyman, Les Stebbing, constructed them and pretty much everything else in the stables. There is also a hot weather misting system that was put together by Andrew.
A well organised feed room.
Telegraph posts have been used extensively as retaining walls in the garden and used as uprights. The metal tops have been left on to protect the wood and for artistic effect. All the stabled horses get an outside view and some are more curious than others.
The magnificent view from the verandah of Janet and Andrew's house. Notice the plunge pool to the right made from a concrete water tank. A great idea and very inviting.
The bountiful vegetable garden.
The back verandah with all the usual mess of these places in the long wooden boot box.
Bay hedges separate the garden into different garden rooms very effectively.
Landscape designers live here! Gardening ideas aplenty are to be found all over Sunnyhill, including this planting of succulents in part of an old telegraph post.
The cover over the shavings pile is ingenious. The Perspex sheeting cover is on chains and can be lifted (as shown) to allow access and then lowered to provide a weatherproof cover. The hay shed is next to the shavings storage and as gardeners, Janet and Andrew will put the used shavings (on right) to good use.
The 60m x 20m arena was built by Equestrian Facilities company, Equina Build and boasts a Martin Collins surface. There are overhead sprinklers, lights and mirrors.
Inspirational words on the indoor wall.
The attractive ground cover, cottoneaster damerii softening the landscape on the way to the indoor arena.
The electric off sets set high discourage any unwanted interaction between paddocks.
A view down through the property to the 22 acre paddock at the far end. The larger paddocks all have paddock boxes.
BC Cook Fencing are responsible for all the fencing on the property. The fences are sighter wire with electric offsets. There is also mesh fill and wire under the gates to deter dogs and rabbits.
The 15m rubber lined round yard is a useful inclusion to the facilities at Sunnyhill.
Janet is pictured aboard five year old, Bloomfield Vegas (Versace/Royal Hit mare). This laneway leads to the turnout paddocks. 18 large and six small and a 22 acre paddock are the rear of the property.
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