LATEST NEWS
Merry Christmas!
To all advertisers, members & visitors.
Wishing you a safe & happy christmas, may 2009 be full of great show wins, healthy foals, & many new friends
Merry Christmas from Mel @ the Western Horse Forum
WHF Stallion & Business Listings
Looking for some cheap advertising that will reach numerous people in your industry? Then look no further!
The Western Horse Forum has now got Stallions @ Stud and Stud & Business Directories ready to take your bookings now.
$55.00 a year for your own website page for your stallion, $33.00 for your business listing- you can't go wrong!
Package prices are also available- check out the advertising page to see what is available
WHF now has live chat
Live chat is now set up on the WHF. Sign in and chat to your mates or make new ones!
Our busiest chat times is in the afternoon/evenings
QLD Colourama Spectacular POSTPONED
The Colourama Show on this weekend at Gatton has been postphoned due to flooding at the showgrounds.
The groundskeeper rang and said the grounds could not be used.
The Show has been re-booked for 7 & 8 March 2009
Sent on behalf of the Dilutes Australia SQ Branch Committee
Storm Season in QLD
We are experiencing some pretty wild weather up here in QLD at the moment
 
Our thoughts are with those less fortunate in areas of Brisbane who have lost their homes etc.
Alot of fencing damage has been reported to insurance companys who are working around the clock to keep up with claims etc. Here at Karalee I recieved 8 inches of rain between 8pm-3am last night. Above is just some of the fencing I lost. Many thanks to those people on the forum and in other parts of QLD and Australia who have contacted to check that we are all ok.
Below are some photos from West Ipwich, of the Bremer River bursting its banks and flooding paddocks.  
Below are some shots taken at Minden, including the flooded out Minden Crossroads Shop
 
Below are images from around Ipswich on the 20th November, 2008
 
 
Photo Shoots Available
In Sydney/Canberra & Newcastle
12th- 14th December 2008! Be quick to book your spot, get some great christmas gifts!
Email Mel
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GOULBURN VALLEY REINING HORSE ASSOCIATION
RAFFLE
Was drawn on November 15 won by
Western Horse Forum member Marianne Grace of Tasmania!
Hickorys Ruf N Ready, a 2006 chestnut gelding by Ruf Major* (2005 QRHA Open Derby Champion, VRHA Open Reserve Champion) out of the mare Hickory Ochre (2002 NSW NP Futurity Champion, NSW Snaffle Bit Hi Point Reserve Champion, 2003 PHAA Open Reining Champion, NPHA National Jnr Horse Champion, NSW Open Novice Hi Point Champion, Top 10 in both AQHA & NRHA National Standings. 2004 NRHA Futurity Show Open Classic Reserve Champion, Top 10 in NRHA National Standings.) had 4 months training with the raffles sponsors Todd McCormick and Shaun Saunders.
Congratulations Marianne we wish you all the best with "Dodge" for the future.
Congrats again to Smiths Creek Paint Horses
What a great year they are having with their US purchases!
Australian-owned Paint makes history at inaugural Fall Championship Show
By Kayla Starnes
Craig Dengate and wife, Karen Lonski, of Port Macquarie, New South Wales, Australia, met more than one goal when their yearling filly, An Intense Desire, took Yearling Mares Slot Class Reserve Champion honors this week with Andrea Simons of Aubrey, Texas, at the lead.
Andrea Simons leads Reserve Slot Champion, An Intense Desire, out of the arena after winning $7,400 in the Yearling Mares Slot class. This title gives Australia’s Craig Dengate and wife, Karen Lonski, the prestige of being the first international owners to make a splash at the Fall Championship Show.
In addition to the $7,400 slot class earnings, the owners took the honor of being the first international members to have a top-placing horse at the APHA Fall Championship Paint Horse Show. Their win truly established the APHA Fall Championship Show as a world- class event. "Craig and Karen were on Cloud Nine all day," said the filly’s breeder and trainer Kelley Deignan-Stone of Diamond 2 B Show Horses in Sanger, Texas. "It really made their show and we were all thrilled. "They are the best people in the world," Deignan-Stone continued. "Craig is a past president of the Australian Paint Horse Association. They came over for the World Show this past summer, which was when they saw An Intense Desire and fell in love." According to Deignan-Stone, the couple asked her to fit the mare for competition in the United States. The trainer suggested the APHA Fall Championship Show slot as the filly’s debut event for the sorrel overo offspring of Intensely Tuff and River Of Desire. The filly has shown in two classes so far—the Yearling Mares Slot, where she won Reserve, and the Amateur Yearling Mares, where Dengate showed her to the finals. An Intense Desire’s next class will be the Open Yearling Mares Slot early this week, where she could possibly raise the bar by making her owners the first repeat international title-holders.
For two of her international clients and one beautiful yearling filly, the future looks bright. This could be the last competition for An Intense Desire in the United States for a while. Next for her comes a show career at her new home "Down Under" in Australia. Then, she may have a future as a top broodmare.
Other Intensely Tuff offspring from Diamond 2 B are also finishing well at the inaugural APHA Fall Championship Show. Two-year-old daughters Shes Surely Intense and Im An Intense Babe took the top two places in the Solid Paint Bred Mares All Ages class at the Show. Newly crowned World Champion Shes Surely Intense was campaigned by breeder and owner Bob Byrom, of Diamond 2 B Show Horses, while Im An Intense Babe was exhibited by owner Joe Berry of Visalia, Calif. Yearling son, A Tuff Touch, who is owned by Diamond 2 B and exhibited by Andrea Simons, won the Yearling Stallion Slot and more than $8,800. "As breeders, I don’t think we could ask for anything else," said Deignan-Stone. "That’s the best we could hope for—to have siblings that consistently win year in and year out. It’s been an awesome show." Deignan-Stone is excited about the recent growth of the international market, such as her relationship with Craig Dengate and Karen Lonski, and what the future holds for Paints outside of the United States. "As breeders and a trainers, we need to welcome enthusiasts from other countries and grow that international market," said Deignan- Stone. "Our international business has really taken off."
Linked from
http://www.aphafallchampionship.com/aussiechamp.aspx
Redlands Vet Passes Away
Our thoughts and prayers are with
Ben's family, friends & clients.
A south-east Queensland veterinarian has died of the Hendra virus after being infected at work several weeks ago. Dr Ben Cunneen, 33, was the senior equine vet at the Redlands Veterinary Clinic on Brisbane's bayside. He had been in intensive care for more than a month after becoming the first person to be infected with the virus at the clinic.
Dr Cunneen died in a Brisbane hospital yesterday.
Owner of the clinic, Dr David Lovell, says Dr Cunneen's family are trying to cope with their loss.
"Dreadful, you know it's just devastating and just spare a thought for them for the last five weeks," he said. "They've virtually had to maintain a vigil against overwhelming odds of any chance of success, so it's terrible." Dr Lovell says his staff are devastated by Dr Cunneen's death.
"He's been like part of the family I guess for a long, long time," he said. "It's just terrible - they're very, very upset. It's been the thing we've been fearing I guess right from the start."
A vet nurse from the clinic remains in hospital with Hendra virus.
A Department of Primary Industries vet who pricked herself with a syringe while putting down a horse who had recovered from the virus is also in hospital as a precaution.
Six horses infected with the virus died or were put down. It is the first human death from the virus since the mid-1990s.
The Hendra virus was first identified at the Brisbane northside suburb of Hendra in Queensland in 1994 when 13 horses died after developing a severe lung infection and a bloody froth came from their mouths and noses.
The horse trainer Vic Rail subsequently developed the symptoms and died. The last Australian to die from Hendra virus was a Mackay farmer in 1995.
Dr Cunneen graduated from the University of Sydney and had many years of experience in private equine practice. Redland's Veterinary Clinic website described Dr Cunneen as an "instrumental member of our mobile equine practice" who had been with the clinic for quite some time.
It is believed Dr Cunneen and his wife Gill had both moved to the Redland Bay area.
Posted from http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/08/21/2342124.htm
2008 Foals are arriving!
Keep an eye out on the 2008 foals listing on the forum, we already have 4 foals born as of 3rd August.
We are sad to advise readers of the passing of Im Ultimately Hot* an imported paint stallion owned by Reece Burchell & connections.
This lovely young stallion was placed at the world show before coming to Australia, and his first foal born was a National Futurity Champion.
Our condolences to Reece, Shane & connections on the loss of 'Scooter'.
A very special congratulations to Karen Lonski of Smiths Creek Paint Horses, who is currently in Fort Worth Texas at the 2008 Paint Horse World Show. Karen's stallion Magnificent Touchdown was just awarded RESERVE WORLD CHAMPION in the 3 yr old Stallions Class.
Congratulations Karen, we are so proud and happy to hear your dreams have come true! Magnificent Touchdown will be standing in Australia this breeding season
www.smithscreekpainthorses.com
Magnificent Touchdown with handler Fred Tabor |
