Rebecca Farrow and Stage Presence won the Garryowen Equestrienne Turnout at Melbourne Royal in 2018. Image supplied by RASV.
Few classes in Australian showing carry the prestige and history of the Garryowen. Rebecca Farrow’s journey from a devoted turnout competitor to one of the most successful Garryowen competitors of recent decades reflects the tradition, dedication and horsemanship the class demands.
Always a highly anticipated class at Melbourne Royal, the Garryowen Equestrienne Turnout was first held in 1934 to honour the late Violet Murrell and her champion horse, Garryowen. Earlier that year, Violet tragically lost her life while attempting to rescue her beloved horses and dog from a devastating stable fire in Mentone, Victoria. She was just 29 years old.
Violet Murrell and her champion horse, Garryowen, in 1934. Image supplied by RASV.
A trailblazer in Australian equestrian sport, Violet enjoyed a career as a flat-race jockey, riding and winning against men, and was also a successful jumps jockey. Her horse Garryowen was a three-time Royal Melbourne Show Champion Saddle Horse.
A TRADITION IS BORN
The idea for the Garryowen Equestrienne Turnout was born during a gathering at the Police Depot in St Kilda Road, Melbourne, where friends of Violet discussed how best to honour her memory and that of her beloved horse. Through the Sporting Globe newspaper, members of the public contributed to the cost of purchasing the Garryowen Perpetual Trophy. Crafted by German-born sculptor Reinhold Kubart, the trophy features a 30-centimetre bronze statuette of Garryowen mounted on a marble and timber base. The winner is also presented with a blue sash fastened with a small photograph of Mrs Murrell riding Garryowen.
Only female riders aged 18 and over, riding horses over 14 hands, are eligible to compete. Competitors are rigorously judged across multiple categories, including riding ability, costume, saddlery, conformation and soundness, manners and paces and general appearance.
The Garryowen Perpetual Trophy. Image by Lisa Gordon Photography.
Rebecca Farrow admits she began competing in the Garryowen a little later than most, but that has not stopped her from finding success. Her first win came in 2002 aboard the Thoroughbred Stage Whisper, a horse that had also enjoyed considerable success on the racetrack, placing in both the Sydney and Brisbane Cups and qualifying for the Melbourne Cup.
“The Garryowen was something my Mum loved and I always did junior turnout class,” recalls Rebecca of her showing background. Successful as a junior and intermediate rider, Rebecca stepped away from the show ring in her early twenties after a run of bad luck with horses that became a little too heartbreaking.
“I didn’t really get to do the Garryowen until much later than when most people start… but it stemmed from my love of turnout classes from a young age,” she explains.
“It’s a really elegant and timeless event. It’s one of the few things that, in terms of history and tradition, has remained. There are no blingy outfits. There’s no change of colour of coats or different looks. It’s very traditional and steeped in history. And I think there’s an emotional connection for a lot of riders.
Rebecca first won the Garryowen in 2002 with an OTT named Stage Whisper. Image supplied.
“I remember particularly when Graeme Barker was the announcer [at Melbourne Royal] and he would tell the story of the Garryowen and it would just send chills through your spine even as a spectator. You can go and do a turnout class interstate at the other Royal shows, but it doesn’t have that emotional connection.”
While many riders dream of competing in the Garryowen, Rebecca explains that success requires a genuine love of the attention to detail the class demands. “It’s not an event for everyone. I think people have this dream that they need to get out and do the Garryowen, but you’ve got to love all the detail associated with it.”
Rebecca certainly has that passion. And it is not just the event’s rich traditions that she finds appealing; she also loves a traditional Thoroughbred show hack.
PERCY’S GARRYOWEN SUCCESS
Rebecca’s partnership with her second Garryowen winner, an off-the-track Thoroughbred named Stage Presence, became a standout success story.
“I was competing at Sydney Royal in 2014 and spotted ‘Percy’ out in a Novice class. He was pretty lean and in the raw, but he had a lovely way of going. He just caught my eye, and I thought he was a horse that I could really do something with,” says Rebecca of the moment she first laid eyes on Stage Presence.
As fate would have it, Rebecca’s mount suffered an unfortunate injury just prior to her rider class that day, and the owner of Stage Presence, who was then competing under another name, kindly offered her the catch ride. Following a 15-minute warm-up immediately before the class, they entered the ring and won. One month later, Stage Presence came to live with Rebecca.
The new partnership flourished, although it was not without setbacks.
“Seven months in, Percy ended up with colic and was on the operating table at Christmas,” recalls Rebecca. “Fortunately, he was one of the lucky cases. He had what’s called a ‘nephrosplenic entrapment’, which is where the colon floats up and gets stuck between the kidney and the spleen. He didn’t have to have anything removed; he literally just had to have everything put back in its place.”
Rebecca and Percy following their 2018 Garryowen success. Image by Lisa Gordon Photography.
While Percy came through the surgery, recovery was a long process. “It was a hard slog,” shares Rebecca. “He lost 100 kilos in five days. He wasn’t an easy patient, but he was pretty tough.” Gradually, Percy rehabilitated and returned to the show ring.
SHOW RING SUCCESS
In 2016, Percy carried Rebecca to Champion Lady Rider at Sydney Royal. By 2017, he was named Champion Hack at Sydney Royal and also partnered Rebecca to Champion Lady Rider for the second consecutive year. In doing so, they became the first owner-rider combination in 41 years to win both titles on the same horse.
“That was the start of my run of wins with him,” explains Rebecca.
After finishing third in the Garryowen in both 2016 and 2017, 2018 became their breakthrough year. Rebecca claimed her second victory in the prestigious class, further cementing her position as one of the most successful Garryowen competitors of recent decades, with more top three placings than any other rider over the past 20 years.
Stage Presence, meanwhile, was not a successful galloper despite being by the famed stallion Testa Rossa. However, his achievements in the show ring more than compensated. Winning open hack classes at Melbourne, Canberra and Sydney Royals, being awarded runner-up in the Pope Cup at Melbourne Royal on two occasions, and carrying Rebecca to 11 consecutive Royal show Lady Rider victories, Percy built a show career that outlasted most.
“One of his greatest
attributes is his remarkable
work ethic…”
REMARKABLE WORK ETHIC
“One of his greatest attributes is his remarkable work ethic,” says Rebecca. “I have never lunged him… and I mean, never, ever put him on the lunge, which is just unheard of at royal shows. His education was what we fell back on when he got hot or distracted. It really helped keep his mind calm and focussed. He’s also a great mover and when you stand him up and look at him, he’s incredibly well put together. He’s never had a day of unsoundness, and I think that has been because biomechanically he’s just so well put together.”
Rebecca and Percy also competed successfully in the dressage arena. Image by Michelle Terlato Photography.
“He really is ‘Percy personality’…”
Like many talented horses, Percy had his quirks, particularly on the ground rather than under saddle. “He really is ‘Percy personality’… he’s not a smoochy type of horse, he’s quite insecure. He really loves his person, and he’s thrived with that one-on-one attention. Because of his quirkiness, I think he loves the routine.”
Not long after their Garryowen win, the pair began dabbling in dressage while continuing to show. Although Percy had always been trained along dressage lines, competing in the dressage arena was a new challenge.
“He was so talented as a dressage horse and it was a new adventure for us both,” explains Rebecca.
The 2023 Canberra Royal would be Percy’s final royal show outing, and he finished in style, winning his Open Ridden Hack class and Off-the-Track class, while once again carrying Rebecca to victory in the Lady Rider class. “It was the perfect last hurrah in the show ring for Percy and I,” recalls Rebecca.
Rebecca ultimately trained Percy to Medium-level dressage, his final competitive level. Prior to that, he competed successfully at Elementary level, winning off-the-track dressage classes and more than holding his own against purpose-bred Warmbloods in open company.
LOVE OF THOROUGHBREDS
Rebecca’s love of Thoroughbreds came from her late mother, Jan, who rode them in her youth and always admired the breed. At 15 years of age, Rebecca graduated from a galloway to her first small Thoroughbred hack and has never looked back.
Part of the appeal lies in the transformation process. Jan had a talent for identifying horses with potential, and both she and Rebecca derived great satisfaction from seeing a polished show horse emerge from an unassuming prospect.
Rebecca has long been a fan of Thoroughbreds as show horses. Image by Lisa Gordon Photography.
“That, for us, was part of the journey and part of the excitement. It’s really satisfying… you’re changing everything from their mindset to their muscle shape. It is a journey; I feel that word is so overused, but it really is a journey and it’s one where you can be so rewarded with such a transformation.”
While an off-the-track horse’s racing background can add another layer of complexity to training, Rebecca says there are many advantages. “They’ve been on and off floats. They’ve been in and out of wash bays, they’ve travelled, they’ve been handled, they’ve been stabled. There are a lot of upsides in terms of their background.”
Percy now enjoys a peaceful lifestyle at home on Rebecca’s property. Image supplied.
“He’s given me more
than I ever expected…”
PAMPERED IN RETIREMENT
Now 18 years old, Percy has recently developed a mild case of Cushing’s disease, a common progressive hormonal disorder in older horses and ponies. Although retired from competition, he continues to enjoy the lifestyle to which he has become accustomed.
“He lives the same pampered life he lived as a show horse and he will until the day he passes,” says Rebecca.
While Percy remains sound and capable, Rebecca feels he has earned his retirement. “He’s given me more than I ever expected. We had the most amazingly long show career and then a dressage career for nearly five years. He’s earned his retirement.”
Like the Garryowen itself, Percy’s story is one of partnership, dedication and the enduring bond between horse and rider. More than 90 years after Violet Murrell’s legacy inspired one of Australia’s most prestigious equestrian classes, competitors such as Rebecca Farrow continue to embody the tradition, horsemanship and attention to detail that define the event. Through horses like Percy, the spirit of the Garryowen lives on, connecting today’s riders with the remarkable history that began at Melbourne Royal in 1934. EQ
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