A bumpy return for muster

By Daneka Hill

Apr 18, 2022

Horse power: Madie Jeffery holds the reins of Clydesdale team Trigger (L) and Chance (R). The horses were pulling a 117-year-old wagon built in St James (via Benalla) to take wheat to rail sidings. Photo by Daneka Hill

Benalla wagon: This 1904 German-style wagon was originally made for Christy Amery by Charlie Blakemore Blacksmith at St James via Benalla and was used to cart wheat from farm to rail siding. It was rebuilt in 1988 by G+S Little and is now owned by Matt Jeffery (L) from Warrandyte. Mr Jeffery’s daughter Madie drives the wagon. Photo by Daneka Hill

The iconic Moora Working Draught Horse Muster has reached a crossroads.

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One road leads to its end — fading out quietly just as the draught horse did in the wake of the tractor.

The other road leads to a revival.

The 2021 event was small compared to previous years and long-time attendees used to long rows of old harvest equipment and horses teams were left a little confused.

Ardmona L-platers: Maree Stagoll drives around a vardo wagon she found in a paddock 30 years ago. In the harness is Clydesdale x Gypsy Cob horse Gambit who put that L-plate to the test several times. Photo by Daneka Hill

The long COVID-19 pandemic had not left the draught horse enthusiast community untouched and the 2021 muster suffered from it, with large chunks of passionate horse owners, historic equipment repairers and harness riders missing because of age, illness or COVID-19 induced financial hardship.

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Machinery: One of the only pieces of old machinery at the muster was this reversible disc plough brought by 19-year-old Jake Clarke. The plough was a backyard ornament before Mr Clarke restored the steel and replaced the timber. Photo by Daneka Hill

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A closer look at the plough (with the discs up), which Mr Clarke guessed was between 90 and 100 years old. Photo by Daneka Hill

Newbies: Maxine Wilkinson attends for the first time with her two-year-old brumby x Clydesdale called Genieve. They are both learning on the go, with Genieve unbroken, in blinkers for the first time and off the property for her third time. Maxine is switching from riding to harness work thanks to her friend who breeds Gypsy Cobs. “I’ve been riding for a long time and I’ve been looking for something to do in my dotage. When you fall of a carriage you don’t go splat so much.” Photo by Daneka Hill

Not only is the event losing participants as they hang up the reins, but the organising committee is under stress.

Jenni Croft is the Moora Working Draught Horse Muster secretary, treasurer, acting president and all-rounder committee member.

“Tomorrow night at the camp oven stew we’ve having an impromptu meeting to say ‘hey, do we want this to still keep going?’,” Mrs Croft said.

“Because if it does, other people need to step up to the plate. It’s too much for one person.”

Crowd favourites: Trigger and Chance. Photo by Daneka Hill

One place where the pressure was not being felt was the attendees numbers, which were higher than Mrs Croft had anticipated.

“The crowd is pretty good considering (there are less activities), and we’ve sold out of food,” she said.

Entry required a voluntary donation at the gate, the suggestion was a gold coin, but Mrs Croft said many attendees were giving more.

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Eight-year-old Clay Hilder on quarter horse mare Gino. The Hilder boys attended with their dad Jamie Hilder from Alexandra who was hired as marshal/safety rider for the event. Finding the draught horses easy work, Clay and Jamie started entertaining the crowd with antics and western work. Photo by Daneka Hill

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Eight-year-old Clay Hilder on quarter horse mare Gino. The Hilder boys attended with their dad Jamie Hilder from Alexandra who was hired as marshal/safety rider for the event. Finding the draught horses easy work, Clay and Jamie started entertaining the crowd with antics and western work. Photo by Daneka Hill

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Eight-year-old Clay Hilder on quarter horse mare Gino. The Hilder boys attended with their dad Jamie Hilder from Alexandra who was hired as marshal/safety rider for the event. Finding the draught horses easy work, Clay and Jamie started entertaining the crowd with antics and western work. Photo by Daneka Hill

“We’ve been donated greatly through the gate, so the public wants it,” she said.

“We’ve got to get something that brings a crowd... back in the day they used to bring all the equipment out, all the old machinery stuff, all the hay making and people would be here two weeks before to set up, but we’ve lost all that because they got too old.”

Mrs Croft is a Wyuna resident and is urging anyone with a slight interest in carriage driving, old machinery, hay making and more to lend a hand and lighten the load.