16/06/2025
Congratulations Bob Guest thank you for your contribution to the cutting horse industry in Australia 🌟🌟
~ 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱 𝗕𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻 𝗖𝗼𝗯𝗰𝗿𝗼𝗳𝘁 𝗔𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱 ~ Outstanding contribution to cutting horse industry in Australia
BOB GUEST 🏆
Bob Guest has seen the sport of cutting evolve from humble beginnings to the world-class spectacle it is today. And he’s been there every step of the way. From the formation of local clubs to the judging and development of future champions, his name is woven into the story of the sport’s growth and evolution.
Growing up with a grandfather and two uncles who were farriers, Bob was introduced to horses at a young age. Later, on a cattle and sheep property near Glen Innes, he learned to ride, then joined Pony Club when his family moved to the NSW Central Coast.
Yet for many years, it was rugby league that took centre stage with Bob playing grade level for three different clubs over a 12 year period.
The pull of the horses never left him and, after hanging up his footy boots at 34 years of age, Bob returned to riding and purchased a first-cross quarter horse. They competed in a few campdrafts with good scores in the camp. A friend suggested that they attend a cutting clinic with Chilla Seeney at Casino.
“I asked them, ‘What’s cutting?’ They explained, ‘It’s an American sport with cattle,’ and so off I went,” Bob recalls. “Chilla had a few of his horses there – Jessie’s Koolibah, Dream Lucky Lad, Jessie’s Derrandloc – and when I saw them work, I just thought, ‘This is it, this is what I want to do.’”
From that moment on, he immersed himself in the discipline. He was one of the founding members of the Northern Rivers Cutting Horse Club and, over the years, has served multiple terms as President, helping the club grow and evolve through countless shows and changing times.
Bob’s first major success came with a gelding he trained named Holly’s Blanco. He won the Improvers (now known as the Rookies) at the National Finals in 1983. “That was up at Kooralbyn,” he recalls. “It was my first big show, and we went on to final in the Derby and win the Non Pro Gelding stakes at Kingaroy, also placing third in the Open.”
That win marked the beginning of many decades of success in the show pen, including being part of the first Non Pro team to represent Australia in the United States in 1991. Bob says he has had four great Non Pro horses: Holly’s Blanco, Peppys Buc, Peppys Legend and Tramps Destiny. The Tramps was sold to the Tonkin family and inducted into the Horse’s Hall of Fame in 2019.
“I actually enjoy training more than showing. I love starting young horses – getting them to the point where they start watching a cow, wanting to work. That’s the part I find the most rewarding,” says Bob.
For newcomers to cutting, Bob has simple, practical advice. “Get in touch with a good trainer. There are plenty of great ones out there now. Make yourself available, join a local club, get involved and help out. You’ll learn a lot and have a lot of fun!”
“There are so many people who have helped me,” says Bob, reflecting on his cutting journey. “Too many to list, however Jimmy Page with the Peppys Doc Bar horses was a big influence, for sure. And the trainers – I’ve learned so much from so many of them.”
Bob Guest’s legacy lies not only in the horses he’s trained or the events he’s judged, but in the countless ways he has given back to the cutting community. With years of his life dedicated to the sport, a deep understanding of its roots and an eye on the next generation of horses and riders, Bob Guest continues to embody the very best of Australian cutting.
📸 Liz Speed Photography
Story by: Amanda Young
