Kerewong Horse Farm NSW - Australia

04/09/2026

Nino of Kerewong (Romac Antonio) went into the 2026 Shahzada Mini Marathon like he approaches all things in life: with all of his heart and soul, a spring in his step, bright eyed, a brave open mind and the indestructible happiness that makes him so uniquely loved.
It’s the try that counts. And mighty try, he did.
And if he never does a Shahzada again, I will be thankful and so incredibly proud of him for this adventure day we had.
The photographer gave a shout out when she saw his bright eyes looking over towards her, as he always does.
PC: Sarah Sullivan Photography

30/08/2026

Only a 1 day Shahzada this year, but what a day it was!
Thank you to my wonderful horses Nino the Nibbler and Apa the Prodigy, and my endurance superstar co-rider Sonya. I put my camera away for the scary bits. I’m blown away that these 2 novice horses actually made us believe that a 3 day completion was achievable. Nino just got too hot in his thick winter coat towards the end of the ride, - keeping up with his friend who made it all look so easy-, which meant Nino needed to slow down and more time to recover. His pulse was just a tiny bit over limit (3 beats over the max of 55) at the vet check and Nino was eliminated, despite all other parameters being perfect. Many valuable lessons learned. Clipping his coat will hopefully make a big difference for him next year, and a chew toy during TPR!
Since the aim was to ride as a team and keep the 2 novice horses together during the event for their mental welfare, unfortunately this meant that Sonya had the disappointing task to withdraw Apa, who vetted in with a heart rate of 37.
I’m grateful for just being there and get a glimpse of what these 2 horses are capable of.

24/08/2026

We have made it ready for the start !! ✅

So as most of you know I’ve taken this week off as a ‘holiday’….’holiday’ - ‘Sonya style’ …. which means I’m attempting to ride and successfully complete the Shahzada mini marathon- 120km through the stunning mountains of St. Albans. Huge thanks to Kathy Holtrust who has loaned me the beautiful Apa…so that I can accompany her in this attempt while she rides her other beautiful horse Nino! You may remember I had Apa and got him started back under saddle late last year after he had a long holiday - and then Kathy purchased him from me and has put so much work into his continued training that he has turned into the athlete that he is today. We have vetted in ✅ taken them out for a lite ride this afternoon ✅ they are settled for the evening ready for our day 1 ride of 42km starting at 6.30.
Pretty excited to be back here after a 10 year break from endurance.

22/08/2026

Nino: “Hey Apa, you got your orange Shahzada socks on”.
We are on our way!

17/08/2026

“Give it a Try, whispered the Heart”.
After many back and forth, many hours of training, trials and tribulations, incredibly hard work in their day job for these 2 horses in the past weeks, Decision Day yesterday saw 2 very excited humans (not pictured) and 2 Kerewong horses (pictured) entered for the Shahzada Mini Marathon at St. Albans NSW next week.
Apa will be the physical athletic powerhouse and Nino will bring mental stability. Hopefully these BFF will be able to support each other, have fun and complete 120 km in 3 days together by the end of next week. We plan to go slow, so Nino hopefully gets through, because Apa needs him.
We have started packing!

15/08/2026

First ❤️ won. Many more to come.
Apa of Kerewong at your service.

12/08/2026

A beautiful soul in a beautiful body.
Burren-Dah Apache Lad aka Apa, at Kiwarrak Endurance Ride last weekend, adding to his huge learning curve of the past few months.
Shahzada Mini Marathon 10 days to go.
To say he’s ready for the start of our 5 day horse treks season is an understatement. There’s still some very limited availability for the rides in October and November. This horse will be the new favourite!
Photo credit: Animal Focus

31/07/2026

1 August. Australian Horses Birthday.
In recent years this has become the day to put the Kerewong Oldies in the Spotlight.
MANNI 34! Wow. The proud grey Arabian horse in the photo, who has always lived on his own terms. Mr. Personality.
For 25 years, the oldest horse at Kerewong has been Manni. He arrived as one of the first 2 horses in 2001 (Charlie, the other first horse left us 2 months ago, aged 30 😢). Manni has been at Kerewong for as long as I have. He’s the toughest horse I know.
20 more horses arrived after him, all younger then him. 6 have passed away now; they also were all younger then him (but in their twenties nonetheless). A reminder that there are so many factors getting a horse to old age, including luck 🍀. Four years ago, at almost 30 years old, Manni suffered an arterial bleed. It was only a fraction of a thought, that I went to investigate a little drop of blood on the fence rail just at sunset, which saved his life. Had I missed it or let it go, he would have passed away slowly overnight.
But there’s been more. Unaware of the dangers of the Australian rainforest, 24 years ago, exploring the trails for my horse treks business, I led Manni around a fallen tree where his hindleg was caught in a spikey vine that cut his leg. He panicked, ran off and jumped into the river below us and started swimming (yes Manni lived on his own terms…). When he couldn’t get out of the river again, he gave up and almost drowned. I held his head up and dragged him to a spot where he could stand up. Since that incident, Manni has refused to ever step one hoof off a trail to go around something ever again.
Between that incident and now, there have been many unusual odds defying moments.
I lost count of how many lives he’s had, but I do believe he’s on his last one now. He may disagree and I’ve said it many times before, but I think this is his last birthday. A bright mind, let down by his aging body.
Copper 33 is not far behind him either (the big chestnut behind him in the photo) but that will be a story for another day.
For now, we celebrate the gift and blessings of geriatric horses. I would not have wanted to miss it in a million years.
The photo was taken 2 months ago.

19/07/2026

The next AJ Equine- Ethical Horsemanship clinic at Kerewong is just around the corner!

All inclusive two day/ one night clinic at a stunning Mid north coast venue. Total package price $695 per person. Includes clinic, accommodation and meals.

18/07/2026

Jinxed June is well and truly over, Joyously July is over halfway and preparations are continuing for Awesome August.
Apa’s progress is going in leaps and bounds. He is now fine to ride out alone (and with other horses), can be ridden bitless (and also still with the snaffle bit), is becoming better with his navigation of tricky terrain and trailer travel, goes through puddles and water without fuss, and is improving his fitness every week. It always pays off to invest extra time in the relationship with a new horse. Apa is ready to hit the trails for the horse treks this spring season, starting in August.

While a month ago I was unsure if I would have a horse for Shahzada this year, I’m now hopeful that I maybe have 2! Or at least 1! Or none. 😂🤞. Endurance Riding has no guarantees. All we can do is prepare and train!
5 weeks to go to Shahzada 2026 Mini Marathon! With Apa and maybe Nino!!