30th anniversary 2012

Some local horses and riders of the 1970s and 1980s (Part 2)

(Click on photos to see larger versions. Use browser 'Back' button to return to this page.)

The Neal family

The Neal family took up endurance riding around the time of the first National Capital Endurance Ride in 1982. At that time Bob and Jan Neal and their sons Bruce and Steven lived near Bungendore and their horses were thoroughbreds and quarter horses.

Jan completed the Burra Training Ride in September 1982 on her first-cross quarter horse gelding Bruven Champ and entered him in the 110 km ride at Brookvale two months later. He was vetted out of that ride on heart rate and Jan concluded that, although he was a lovely horse, he was not suited to endurance.

The following year, Jan completed the Brookvale ride successfully on the purebred Arabian gelding Kelkette Park Izadore. Over the next 10 years Jan did many rides, some on Bob's thoroughbred mare Bruven Princess but mainly on KP Izadore and three other purebred Arabian geldings: the greys Hollywood Bascombe (‘Scummy’) and Flamizak (‘Flame’), and the bay Kyang Khazman.

Bascombe, ridden by John Lindsay, had successfully completed the Brookvale ride in 1982 before the Neals bought him. Jan completed the ride once each on Bascombe and Flamizak. She also completed two Quilties on Flamizak and a Shahzada on Khazman. In 1991, the last year that Jan competed, she finished in the national Top-10 for both points and distance.

Bruce Neal's first endurance ride was at Brookvale in 1983, when he completed the 110 km ride successfully on the part-Arabian gelding Bruven Andy. He was unsuccessful the following year when his part-Arabian gelding Kelkette Park Twain was vetted out lame, but completed the 1985 and 1986 rides on Flamizak, finishing as equal first junior in 1985. That year, he was NSW Junior Rider of the Year and second in the National Junior Rider of the Year pointscore. Most of his rides in 1985 were on Kelkette Park Twain but he did the Shahzada on Bruven Princess. Bruce died as a young man and is commemorated by the Bruce Neal Memorial Trophy, a perpetual trophy donated by his parents as an encouragement award for young riders and awarded each year to a junior rider in the National Capital Ride.

Bob and Jan established Wybalena Lodge Arabian Stud near Canberra in the late 1980s and later relocated it to Queensland, where they continue to breed and show Arabian horses. Although it is over 20 years since she last entered an endurance ride, Jan remembers the years of endurance riding with her family as among the best of her life and a time in which she made many lifelong friends.

By Melanie O'Flynn

Other stories

The Neal family | The Dyason family | Carol Sparkes and Zamfir | Kristen Proudfoot and Coco | Melanie O'Flynn and Piedy | Paul Sheils and Visty | Debbie and John Wallace and Glenallan Solitary Man (‘Solly’) | Marie de Monchaux and Tilden Zeichen | Bob Perriman and Persius | Dianne Georgeff and Jedda | John McGinn and Pinocchio

Back to 30th anniversary home page