WELCOME TO THE COPRICE AUSTRALIAN BRUMBY CHALLENGE 2024!

The only event of its kind in Australia, partnered with CopRice Australia and EQUITANA Melbourne 2024 to bring a bigger and better, Brumby centred sixth Australian Brumby Challenge. Our previous Challenges have been equal parts thrilling, heart-warming and nail biting so we are looking forwards to making the 2024 event even more wonderful.
 

The CopRice Australian Brumby Challenge takes totally wild Brumbies, passively trapped as part of an ongoing management program, from the High Country of Victoria and Southern New South Wales. These tough survivors are partnered with professional and non professional horse trainers for 150 days. During the CopRice Australian Brumby Challenge, you can follow the progress of each Brumby and their trainer through their fortnightly updates and photos, which will be posted on this website and Facebook page! You’ll come to understand each trainers philosophy and methods and get to know each Brumby as they make their way from Wild to Wonderful!
 

The finale of the CopRice Australian Brumby Challenge will be held at EQUITANA Melbourne 2024. Over the four days of EQUITANA, you can come along, meet the Brumbies and their trainers and watch as the Brumbies are taken through their paces in several classes which are designed to showcase their trainers ability and the trainability and versatility of our Aussie Brumbies.
 

The classes which make our finals series at the CopRice Australian Brumby Challenge 2024 are designed to showcase both our Brumbies talents and those of their trainers. We have a strong emphasis on good basic education and horsemanship – the relationship between the trainer and their Brumby. Every single class has a score allocated for this element as well as allowing the Brumbies to demonstrate their new skills.

Handling and Conditioning:
This class aims to showcase both the physical condition of the Brumby and some core basic, but very important skills. The Brumby will be initially released into the roundpen by the trainer who then re-enters to catch and halter them. They then pick up the Brumbies front and back feet, brush their body and leave the roundpen. The second element is to load the Brumby onto a horsefloat, have them stand there quietly and then unload calmly. Whilst these skills may seem basic, they are critical to any horses success in life and really showcase the trust and relationship.

We’re really excited to see the results of the physical transformation these Brumbies will undergo as they are supported in this journey by quality CopRice feeds.

Pattern and Obstacles:

Sticking to our theme of a good basic education, this class asks for the Brumby to walk, trot and canter quietly, halt, turn left and right and rein back. These important skills are the foundation of all further education. Like any obstacle course, the aim is to give the Brumbies the opportunity to go over, through, under and around as well as exhibiting some basic laterals. Expect bridges, water, a drag obstacle and lots of fun! We really get to see the trust between Brumby and trainer in this class! Here, we really start to build on the foundations which the Brumbies have already demonstrated. 

Whilst some Brumbies may be ridden in this class we recognise and encourage trainers to support the differences between each Brumby, each Trainer and each Training Philosophy. Given this, we will also have unridden Brumbies in this event, showcasing their training journey. As always we have a strong focus on horsemanship and relationship shown between the trainer and their Brumby.

Freestyle:

This class is pure relationship, heart and fun! Each of our Brumbies will have their own special skillset that has been developed with their trainers and in this class, they get to showcase their talents to music. Marks are awarded for relationship, horsemanship and choreography. Having seen how far these once wild horses have come, this class is a guaranteed to wow – our Brumbies truly do go from Wild to Wonderful!