Orin James and VBA Courage
Orin James is a professional trainer from Ballan Victoria. Orin's gentle consistent approach emphasizes respect without fear. He believes in the importance of groundwork as if your horse doesn’t accept you on the ground, they are not going to accept you on their back.
Orin is training VBA Courage, a brown gelding from Kosciuszko National Park in New South Wales.
Patrick Purcell and VBA Queen
Patrick Purcell trains professionally at his property in Mansfield Victoria. Patricks training philosophy is to build trust through awareness and feeling.
Patrick entered the Australian Brumby Challenge with no interest in winning but the aim of learning from his Brumby to help it and future horses in his care. Patrick is training VBA Queen, a bay mare, also from Kosciuszko National Park.
VBA Brisingr
VBA Queen
Amanda Ciantar and VBA Athena
Amanda Ciantar is 23 years old and trains professionally from her families C Dale Ranch in Kemps Creek, NSW. Amanda grew up learning everything she could, from Youtube videos and the people around her. She describes training horses as an exercise of patience and love. Amanda is training black Bogong Brumby mare VBA Athena.
Lorena Russell and VBA Rumba
Lorena Russell hails from Dixons Creek, Victoria. She has been training horses for 30 years, professionally for 4 years and . Lorena works with the horses thoughts, in order to create a lasting connection with them. She is training Brown Bogong Brumby mare VBA Rumba.
Helen Hunt and VBA Elsie
Helen Hunt is a non professional trainer from Winchelsea Victoria. When Helen isn’t homeschooling her children, she is a CFA volunteer and enjoys training her horses in ridden, liberty and harness. Helen feel strongly that a horses future relies on a good solid positive
foundation. She is training Brown Mt Nelse/ Bogong Brumby mare VBA Elsie.
VBA Elsie
VBA Athena
VBA Rumba
Carly Loughnan and VBA Pirate
Carly Loughnan is a non professional Trainer from Timboon in Victoria. She is heavily involved in Pony Club, Eventing and Endurance and her passion for many years has been working with young horses. Carly believes that patience, empathy and understanding horse behavior is paramount to training success. Carly is training VBA Pirate, a dark brown gelding from Kosciuszko National Park in NSW. Pirate arrived with us as a fairly cranky wild stallion and really in need of some settling time in our grassy paddocks!
Asha Loughnan and VBA Dawn
Asha Loughnan who is aged only 12 years old, is our youngest Trainer and the daughter of Carly Loughnan. Asha has entered under our Mentorship program and has been assigned 18 month old filly VBA Dawn, who will not be ridden at any stage of the ABC, although Asha is a keen rider and highly likely to be riding Mum Carly's Brumby as much
as Carly will let her!
Sally Adsett-Brown and VBA Ginger Spice
Sally Adsett-Brown is both a non professional trainer and a returning Trainer! This is the third Australian Brumby Challenge that Sally has entered and the previous Brumbies she trained into sweet and extremely well turned out horses! Sally focuses on building
relationships with her horses before any technical training and operates within the thresholds of her horses emotional abilities. She trains from her property in Bungal Victoria. Sally is training VBA Dawns mother, VBA Ginger Spice.
VBA Pirate
VBA Dawn
VBA Ginger Spice
Krisanda James and VBA Black Beauty
Krisanda (Kristy) James trains from her Backwater ranch property in Greenbank, QLD. Kristy is a Natural Horsemanship Coach and has a special interest in training at liberty to test her relationships with her horses. Kristy works to engage in conversation with the horses she is training so that she is aware of her horses emotional state. Kristy is training VBA Black Beauty, a black/ brown mare from Bago State Forest in NSW.
Skye Wansey and VBA Yindi
Skye Wansey has been professionally training at her facility in Exeter NSW for many years. She started training showjumpers and wasn’t enjoying her training until she met Ray Hunt, Tom Dorrance and Phil Rodey. Skye believes in waiting for the horse to comfortably have her in its space before she starts handling them and working as slow as the horse needs. Skye is training VBA Yindi, a liver chestnut mare from Bago State Forest in NSW.
VBA Black Beauty
VBA Yindi
Sarah Hogan and VBA Teddy
Sarah Hogan is a professional Trainer from Tarago in NSW. Sarah has been riding and competing in Dressage, Showjumping and Eventing since she was 10 years old. She believes that to be successful training horses, you must understand their natural behavior and be willing to learn from every horse. Sarah is training VBA Teddy, a liver chestnut gelding from Kosciuszko National Park in NSW.
Sarah Kearvell and VBA Flynn
Sarah Kearvell is a professional horse trainer from Koo Wee Rup in Victoria who also rides trackwork. Working with horses that need help and understanding is a passion for Sarah who believes that sometimes you need to stop whispering and listen to the horse. The key to Sarahs
work is not taking expectations into the yard with the horse she is training. Sarah is training VBA Flynn, a bay gelding from Kosciuszko National Park in NSW.
Brigitte Mitterer and VBA Tango
Brigitte (Gidget) Mitterer is a full time trainer at her property in Clifton Creek, Victoria. She loves everything about training horses – especially that horses teach her new things every day. Gidgets philosophy is based around gaining trust and mutual respect – we cant wait to see how she progresses with her Brumby! She is training VBA Tango, a chestnut gelding from Kosciusko National Park in NSW.
VBA Tango
VBA Teddy
VBA Flynn
Deejay Borg and VBA Jasmine
Deejay Borg lives and trains horses professionally on her property in Didcot, QLD. She has been rescuing saleyard horses for 10 years to train them and help them find a safe future and has always been passionate about Brumbies. Deejay looks at each horse as an individual with its own unique qualities. Deejay lets her horses make mistakes without fear or frustration, enabling them to grow emotionally and in ability. Deejay is training VBA Jasmine, a chestnut mare from Kosciusko National Park in NSW.
Katrina Smith and VBA Flicka
Katrina Smith is a non professional Trainer from Pura Pura in Victoria. After a lifetime of training her own horses, Katrina and her daughter rescued two wild Brumby youngsters during COVID and were just blown away with how trainable they were. Katrina believes that letting the Brumby set the pace and training with patience and learning from the Brumby will set them up to have a mutual trust relationship. Katrina has a strong belief in Brumbies and is looking forwards to offering her home to one more Brumby! Katrina is training VBA Flicka, a chestnut mare from Kosciuszko National Park in NSW.
Maddison Buckner and VBA Primrose
Maddison Buckner trains professionally from her property in Exford, Victoria. Maddie competes in showjumping, dressage and eventing and has had a passion for horses from a very young age. She believes in working with her horses not against them, channeling their natural instincts to help them progress confidently and comfortably. Rather than drilling in an arena, Maddie's training is centered around getting her horses out and about, whether that be down the road, up
into the mountains etc, keeping her horses happy and looking forward to the next ride. Maddie is training VBA Primrose, a flaxen chestnut mare from Kosciuszko National Park in NSW.
Michaela Beckett and VBA Nightstar
Michaela Beckett is a professional Trainer from Windsor, South Australia. Ever since she can remember, Michaela has enjoyed rescuing horses and helping them – often being their last chance before going to the knackery. She trains each horse as an individual and believes that it is important to find out what works best for each different horse. Michaela is looking forwards to working with an Aussie Brumby – helping her Brumby to a positive future and showing the public what Brumbies can do! Michaela is training VBA Nightstar, a brown mare from Kosciusko National Park in NSW.
VBA Flicka
VBA Primrose
VBA Jasmine and her foal
VBA Nightstar
Sara Sadikovic and VBA Lilac
Sara Sadikovic is a professional trainer from Tarago in NSW. Competing in Dressage, Sara's passion is starting horses under saddle and training young horses in general. Using natural horsemanship methods, she believes that slow and steady wins the race and that each horse is different. Sara is also skilled in equine physiotherapy and works to ensure that horse horses feel as good physically as they do mentally. Sara is training stunning liver chestnut mare VBA Lilac from Kosciuszko National Park, NSW.
Leigh Cragg and VBA Summer
Leigh Cragg is another Trainer from NSW, based at his Burilda Park property in Oberon, NSW. Leigh's training incorporates pressure and release, stressing the importance of good timing and rewarding the slightest try. Leigh keeps his training easy for the horses to digest and this method has worked well, bringing successes in cow horse and cutting disciplines. Leigh aims to showcase his training of his Brumby to show people how great they can be. Leigh is training VBA Summer, a bright bay mare from Kosciuszko National Park in NSW.
VBA Summer
VBA Lilac