27 June 2024 | Ashleigh Paikos
Morgan White (Blake) was born into the harness racing industry, with her father Steven Blake a trainer down in Arthur River, but she’s since moved away from the racing aspect side of the breed but is doing her best to showcase just how versatile this wonderful horse really is.
With seven of her own standardbreds in her backyard, Morgan, who now lives just outside of Narrogin is heavily involved in Hunting in WA, and she couldn’t pick a better breed to gallop across the countryside with.
“Primarily we fox hunt, but in-between that in our off season, because we hunt from around May to September, in the off season we try to support all the local Ag Shows as much we can, putting the off the track standardbreds into the ridden and breed section of those shows.”
“I’ve been around them my whole life and rode them as a young teenager, I went from my pony to an off the track standardbred and I just kind of clicked, and I don’t think I’d go back,
“I had some thoroughbreds for a little while, but they didn’t last very long, I just got straight back on the standardbred and loved it ever since.”
Morgan currently has The Preacher Man (Mark Lee), Monsoon Morgan (Errol Ashcroft), Ebony Stride (Robin Donnell), Infused (Bruce Stanley), Lively Royce (John Graham), Forty Seven Blue (Hayden Reeves) and Seventeen Jewels (Robin Donnell).
Photo: Infused on the left.
Last year, Morgan entered her very first Kulin Bush Races and walked away with second place behind Red Salute.
She had two entered in what ended up being a four-horse event, with Ebony Stride and Infused finishing in second and third placing for her team.
“That was our first year, but I think we will definitely go back, I just try to get all of our standardbreds to give it a crack at everything,
“They’re very pleasurable, they’re happy to please, very level-headed and sturdy footed, they’re definitely my pick of horse to gallop across the rugged terrain.”
Ebony Stride will be heading back to Kulin this year, with Morgan hoping he can go one better, beaten just narrowly in the standardbred event in 2023.
“He got beaten by a nose last year, so we’re going back to hopefully win it.”
This year she hopes to take both of last year’s horses, as well as a newer addition, The Preacher Man, a striking big standardbred by Renaissance Man.
“He’s all broken in and going, I was going to hunt him this year, but he got pushed back a bit, he’s just got to get a little bit more balanced up but nothing else is lacking with him, so he should be right for next year.”
Kulin Bush Races is set for the 27th – 29th of September Weekend.
Currently, Ebony Stride and Infused are her go two pair for fox hunts, but they’re proving to be as versatile as they come, with plenty of new disciplines constantly being added to their already impressive resumes.
“I inherited all of dads gear, but we chuck Ebony in the cart and take all the little farm kids for a ride around here, and I think this year he’s going to be taking Santa to the little local Christmas hall.”
“They’re happy to lead the pack out, I whip, so I’m actually upfront of the pack, right in the action, and they just handle everything.
“Cracking the stock whips, galloping off on your own to bring in a stray hound, but also they don’t mind just plodding at the bac of the field, I hire one out and ride the other, and the other one usually ends up at the back at the pack, and they don’t mind being separated, they are just so willing to do whatever you ask them to do.”
Lively Royce lives out his days as the retired paddock puff, getting the occasional beginner rider on him at the farm.
“They just jump on him, whether they’ve got experience or not, he just looks after them and he’s just a fantastic little plodder out here.”
Lively Royce was an earner of over $210,000 in stakes from just 50 starts, winning 10 and placing in 15 others, his biggest win being the Group 2, $50,000 Western Gateway Pace in 2008.
A race injury saw Monsoon Morgan spend the last two years in the paddock, but it’s almost time for him to come back into work where he will be a pleasure hack for around Morgans Toolibin farm.
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
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