Prestigious win for Southern Cross Apollo
For horse breeders, the Sydney Royal Easter Show is the mark of success and modestly, Peter McKeon says is a “prestigious one to win.”
The Darnum Shire horse breeder was chuffed when his four-year-old stallion Southern Cross Apollo took out supreme champion Shire exhibit.
And then, after two round trips to Sydney and 4000 kilometres travelling in less than two weeks, Apollo took out champion Shire stallion and senior champion Shire at the Australian Heavy Horse Spectacular.
A month earlier Apollo had been crowned interbreed champion at Warragul Show.
The time, the travel, the highs and the lows, are all part of the show circuit but for Peter and his wife Marylou, it has become a rewarding hobby.
It was the second time Southern Cross Shires had won the prestigious senior champion crown at Sydney.
Peter and Marylou purchased their Darnum property about 14 years ago with the intention to head south from Sydney when they retired.
They relocated to their property about seven years ago.
Peter’s interest in Shire horses dates back almost 20 years. Before that, they were regulars on the cattle showing circuit.
Shire horses are a traditional English heavy horse and while a larger breed than the Clydesdale, it is much smaller in numbers with the Scottish Clydesdale being more popular.
From a young age when Peter remembers his father talking about the grandness and majesty of the traditional working horses, Peter said he had “always had this hankering for heavy horses.”
It was a trip to Peterborough, England in 1998 for the national Shire horse show that changed Peter from cattle to horses.
Peter and a friend Bill Lambert, decided to share the cost of bringing a top English stallion – Trelow Father Abraham – to Australia.
There were 53 Shire horses in Australia at that stage, there are now about 250.
It was the beginning of an exciting breeding venture for Peter. He imported five mares, another stallion and frozen semen from three stallions.
“I have become the eminent Shire breeder in Australia.
“I love it. Breeding is very interesting. I love studying the pedigrees,” he said.
Peter has bred about 60 Shire horses, some of which have been sold all around Australia.
“It’s nice, and rewarding, to see your progeny in the show ring,” he said.
But breeding and showing is a lot of work and expense so Peter and Marylou downsized about two years ago, reducing numbers from close to 30 to eight.
They also have a few French Percheron heavy horses.
Apollo is by Fifield Jack of Diamonds (imported frozen semen) and is out of Dothan Stewardess.
He is the progeny of fully imported bloodlines and is only young to the show circuit so Peter is confident they will have many more ribbons ahead with him.
“For a young horse he has done extremely well,” Peter said.