HRV Hero

24/01/2025

3 NEW BEAUTIES LOOKING FOR THEIR NEW HOMES 💚

HARRY - ‘Calm, friendly and a real gentleman’, Harry will be the first horse to greet you at the gate for cuddles.

SWIFTY - As you can see from her photo, Swifty, as she is known to her friends, is a very beautiful mare with real presence.

SNIP - Named after her striking facial marking, ‘Snip’ certainly is an eye-catching mare.

You can view their profiles and enquire about them here 👉 https://hrvhero.com.au/horses/direct-off-the-track/

23/01/2025

Definitely a favourite! Such a sweet and trainable horse. Cannot wait to see the relationship he builds with his person ❤️❤️

Please feel free to message us with what you’re wanting in a standy, as most are selling before advertising!

22/01/2025

21/01/2025

19/01/2025

CONGATULATIONS to Julie 🥳
Winner of our 2024 EQUITANA Australia Share Your Standardbred Story competition.

Julie is so excited to use all her goodies in the amazing pack generously donated by long-time standardbred supporter The NRG Team 💚

Julie entered our competition and shared some of her fondest memories with ‘Blue’.

Back in 2008, Julie was returning to the saddle after a two-decade break from riding.

Julie’s connection with retired harness racehorse Blue was instant.

Blue is remembered as being very sensible, always taking care of Julie and ‘never putting a hoof wrong, as he was just so trustworthy’.

Together, Julie and Blue participated in HRCAV dressage and competed in the Corowa Agricultural Shows two years running, proudly taking home the Reserve Champion sash.

After Blue ‘took a piece of [Julie’s] heart’ when he sadly died of Leukemia, Julie is able to reflect on their marvelous eight-year partnership and the role Blue played in rekindling her passion for riding, which continues to this day.

Blue’s ribbons still hang in Julie’s home, along with a framed photograph of Blue that takes pride of place in her bedroom.

We thank Julie for sharing Blue’s beautiful story – a very deserving prize winner.

Have a story to share? Tell us here 👉 https://tinyurl.com/HRVHSYS25

17/01/2025

🏆 Alabar Hero Series Final 🏆

Congratulations to everyone who competed at the Victorian Agricultural Shows Saddle Horse Championships earlier this month, a fantastic showcase of the breed was had.

As always, this series could not run without our dedicated and passionate partners. Their dedication to the breed, welfare and standardbred retirement do not go unnoticed.

Alabar Farms are not only an ongoing sponsor of the series but assist the program in housing and caring for program horses awaiting placement.

The NRG Team provided each entrant to the final with amazing product and continue to provide their fantastic products to horses that are rehomed via Hero initiatives.

Cedar Lodge Equine Products created stunning saddle blankets and provided a discount voucher for each entrant into the final and also create all our rugs, hay bags, saddle blankets and anything we desire for our sponsored events and awards.

Drop your photos of you and your standardbred at the VAS Saddle Horse Championships, we'd love to see combinations from all classes held on the day.

📸 Lisa Gordon Equinet Media

15/01/2025

Harness Racing Victoria would like to announce the introduction of their new Hero Program Retrainer Award, the award aims to recognise retrainers that work tirelessly to retrain and rehome retired harness racehorses throughout Victoria and promote the organisations industry retirement program (Hero).

The award, eligible to Hero Program retrainers, has two categories, enabling Harness Racing Victoria to celebrate both current program retrainers and retrainers joining the program from January 2025

The prizes include a Hero award pack with a cash prize pool of $20,000 for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place in both categories to assist the selected retrainers with the development of their retraining and rehoming work.

The award focuses on the quality of feedback received from the horse owners on their experience and support while purchasing their new equine partner as well as the volume of retired harness racehorses rehomed during the 2025 calendar year via eligible retrainers.

The award recipients will be announced early 2026.

Find out more on the new award: https://tinyurl.com/HeroRAPP

Find out how to become a Hero retrainer – https://hrvhero.com.au/hero-team/become-a-retrainer/

📸 Shory Park Horses Melman Photography

15/01/2025

08/01/2025

Chippy is a handsome, easy-going fella looking for a loving home beyond the track.

Chippy is being offered for rehoming from his breeders, who have loved and cared for him for his whole life.

Being in their 80s, Chippy’s owners appreciate how easy he is to handle (a gentleman for the farrier and always been fuss-free to load and transport long distances), as well as generally being a low-maintenance, ‘good-doer’ and a pleasure to have around the farm, which is located near a train track and full of bustling sights, sounds and farm animals – all of which Chippy takes in stride.

Chippy has had a nice, long spell since retiring from racing and is described as having a temperament which makes him a great potential riding horse of the future (smart, kind and willing!)

A fantastic, forever home is of the utmost importance for this special boy.

View his profile and enquire here: 👇 https://hrvhero.com.au/news/horses/chip-nukem-chippy/

03/01/2025

Isn’t she a beauty? 💚

Looking for a true ‘heart horse’ type standy?
A special horse to meet you at the gate and soak up snuggles and attention?
Meet Paris Abbie: a sweet, super-friendly seven-year-old mare with a lot of love to give her new family.

Born and raised on a busy farm with bustling sights and sounds on the daily, Abbie has been naturally exposed to animals and machinery and is cited to be quiet, sensible and just ‘easy’ to have around and do anything with.

Abbie has been enjoying a spell for the past several months, since retiring sound from racing (despite being pigeon-toed, which may be a barrier to a top-echelon showing career but has never caused her any soundness issues as a racehorse).

With lovely ground manners, an affectionate personality and being accustomed to long float trips (the kind of horse you could load or stable any horse next to), Abbie is a kind, easy-going gal with the world at her hooves and a very bright future ahead of her.

Currently ‘fat and shiny and low-maintenance’, Abbie cited to be a good doer and absolute pleasure to have around.

Abbie is being rehomed by her owner/breeder (who also bred/owns Abbie’s mother) who is committed to finding this special girl the most loving, forever home.

Assistance with transport is also being extended to help Abbie to transition into her new family – as you can probably tell by this profile and the wonderful life she’s had to date, Abbie’s racing family truly want the very best for her and believe she will make a fantastic riding partner (once broken to saddle) and someone’s one-in-a-million dream horse.

View her profile and enquire here: 👇https://hrvhero.com.au/news/horses/paris-abbie-abbie/

01/01/2025

In their first year as a partnership, Vicki Bentley and her standardbred Boston have achieved some remarkable feats.

"𝘉𝘰𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘯 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘶𝘳𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘚𝘗𝘗𝘏𝘈𝘝 𝘚𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘊𝘩𝘢𝘮𝘱𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘖𝘱𝘦𝘯 𝘋𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘢𝘨𝘦, 60𝘤𝘮 𝘊𝘰𝘮𝘣𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘛𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘊𝘩𝘢𝘮𝘱𝘢𝘨𝘯𝘦 𝘚𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘯𝘦𝘳 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳. 𝘞𝘦’𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘴𝘰 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯 𝘗𝘰𝘯𝘺 𝘊𝘭𝘶𝘣 𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘴𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘢𝘭𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘣𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘵 𝘓𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘭 3 𝘏𝘙𝘊𝘈𝘝 𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 3𝘗𝘌 (𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘦𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯)", explains Vicki.

“𝙄 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙖 𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙙𝙮, 𝙛𝙪𝙣, 𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙮, 𝙜𝙤𝙤𝙛𝙮, 𝙡𝙤𝙬-𝙢𝙖𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙣𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙝𝙤𝙧𝙨𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙄 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮 𝙚𝙣𝙟𝙤𝙮 𝙧𝙞𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜. 𝙎𝙩𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙞𝙣 𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙨𝙩 𝙮𝙚𝙖𝙧 𝙪𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙧 𝙨𝙖𝙙𝙙𝙡𝙚, 𝘽𝙤𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙣 𝙞𝙨 𝙝𝙤𝙡𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙤𝙬𝙣 𝙞𝙣 𝙤𝙥𝙚𝙣 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙥𝙚𝙩𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣; 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙖𝙣𝙮𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙖𝙨𝙠 𝙛𝙤𝙧?!”

Read this inspiring story here: https://hrvhero.com.au/news/vicki-bostons-first-year-success/

📸: Grain & Mane

30/12/2024

✨𝗦𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗯𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗼𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀✨

Whether you’re looking to adventure more, jump higher than ever before, or simply hit the ‘pause’ button on life’s chaos and spend more time in the paddocks, we’d love to hear about your dreams for the new year!

𝘚𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘰𝘭𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘰𝘸 👇

📸 Photo shows lovely Hurricane Ben, who’s listed on the HRV Hero DOTT website and keeping his hooves crossed to start the new year in a loving new home 🤞

29/12/2024

💚 Give Retired Standardbreds the Future They Deserve! 🐴✨

Retired racehorses are more than just athletes - they're incredible animals who deserve love, care, and a second chance. The Hero Retrainer Program is looking for passionate retrainers who are ready to help these horses transition to new careers and life beyond the track.

Why Apply to Become a Hero Retrainer?

✨ Access to Newly Retired Horses:
As a Hero Retrainer, you’ll be among the first to know about newly retired Standardbreds needing assistance ready to transition into their next chapter.
💸 Financial Support
Get financial support for eligible Hero Program horses—helping you focus on what you do best: training horses!
📈 Increased Visibility
Get featured on HRV’s website & social media and gain exposure to potential clients looking for experienced retrainers.
🏅Credibility & Industry Recognition
Being part of the Hero Program boosts your credibility in the harness racing and equine community. Regular property inspections ensure quality care and transparency.

How to Apply:
Visit Our Website: hrvhero.com.au
Complete the Application: Tell us about your experience, why you’re passionate about giving these retired racehorses a second chance and provided rehoming and character references.
Get Approved: Once you’re accepted, you’ll gain access to amazing benefits like financial support for eligible horses, exclusive Hero gear, and promotion across HRV platforms to showcase your work with these incredible animals.

Help Us Give Standardbreds the Love They Deserve

These horses have given everything to the sport. Now, it’s our turn to give them a new chance at happiness and success.

👉 Apply Now and join the Hero Retrainer Program: https://hrvhero.com.au/hero-team/become-a-retrainer/

📷 Mane Memories Photography - Lizzie (TWO TELL) currently searching for her new home - contact Shory Park Horses to find out more!