Secretary's Report
02
I would like to acknowledge all the hard work that our Executive Officer and the committee have done in the past year.
On behalf of the committee I would like to thank all our members who have supported HBV and the breeding industry in 2025
With the challenges that harness breeders have faced in 2025 we look forward to 2026 being a fruitful year for both harness breeding and racing in Victoria
Clyde Little, HBV Secretary
VALE 2025
Les Chapman
Marty Miles
Greg Sugars
Garry Rogers
Des McQueen (Life Member)
Please refer to page 13 onward for the 2025 financials
Committee
Due to vacancies, Harness Breeders Victoria did not operate with a full twelvemember committee in 2025. John Coffee continued in the role of President and Clyde Little as Secretary, with the supporting board of Sally McPherson, Dr Hugh Cathels, Pat Driscoll and Ian Stanley
Thanks go to Maurice Hanrahan who stepped down from the committee in June 2025 after several years in the role of Treasurer and contributing significantly to the management of Stallion Guide.
Advocacy
Harness Breeders Victoria were again committed to ensuring breeders, the breeding sector and the wider industry were well represented to governing bodies. This was done by the committee through liaison with other kindred bodies, attendance at the Victorian Harness Racing Advisory Council (HRAC), Harness Racing Victoria (HRV), and Harness Racing Australia (HRA)
These issues have included:
Expanded opportunities and efficiencies within the Vicbred program
Mare and filly race programming and Group racing opportunities
Microchipping processes and costs
The use of black type within sale catalogues
Continued petitioning against HRA’s stallion levy and its impact on the breeding industry
Seeking clarification on Vicbred voucher usage and conditions
Correct application of tracheotomy terminology and definitions for rule book changes regarding these procedures
Continued investigation around the use of Altrenogest
HBV continued its active attendance and contribution to Victorian Racing Tribunal user group meetings
Membership
HBV continued to gain efficiencies through the use of an online payment system whereby members can join or renew directly through our website with a credit card Membership for the 2024 season sat at 262 (disappointingly down from 360 the previous year in a challenging season) including 16 life members (nine active)
Vicbred First Win Bonus Recognition Program
HBV were able to continue to personally recognise the first win of every Vicbred horse with a tailored postcard celebrating the payment of a First Win Bonus in 2025. Over 900 individual mailings were undertaken to horses who secured their maiden victory and each month, the breeder who had produced the most number of horses to do so was given special recognition through our Hygain Vicbred Bonus Breeder of the Month promotion We thank Hygain for their involvement over the last four years and look forward to welcoming a new sponsor in 2026.
Social Media & Online Presence
HBV continued to grow its online presence and engage with breeders through a regularly updated website, monthly newsletters, and social media streams via Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Facebook posts were view more than 239,000 times this season with these platforms continuing to be useful for sharing information with both our members and the wider industry
2025 Season IRT Victorian Breeder Awards
It was the year of Just Believe but so many others too bred by Yabby Dam Farms including Derek The Jet, Im Ready Jet and The Locomotive, putting Pat Driscoll in prime position to be named 2025 Woodlands Stud Victorian Breeder of the Year. Yabby Dam Farms had 96 Vicbred eligible starters in season 2024 who collectively earned over $3,087,000 - an average of $32,157 each and a total of 169 wins
The Aldebaran Park Victorian Trotting Broodmare of the Year was claimed by Yabby Dam Farms’ Heavens Above who produced the international star, Just Believe, while the Benstud Standardbreds Victorian Pacing Broodmare of the Year was taken out yet again by the Benstud mare Coppagoodone, the dam of Catch A Wave and Yambukian who earnt over $852,000 in 2024
HBV was pleased to announce the Pangrazio family (Staffordshire Park) as the 2025 Metro Print Ian Daff Memorial Award recipient. Since 2014, this award has recognised significant and tenured contributions and service to the broader Victorian breeding industry and with their contributions to bloodstock in Victoria, they join such luminaries as the Galloway family, Duncan McPherson OAM, the Craven family, and the Hartnetts in being recognised in this way
Breeders recognised for their Vicbred horses being awarded Victorian Horse of the Year in their respective categories were Peter Gleeson (Very Pretty & Perfect Class), Bruce & Craig Cameron (Let Her Roll), Yabby Dam Farms (Im Ready Jet, Derek The Jet, Just Believe & The Locomotive), Benstud Standardbreds (Catch A Wave), Alabar Farms (Bay Of Biscay) and Atworthy Park (The Highlight Reel).
We again thank Alabar, Northern Rivers Equine Veterinary Clinic, APG, Minitube Australia and Renown Silverware for their ongoing support of our awards program
For a full table of the Vicbred results produced by our member breeders in 2025, refer to pages 11-12.
Harness
HBV were pleased to continue and inaugurate a number of sponsorships across the season
Humbletonian Day
The 2024 edition of the all-maiden, all-Vicbred Humbletonian was another success, with HBV partnership for the 12th year to sponsor the meeting at Maryborough Harness Racing Club. With a nine-race program and big fields, the day – as always – delivered plenty of excitement, highlights and great stories. Congratulations to the connections of all nine winners, especially the breeders who received our $250 cash bonus including members Maree Caldow, Helen Friend, Aaron Dunn, Frank McGrath and the O’Connors
All Breeds Show Society Spring Carnival Show
HBV were proud to support legacy initiatives like the Standardbred breed open ring at the All Breeds Spring Carnival Show in November.
Congratulations to El Questro Park Standardbreds and Mazza’s Delight (Jet LaagCrystal Wrist - Torado Hanover, bred by G O’Connell) who were presented as the Harness Breeders Victoria Supreme Champion Led Standardbred
The
The 30th edition of the IRT Australian Standardbred Stallion Guide was published in 2025 and again sent to thousands of households across Australia and New Zealand. Featuring sixty pacing and trotting stallions available to Australian breeders, this year it spanned 150 pages. It included a feature on first season sires, futurities scheme details, an information piece on breeding technology, and breeding statistics from the 2024 breeding season
The committee offers its thanks to Sally McPherson who again took on the editorship of this much-anticipated publication in 2025 and was cornerstone to its successful production The Guide remains a fundamental part of HBV’s budget each season We also thank Metro Printing for their professional services in getting out a polished finished product to breeders
Foal
Our popular annual competition to find a cover image for the Stallion Guide from the latest Vicbred crop took place again in 2025, and again the winner was selected with the help of Metro Printing’s graphic design team and Alabar’s Art Major.
The six finalists were printed out and placed on buckets which in turn were spread across Art Major’s paddock at the farm near Echuca, and a handful of carrots placed on top of each The statesman sire was then reintroduced to his paddock and the first bucket he approached featured the image of J Simpson-Morgan and the Micallef family’s filly from Elianna Franco by American Ideal Congratulations to the Llowalong team on submitting this beautiful photo.
Other finalists were the foals by Orlando Vici (from Archangel Liz), EL Titan (All That Remains), Poster Boy (Glamour Jewel), Poster Boy (Left In Paris), Always B Miki (Jo Louleone) & Art Major (Oh My Goodness)
The video Art Major making his selection and some behind-the-scenes snippets can be found on the HBV website and Facebook Page. HBV thanks everyone who entered photos into the 2025 competition, and Alabar for making their champion stallion available
05 2025 FINANCIALS
HARNESS BREEDERS (VIC) INC
A.B.N. 98
462 323 765
ANNUAL REPORT 1 JANUARY - 31 DECEMBER 2025
18,384 89 2,643 51,43567,863 23,725 15,195 85,014 91,688 27,603 24,865 (20,046) 42,402 17,537
-
13,81435,557 619
72,43336,013 53,044 39,235 13,814 50,165 (35,557)
85,014 42,402 17,537 91,688 (20,046)
61,534 (20,046 17,537 (20,046)
FullYear
JCoffey
CLittle
DrHCathels
SMcPherson
IStanley
PDriscoll
MHanrahan
TaxinvoicesfromMetroPrintingwithinvoicenumbers56306Afor$19,786.80(GSTinclusive) and56306Bfor$5,076.50(GSTinclusive)werebothdated19September2024. However,duetolatereceiptoftheseinvoices,theywererecordedinXeroinJanuary2025. Anadjustmentwasthereforeprocessedtocorrectlyrecognisetheexpensesinthe2024 financialyear.Theadjustmentinvolvedreallocatingthebalancesfrom2025to2024through TradeCreditors,GSTPayable/Refundable,CostofSales-Printing,and CostofSales-Editor.
Thisadjustmentensurestheexpensesarerecognisedinthecorrectaccountingperiod inaccordancewiththeaccrualbasisofaccounting.
PatDriscoll