F E AT U R E
The Majestic Clydesdale Named after their place of origin in Scotland, Clydesdales are known for their gentle natures and big hearts. Liz Lewis has fallen under their sizeable spell and spoke to AMANDA MAC about her love of all things Clydesdale.
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iz Lewis’s fascination with horses goes back as far as she can remember, and her passion didn’t wane as she grew up. When she was 15-years-old, her parents presented her with her first horse, and eventing became Liz’s discipline of choice. She trained and competed in the sport up until around five years ago, when, I guess it’s fair to say, another love kicked in. Liz’s husband Erin has an extensive background in harness: from running a horse and carriage business in Sydney’s historic Rocks area, through to movie work and horse stunts. “I started off holding the reins for Erin and helping out in general when he worked his horses in harness,” Liz tells me, “but the passion really ignited when we went on a road trip in February 2015 to look at some Clydesdales that were up for sale. That’s when he bought Sunny for me, and Sunny has turned out to be my heart horse.” You may be surprised to learn that in a global context, the Clydesdale breed is considered vulnerable. As it happens, Australia is one of the world’s most prolific producers of Clydesdales, with studs here breeding around 300 registered foals in 2020 alone. While the Clydesdale is popular under saddle, they are absolutely majestic in harness - and interestingly, there are a significant number of female drivers 32 | H O R S E V I B E S M A R / A P R 2 0 2 1
who have taken up the reins. Liz has a theory about that: “I think women like the temperament and trainability of these enormous horses. They really are an absolute pleasure to work with, and to be around.” And she should know. Liz and Erin own Elemer Clydesdales, a boutique stud in Bargo on the outskirts of the NSW’s Southern Highlands. “We stand one stallion at stud, Jeanal Summer Solstice (Sunny), and have four broodmares, two purebred, and two part-bred,” she says. “We produce up to four foals a year, so we’re not inundated with progeny and therefore have the time to train, show, and break them in before they’re ready for sale. It gives us peace of mind to know that our horses have had the best possible start in life before they go to their new homes.” And the couple’s training philosophy is commendable: “There’s good handling of horses, and then there can be bad,” Liz comments. “Training begins at birth. Every time we’re around the foals they’re always learning a lesson. From the basics - teaching them to lead, tie up, and hobble - through to breaking them in. All these lessons eventually come together over a number of years to create a confident, happy, respectful, safe and educated horse.” But back to harness, and this is a learning curve all on its own. Liz tells me that there are three harness categories:
trade, agricultural and non-traditional. Trade, as the name suggests, includes turnout classes for the uniquely Australian harness and vehicles traditionally used prior to the 1960s by the likes of milkmen, bakers, breweries, and produce merchants. Show judges score on a points system: 50 for the horse - its type, conformation, and suitability for the trade it’s being shown in - and for workout, including movement, action, obedience, and ability to perform certain manoeuvres such as fanning (turning the vehicle on itself), and reversing, necessary for backing a vehicle into a loading bay. A further 30 points are allocated for the vehicle itself: “Judges assess its
