AQHA Magazine January / February 2024 AQHA Jan-Feb 2024 | Page 19

Q-91315 ‘ Ranch Riding is their Game ’
Situated on 110 acres at Bishop ’ s Bridge , in the lovely Lower Hunter Valley , in NSW , Garraka Park is where AQHA member , Michelle Garratt calls home .
PG . 17

GP ONE AWESOME OAK

Q-91315 ‘ Ranch Riding is their Game ’

ARTICLE BY : LYN HOFFMANN © 2024 • PHOTOS BY : EV LAGOON & ACE PHOTOGRAPHY

Situated on 110 acres at Bishop ’ s Bridge , in the lovely Lower Hunter Valley , in NSW , Garraka Park is where AQHA member , Michelle Garratt calls home .

Her home is also her place of work , not only as the stud owner and manager , but as the qualified AI Technician at the stud , where they stand up to 14 stallions per season . Michelle began showing Quarter horses at the age of thirteen , and has now been breeding and training for just over 30 years .

It ’ s a pretty busy life for Michelle , but she does get time to train , work and show her own horses , too , like her current horse , the striking stallion , GP One Awesome Oak Q-91315 . Leroy , as he ’ s known , is quite a big fellow , standing at 15.3hh . Together with his socks and blaze and lovely red roan coat , he does turn more than a few heads . His sire is the imported palomino stallion , One Awesome Moment Q-69631 , and his dam , the red roan mare , Erin Crystal Oak Q-48924 .
‘ He was special from the moment I pulled the bag from his head , and helped him to his feet when he was born ,’ Michelle begins . ‘ He was broken in and trained solely by me , for the purpose of being
AQHA JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2024