PG . 21
The youth classes were integral to every program from the outset and were often responsible for starting the competition careers of many riders still competing today .
There was also a special ‘ Little Cowboys ’ class for the beginners and many of these riders were given a go on borrowed horses . As Gill recalled in a 2012 interview ; “ the most important thing we hoped to achieve with the Kelly County shows was to get as many people riding as possible . We kept entry and cattle hire fees to a minimum and ran the events on time so people could get home earlier . We tried to cultivate a sense of community amongst the participants by hosting awards nights at the end of the season and giving encouragement to newcomers wherever possible .”
Gill lived and breathed horses and would always say it made you feel on top of the world to be able to go out your door and step on one of them . Throughout her riding career she retained the amateur enthusiasm of a newcomer and passed this passion onto many people down the years . But there was more to Gill than horses . Gill loved Painting , Ballet , Theatre and Classical music . She was an avid reader with diverse tastes and loved to travel the world . Her favourite places among many were Paris , Fort Worth and Melbourne . She engaged with exhibitions of contemporary art and the NCHA futurity with the same interest as she would for a hot afternoon at Finley working cattle . Gill Sawrey was a walking encyclopaedia of Quarter Horse breeding and was the most generous , kind and gentle woman to all . Above all she never let herself get too flustered even when she met the Queen !
Gill is survived by her two sons Jon and Tony , her grandchildren Allan , Sean , Brodie and her great grandson Leo . Thanks to Ricky Glen for his help with this feature .
GILL SAWREY
OF BANGTAIL STUD
AQHA SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER ISSUE 2021