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FEATURE: NANCY AND ALICIA JOURNEY WITH SANDMAN
A Mother-Daughter Journey with
SANDMAN
HOIHO
PHOTOS BY: OZ SHOTS
Q-78985
Nancy and her family ' s introduction to the Quarter Horse world began not in an arena, but on a cattle property. After marrying her husband and joining life on the land, she quickly saw the value of incorporating Quarter Horses with strong working bloodlines into their daily operations.“ It didn’ t take me long to convince him,” she laughs.
Their journey began with the purchase of a young colt and several well-bred mares. But it was during one of those early purchases that fate stepped in. Among the mares stood a rising three-year-old unbroken gelding— Sandman.“ We definitely weren’ t there to buy a gelding,” Nancy recalls,“ but there was just something special about him.” Both Nancy and Alicia were captivated by his presence, they brought him home and started him under saddle— unwittingly beginning a journey that“ something special” would eventually turn Sandman into not just a working partner, but a family legend.
Alicia’ s passion for show jumping was born in the bush, long before she ever set foot in a competition ring. Riding independently from the age of four, she was already mustering cattle on her family’ s property. Alongside her three older brothers, Alicia spent her childhood turning natural obstacles into makeshift jump courses— logs, gullies, and anything they could find to challenge one another.“ It became a game to see who could jump the highest,” she recalls. That competitive spark led Alicia and her brother Jacob to their local Pony Club, where she got her first taste of structured show jumping. The thrill was instant. Recognizing their enthusiasm, her parents bought a seasoned show jumping mare to help her learn the ropes.
Alicia Creed and Sandman- 2024 Pony Club Queensland State Championship. Class-Power and Speed, clearing 90cm. After a sharp U turn that no other rider attempted. 1st place – Photo credit: Oz Shots
Australian Quarter Horse Association- www. aqha. com. au