Formation of The Australian Stock Horse Society
Two horsemen, Alex Braid of Wellington, in the Central West NSW and Bert Griffith, of Scone in the Hunter Valley, had been talking and writing letters in their respective areas about the need to preserve the breeding and identity of our Australian Stock Horses. These two men called a meeting in March 1971 at the Belmore Hotel, Scone, to test the support they had for this idea.
They were pleased when a large crowd of people attended the meeting which asked many questions and closed at 10.25 pm but not before the following motions were passed:‘ An Association be formed for the betterment of the Australian Stock Horse’‘ A meeting to be held at Sydney that would be advertised in Hoofs and Horns, Country Life and the Land’‘ That all present form a steering committee for the area’‘ That the State be zoned’
The inaugural General Meeting was held in Sydney in April, and it was here that the body was named The Australian Stock Horse Society.
It was also moved that the early setting up of the Society would be done by a steering committee comprising Alex Braid, Bob Campbell, Wallace Munro, Bryant Gavin, Stan Herps, Dick Telfer, Doug Tyler,
Pat Hamilton, John Stanton, Alan Jones, Edgar Batterham, Bob Parkins, Bill Smith, Barry Law, Frank McNamara, Ken McDonald, John Lundholm and Max Walters. The secretary elected was Mary Griffith daughter of Bert Griffith.
An AGM was planned for Tamworth in June 1971. At this meeting the first group of office bearers were elected. The foundation President was Bryant Gavin. No better choice could have been made as Bryant was a dynamic person and drove the society through its infant years. Senior Vice Chairman was Edgar Batterham, Vice President Maurice Wright and Secretary / Treasurer Mary Griffith.
The Society quickly spread and soon there were branches in Queensland, South Australia [ June 1972 ] and the Northern Territory. Victoria entered in 1973 with Western Australia and Tasmania following soon after.
Mr Alex Braid, one of the founding members of the Australian Stock Horse Society.
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