The 750-kilometre ride honours Lieutenant General Sir Harry Chauvel, Commander in Chief, who commanded the desert mounted troops in Palestine, pictured here leading the Australian Army Light Horse through the streets of Damascus in November 1918. Photo: Australian War Memorial.
Next week, a small group of riders will saddle up to set out on a remarkable six-week, 750-kilometre journey across southern NSW honouring the men and horses of the Australian Light Horse.
Dubbed The Chauvel Anniversary Light Horse Memorial Ride, the event is more than just a trek through the vast rural countryside, rather it follows a deliberate path linking scores of commemorative monuments to the Australian Light Horse and also honours the legacy of Sir Harry Chauvel, a towering figure in Australia’s military history.
The historic Chauvel Border Light Horse Trail traverses the NSW-Victorian border from Shepparton in the south, snaking up through the Riverina and South West Slopes before turning south again through the Snowy Mountains high country, coursing back over the border into Victoria.
Leading this ambitious endeavour is Coolamon farmer, Pat Leary, a seasoned horseman with a deep personal connection to the history of the Australian Light Horse.
He will be the only rider to complete the entire journey, although many others will join for sections along the way, not the least of which is Tallangatta’s Ross Smith who will be at Pat’s side all the way, bar the few days he stops to celebrate his mother’s 100th birthday.
Pat says the ride recognises two significant milestones – 80 years since Chauvel’s passing on 4 March and 160 years since his birth when the ride culminates on 16 April at Tallangatta.
The first leg of the journey finishes on 21 March in Harden, home to the Bill the Bastard statue, a tribute to the legendary warhorse of World War I. The second leg begins a week later in Young proceeding through Gundagai, Tumut, Tumbarumba and Corryong, to finish in Tallangatta, home of Sandy the Warhorse.
Each stop – whether it be at a monument, RSL, school, statue or painted silo – will honour not just Chauvel but the entire history of Australia’s Light Horse, a military force whose heroism remains etched in the nation’s memory.
“The ride is designed not only as a physical and historical tribute but also as an educational opportunity,” Pat said. “We want people to know about the Chauvel Trail. We want people to know about the Light Horse. We want people to know about all these memorials, the silo arts, and the stories of the men and horses who served.”
Pat Leary carried the 12th Light Horse pendant when he took part in a small-scale recreation of the historic charge at the 100th anniversary of the Battle for Beersheba. Photo: 100 Year Anniversary of the Battle of Beersheba/Facebook
Pat’s connection to the Light Horse goes beyond history books and reenactments to a wall in his grandmother’s house, where a portrait of a soldier – his great uncle – hung on the wall.
“That picture was always there, looking down at me,” Pat said. “It made me think about what those men went through, the sacrifices they made. I didn’t realise it at the time, but that portrait shaped a lot of what I do today.”
The Light Horse, most famously depicted in the charge at Beersheba during World War I, is a symbol of heroism etched in Australia’s military history.
Pat’s passion for preserving their legacy led him to participate in the 100th anniversary reenactment of the Beersheba charge in Israel in 2017. As he rode at the front of the formation, he said he felt a deep respect for the men who had faced off with the enemy during the original charge.
“The worst that’s going to happen to me is people are going to cheer and clap,” he said. “But the fate of these men was unknown as they charged straight into machine gun fire.”
This ride is about keeping their history alive, Pat said.
“For years, the Light Horse wasn’t widely recognised in the public consciousness, but that’s changed thanks to re-enactors — people getting out on horseback, sharing their stories, and making sure future generations remember the contributions of Australia’s mounted troops.”
Like the 2022 130-kilometre Emu Plume Trek which commemorated 130 years of the Emu plume of the Light Horse, which Pat participated in.
That ride followed a different historic route through the Riverina but shared the same purpose in widely sharing stories of the mounted soldiers, which today Pat is still reminded of by strangers whose children bore witness to that.
“I’m amazed at the number of people who tell me their children still talk about our visit back then,” he said. “It seems to stick.”
Pat, who has won multiple Tom Quilty buckles for national endurance riding, has extensive experience with long distance events.
This ride, however, presents unique challenges. Unlike traditional endurance races that emphasise speed, this journey demands long days in the saddle, day after day. Riders must maintain stamina, while horses must be conditioned to carry weight over such distances.
“We’re not racing; we’re pacing,” Pat said.
The back roads and stock routes will pose their own challenges, but the riders must also contend with unpredictable weather, from scorching heat to heavy storms.
Despite the risks, the ride has generated significant excitement.
Communities along the route have eagerly offered their support, providing spots for the riders to rest and hosting commemorative ceremonies and events.
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