NEIGHbour-Art Gallery: The stationary horse parade

LOCAL businesses have shown tremendous enthusiasm towards this year’s 40th anniversary Scone Horse Festival NEIGHbour-Art Initiative.

More than 200 wooden horse cut-outs were sold over a two-week period and are now decorated and showcased throughout Scone.

See photo gallery below.

It’s all thanks to Scone Horse Festival Committee member Phil McGuirk, who was inspired to do something different this year.

“Traditionally it’s been a window dressing competition. People said they’re sick and tired of putting a saddle on a bale of hay,” Mr McGuirk said.

“The guys from Scone Hardware did some for their football team, the Thoroughbreds and they said they would cut more with a laser cutter, and it grew form there,” he said.

“We sold 190 within two weeks . . . some schools have bought 19 horses each, it’s been busy,” he said.

The newly appointment Scone Chamber of Commerce Business Development Officer Sarah English said the Chamber was a little unprepared for the overwhelming success of the NEIGHbour-Art Initiative and apologised for businesses or locals who may have missed out due to the heavy demand.

“Phil came in with a cutout horse to our board meeting and said he had this idea about getting them out into the community to promote the Horse Festival. He only had enough timber for about 50 . . . it just went nuts,” Ms English said.

“It was very exciting, the community spirit just took over the idea,” she said.

“The Scone Chamber is giving away a free yearly membership to the winner, but it is more notary prizes this year to say ‘we won.’ We didn’t have the time to organise prize money because we didn’t realise how successful it would be, so next year will be more planned,” she said.

During the Horse Festival, various judges will walk around Scone and look at all of the entries, with notary prizes and ribbons for the following categories;

• Business – Overall Winner (Most artistic and creative);
• Business – People’s Choice;
• Business – Honorary Mentions;
• School – Overall Winner (Most artistic and creative).

Why no horse parade?

Upper Hunter Shire Council Manager of Business David Gatwood said although the Horse Parade was cancelled this year, it’s exciting to be “back in the game again.”

“Of course one of the casualties this year is the horse parade, it was just incredibly difficult to effectively measure that and ensure we were compliant with all public health orders,” Mr Gatwood said.

“We now have the Scone Equine Hospital triple header, which is the nine hole Ambrose golf tournament followed by a sportsman’s lunch and then we roll into the official calcutta at the Scone RSL Club.

Gallery: Stationary Horse Parade