Amanda Sweeper has been nominated for elections as Director for South Queensland in the upcoming Board Elections. 

About Amanda

I grew up in a family of sailors, so when I asked for a horse at the age of 14 the answer was ‘No’, and so of course I got my first horse. My parents soon found themselves the somewhat apprehensive purchasers of a little Thoroughbred mare called ‘Ripples’ for $500. I say, ‘What doesn’t kill you, teaches you to hang on tighter,’ and by some divine intervention she did not manage to kill me though she certainly did try.

I joined the Samford Polocrosse Juniors team before deciding that wrestling a saddle-bronc across a field whilst dodging wooden rackets to the face wasn’t my ideal horse sport and absconded to the Samford Pony Club where I developed my skills and trained several Thoroughbreds into Elementary dressage horses. The problem with dressage however was that it involved riding for 12 minutes and waiting 10 hours for results. I decided showing horses was for me and I put Ripples in foal to the ASH stallion DINKUM PEPSI, allowing me to move into the Australian Stock Horse world by registering my ASB mare as Breeding Purposes. I then purchased DINKUM PEPSI’s black 2yo daughter WIN D CAT WALK. This was the start of my love of the ABBEY - FS HSH/ABDUL - IS HSH bloodline with their impressive fronts, natural collection and beautiful heads. 

WIN D CAT WALK was one of the most highly decorated show horses of her time including winning the Show Series in SE Qld, Champion Mare and Reserve Champion Mare at Brisbane Royal, Champion Hack in English Attire at Warwick ASH Nationals and Reserve Champion Hack in English Attire the following year at Narrabri ASH Nationals.

A few years later I was lucky to be able to purchase KOORALA BLACK LABEL - HSH, one of the last sons of PALMERS FORT ABDUL - IS HSH who was out of an ELLIOTTS CREEK CADET - FS HSH daughter. His Heritage bloodlines along with Cat Walk and a few THE ECHO RIVOLI RELIC - HSH mares, became the foundation to Topshelf Stock Horses. At 22 years of age Black Label is still breeding top quality show horses and multiple national champions including the Supreme National Led Exhibit, TOPSHELF ENVY - HSH.

Part of my breeding program is the safeguarding of these ASH bloodlines, with TOPSHELF ABSOLUTE - HSH being part of that legacy. At 5 years old he has won at Royal and National shows, being successfully broken in, trained and campaigned by Kate Clancy of Narrabri, NSW, where he currently stands at stud.

I have been an active ASHS Member for 26 years being a committee member in both the East Moreton Branch and now the West Moreton Branches. I have enjoyed working within committees to run Branch shows and futurities and was the President of West Moreton Branch when we successfully ran the National Youth Show in Esk, Queensland. I have been an ASHS Level 1 Judge since the start of the ASHS Judges scheme and have completed the Level 2 course. I also achieved my accreditation as a Level 1 ASHS Coach.

Away from horses, I studied degrees in Psychology and Education at University and enjoyed a long teaching and leadership career before taking leave to care for my daughter. Abigail unfortunately sustained a spinal cord injury during a horse fall when she was ten years old but still enjoys showing her horses in led classes from her wheelchair and competing in junior judging.

I recently completed my Masters in Guidance and Counselling at University, am a qualified Guidance Officer and work as a NDIS consultant, helping other parents make sense of the NDIS.

I would like to serve as a Board Member of the Australian Stock Horse Society for four reasons:

To help protect the bloodlines of our Australian Stock Horses for future generations and uphold the Constitution of the ASHS.
To ensure ASHS Members are protected according to the Insurance policies held by the ASHS, and that the best is being done for Members on this matter.
To ensure transparency and connection between the Board and the Members in decisions that impact the ASH as a competitive, marketable product and national icon.
To ensure the ASHS represents value for money for Members, gives Members purpose to belong to the Society, and is run in an efficient and necessary manner that is sustainable for a not-for-profit organisation.
Thank you for considering my nomination for the ASHS Board of Directors.

Amanda Sweeper