The Horse In Australia
The Age
Saturday September 20, 2008
The Horse in Australia F
iona Carruthers Random House, $49.95 ROBERT MUSIL IN The Man Without Qualities ponders the validity of calling a race horse a "genius". If valid, can Phar Lap be called a Great Australian? In a horse-mad country such as this chances are that such a proposition might get the thumbs up. As this highly researched and entertaining volume demonstrates, the horse has always occupied pride of place in Australian folklore. Fiona Carruthers' history is panoramic, beginning with the First Fleet, the horse's role in exploration, the archetypal image of the stockman, war (her description of the famous charge on Beersheba during World War I is quite compelling) - and on to saddle clubs and more sedate pursuits. Oh, and racing; among other things, Phar Lap and the significance of Vintage Crop's win in the 1993 Melbourne Cup.
© 2008 The Age
