Shae Russo
Garryowen winner - Shae Russo (nee Hanger) is the great-great-niece of Violet Murrell, famed horse rider who won over 200 prizes including Champion Hack at the Melbourne Royal on her horse Garryowen.
Shae grew up with a love of horses in a horse-loving family. As a young girl she would watch her grandfather training horses in Epsom and at the age of nine she got her first pony. The following year, she competed at Melbourne Royal for the very first time. Shae recalls that first show with enthusiasm:
We did, I think, about three or four local shows to qualify for Melbourne, and then it was the big Melbourne Royal, the most exciting thing ever. And we stayed in the locker. At that time, you mostly always stayed on grounds with your pony. My pony was called Willie. He was a little white pony.
Shae was following in the footsteps of her mother and great, great aunt and had the backing of her whole family. Staying on the showgrounds with her horse, her family and friends was an exciting time. As well as competing, Shae recalls loving the fireworks each night and the general atmosphere of excitement:
You can’t ask for a better – kids – to grow up, to be coming to Melbourne Royal Show. It doesn’t matter what you enjoy. You’ve got your little animals. You’ve got showbags, the rides. It’s just the whole atmosphere … Now I’ve got a seven-year-old daughter and just watching her excitement just to come and look at the Show and everything too, it’s nice.
Shae Hanger with Warwind after winning the 2008 Garryowen Equestrienne Turnout.
After winning her first competition at Melbourne Royal, Shae was hooked: ‘I remember at ten saying that all I want to do was win the Garryowen.’ For competitive horse riders and even non-horsey people, the Garryowen is the pinnacle of achievement. As Shae says, ‘It’s like our Melbourne Cup. It’s something that everyone knows’.
Competing and showing horses became a full-time passion. From September to April each year, Shae was travelling and competing at various shows around the country: Canberra, Sydney, Adelaide and of course Melbourne. ‘When you’ve got horses’, she reflects, ‘you miss out on kids’ parties and that when you were young, but it doesn’t matter. All my friends are my closest horse friends’.
The Garryowen competition is a unique and very prestigious event open to all female riders, 18 years and over, competing in a class at the Melbourne Royal Show. The competitors are judged in six categories: conformation and soundness; manners and paces; riding ability; general appearance; saddlery; and costume.
Sometimes it doesn’t have to be the best rider and the best horse. It’s got to be a combination … it’s got to gel. We’ve got to go out there and the horse has got to trust you and you’ve got to trust that he’s educated enough and he’s listening to you to do that workout. And then you’ve got the conformation and you’ve got to have a horse that’s sound and he’s put together perfectly and then you’ve got to have the judge like him too. So there’s so many little things that tick a box.
In 2008 Shae entered the Garryowen on Warwind. ‘You always have that one special horse’, Shae reflects ‘and he was my baby … I wanted to win a Garryowen on him, he deserved it’. And win she did. Shae went on to win the Garryowen another two times, back to back in 2015 and 2016 with the same horse, Chosen One. In 2016 she was initiated into the Garryowen Hall of Fame, with Chosen One also being inducted two years later.
That was a really big thrill for him. And for myself … being the great-great-niece of Violet Murrell, to compete in the Garryowen, let alone win the Garryowen and then be put in the Hall of Fame, it’s just icing on the cake.
Click play to listen to a snippet of Shae's interview here.