at Tallangatta, Victoria
The township of Tallangatta (Victoria) was the scene for a large gathering of horses and riders on Saturday 20th May 2023.
They were there to mark the unveiling of a life-size bronze statue of Sandy in his home district. The local committee, led by Ross Smith, had worked for four years to raise over $160,000 (half from a Federal grant, the rest from local raffles, donations, music nights and a ’Buy-a-brick scheme). The statue was created by sculptor Brett “Mon” Garling.
They also launched a new book about Sandy ‘Minus His Head and Hooves’ by Elaine Brogan (who is a founding member of the Melbourne group Friends of Sandy). The title is a reference to how the horse was dismembered after Sandy was put down in his old age,
Lighthorse re-enactors led a parade of 200 riders through the town, which was watched by hundreds more spectators.
Links to news reports on the event:
Places of Pride (National Register of War Memorials)
Note
Sandy has also been the subject of Dianne Wolfer’s book for younger readers ‘The Last Light Horse’
About Sandy the war horse
The story of Sandy, one of Major General Sir William Bridges’ three horses, is a poignant one. Sandy is famous as the only horse to be brought back to Australia from World War One, out of the 136,000 sent to war. (See note below)
While not actually used in a Light Horse regiment, Sandy was a gentle sturdy Waler and the General’s favourite. After the General was killed on Gallipoli, his horse was eventually brought back to Australia, to see out his days at the Maribyrnong remount depot (as the General reportedly had wished).
Sandy came from the Upper Murray region and had been donated to the war effort by a local family, the O’Donnells.
He has become a symbol for all the horses that went to war.
Note: The war horses could not be brought back to Australia because of Quarantine restrictions, as well as post-war shipping priorities. Most healthy horses went to other British and Indian cavalry units. See further information about why the horses weren’t brought home and what happened to them here.
There is an acknowledgement plaque at the base of the statue. The hard work and dedication of Ross Smith and the Sandy Committee saw them raise $160,000 with a further $80,000 coming from a federal grant.