Horses will be housed in more modern, comfortable facilities when they compete at next year’s Moree Show, with two stables now upgraded and a third set to be given a much-needed makeover.
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At the start of the year, the makeover on the first set of stables was complete in time for this year’s show and now a second row has been fixed up.
Moree Show Society president Brendan Munn said horse owners were very impressed with the first lot of upgraded stables at the show in April.
“The amount of positive comments and how happy people were just having those ones done tells us we’re doing the right thing,” he said.
Prior to this year, all of the stables at Moree Showground were in a significant state of disrepair and in need of upgrades to bring them in line with modern safety standards.
One by one the stables are being fixed up, thanks to the Department of Lands Crown Reserve Funding and the hard work of a handful of dedicated Work for the Dole clients.
Moree Show Society recently secured an additional $9,000 which they will put towards work on a third row of stables, which is set to begin next week.
The work involves straightening the foundation of the building and replacing the old wooden posts and railings with new steel ones, as well as adding new latches and painting the old gates.
Since completing the first one, the show society and Work for the Dole clients have worked out ways to make the process more efficient.
Mr Munn said once they’re all complete, the stables should last another 100 years.
“They’re coming up a treat,” he said.
“Compared to what it was, it looks like a million dollars.”
The stable project is just one of many undertaken to improve Moree Showgrounds over the past two years, with Work for the Dole clients working hard building, painting, sanding, welding, fencing, concreting, plumbing and more to get the facilities up-to-scratch.
During this time they have fixed the grandstand, bar, toilets, main arena fence and completed a number of other odd jobs, including adding additional taps to the stable area.
Member for Northern Tablelands Adam Marshall was in Moree on Tuesday to inspect the latest work and said the transformation has been “extraordinary” in two years.
Mr Munn would like to give special mention to Major Metals for giving them good deals on steel for the project.
“The community input for jobs like this is terrific,” he said.
The recently-completed stables will be dedicated at the 2018 show. The first lot were dedicated to Bernie Keitlinghaus at this year’s show.
