What About the Workers?

Twenty-three year old Shaun Dillon works with international eventer, Shane Rose in his breaking and pre training business. Shaun, a rider himself and horse caught a lift to Warwick with Shane and partner, Nikki Chapman. The trip to Queensland has lasted a lot longer than he thought, with Shaun acting a groom, cook (well almost) and maybe bottle washer, as well as making himself generally useful at Morgan Park. Horse Deals spoke to Shaun today to get the Morgan Park story from a ‘lifer’.

So Shaun, how is life at Morgan Park?

“It has been quite interesting really, rather like a commune. Nikki and I are up here with the horses and I have been helping Blair (Richardson). The first few days were quite busy, but now we have got into a bit of a routine and now everything goes smoothly. All the horses have the flu and are getting over it.

What’s a typical day for you?

We get up and get going at about 6.30am; we are first on the vet’s rounds and they get to us at 7am. By then we have to have taken all the horses temperatures (they have eight), recorded whether they have eaten and how much discharge is coming out of their nose, so we are organised for when the vets arrive (pictured right), so they can get through their rounds as quickly as possible. That is finished at about 7.30am, and then we muck out and feed and do various chores that are necessary. At about 8.30-9am we wander down for breakfast.

“The Red Cross and the Hospital have been cooking the meals, like roasts and regular food. We haven’t had to do the washing up, but a few of us young ones have been helping in the kitchen at lunchtime, serving up lunches. It’s been OK, like boarding school.

Have you been behaving like you are at boarding school?

“Oh we have had a few entertaining nights up here! But we have been making ourselves useful to the committee up here too, doing odd jobs like unloading hay and setting up the yards. Another semi load of yards came in today and now every horse has a yard and they spend most of the day out in them.

How is morale and what do you do to amuse yourselves?

“The morale has been excellent and everyone has pulled their weight and made the best of a bad situation and have all pulled together. There is a good feeling amongst the people up here, we are all in the same boat and we just have to get on with it. There are aerobics classes conducted every couple of days by Melissa from Warwick, and they are pretty intense. Blair and I managed to slither out of it today, as we had to unload hay. There is a touch football match organised for tomorrow and there is a recreation tent full of sporting equipment that we can borrow and do our own thing if we want.

“The Level I coaching is really good for me as I am at intro level and will be able to do some work towards my NCAS certificate.

If Horse Deals are ever thinking of a commune, Shaun will certainly be on the list of invitees. The ability to make the most out of a bad situation is a valuable life asset.