Festival brings horse-drawn mail cart back to QLD roads
A vintage Queensland mail cart is back on the road to recreate a unique piece of bush history. The centenary celebrations of the Cobb 'n Co festival is next month - and training for the celebrations are in full swing.
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00:00From dirt roads to school zones, Cole Anderson and her wagon attract plenty of attention
00:08in the Lockyer Valley town of Grantham.
00:14It's not just a scenic ride, this is serious training for the Cobb & Co Festival in August,
00:20when she'll join a cavalcade of riders recreating Australia's last horse-drawn mail run in 1924,
00:27a 76-kilometre journey between the southwest towns of Surat and Yilba.
00:32My grandmother always told me I was born 100 years too late because I've always been horse-obsessed
00:36and wanting to either ride or drive.
00:38The distance is one challenge for the horses, so too tuning out the distractions of passing
00:44traffic, people and barking dogs.
00:49The majority of people have been really good about it.
00:51We get them stopping and taking photos, they get out of their cars, they wave, they slow
00:56down so the kids can wave as we go and pass.
01:00Local harness legend, former stuntman and horse trainer Ron Roman provides a steadying
01:05presence.
01:06Get to know them and what they like and what they don't like and just go from there.
01:13Everybody's happy, it's a good trip.
01:15Cole's training has officially reached the halfway point.
01:18Bo and Bailey here are now travelling up to 30 kilometres in a session, of course stopping
01:24for Smoko.
01:25When they do their longest day on the Cob and Co run, it'll be 40 kilometres.
01:29It's like a once in a lifetime sort of event.
01:32And gives the old Jimboomba mail cart another chance of life on the road.