BANNISTER AMERICAN SADDLEBRED HORSES
About us
'Ride ahead on a highbred American Saddlebred' - Rosemary Howe
Sharing the enduring passion for horses - especially American Saddlebreds!
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Rosemary Howe and Charley Barber
Rosemary and Charley met in December of 2009 and have barely spent time apart since then. They now live together at Charley's magnificent property, Bannister Springs, Bannister (via Crookwell), New South Wales, Australia.
Bannister, unlike other areas of Australia, rarely experiences drought. It has an average rainfall of 40 inches per year and some of the best red basalt soil in Australia where even the steel posts grow (comment by Tim Lindsay-Field, Vincent Field Bloodstock, horse transporter extraordinaire).
About Rosemary
Rosemary is from Kent, England. Rosemary had an idyllic
childhood
growing up on a farm riding ponies and horses in Kent.
Rosemary rode in an English all purpose saddle and a jumping saddle.
She
has an English style of riding. As well as hacking, Rosemary was lucky enough to experience the
thrill of
riding to the hounds (The English country
gentleman galloping after a fox - 'The unspeakable in full pursuit of
the uneatable' - Oscar Wilde, from 'A Woman Of No Importance') and show jumping.
Rosemary left England for Australia intending to spend only 2 years in
Australia. She fell in love with Australia and Australians and has
stayed.
About Charley
Charley is from Rhode Island, USA. He attended the University of Notre Dame and follows the football team religiously as well as the Boston Red Sox. Charley migrated to Australia in the 70s and was an English and History teacher at Mulwaree High School in Goulburn. He finished his career as the head teacher of English, History and Drama at Mulwaree.
Charley is an avid writer and his first book, "Please Forgive You", is to be published this winter.
After that list his next passion has been, and Rosemary hopes still is, horses.
Charley and his deceased wife Julie bred Arabian horses for 30 years at Peoria Arabians. Charley's stallion, Abu Sayed, now resides with Phil Ryan and Phil Wild at Hideaway Farm, Sunshine, Tasmania. Julie was a top flight dressage rider. Sadly, Julie died in 2004 of a brain tumour of the worst kind.
"Please Forgive You" is about Charley and Julie's life together, their work with Arabian horses and their journey through Julie's illness to her untimely and dramatic death. There is to be a launch of "Please forgive you" in Goulburn, NSW Australia TBA.
Charley doesn't ride but he is an excellent horse handler and his ground work is brilliant. Unlike Rosemary (Rose to Charley) Charley has an excellent knowledge of dressage and has, from time to time, judged breed and riding classes at local shows. Charley has shown his Arabian horses in hand and has won many championships.