About Us

About SAQ
Become a MemberAbout Standies
Since 1998

Promoting the Standardbred Horse Breed

Our History

The Standardbred Association of Queensland (SAQ) was founded in 1998 and was primarily established as the Queensland’s Standardbred Breed Society. It became evident that there was a shortfall in opportunities for Standardbreds retiring from racing – with a large majority of them finding themselves in slaughter yards.

In 2002, SAQ started the Rehoming and Adoption Program, which was the first Not for Profit Association in Queensland to focus specifically on retraining and rehoming retired racehorses. Over the past 16 years, the program has steadily grown – along with the racing industry’s awareness of the importance of retirement options for its retired athletes – and we have now rehomed well over 1,000 Standardbreds through our adoption program.

Members

Adopted Horses

Registered Horses

What Drives Us

Our Mission

The Standardbred Association of Queensland is dedicated to championing horse welfare, advocacy and retirement for Standardbreds in a compassionate Community.

To uphold our Mission Statement, the Association follows these five objectives…

Horse Welfare

The Association aims to advance the well-being and welfare of Standardbred horses throughout their lives. This includes promoting responsible horse care and advocating for their needs, appropriate nutrition, healthcare, and living conditions.

Advocacy

The Association strives to be a strong voice for Standardbred horses, advocating for their needs, rights, and fair treatment. It aims to raise awareness about issues affecting Standardbreds, promote ethical treatment, and engage in efforts to improve industry practices and standards.

Retirement and Aftercare

The Association is committed to providing retirement options and ongoing support for Standardbreds that have retired from racing or other equestrian activities. This includes facilitating an adoption program, retraining initiatives, and ensuring a smooth transition into caring, quality homes and new purposes beyond the track; aiming for a fulfilling and purposeful retirement for these horses.

Compassionate Community

The Association aims to foster a compassionate and supportive community that values and prioritizes the well-being of Standardbred horses. It seeks to educate, engage, and collaborate with horse owners, trainers, enthusiasts, and the public to create a culture of empathy, understanding, and responsible horse ownership.

Promotion

The Association aims to develop and execute effective marketing and communication strategies aimed at increasing awareness of Standardbred horses, promoting ownership opportunities, and showcasing engaging recreational activities related to these remarkable equines.

SAQ home grounds arena

2023/2024

Committee

Gaylene Teichmann riding her horse over poles. SAQ committee member

Gaylene Teichmann

President

Contact Gaylene

Debbie Dekker

Vice President
Horse Registrar

Contact Debbie

Linda Zupanc, SAQ committee member

Linda Zupanc

Secretary
Webmaster

Contact Linda

Wendy Jones, SAQ Treasurer

Wendy Jones

Treasurer

Contact Wendy

Melissa Bell with Standardbred Horse

Melissa Bell

Horse Placement Officer
Horse Welfare Officer
Volunteer Coordinator

Contact Melissa

Emily Turner and her Standardbred gelding Beach. Bells Beachouse

Emily Turner

Events Coordinator

Contact Emily

Debbie Summerhayes

Newsletter Editor

Contact Debbie

Debbie Dekker

Horse Registrar

Contact Debbie

Andrew Bracewell

Risk Management Officer
Equipment/Assets Coordinator

Contact Andrew

Shona Theuerkauf

Social Media Coordinator

Contact Shona

Events Team

Events Manager

Position Vacant

Dressage

Position Vacant

Show Jumping

Position Vacant

State Championships

Position Vacant

Track to Hack

Position Vacant

Training Days/Musters

Kelly Herschell
Kim Jendra

General Members

Debbie Summerhayes
Kristen Powles

Equipment/Assets Coordinator

AJ Bracewell

Groundsman & Maintenance

Darrel Foster

Volunteer Coordinator

Melissa Bell

Horse Welfare Team

Horse Placement Officer

Contact Melissa Bell

Horse Welfare Officer

Contact Horse Welfare Officer

Grants & Fundraising Team

Grants & Fundraising

Contact Nai Roles

Grants & Fundraising

Contact Wendy Jones

Not Just for Racing

Why Register a Horse?

Standardbred Horse Registration
Registration provides official identification of the horse, which may be requested for equestrian competitions and/or breed classes by event and show committees. It may also identify a person as the owner or lessee of a horse. Note that, for Standardbreds, Harness Racing Australia (HRA) papers may also serve a similar purpose.
Who Can Register A Horse

The Standardbred Association Queensland provides owners who are SAQ Members of pleasure Standardbreds with the opportunity to register their horses for non-racing equestrian disciplines. Often when horses start their non-racing competition careers owners do not have the horse’s Harness Racing Australia (HRA) registration papers.  This is often because the original owners do not want their horses to race again and therefore they do not pass on the horse’s papers.

Registered Naming Protocols
All owners that apply for horse registration with the SAQ must use their horses registered harness racing name. The SAQ follow the rules of Harness Racing Australia and therefore horses are not allowed to change names except under special rules.

For a horse that is unnamed with Harness Racing Australia, you can apply for a name through the registration process.  You will not be able to use the same name of a horse already registered with HRA – Check HRA OnLine for name availability.  If a SAQ registered and named horse is found to have the same name as a horse registered with HRA, the name will need to be changed.

Unbranded & Partbred Standardbreds
For Unbranded and Partbred Standardbreds, the National Non Racing Studbook (NRS) and the National Partbred Register are produced by Standardbred Pleasure and Performance Horse Association of Victoria (SPPHAV) in conjunction with Harness Racing Australia (HRA) on behalf of all Standardbred Horse Associations of Australia (SHAA) members and their members within. Only equestrian groups that hold membership to the ‘Standardbred Horse Association of Australia’ (SHAA) have the ability to process NRS and partbred Standardbred registrations.
The Registration Process

In summary, the process is as follows:

  1. Complete the SAQ Membership Application if you are not already a member.
  2. Complete ALL of the horse information on the registration form. Include the freezebrand or racing name of the horse, you can find this information at www.harness.org.au/hra.cfm
  3. If you are registering an unnamed horse, please provide 5 alternative names in order of preference. While SAQ allows registration with your choice of name, the name cannot be the same as that of a horse already registered with HRA or SAQ.
  4. Please provide the required photographs of your horse, without saddlery or harness.
  5. Partbred and Unbranded Purebred Standardbreds require additional DNA testing to substantiate their bloodlines. Once the SAQ recieves your application forms, the SAQ Horse Registrar will contact you to arrange DNA sampling in accordance with SAQ requirements.

For full details on how to register and to download the application forms, please click here.

Adopt A Standy

Become a Member

Register a Horse

SAQ Home Grounds

Marburg Showgrounds
45-55 Queen Street
Marburg QLD 4346

PIC Number QGIW1059

COUNT DOWN to the SAQ 2024 State Championships

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@ Gatton Showgrounds

PIC Number QAGT1412