Durrie Station, Birdsville
Far South-West Qld
Matthew Lorenz is an impressive lad who lives at Durrie Station, near Birdsville, Far South-West Qld.
He began riding when he was a little fella, on a Shetland pony, and has gradually progressed to a stage where he’s able to help out in the muster, and enjoy “just horse riding”.
Matthew loves living on stations, “Its good fun….gets you out looking for stuff, and I don’t care about having to ride a long way.” He’s an early riser, and very keen to be out and about with his dad, Darren Lorenz, who is Manager at Durrie.
In 2010, his parents surprised him with a Kent Saddle for his tenth birthday. It arrived the day of his birthday just in time for the Birdsville Gymkhana, and Matthew’s mum, Deane, reported“that he was over the moon!”
Matthew enters in every event he can at the region’s gymkhanas, so the saddle was initiated in the bending, barrels, flags and figure of 8 and other events.… “all the horse events”. He was successful in getting a few placings. Matthew also made mention of the Pop Top Guzzlers Race, which somehow involves bikes and horses….the mind boggles!
His comment about his new saddle was a brief, “I’m getting used to it”, but he also made mention at a later date that he loves riding in his new saddle, “It’s cool. It was good to get it for my birthday ’cause I reckon it helped me win some things, and it is good how it is made to fit me.”
Watching Matthew ride up, over, and down the sand hills near the cattle yards, there’s no doubt his new saddle will be tried, tested, and thoroughly well ridden within a fairly short time.