The Chauvel Anniversary Lighthorse Memorial Ride pays tribute to the courage and sacrifice of those who served in the Australian Light Horse regiments.
March 4 marked the 80th anniversary since the death of one of Australia’s most decorated army generals, Sir Harry Chauvel.
To mark this anniversary a group of light horses and their riders are undertaking the 750km memorial ride.
A crowd of around 100 onlookers gathered in Shepparton on a warm and windy day to hear speakers, including Chauvel’s great-granddaughter, Honor Auchinleck, and Bourchier’s great nephew, John Bourchier, and farewell the riders and horses on their journey.
That journey will take them from north-east Victoria, through many small towns, and up into NSW.
It will end on the 160th anniversary of Chauvel’s birth, April 16, at Tallangatta’s memorial statue of Sandy the warhorse, the only horse to return home from World War I.
On Thursday, March 6 the memorial ride visited Devenish, where the Benalla RSL sub-branch hosted a special service under the town’s magnificent silos.
A crowd of about 30 local people gathered in the early evening sun to pay respect to the riders and what the journey represents.
Three of the horses took a detour on Friday morning, March 7, for an unscheduled stop at Glenrowan Primary school, where students got to hear all about the role they played in active combat.
There was some audible gasps as students were asked if they could pack belongings into a small saddle bag to keep them going for four years away from home.
To stay up to date with the journey, follow the Chauvel Anniversary Light Horse Memorial Ride 2025 page on Facebook.
To download the Chauvel Border Light Horse Trail map and brochure, visit chauvelfoundation.org/