Old McLarsen had some Farms

Chapter Eight: A Bush Gymkhana

"We have a surprise for you." I couldn't keep the excitement out of my voice, and I was gratified to hear this communicate clearly to Josie.

"What... what? Tell me, quickly."

"There's going to be a gymkhana-up north of here. We want to go and we hope you will, too."

"A gymkhana?" Josie sounded puzzled, but just as I was about to explain, she said, "Oh, hang on. I know... it's horse competitions, isn't it?"

"Yep. That's it. Not horse racing as we mostly think of it, although there is one kind of a race. It's sort of like a cross-country race, I guess."

"Mmm-mm... " It was easy to imagine her nodding on her end of the phone, but did I detect a slight tone of disappointment in her voice, like-'is that all'?

I rushed on with the best bit."But wait, there's more. The ad in our local paper promises, 'A Barbecue Tea, followed by a Ball in the night'.

There had been a growing buzz of excitement in our corner of Australia after we heard about this bush gymkhana planned to be held in a town some hours away. Little of our trip would be on bitumen roads - most of the many miles would be on dusty roads that were barely more than wide tracks. Once upon a time, they had known a grader blade - somewhere in the distant past. The town itself had a proud history, being the site of the first gold strike in the area. It was named after the first lucky prospector to register a lease for gold mining in Western Australia. In its heyday, Payne's Find supported some 500 residents. By the 1960's, mining had slowed and almost petered out and the population dwindled accordingly. This gymkhana was one local's brainstorm to bring people and money back into the area. Other creative minds had added the ideas of offering a meal and the Ball, complete with a live band and entertainment in the evening. When Josie and Todd accepted, their planned visit was moved forward a few weeks to happily coincide with the unexpected bonus this event offered. For our city friends it would be a novel attraction to add to their country 'getaway'; for us, a welcome change from routine work.

"So, we'll still come on the Friday night?" Josie asked.

"Yes please. If you can get away from work early, you could be here for a late-ish tea- "

"... and a long, lovely night together, sorting out the world, like always!"

What good friends we'd become after firstly Kanute, and later Todd, joined the same building company in Perth. Four South Australians who shared an adventurous spirit and enjoyed the new horizons and opportunities provided by the iron ore mining boom in Western Australia in the later 1960's.

Some months before, when we made the move to the country, we had not sold our small house in Perth, preferring to rent it out and not burn all our city bridges until we were certain of our country future. I smile. Was there really ever a doubt we would be farmers? With Kanute's passion for doing any job on his uncle's farm in Denmark? And he was only a small boy then. And me here in Australia-a total city slicker, but a born animal lover. As for living in the great outdoors? Well... I hadn't experienced anything country until our move, and yet everything had fallen into place so naturally.

Josie and Todd were not only our best friends and ex-workmates in Western Australia, but also our tenants, improving our house and garden in their time there. On our rare trips to Perth these days we were always assured of a bed - and the delightful wining and dining times good friends share whenever they're together again. To have the opportunity to return a small part of their generosity was so satisfying - and what could outdo this unique invitation to a Bush Gymkhana?

For anyone wondering about a gymkhana, the broadest Wikipedia definition is- '... a term used... to describe an equestrian event consisting of speed pattern racing and timed games for riders on horses'.