Last year’s world first of bullocks, camels and horses harnessed together and pulling a wagon has been surpassed by the nation’s leading teamsters at the Good Old Days Festival.
Aleks Berzins, Marlie Draught Horse Stud, Exeter, dreamt up the idea in 2024 and brought it to fruition with the help of his mates, bullock driver Phil Thomson, Numinbah Valley, Qld, and cameleer Rodney Sansom, Oakfield Ranch, Anna Bay, NSW.
The three teamsters surprised visitors to the 2025 Good Old Days Festival at Barellan on October 3 with the addition of another species, the Mammoth donkey, to create a truly unique world first.
Dubbed the Barellan Special, the combination team comprised two horses, two camels, two Mammoth donkeys and four bullocks harnessed to a wagon loaded with straw bales.
The two horses, Hank and Lady, were contributed by Aleks and were among the four leaders in the world record breaking Barellan team.
The two camels, Uncle Bob and 50-50, are racing camels with Uncle Bob a three times winner of the Boulia Cup for cameleer Rodney Sansom.
The two Mammoth donkeys, Jack and Comet, are owned by young teamster Emily Parrott, Anna Bay, NSW. The donkeys are among a menagerie of animals used by the family in film and television work.
The four bullocks, Chip, Dale, Digger and Joker, usually form part of the team driven by Phil Thomson OAM and pulling log jinkers and wagons.
Mr Thomson later teamed up with bullockies Matt Stanford, Queensland, Darcy Quinn and Joey Reedy, both of NSW, to parade a team of 40 bullocks to establish a new record for Barellan and a new Australian record for the 21st Century.
The Australian record stands at 102 bullocks set at Cessnock when the timber and logging industry was at its peak in the 20th century and according to Mr Thomson, was unlikely to be broken in the modern era due to the industry demise.
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Caption: A world first – horses, camels, donkeys and bullocks – harnessed in the one team at the Good Old Days Festival with Aleks Berzins, Phil Thomson, Emily Parrott, and Rodney Sansom. Image Kim Woods
