It was a feast of records at the 2025 Barellan Good Old Days with an Australian and world record in horse teams, a new national record in bullock teams, a world record in a multi-species team and a new gate record for the event.
Held on October 3-5 at the Barellan showgrounds by the Barellan Working Clydesdales, the festival’s expansion to a three-day format paid off with a record gate of 10,000 visitors and more than 1000 caravans and campers from around the national and overseas.
The highlight for the visitors was the team of 62 heavy horses harnessed to a laden Bennett wool waggon and driven by three of the world’s leading horse teamsters, Bruce Bandy, of Barellan, Aleks Berzins, of Exeter, NSW, and Steve Johnson, of Lake Cargelligo. On the brake was Shane Carroll.
The horses comprised registered and unregistered Clydesdales, Australian Draught Horses, Suffolk Punch, Shire and Percherons owned by Aleks Berzins, Bruce Bandy, Steve Johnson, Jason Gavenlock, Cowra, NSW, Allison Prentice, Kamarah, NSW, and Heather McFarlane, Barnawartha, Vic.
Owned by Ian Dahlenburg, Murramai, NSW, the historic Australian built Bennett waggon weighed 3.8 tonnes and was loaded with wool from the Flagg family, Moobooldool, NSW, to give a total weight of 10.2 tonnes.
The huge team was driven under voice command with no outriders or handlers four times around the 800m track over the two days.
The Barellan team eclipsed the Australian record of 50 horses set in Queensland in 1986 and set a new world record for the largest number of horses to pull a fully laden (Bennett) tabletop wool waggon. The Guiness Book of Records hitch was set with a 50-horse team in Canada in 1995.
While the spotlight was firmly on the horses, a new modern Australian record was quietly broken by a huge team of 40 bullocks at the Good Old Days Festival.
Bullock driver Phil Thomson OAM, of Numinbah Valley, Queensland, teamed up with fellow Queensland bullocky, Matt Stanford, Darcy Quinn, of Adelong, NSW, and Joey Reedy, of Forbes, NSW, to create the composite team.
The 40 head eclipsed the previous record at Barellan of 28 set on October 3, 2025, and set a new Australian record for the 21st century on October 4, 2025, at the Good Old Days Festival, Barellan, NSW.
The national record stands at 102 bullocks set at Cessnock in the 1980s when the timber industry was at its height in the 20th century.
Last year’s world first of bullocks, camels and horses harnessed together and pulling a wagon was surpassed by the nation’s leading teamsters at the festival.
Aleks Berzins dreamt up the idea in 2024 and brought it to fruition with the help of his mates, bullock driver Phil Thomson and cameleer Rodney Sansom, Oakfield Ranch, Anna Bay, NSW.
The three teamsters surprised visitors 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.
Among the new attractions this year were demonstrations of bush skills and axe work by generational timber cutters Rod Sirl and Steve McKinnon, an initiative of bullock teamster Ron McKinnon.
Lake Cargelligo draught horse breeder and a driver in the record breaking Barellan team, Steve Johnson, received the coveted Teamsters Trophy at the 2025 Good Old Days Festival.
Noel Wiltshire, of Kotupna, Vic, was awarded the Little Teamsters Trophy for his mule team and wagon, which was presented as a fellmonger’s skin and hide outfit.
Joey Reedy is a stock agent, bullock driver, bush poet and budding auctioneer all at the tender age of 18 but can now add one of the nation’s up and coming teamsters to his bow.
Joey was the winner of the inaugural Tim Peel Cup presented by Mr Peel, a master teamster and harness maker of Borambola, NSW.
A first in Australia, the encouragement award for young teamsters under the age of 30 recognises their skills and knowledge, and in doing so promotes the art of the teamster.
Visitors witnessed the biggest gathering of harnessed draught animals in the world at Barellan, covering horses, camels, bullocks, mules, donkeys and goats, all hauling traditional vehicles or demonstrating methods used by pioneering early settlers.
The 2025 Festival was officially opened by Australian Draught Horse Stud Book Society federal secretary Steve Lindsay and was headlined on the Friday evening by country music star James Blundell.
It also featured the Australian premiere of documentary “Heavy Horses and Harness” by West Wyalong Movies while Jason Gavenlock, Cowra, won the Norma Zingel Memorial Trophy for ploughing, and Scott Wells, Wellsford Heritage Farm, Wy Yung, the log snigging obstacle course.
Barellan farmer David Irvin launched a one-off cast iron end struck especially for the Good Old Days Festival and dubbed the Barellan Water Cart.
David described it as a “particular beast that is non-Furphy” and he was forced to raid scrap heaps to source the correctly sized non-Furphy wheels and turn tables to create a unique piece.
The big crowd ate their way through 60 dozen pies, 25 dozen sausage rolls and 2000 scones, washed down with 30 kegs of beer.
They were able to enjoy the Furphy rebarrelling display, camel races and rides, working dogs, horsedrawn vintage machinery, ploughing display, wheel retyring, blacksmithing, milking and butter making, whip cracking, bush poetry, live music and market stalls.
Many visitors travelled by horsepower to the event including a wagon train of 13 vehicles, 30 horses and 40 people making a nine-day journey from Stockinbingal to Barellan.
Barellan Working Clydesdales secretary Fiona Kibble said the tremendous success of the event put the town of Barellan in the international spotlight, generating millions of dollars for the Narrandera Shire economy.
Ms Kibble paid tribute to the tireless work by the committee and large number of volunteers in the lead up and during the event.
“The decision to move to a three-day format has certainly been a winner with not only visitors from around Australia and the world but also our presenters, exhibitors and stall holders.”
The Good Old Days Festival is proudly sponsored by Bendigo Bank Narrandera and District.
Ends
Caption: The Good Old Days Festival at Barellan was in the global spotlight for a feast of records and drew 10,000 visitors. Image Kim Woods
NFP: For media comment contact Fiona Kibble on 0409 363 682
