Surf Coast’s Blazing Saddles fined $90,000 over horseriding incidents in 2022

A popular Surf Coast trail-riding company has been fined, as the mother of a boy left severely injured told a court of the “nightmare” day that changed the family’s lives.

Blazing Saddles Trail Rides at Aireys Inlet. Picture: Instagram

The mother of a boy severely injured in a tragic horseriding accident has told a court of the “horror” the day wreaked on the family.

Timothy Wood Holdings Pty Ltd, which traded as Blazing Saddles Trail Rides, appeared in Geelong Magistrates Court on Thursday and pleaded guilty to two charges related to workplace safety.

The Aireys Inlet-based company, which offered a variety of horseriding activities, was fined $90,000 for the safety lapses.

Tim Wood, the company’s sole director, was present in court for the hearing.

The charges stem from two incidents in January 2022, the first on January 10, involved horses bolting and two riders, including an eight-year-old girl, suffering minor injuries.

A week later 11-year-old George (not his real name) was seriously injured in a separate incident.

George’s family had booked a ride on January 17 to celebrate the birthday of his younger sister.

During the ride George’s sister fell off her horse and was concussed.

When the group stopped, five horses became spooked and bolted “in a stampede”, two with their rider still on them, including George.

The 11-year-old fell off his horse “almost immediately” and was severely injured.

He suffered bleeding on the brain, his jaw was broken in two places, he had two broken ribs and deep scratches to his hands and legs.

He spent four weeks in hospital and now has limited movement on his left side and suffers from severe post-traumatic amnesia.

Prior to the incident, the court heard Blazing Saddles employees did not perform a demonstration, give instructions or assess the ability of the riders.

The group only had one tour guide, who had received no formal training, the court was told.

George’s mother was visibly emotional as she described the impact the incident had on the family, describing the shock and “crashing reality” as they extent of George’s injuries were revealed.

It was a moment that tore the family apart “at the seams”, the court heard, as the day turned into a life-changing “nightmare”.

George’s mother told the court she slept on the hospital floor for days as the family waited for him to wake up.

“I needed to make sure I was the first person he would see,” she said.

George’s mother praised her son’s “immense and unending strength” during his “long and tough recovery”.

Blazing Saddles’ lawyer, Samuel Stafford, told the court the company had ceased operating following the incident, a decision made “well before any charges”.

Mr Stafford said Blazing Saddles had no history of convictions or any reports of similar incidents.

Magistrate Peter Mellas said there was nothing to suggest Blazing Saddles had been anything other than a way for Mr Wood and his wife to share their love for horseriding.

However, he said the case boiled down to people and their protection.

He said horseriding must be seen as an “inherently dangerous and risky activity”.

“It’s almost predictable that they (horses) may in fact act unpredictably,” he said.

Mr Mellas said the company was of good character, but WorkSafe’s investigation had “identified a range of failures”.

Blazing Saddles was convicted, fined, and ordered to pay costs of $4451.

Originally published as Surf Coast’s Blazing Saddles fined $90,000 over horseriding incidents in 2022