Meet acclaimed cattleman Ken Connelly — Victoria’s real-life Man from Snowy River

After a lifetime roping brumbies across Victoria’s sprawling Alpine District, cattleman Ken Connelly is known as the real “Man from Snowy River”. And he’s on a mission to steer Victoria’s country stars to a Geebung Polo Classic victory this year.

Ken Connelly, 73, is the real man from Snowy River. Picture: Jason Edwards

They say you only get one good horse and a decent dog in a lifetime, but cattleman Ken Connelly can’t help but chuckle.

After a lifetime roping brumbies across Victoria’s sprawling Alpine District, he’s been far luckier.

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“I guess I’ve just proved them all wrong,” he said.

The 73-year-old enjoys life from a humble timber cottage nestled beneath the Great Dividing Range where the landscape turns from bright green to brilliant white with each season.

Omeo local Ken Connelly has roped more than 1300 brumbies. Picture: Jason Edwards

Next month, Ken saddles up for the Geebung Polo Classic — the oldest polo event in Victoria. Picture: Jason Edwards

For decades, he’s been known as the real “Man from Snowy River” — the kind of unapologetic mountain cattleman who could be lifted straight from the pages of Paterson poetry.

Up here, there’s not too much respect for anybody who can’t handle a horse before they wrap their hands around any steering wheel. But he sometimes wonders who would want to anyway.

Mr Connelly has roped around 1300 brumbies in his time — at least, he thinks so.

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Ken Connelly enjoys life from a humble timber cottage nestled beneath the Great Dividing Range. Picture: Jason Edwards

He used to document each catch in an exercise book that went up in flames after the fires tore across the ridge lines here in 2003.

“I had my face to the floorboards trying to suck in air that day,” he said. “I thought I was a goner.”

But it was just another chapter in a long script for this horseman who’s won the Mountain Cattleman’s Cup seven times.

“It’s not without its challenges,” he said. “But it’s bloody peaceful up here, I tell ya.’’

The horseman has won the Mountain Cattleman’s Cup seven times. Picture: Jason Edwards

Inside Ken Connelly’s humble mountain cottage. Picture: Jason Edwards

The Geebung Polo Classic will once again peg mountain cattleman against their city rivals. Picture: Jason Edwards

This month, Mr Connelly will be numbered among the cattlemen ready to saddle up for the Geebung Polo Classic — the oldest event of its kind in Victoria and one that pits the country stars against their city rivals.

“It’s going to be tough — the city boys have won the last two years — but the only rule is there are no rules, so we are going to give it everything we’ve got,” he said.

The Geebung Polo Classic will be held at Cobungra Station on Easter Saturday, April 21. See geebungpolo.com.au