Toowoomba horse rider stars in Australia’s toughest endurance race

15-year-old Toowoomba rider Mary Duncan has written her name into the Australian equine history books as the first junior and horse pairing to win a highly coveted trophy. Read about her massive achievement here.

Toowoomba’ s Mary Duncan puts her horse Bonnybrooke Samarai through a workout at the 2023 Tom Quilty Gold Cup. Picture: Sarah Sullivan Photography

Nearly 10 hours after she started her 160km-long 2023 Tom Quilty Gold Cup “journey”, May Duncan was confused.

At first the 15-year-old Toowoomba rider was calm and happy as she crossed the finish line of the Imbil, Queensland course, but as a crowd of veterinarians and onlookers massed around her mood changed.

“I wasn’t worried about anything when I crossed the finish line,” Duncan said.

“I thought I’d done pretty well, I felt good and my horse (Bonnybrooke Samarai) was in good shape too.

“But then all the vets and other people surrounded me, and I started to wonder what was going on. I was a bit confused.

“Then I found out I won, and I was shocked again.”

Heading into this year’s competition Duncan had a simple focus – place better than last year.

After setting out at midnight on the first night of competition, she settled into her saddle with the hope of finishing better than her sixth place in 2022.

Toowoomba’ s Mary Duncan puts her horse Bonnybrooke Samarai through a workout at the 2023 Tom Quilty Gold Cup. Picture: Sarah Sullivan Photography

“I was not focused on winning,” she said.

“I wanted to do better than I did last year.

“I remember I started a little bit quicker, and I had been riding for a while when I checked the (positioning and race) app.

“I saw I was in the lead by about 20 minutes, which was surprising, but the second and third place riders did catch up.”

The Tom Quilty Gold Cup is Australia’s premier endurance equestrian event.

Held in a different location each year, it requires riders to complete a 160km course in 24 hours.

Every 40km riders are required to check in – with their horse’s health checked by veterinarians before they are allowed to continue.

Up against a world-class field including riders from the United States, Japan and South Africa, Duncan won the Tom Quilty junior competition and a number of other individual awards.

The young rider and her trusty steed Bonnybrooke Samarai also wrote their names into the history books.

The Pat Slater Cup is selected from the first 10 horses to complete the course regardless of division, with Bonny Brooke Samari the first ever “junior” horse to be win the coveted trophy.

Toowoomba's Mary Duncan and her horse Bonnybrooke Samarai at the 2023 Tom Quilty Gold Cup. Picture: Sarah Sullivan Photography