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As a child while living in Beecroft, Lynette Mitchell was lucky enough to live four doors down from where the coloured Australian Pony stallion Cooee lived.  All the local girls used to congregate to ride this great natured stallion, this is where Lynette's love affair with the Australian Pony began.

 

After improving her riding skills, Lynette's family purchased for her Beecroft Cooee Lady, also known as Philly.  Philly was a difficult pony to ride and taught Lynette a great deal.  She feels that her biggest achievement with Philly was teaching her to walk, which took over a year.  This was where Lynette's patience with ponies developed.

 

At their first show Lynette and Philly won three firsts and one Champion.  This was the start of a very long and successful show career.

 

After getting married, having a family and moving to acreage at Kellyville, Lynette's own children became involved with pony club.  In 1970 she met Tony Gavan through her husband's occupation as a farrier.  Lynette was invited by Tony to ride the ponies that he had at the time.  This followed through to a very successful partnership as Koorana Pony Stud, ending 10 December 1980, when the partnership was dissolved and the ponies were divided.  It was after this Koora-Lyn was born.

 

A member of the APSB Society since 1972, Lynette has been part of the NSW APSB Committee for about 25 years and on NSW ASP Committee since 2000.  Lynette is on both NSW and Federal Judges panels and on several occasions been invited to judge in ACT, Vic, Qld & WA.  Locally she has judged a variety of different breeds and saddle classes, even Donkeys at Sydney Royal.  

 

Barolin Angwyn is one of the best performed and most consistent ponies in the last thirty years, his awards are too numerous to mention.  In addition to many local show successes, Angwyn's most notable achievements include Supreme Australian Pony at Sydney Royal in 1981, 1984, 1985, 1986 and for nine consecutive years (1979-1987) Champion Australian Pony Stallion at Castle Hill Show.  Angwyn was awarded Supreme Australian Pony at 1980 National Stud Show, Champion Stallion 12.2-14h and Champion Ridden Stallion on numerous occasions.  

 

Due to the urban sprawl that has occurred in recent times, in 1999 the Koora-Lyn Ponies relocated to the picturesque hills of North Richmond.  They are now enjoying the fresh air, varied bird life and swimming in the dam.  The new property is also the final resting place for Angwyn who died in 2000, aged 26.

 

Lynette has always maintained a well-planned breeding programme taking into consideration future generations, even if the progeny is sold or gelded.  The stud now consists of 1 stallion, 6 breeding mares, 2 fillies and 1 colt. Koora-Lyn Ponies have consistently been shown with great success in Led and under saddle, not only in Australian Pony classes but also in other breeds and open company, and more recently in show hunter classes.  Many Koora-Lyn Ponies have been competing in Pony Dressage for several years with geldings Koora-Lyn Moonfire and Koora-Lyn Sunrise leading the way.  Sunrise has been competing against the bigger dressage horses and beating them.  Many children ride Koora-Lyn ponies when competing in school competitions for dressage, eventing and jumping.  Koora-Lyn Storytale is only 12.3h and has competed successfully in eventing, often showing the bigger ponies and horses what he is made of.  Of the three ponies that went to USA in 1987, Koora-Lyn Twinkle is still going strong.  Now aged 34, she is ridden by Felicity Cheney after her sister Addison learned to ride and started competing in competitions. 

 

Following the success at 2016 Royal Easter Show, Lynette stopped competing in the show ring and has sold off  her breeding mares, with two left plus Cossack.  In 2018 seventeen ponies have been sold.  Koora-Lyn ponies owned by others will continue to compete in breed, open, hunter, pony dressage, harness, leading rein, jumping, eventing, pony club & rider classes.

 

In December 2019, it will be 39 years since Koora-Lyn started.  In that time over 200 stallions and mares have been registered in APSB stud books Vol 13 to 24.  The property has been sold and Lynette is ready to continue with the next phase of her life.  Cossack is still owned by Lynette and resides at Gundarimbah Stud at Parkes, NSW. 

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Lynette Hohlweck

Bargo   NSW  2574

02 4684 1154

kooralyn1980@gmail.com