Tasmania’s 2025 Tom Quilty Gold Cup was something to write home about
Sometimes it’s a matter of the greater the expectation the bigger the disappointment.
At the same time, it’s those moments you are doubtful about that can lead to the greatest surprises.
Such was the journey to Tasmania in late autumn for the 2025 Tom Quilty Gold Cup endurance horse ride.
Going to Australia’s most southern state, towards the end of autumn can bring a lot of apprehension.
Sitting at a latitude between 41 and 42 degrees south, the next landfall is Antarctica.
Autumn can. bring cool nights, frosty mornings, and sunny days. But then it can be wet, windy and perhaps with sleet, snow or hail.
Yet the opportunity was there, so it was simply a matter of catching an early-morning flight down from Brisbane in Queensland to Hobart airport. Then take a two-, three- or four-hour drive north.
Time in Tasmania depends on how often you stop to take photos or call into cafes and restaurants for coffee, scones or a light lunch with a glass of wine. Local wine.
Tasmanian wine punches way above its weight when it comes to quality. It must be the cool climate and sea breezes.
The Tom Quilty ride was to be held at Sassafras, a small farming community not far from the Bass Strait cities of Devonport and Launceston.
There is a school, two churches and a service station. Its landmark is Kenny the Kennebec – a giant potato on a pole.
In the distance are some of Tasmania’s highest mountains but Sassafras, like nearby Sheffield, is near the Mersey River and features rich farmlands – dairying and crops such as potatoes but also a burgeoning berry-growing industry as well as forestry.
The weather had been changeable in the week leading up to the ride, and forecasts were for more unsettled weather over the weekend.
Based on the Tevis Cup in the western states of the US, the Tom Quilty started in 1966 as a 100-mile (160km) ride to be completed within one day – 24 hours.
The event can attract 200-300 entries and participation is restricted to experienced horse-and-rider combinations, with strict veterinary checks before, during, and after the event, emphasising that “to complete is to win.”
Vets check for temperature, heart rate and metabolics – effective digestion, breathing and hydration.
Since 1986, the event has rotated between Australia’s states, offering riders different landscapes and challenges across varying conditions. This was to be the seventh Quilty ride in Tasmania since then, generally held in the Sheffield area but also at Scottsdale, Deloraine and St Helens – all in the north of the island.
To the east of Sassafras is the iconic Cradle Mountain National Park, known for creating its own weather patterns.
At 1545 metres above sea level and influenced by the winds from the Southern Ocean, it has a highly volatile, alpine climate that frequently experiences four seasons in a day. That saw the first snowfall for the year, but at ride base the weather had settled to a clear minus-one degree overnight.
The ride was to be held in Pat’s Paddock at Smith and Others Road, Sassafras.
The road ran off the Bass Highway, and soon opened to a large paddock in a valley at the corner of Lamprey’s Rd.
Instead of being isolated in the bush, the paddock was its own little village.
Tassie endurance legend Pat Lamprey and her team had made a vision come to life. It was absolutely spectacular.
Pat’s long-standing association with endurance started in the late ’80s, supporting her daughters, Tammy and Alison, as they entered the sport.
As the girls grew up, Pat became involved in the sport in numerous ways. The popular Jill Sheean Memorial ride is based at the Lamprey property, and Pat has been a mainstay of the TQ ride committee as well as serving on the Tasmania State Championships Committee for many years.
Mentored through the training by Sandy Little and Tom McCormack, Pat became Tasmania’s second female chief steward and has carried out that role at Tom Quilty rides in every state except Western Australia.
With the clear weather and temperatures rising to 17 degrees, Pat’s Paddock became a hive of activity with pre-ride vetting, the pre-ride talk about the conditions expected on the course, as well as the strappers and riders readying for the traditional midnight start.
Riders would face five stages of 45 km, 33 km, 45 km, 21 km, and 16 km – with veterinary checks at every stage to ensure horses were able to continue. Otherwise, it’s a long walk back to base.
The year-long planning for TQ 2025 came down to the last 30 days, which showed how people getting together could achieve a great outcome.
Tribute was paid to the many property owners and organisations who had got behind the ride, to open their properties up and facilitate a great event.
The ride would be through undulating grazing land, orchards and forestry, with some stony and steep sections.
The high points midway through Leg 3 would provide views towards Bass Strait and the Rubicon Estuary, missed by riders during the darkness of Leg 1.
Those taking it easy and reaching the higher points of Leg 2 at dawn would enjoy the views towards Western Tiers, the farming foothills of the Central Plateau and the autumnal colours of the apple trees as they rode through a commercial orchard before passing through the underpass on the Bass Highway to return to the ride base.
Variety continued on Legs 4 and 5: short sections of fine gravel road, plantation tracks and sandy tracks through native
bush.
All was set. As the temperatures dropped in the evening, campfires were lit, there was soft talk, an early meal and then a few hours of rest.
It was that quiet moment. That moment when so much planning and preparedness was about to come into play.
Some teams had spent weeks on the road travelling across three and four states, while others had arrived a matter of a few days prior.
Then the floodlights came on, horses were neighing to alert others of their emotions and intentions, and the riders saddled up.
The atmosphere was full of excitement and anticipation as riders and horses circled and identification were numbers called to the chief steward.
Then the final song rang out. The Ballad of Tom Quilty written about the Tom Quilty race itself. The singer Trevor Knight announced it wa three minutes until riders could go out the gate.
In the blink of an eye, they set off in almost frosty conditions … the head torches attached to rider helmets bobbing in the dark.
The stars and a three-quarter moon were shining brightly in the night sky. Only the warm breath of horses and riders broke the air.
Riders are allowed 24 hours to complete the course but the leaders are expected to complete in a total ride time of 10 hours.
Pat’s Paddock descended into silence. No more music. No more riders. Not even a breath of a breeze.
Bleary-eyed strappers and spectators searched for warmth and anticipated the comfort of a warming hot chocolate before the wait for riders and horses to arrive back for the first vetting sessions around 3am.
It’s a remarkable experience. You gather around campfires and the open-air boiler that ensures there is warm water as well as cold water to cool the horses after each leg.
You sense there is only a few people in the world who have watched or experienced a Tom Quilty start, under the stars in the Australian bush and breathing the crisp, country air. It’s hard to beat.
BREAK OF DAY
By 6am fog had descended into the valleys, adding to the intrigue of this iconic event.
As riders completed the second leg the sun broke through over the surrounding ranges.
It created a shroud of excitement for the third leg, and this turned out to be the moving moment for the Queensland duo of Nikki Sample and her nephew Matty Sample.
In a gallop finish they repeated Tom Quilty history for the Sample family by crossing the line as equal winners.
Imbil’s Matthew Sample and brother Brook, from Kenilworth, were equal winners of the 160km endurance ride in 2009 at Tonimbuk, near Pakenham in Victoria.
Now Nikki Sample, wife of Matthew, and Matty Sample, the 21-year-old son of Brook, tied for what is regarded as Australia’s premier horse riding endurance event.
They crossed the line with raised arms, just a couple of minutes ahead of the fast-finishing Ben Hudson – a two-times winner of the Tom Quilty.
Nikki was riding Razorback Blue Avatar and Matty was riding Brookleigh Danu. They completed the 160km course in a total ride time of 10hrs 43mins.
It was Matty’s third Quilty, and a win in his first completion.
For Nikki it was fourth time lucky – her first Tom Quilty ride was in 2019 at Stirling’s Crossing Equestrian Centre at Imbil where she finished second in the lightweight division riding Anglesea Finneas.
That was after two 40km training rides, three completed 80km and one 160km ride in six months to qualify.
Nikki admits to not being sure she knew what she was doing at that time.
In 2023, again at Imbil, Nikki finished third middleweight on Brookleigh Danu, five months after bringing a daughter into the world.
In 2024 Nikki finished fourth middleweight at the Tom Quilty at Wirrina Cove in South Australia.
“It was very special, with both Matty’s and my horses having wins.
“Matty was fabulous to ride with. He’s very independent.
“He rode perfectly. He did the job. It’s in the blood.”
THE TRADITION CONTINUES
The Sample tradition started in 1993 when Bob Sample won on Sharahd Caprice in Tasmania.
His sons Matthew and Brook have continued that legacy, with Brook winning three gold cups before sharing the win in 2009 with Matthew.
Brook won the junior division in South Australia in 1986 and came in equal with Bob in 1993 but his horse did not pass the final vet check.
He has gone on to win seven Tom Quilty Gold Cups, and 14 buckles – the same number of buckles as Bob.
Matthew won the coveted trophy at Nanango in 2008, gained third placings at South Australia in 2011 and Tasmania in 2012, then won the heavyweight division in South Australia in 2024.
For Matty, the win was so special – not just for himself but for his father Brook and the Sample family.
“I’m sure Dad would be proud … very happy.”
THE JOURNEY AHEAD
The Sample team had been almost six weeks on the road from Queensland to Tasmania, competing at the Burrumbuttock End Ride and Tumbarumba Snowy Zone Carnival in New South Wales before catching the ferry across Bass Strait.
Nikki won the 120km ride at Burrumbuttock and the 100km ride at Tumbarumba, where Matty finished fourth.
The year had been focused towards this Tom Quilty, Nikki said. It was a very special lead-up towards the 2025 FEI Endurance World Championship for Young Horses in Jullianges, France, riding Razorback Kelly’s Fire.
Then Nikki completed the CEI 3 160km The Kings Cup in Bahrain this year, riding Razorback Blue Avatar.
2025 TOM QUILTY RESULTS
There were 135 nominations for the 2025 Tom Quilty, with a 57.78 percent completion.
Middleweight
1. Nikki Sample, Razorback Blue Avatar, 10hours 43minutes, 19seconds. 1. Matty Sample, Brookleigh Danu, 10:43:19. 3. Ben Hudson, Razorback Porsche. Best conditioned horse: Angie Clark, Littlebanks Troubadour.
Heavyweight
1. Harrison Berg, Khan Sadyk, 12:17:55 (best conditioned). 2. Peter Field, Rkayn Xuberant. 3. Shelley Jones, Shellal Blood Moon.
Lightweight
1. Susan Woodward, Kalody Park White Feather, 12:19:38. 2. Matilda Rockliff, Anderton Park Jonah Hex (best conditioned). 3. Toni Sheean, Foley-Jones Precious.
Junior
1. Alexa Parker, Bellawongarah Isaac, 13:42:28 (best conditioned). 2. Piper Braid, Kasdell Khali. 3. Taylor Grogan, Anastazia VA.
The Pat Slater Cup went to Khan Sadyk, ridden by Harrison Berg. The award is for the horse judged to be the one that renowned horse photographer Pat Slater would have liked to have seen in the ring the day of the award presentations.
The TQ Division Representative Teams went to Team Green (TAS): Jessica Goulding, Molly Napier, Kirsty Neilley and Angie Clark.
QERA A (QLD) in 2nd place: Ella Stanton, Peter Field, Alexander Toft and Jess Dakin.
Go The Blues (NSW) in 3rd place: Clare Fleming, Susan Woodward, Alan Mackinder and Amelia Heafey.
TOM QUILTY 2026
The 2026 Tom Quilty Gold Cup is to be held at Stirling’s Crossing Equestrian Centre at Imbil in Queensland’s Mary Valley on July 4-5.
It will be the 60th anniversary of the ride, with the Stirling’s Crossing Endurance Club planning and preparing for this very special event: https://tomquilty.com.au/
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