More Than Mail

Keri Prandolini is a woman to admire. She never backs away from giving anything a try and has had some big adventures in her life. Kez has done everything from living overseas, working on massive properties, running her own side hussles and even birthing her oldest son in the kitchen at Iffley Station. She also trains workdogs, who she likes to name after songs. Keri has driven the mail run and has some fond memories of her time on the road delivering the post. More Than Mail is proudly brought to you by Brodie Agencies, McKinlay. Contact Jim Brodie on 0427468713. You can follow More Than Mail adventures on Instagram, on Facebook, or at morethanmail.com.au  Or, you can send me an email hello@morethanmail.com.au

Julie McAuley came North from Victoria with her husband Peter for a job interview in the early 80s. They never left.  Together they have worked hard to build a property of their own, starting from scratch and mustering during school holidays for the helpers. Julie reminisces about the huge change moving so far from home was. Whether it's the water, the people, the town - who knows - but there is definitely something that gets in your blood when you head to North West Queensland. More Than Mail is proudly brought to you by Brodie Agencies, McKinlay. Contact Jim Brodie on 0427468713. You can follow More Than Mail adventures on Instagram, on Facebook, or at morethanmail.com.au  Or, you can send me an email hello@morethanmail.com.au

Tim Pratt loves driving and trucks in particular. He can be found loading cattle and getting them to their destination at any time, night or day. Tim's love of driving started early, when he took any opportunity, he could to jump in his parent's mail truck and deliver the mail and freight with his dad on the Normanton mail run as a kid, a measly 21 hour round trip. In a full circle moment, Tim and his wife Groove, later went on to have the Normanton mail run contract themselves. Tim is a local Julia Creek boy who spread his wings to Cloncurry for a while, but returned home. His love of trucks started early and Tim & Groove now operate Pratt Cattle Transport. More Than Mail is proudly brought to you by Brodie Agencies, McKinlay. Contact Jim Brodie on 0427468713. You can follow More Than Mail adventures on Instagram, on Facebook, or at morethanmail.com.au  Or, you can send me an email hello@morethanmail.com.au

Eliza Callaghan served in the Royal Australian Navy, and took her holidays to coincide with country race meetings. From the middle of the ocean to remote Queensland, because she loves racing. Growing up helping her Pop, Ilfracombe trainer Boy Forster, Eliza knew from a young age she wanted to be involved in the racing industry, and started learning the race day ropes early. Owning and strapping is where Eliza has found her niche, with New York World currently racing in her colours at country tracks. And... Eliza is also the only** country strapper to have also strapped a Group One winner! **not fact checked :) Eliza lead Apache Chase for his Kingsford Smith Cup win in 2022 for Aunty and trainer Desleigh Forster.  More Than Mail is proudly brought to you by Brodie Agencies, McKinlay. Contact Jim Brodie on 0427468713. You can follow More Than Mail adventures on Instagram, on Facebook, or at morethanmail.com.au  Or, you can send me an email hello@morethanmail.com.au

Emma Morton grew up on Pandie Pandie Station, 30kms from Birdsville. The Birdsville races have been a big part of her, and her family's life. Growing up with horses and races Emma always wanted to follow in her grandfather and father's footsteps and become a trainer. Life got in the way for a little while, but Emma has come full circle and took out her trainer's licence 12 months ago. She now continues her family legacy. This weekend is a big one for Emma and her family, with them all heading 'home' to Birdsville for the Birdsville races - which is basically Birdsville Christmas. Emma isn't lining any horses up this year, but there's plenty of time for that in years to come. For now, it's about catching up with those she grew up with. More Than Mail is proudly brought to you by Brodie Agencies, McKinlay. Contact Jim Brodie on 0427468713. You can follow More Than Mail adventures on Instagram, on Facebook, or at morethanmail.com.au  Or, you can send me an email hello@morethanmail.com.au  

Robbie Katter came on the mail run, meet consitituents at mailboxes, chatted for this podcast episode and opened the gates. Good day all round.  Robbie has been in State Parliament since 2012, representing firstly Mount Isa and now Traeger. And as much as we talked about being a politician (don't panic, there's no policy conversations!) it was great to chat about where we live. We also covered what it was like growing up with Bob Katter as your dad, and answering the phone to John Howard! There's also plenty sounds of the mail run throughout the chat. More Than Mail is proudly brought to you by Brodie Agencies, McKinlay. Contact Jim Brodie on 0427468713. You can follow More Than Mail adventures on Instagram, on Facebook, or at morethanmail.com.au  Or, you can send me an email hello@morethanmail.com.au    

A teenage Julie Eggerling drove her grandfather to the races one day and that was it, she was hooked.  Julie has owned many horses , bred a lot of her own and bought others in as ready to race horses. She gets joy from all of them.  Working in the stables and being hands on every day sets Julie apart from most owners, and she loves that she still gets to nurture the connection with horses she's always had.  Julie is the owners rep on the Central West committee and played an instrumental role in resurrecting the now very successful Alpha Jockey Club.  Julie also makes a mean corn meat sandwich.  More Than Mail is proudly brought to you by Brodie Agencies, McKinlay. Contact Jim Brodie on 0427468713. You can follow More Than Mail adventures on Instagram, on Facebook, or at morethanmail.com.au  Or, you can send me an email hello@morethanmail.com.au  

Holding a dual jockey and trainer's licence is not for the faint hearted.  Tash Chambers is one of a handful of females doing just that.  Tash struggled with weight through her apprenticeship, wasting to make rides every week.  A two year break followed, before making a come back in the North West.  Tash put in the hard yards when she moved west, including a pretty scary fall at Julia Creek.   Despite more downs than ups, Tash's love of winning has always kept her coming back.  Faced with a lack of opportunities, Tash didn't let that stop her jockey career, taking out a trainer's licence to create her own chances.  And it has been full steam ahead since. Tash has had runners in high profile provisional races, won the Pallarenda Stakes and had metro starters.  More Than Mail is proudly brought to you by Brodie Agencies, McKinlay. Contact Jim Brodie on 0427468713. You can follow More Than Mail adventures on Instagram, on Facebook, or at morethanmail.com.au  Or, you can send me an email hello@morethanmail.com.au  

Mackay based John Mazelmann knows how to train a winner in both thoroughbred and harness racing, having racked up well over 1000 wins in each code. Traditionally a harness man, John swapped to the gallopers simply because the harness track numbers disappeared. John now has over 50 thoroughbreds in work, with runners at mutiple tracks every weekend.  Lachie Manzlemann followed in his dad's footsteps, taking out a group one as a harness driver as well as training both pacers and trotters. Lachie has also now turned his hand to training thoroughbreds and has made the move to Mackay to give the country circuit a good hitout. More Than Mail is proudly brought to you by Brodie Agencies, McKinlay. Contact Jim Brodie on 0427468713. You can follow More Than Mail adventures on Instagram, on Facebook, or at morethanmail.com.au  Or, you can send me an email hello@morethanmail.com.au

Ray Hermann is an unassuming country racehorse trainer. But in another life, he won seven Australian bronc riding titles, and two world titles. He is a legend of rodeo. Ray, or Cowboy as he is known, started with race horses, took a 30 year detour to the rodeo lifestyle, and is now back training horses.  Cowboy's passion for the sport of rodeo is obvious when you get him talking about it. Even the scary moments, which actually having nothing to do with riding rank roughstock, and everything to do with small plane rides. More Than Mail is proudly brought to you by Brodie Agencies, McKinlay. Contact Jim Brodie on 0427468713. You can follow More Than Mail adventures on Instagram, on Facebook, or at morethanmail.com.au  Or, you can send me an email hello@morethanmail.com.au    

158-54:32:14 Born and bred in Julia Creek, Fab's Cowboy is Australia's most winning race horse of the modern era.  5️⃣4️⃣ WINS!

Duncan Fysh was passionate about many things, with keeping a record of history high on his list. Duncan spent years contributing local history stories to The Prickly Post. Spending his early years at Toolebuc, Duncan's family moved to Answer Downs after WWII. Both in the McKinlay district. From there it was to Proa for 50 odd years. Julia Creek became home and his passion grew to take in the Town and Country Club. Duncan was always on the hunt for his next big fossil and enjoyed flying. Duncan also had the Nelia mail run for seven years in the 90s. Most of all, Duncan loved a chat.  Duncan passed away on October 16, 2023 aged 84.  It was a privilege to reminisce with Duncan about his life. More Than Mail is proudly brought to you by Brodie Agencies, McKinlay. Contact Jim Brodie on 0427468713 or Lachy Smith on 0401168915.  You can follow More Than Mail adventures on Instagram, on Facebook, or at morethanmail.com.au  Or, you can send me an email hello@morethanmail.com.au

Isaac Carmona grew up in Barcelona, population 1.6 million. For the last two tourists seasons, Isaac has worked at the Walkabout Creek Hotel in McKinlay, population 10. Despite the obvious differences, Isaac has loved working in such a small town. The tourists have filled his book with suggestions of places to visit in Australia, and he has fine tuned his English. Which has mostly meant learning a whole lot of slang. Isaac's excitement for local events rubs off. His enjoyment of places and events that locals take for granted make you step back and realise just how fortunate we are to be living amongst such wide open spaces. More Than Mail is proudly brought to you by Brodie Agencies, McKinlay. Contact Jim Brodie on 0427468713 or Lachy Smith on 0401168915.  You can follow More Than Mail adventures on Instagram, on Facebook, or at morethanmail.com.au  Or, you can send me an email hello@morethanmail.com.au

Luke McNeven worked on properties north of Julia Creek before calling Colwell home for 13 years.  First as a base while working at Eloise Mine, before managing the property. Luke, with wife Mary-Ann and their three daughters, took the opportunity to buy their own place after Colwell was sold.  And started a new life as bee keepers. Actual real life bee keepers!  Luke has had to learn about a completely new industry. And how to keep 'his girls' happy. He has also discovered producing honey is a little different to producing beef. Learn more about Mrs O'Connell's Raw Honey. More Than Mail is proudly brought to you by Brodie Agencies, McKinlay. Contact Jim Brodie on 0427468713 or Lachy Smith on 0401168915.  You can follow More Than Mail adventures on Instagram, on Facebook, or at morethanmail.com.au  Or, you can send me an email hello@morethanmail.com.au

Danielle Wust went to France for a gap year, skyped her parents and discovered they had bought the Walkabout Creek Hotel and upped and moved.  Danielle quickly refreshed her memory of all things Crocodile Dundee, but ironically could not get a job in the namesake hotel in France. A big mail user, Danielle has mail tales from all over the world, including working at Amazon in Scotland (and literally being stuck in Scotland during the pandemic!). Danielle has spent the past two tourist season working at the Walkbout, and made some great memories while working behind the bar, in the kitchen, cleaning and in the mail room. Her energy levels are next level. More Than Mail is proudly brought to you by Brodie Agencies, McKinlay. Contact Jim Brodie on 0427468713 or Lachy Smith on 0401168915.  You can follow More Than Mail adventures on Instagram, on Facebook, or at morethanmail.com.au  Or, you can send me an email hello@morethanmail.com.au

Mount Isa School of the Air is the standard way of schooling for the kids on the mail run. And for 19 years, majority of them have had the same teacher at some point - Mrs Mills. Jo Mills has always taught the lower year levels at MISOTA and has been able to visit students in their homes and attend activity days and mini schools all over north Queensland and the NT. Mrs Mills has a lot of special memories from her years as at School of the Air, including her first attempt at retirement. Learning the vocabulary of outback kids was no easy task, but Mrs Mills has always taken anything the kids throw at her in her stride.  More Than Mail is proudly brought to you by Brodie Agencies, McKinlay. Contact Jim Brodie on 0427468713 or Lachy Smith on 0401168915.  You can follow More Than Mail adventures on Instagram, on Facebook, or at morethanmail.com.au  Or, you can send me an email hello@morethanmail.com.au

Angus Brodie once made his sister lead her horse home after a fall, only to discover she'd broken her arm. Growing up at Redland Park, Angus got up to lots of shenanigans. He was also the last child to speak on the radio at Mount Isa School of the Air before the big switch to the phone system. Angus has returned home recently after some adventures, including starting a paddock to plate meat delivery service - Horizon Grazing. Beef from the paddocks of Redland Park delivered to your door. The last few years have been big ones for Angus, becoming a dad to daughter Louie and marrying his wife, Jo. More Than Mail is proudly brought to you by Brodie Agencies, McKinlay. Contact Jim Brodie on 0427468713 or Lachy Smith on 0401168915.  You can follow More Than Mail adventures on Instagram, on Facebook, or at morethanmail.com.au  Or, you can send me an email hello@morethanmail.com.au

Makenzie Mills moved north to work and fell in love with the way of life. Growing up in the Hunter Valley,  Makenzie followed in her sister's footsteps and headed to Queensland. Five years later Makenzie has worked on various properties including Barkly, Millungera and Coolullah.  Makenzie has a great group of friends, loves the long days at work and enjoys the social scene. But it hasn't always been easy being so far from her family.  More Than Mail is proudly brought to you by Brodie Agencies, McKinlay. Contact Jim Brodie on 0427468713 or Lachy Smith on 0401168915.  You can follow More Than Mail adventures on Instagram, on Facebook, or at morethanmail.com.au  Or, you can send me an email hello@morethanmail.com.au

The number of TAB country race meetings continues to increase.  Branden Wood and Didier Kay are part of the Panosonic Studio Productions (PSPVideo) team and head to country race tracks, providing video footage to Sky Racing for broadcast. Seems like a simple job, but when you are dealing with heat, wind, flies, cold and an assortment of infrastructure, it can sometimes be a little stressful. More Than Mail is proudly brought to you by Brodie Agencies, McKinlay. Contact Jim Brodie on 0427468713 or Lachy Smith on 0401168915.  You can follow More Than Mail adventures on Instagram, on Facebook, or at morethanmail.com.au  Or, you can send me an email hello@morethanmail.com.au

Regional Cast supply the footage of non-TAB country race meetings for Racing Queensland. The logistics of covering five, six or seven race meets a weekend across regional Queensland is intricate. General Manager Mark Jones has the job of ensuring Regional Cast find the best solutions for providing the footage from often tricky locations. First hand experience tells us that videoing the races is not as easy as it seems. More Than Mail is proudly brought to you by Brodie Agencies, McKinlay. Contact Jim Brodie on 0427468713 or Lachy Smith on 0401168915.  You can follow More Than Mail adventures on Instagram, on Facebook, or at morethanmail.com.au  Or, you can send me an email hello@morethanmail.com.au

Roxy Weston is the photographer behind RLR Photography. Roxy has a passion for photography and racing, combining the two to take fantastic racing photos that are about more than just the winning horse.  She also captures the emotions of the jockeys, trainers, strappers and owners. Based in Windorah, Roxy travels thousands of kilometres capturing the horses and the humans of country racing in Queensland. And for that, we are very thankful. Roxy also has a spectacular portfolio of channel country landscapes and wildlife that you will want to hang on your wall. More Than Mail is proudly brought to you by Brodie Agencies, McKinlay. Contact Jim Brodie on 0427468713 or Lachy Smith on 0401168915.  You can follow More Than Mail adventures on Instagram, on Facebook, or at morethanmail.com.au  Or, you can send me an email hello@morethanmail.com.au

Jaye Hall grew up at Caiwarra, the most western point of the mail run. An accomplished horsewoman, Jaye remembers having to catch the horses with an old piece of bread when growing up, and just hoped she chose the right direction when finding them on foot. Jaye has worked in America and New Zealand, experiencing different horse sports. But campdrafting has always been Jaye's thing. But being at home at either Bibil at Muttaburra or at Cairwarra is where Jaye is happiest. More Than Mail is proudly brought to you by Brodie Agencies, McKinlay. Contact Jim Brodie on 0427468713 or Lachy Smith on 0401168915.  You can follow More Than Mail adventures on Instagram, on Facebook, or at morethanmail.com.au  Or, you can send me an email hello@morethanmail.com.au

Ian Batt grew up on Kooroora, pretty close to McKinlay. Nita Batt (nee Banning) grew up on Cannington. Same (ish) vacinty, but quite a bit further away from McKinlay. Ian and Nita have been married for 69 years.  They have six children, and brought their family up on Plainby at Richmond. They remember wars, depressions, the decline of wool prices, losing their house to fire and both rate electricty as the greatest improvement in their lifetime.  It's clear the McKinlay community had a great impact on them both. More Than Mail is proudly brought to you by Brodie Agencies, McKinlay. Contact Jim Brodie on 0427468713 or Lachy Smith on 0401168915.  You can follow More Than Mail adventures on Instagram, on Facebook, or at morethanmail.com.au  Or, you can send me an email hello@morethanmail.com.au    

Jockeys Sarah Robbins and Brooke Richardson are also mums.  Sarah's son Dusty is six and daughter Bella is three.  Brooke's son Rylan is also six. Getting back on the horse after becoming a mum is a big decision.  And both Sarah and Brooke travel thousands of kilometres to get to race meetings across Queensland, adding big travel days in to the mix. Sarah and Brooke take us through the decision to resume race riding post children, and the added joy having their kids support them brings. More Than Mail is proudly brought to you by Brodie Agencies, McKinlay. Contact Jim Brodie on 0427468713 or Lachy Smith on 0401168915.  You can follow More Than Mail adventures on Instagram, on Facebook, or at morethanmail.com.au  Or, you can send me an email hello@morethanmail.com.au

Liz Hassett, Jenny Felix, Kate Hassett and Joanna Hassett grew up at Glendower near Prairie. Their dad, Gordan Hassett, trained horses and mum Anna Hassett was Secretary of Prairie Jockey Club for around 40 years. The sisters have all remained in the racing industry in different capacities - owner, jockey manager, administation, trainer. The connections to the horse industry are strong. The sisters chat about their memories growing up with horses, and where the industry has taken them. More Than Mail is proudly brought to you by Brodie Agencies, McKinlay. Contact Jim Brodie on 0427468713 or Lachy Smith on 0401168915.  You can follow More Than Mail adventures on Instagram, on Facebook, or at morethanmail.com.au  Or, you can send me an email hello@morethanmail.com.au    

Judging horse racing has come a long way.  Arthur Wearing has been judging for over 40 years, and only remembers one controversial race in that time.  Hugh Westcott has always enjoyed racing and wanted to give something back to his community, so learned the ropes of judging. Arthur and Hugh have shared the judges tower at Hughenden for the past few years, but Arthur has decided that at age 80, 2023 is his last year. More Than Mail is proudly brought to you by Brodie Agencies, McKinlay. Contact Jim Brodie on 0427468713 or Lachy Smith on 0401168915.  You can follow More Than Mail adventures on Instagram, on Facebook, or at morethanmail.com.au  Or, you can send me an email hello@morethanmail.com.au

Bore Head was owned by Robert Chaplain from Cloncurry and his sister Carmel Burke, and won the 1965 Caulfield Cup. He won five major cups in his career - Queensland Cup, Ipswich Cup, Australian Cup, Doomben Cup and the Caulfield Cup. Once his racing days were done, Bore Head retired with the Chaplains at Boomera Station where Bob's son Damien remembers riding him as the night horse. More Than Mail is proudly brought to you by Brodie Agencies, McKinlay. Contact Jim Brodie on 0427468713 or Lachy Smith on 0401168915.  You can follow More Than Mail adventures on Instagram, on Facebook, or at morethanmail.com.au  Or, you can send me an email hello@morethanmail.com.au  

In 1959 a horse owned by RN Brown from Nonda Downs in North West Queensland won the Melbourne Cup. THE MELBOURNE CUP! Macdougal took The Cup by three lengths, and was lead back in to the saddling paddock by his owner Reg, who had made the long trip to Melbourne.  Reg's daughter Heather Pascoe continues her father's genuine affection for horses and continues the family tradition of breeding winners.  Heather created the Cloncurry Stockman's Challenge in honour of her father after his passing and it is clear throughout our chat that horses, her family's history and the North hold a special place in her life.  More Than Mail is proudly brought to you by Brodie Agencies, McKinlay. Contact Jim Brodie on 0427468713 or Lachy Smith on 0401168915.  You can follow More Than Mail adventures on Instagram, on Facebook, or at morethanmail.com.au  Or, you can send me an email hello@morethanmail.com.au  

Jay Morris wears two hats in the North West racing industry, trainer and club president. President of Mount Isa Race Club is time consuming, with the Club hosting a minimum of 14 race meets per year. On top of that Jay has around six horses in his stable. Jay does all of this around running his own building company. Jay's training has taken him all over Queensland, and a well earned trio to the Flemington Spring Carnival. More Than Mail is proudly brought to you by Brodie Agencies, McKinlay. Contact Jim Brodie on 0427468713 or Lachy Smith on 0401168915.  You can follow More Than Mail adventures on Instagram, on Facebook, or at morethanmail.com.au  Or, you can send me an email hello@morethanmail.com.au  

We're tackling the big issue today - how a photo finish camera works.  Jockey Emma Bell talks me through the confusion within the racing industry when jockeys, trainers and connections view the photo finish image. And I try my best to explain why certain things happen they way they do and the the difference between regular photography and strip photography. Here's hoping we clear up some misconceptions and not confuse people even more! More Than Mail is proudly brought to you by Brodie Agencies, McKinlay. Contact Jim Brodie on 0427468713 or Lachy Smith on 0401168915.  You can follow More Than Mail adventures on Instagram, on Facebook, or at morethanmail.com.au  Or, you can send me an email hello@morethanmail.com.au

Josh Fleming started racing calling at age 14.  It was Longreach, December 5, 1998. The following September Josh called his first Birdsville races.  Fast forward to 2023 and Josh is Brisbane's #1 race caller, calling Eagle Farm, Doomben and the Sunshine Coast. His voice is familiar to racing enthusiasts everywhere. And yet it's Birdsville that Josh holds the fondest memories of, calling the iconic race meet for the 20th time this year. Josh grew up in Barcaldine, found his callers feet at country race meets across Queensland, and is an country racing advocate. Josh is very vocal about the opportunities he got in the country leading him to where he is today. More Than Mail is proudly brought to you by Brodie Agencies, McKinlay. Contact Jim Brodie on 0427468713 or Lachy Smith on 0401168915.  You can follow More Than Mail adventures on Instagram, on Facebook, or at morethanmail.com.au  Or, you can send me an email hello@morethanmail.com.au

Central West Queensland has a long pedigree of race callers, and so Andrew Watts had to wait his turn to break in. But break in he has, on track to call over 40 race meets in 2023.  Wattsy has been involved in the racing industry since his school days, buying a dog on a whim; meaning he had to quickly get his owner/trainer licence.  He has and does own horses and he's been known to have a punt or two. But calling is Wattsy's real passion, with his energetic calls bringing life to the racetrack and loungerooms across Australia. More Than Mail is proudly brought to you by Brodie Agencies, McKinlay. Contact Jim Brodie on 0427468713 or Lachy Smith on 0401168915.  You can follow More Than Mail adventures on Instagram, on Facebook, or at morethanmail.com.au  Or, you can send me an email hello@morethanmail.com.au

School principal to race caller is an easy leap to make, both require meticulous research and planning and rarely does the outcome match the plan.  Rob Luck has always enjoyed the races and loves to unearth the stories that unfold in the industry. Arriving in Longreach in charge of a school, Rob's interest in horses soon lead him to the Longreach Jockey Club where he started emceeing race meets, joined the committee and became President, and found a new passion in race calling. Rob tells us how one horse started his life long connection to racing, that his award winning budgies showed him he was never going to be a punter and that relocating doesn't mean he's retired. Rob Luck is available to call races and can be contacted on 0427277528. More Than Mail is proudly brought to you by Brodie Agencies, McKinlay. Contact Jim Brodie on 0427468713 or Lachy Smith on 0401168915.  You can follow More Than Mail adventures on Instagram, on Facebook, or at morethanmail.com.au  Or, you can send me an email hello@morethanmail.com.au

Grant Wiles has called races for 40 years.  He's covered North West Qld and beyond.  Grant has also always trained horses and has had some great adventures going to and at the races.  Like every caller, Grant has had fun trying to get horses names right and making sure he has the colours correct for each horse before they hit the track. He's also not fond of heights, which isn't ideal for the man who has to climb to the top of the tower week in, week out. More Than Mail is proudly brought to you by Brodie Agencies, McKinlay. Contact Jim Brodie on 0427468713 or Lachy Smith on 0401168915.  You can follow More Than Mail adventures on Instagram, on Facebook, or at morethanmail.com.au  Or, you can send me an email hello@morethanmail.com.au

Pam O'Neill fought her way into the male dominated jockey world with perseverance, leading the way for female jockeys to ride as equals to men. Pam saddled up in a professional race for the first time in 1979, becoming Australia's first female to ride out on to the track with the boys. At a time when the women's movement was only beginning to gain momentum, Pam was finally issued her jockey's licence, age 34, after 14 years of campaigning and proving she could ride as well as her male counterparts. Pam knew she could mix it with the best and came out of the gates with a bang, winning three races in her debut with the males. She backed up her form the following week with another three winners, well and truly cementing the path for female jockeys. More Than Mail is proudly brought to you by Brodie Agencies, McKinlay. Contact Jim Brodie on 0427468713 or Lachy Smith on 0401168915.  You can follow More Than Mail adventures on Instagram, on Facebook, or at morethanmail.com.au  Or, you can send me an email hello@morethanmail.com.au

Angela Jones grew up on a property between Charters Towers and Clermont and now rides winners on the biggest race tracks in Australia. Winner of the 2022/2023 Metropolitan Apprentice Jockey Premiership, Angela out rode her claim on the last day of the season. Stepping up to being a senior jockey, Angela has new goals and a lot of things to tick off her bucket list. More Than Mail is proudly brought to you by Brodie Agencies, McKinlay. Contact Jim Brodie on 0427468713 or Lachy Smith on 0401168915.  You can follow More Than Mail adventures on Instagram, on Facebook, or at morethanmail.com.au  Or, you can send me an email hello@morethanmail.com.au

Tyler Leslight won the 2022/2023 Country Apprentice Jockey Premiership. With the new season underway, Tyler has new goals. Two months in, he is already on the way to achieving them. There are a lot of things jockeys need to think about during a very short period of time to get a race win. Tyler shares what happens in that minute or so on track, how he finesses his skills and the hoops he had to jump through to get his licence.  More Than Mail is proudly brought to you by Brodie Agencies, McKinlay. Contact Jim Brodie on 0427468713 or Lachy Smith on 0401168915.  You can follow More Than Mail adventures on Instagram, on Facebook, or at morethanmail.com.au  Or, you can send me an email hello@morethanmail.com.au

Four friends who love fashion, coming together to celebrate country racing and fashions on the field. Sounds like a hoot! Central West and Western Queenslanders Jacquettaa Arnold, Georgina Fernie, Courtney Bylett and Sarah Taylor enjoy participating in fashions on the field so much, they created Red Dirt in Heels to share their love with the rest of us. Jacquettaa and Sarah tell us how the four met, why they started their instagram page and how country racing is more important than just racing and fashions. More Than Mail is proudly brought to you by Brodie Agencies, McKinlay. Contact Jim Brodie on 0427468713 or Lachy Smith on 0401168915.  You can follow More Than Mail adventures on Instagram, on Facebook, or at morethanmail.com.au  Or, you can send me an email hello@morethanmail.com.au

Toby Fitchett is the self proclaimed Duke of the Downs, and we love him for it. Toby grew up in a racing family, with days out at the races just part of life for him from a very young age. Fashions on the Field (FOTF) took Toby's eye in his teenage years, and he has competed here and there ever since. Toby always makes an effort to look good at the races, and has even turned his hand to judging FOTF competitions. Toby also holds his strappers licence, so he's either strutting his stuff on the catwalk, admiring others strutting their stuff on the catwalk, or "waddling" (his word) around the mounting yard. More Than Mail is proudly brought to you by Brodie Agencies, McKinlay. Contact Jim Brodie on 0427468713 or Lachy Smith on 0401168915.  You can follow More Than Mail adventures on Instagram, on Facebook, or at morethanmail.com.au  Or, you can send me an email hello@morethanmail.com.au

Back in 2011 when social media wasn't the norm, and Fashions on the Field (FOTF) wasn't as prominent as it is now, Emma Scodellaro started It's All About the Sash. Emma saw a gap in the FOTF circle, wanting a one stop place to promote upcoming FOTF events, admire competitors outfits, educate participants on FOTF etiquette, and inspire more people to take part in the concept. It's All About the Sash has become a social media phenomenon, creating and sharing hundreds of posts weekly across both Instagram and Facebook. Emma also shares her FOTF wisdom on itsallabouthesash.com In that 12 year period, FOTF event numbers have ballooned, competitor numbers have strengthened and small country race meet fashions are now on par with their city counterparts, as is the prize money. More Than Mail is proudly brought to you by Brodie Agencies, McKinlay. Contact Jim Brodie on 0427468713 or Lachy Smith on 0401168915.  You can follow More Than Mail adventures on Instagram, on Facebook, or at morethanmail.com.au  Or, you can send me an email hello@morethanmail.com.au

Tash Ferrif moved from Sydney to North West Queensland to chase cows. She's living the dream. Tash enjoys the North's social scene and attends local race meets across the district, where she noticed Fashions on the Field (FOTF). A bit of a fashion lover, Tash decided to give FOTF a go. Despite the nerves, Tash enjoys jumping on the catwalk and has taken home a few wins. She might have even caught the fashions' bug. More Than Mail is proudly brought to you by Brodie Agencies, McKinlay. Contact Jim Brodie on 0427468713 or Lachy Smith on 0401168915.  You can follow More Than Mail adventures on Instagram, on Facebook, or at morethanmail.com.au  Or, you can send me an email hello@morethanmail.com.au

A country race meet wouldn't be complete without a bustling bookie's ring.  You'll find bookmaker Denis Comerford at every race meet in North West Queensland. No matter the crowd size or the weather, Mr Comerford rarely misses a meet. Mr Comerford has seen huge changes in his time on course, from full manual recording and teams of five or more per bookmaker, to being at the forefront of introducing technology to the betting ring.  The stories Mr Comerford recalls will give you a good chuckle. More Than Mail is proudly brought to you by Brodie Agencies, McKinlay. Contact Jim Brodie on 0427468713 or Lachy Smith on 0401168915.  You can follow More Than Mail adventures on Instagram, on Facebook, or at morethanmail.com.au  Or, you can send me an email hello@morethanmail.com.au

Ray Smith is known widely across the racing industry in North West Queensland.  Despite being a steward, in charge of race meetings every weekend and ensuring everyone sticks to the rules, Mr Smith has created friendships in every town he has officiated in. In the police force for 40 years, it made sense that Mr Smith would become a steward upon retirement from from the Force. Very recently retired from his role as a race day steward,  Mr Smith recalls many stories from his 20 plus years in the racing industry. More Than Mail is proudly brought to you by Brodie Agencies, McKinlay. Contact Jim Brodie on 0427468713 or Lachy Smith on 0401168915.  You can follow More Than Mail adventures on Instagram, on Facebook, or at morethanmail.com.au  Or, you can send me an email hello@morethanmail.com.au

The initials K.B. are synonymous with country racing in Queensland. Keith Ballard has been riding for 55(ish) years, celebrating his 70th birthday on race day at Corfield. He's had over 9,300 race day rides and has well over 1,700 wins.  Keith Ballard is one of the most geniuine blokes you'll ever met, and North West Queensland is privileged to have had him as a leading rider for decades.   After years of snippets of conversations with Keith on race day, it was great to be able to sit down and chat at length about his career as a jockey.  More Than Mail is proudly brought to you by Brodie Agencies, McKinlay. Contact Jim Brodie on 0427468713 or Lachy Smith on 0401168915.  You can follow More Than Mail adventures on Instagram, on Facebook, or at morethanmail.com.au  Or, you can send me an email hello@morethanmail.com.au

Sedan Dip celebrated 75 years in 2023, and it was another brilliant weekend. Formed in 1948, Sedan Dip Sports and Recreation Club began a race meet. Campdrafting and rodeo was added in later years. Racing has taken various forms over the years, with the excitement of sprint racing drawing a crowd these days. This year's Sedan Dip Cup was hotly contested. Events like Sedan Dip don't just happen, it takes hours of hard work from the committee and a lot of forethought by previous committees to ensure continous improvement.  Today we hear from Committee Member Luke Spreadborough and President Jake Webster. You'll also hear from Tenneil Cody, whose family have strong country racing and Sedan Dip ties, and Shauna Royes, who was one of the first female jockeys and whose grandfather was a founding member of the concept. Emmy Gallagher tells us what it's like to be a bush sprint jokey, and trainer Troy Gallagher relives winning three consecutive Sedan Dip Cups.  More Than Mail is proudly brought to you by Brodie Agencies, McKinlay. Contact Jim Brodie on 0427468713 or Lachy Smith on 0401168915.  You can follow More Than Mail adventures on Instagram, on Facebook, or at morethanmail.com.au  Or, you can send me an email hello@morethanmail.com.au More Than Mail will be back next Saturday.

 MORE THAN MAIL IS BACK! It's been a while between episodes, but the wait is over.  Have a listen to catch all the details.  More Than Mail is proudly brought to you by Brodie Agencies, McKinlay. Contact Jim Brodie on 0427468713 or Lachy Smith on 0401168915.  You can follow More Than Mail adventures on Instagram, on Facebook, or at morethanmail.com.au  Or, you can send me an email hello@morethanmail.com.au    

It's a big task to bring a State Conference of any description as remote as Julia Creek. But hard work and determination saw the convening comittee get the 2023 ICPA QLD State Conference conference over the line.  Today we hear from those who put in the work to bring it all together, some of the guest speakers who travelled far to deliver their message, local ICPA members who tell us what ICPA gives to them, and Julia Creek's newest Life Member.  We also hear from those ICPA is all about - the kids.  Find out more about the ICPA. Find out more about Julia Creek ICPA. You can follow More Than Mail adventures on Instagram, on Facebook, or at morethanmail.com.au  Or, you can send me an email hello@morethanmail.com.au  

Julia Creek played host the 2023 QLD ICPA State Conference. And after talking all things education advocacy in Ep. 20 | Advocating for education with Kimberley Wilson, I went along to see what it was all about. In More Than Mail's first two part podcast, I speak to the organisers of the Conference, local ICPA members - current and past, and hear from State Concillors, as well as some special guests. I knew very little about ICPA and so we go back to basics, and hear from a lot of passionate people.  Isolated Children's education is in good hands. Find out more about the ICPA. Find out more about Julia Creek ICPA. You can follow More Than Mail adventures on Instagram, on Facebook, or at morethanmail.com.au  Or, you can send me an email hello@morethanmail.com.au More Than Mail will be back on Thursday.  

Educating kids in regional and rural Australia requires policy makers to understand the different and specific needs of the children learning. From maintaining teacher accommodation to internet accessibility, education can look very different in the country. And that's where the Isolated Children's Parents' Association (ICPA) comes in.  Kimberley Wilson from Rutchillo Station is the current Julia Creek ICPA President, and a passionate advocate for education across the board. When I caught up with Kimberley she was busy working on the upcoming ICPA State Conference, to be hosted in Julia Creek.  We talked about education, wet season shenanigans, heading to boarding school in year one, volunteering, the importance of art and craft and living with loss. Find out more about the ICPA. Find out more about Julia Creek ICPA. You can follow More Than Mail adventures on Instagram, on Facebook, or at morethanmail.com.au  Or, you can send me an email hello@morethanmail.com.au

Carol Real and husband Don took up Carodon in 1968, drawing it in a ballot. Originally part of Eulolo, Carodon had very little infrastructure when the Reals moved there, and so they literally had to start from scratch. After 51 years, the Reals sold Carodon in 2019 and moved to Mt Isa. The postcode changed three times while the Reals were at Carodon, receiving their mail orginally from the Gilliat post office (postcode 4830), then from McKinlay post office (postcode 4816) and finally Julia Creek post office (postcode 4823). Carol tells me Carodon was hard work, but a lot of fun at the same time.  You can follow More Than Mail adventures on Instagram, on Facebook, or at morethanmail.com.au  Or, you can send me an email hello@morethanmail.com.au More Than Mail will be back on Thursday.

The Braeside mailbox is about 500m from the house, and I never knew why. Turns out it's thanks to Murphy. The dog. Murphy doesn't love the mailman.  Debbie Malone tells me that the Braeside mail used to be dropped in Kynuna, and someone had to do the 60k round trip to pick it up. We also chat about her years teaching her boys on school of the air, retiring (or not) from the mustering team and craft. Debbie is a talented craftsperson and makes AMAZING mailman teddy bears, among other things. Debbie had all seven of her grandchildren visiting when we caught up, and yet it was still somehow less chaotic then recording on the mail run! You can follow More Than Mail adventures on Instagram, on Facebook, or at morethanmail.com.au  Or, you can send me an email hello@morethanmail.com.au More Than Mail will be back on Monday.