Horse heaven in the Hunter
From the unique Thoroughbred Hotel’s Odd’s On burger, Elizabeth Park’s mare and foal statue, or the annual half-day public holiday for the famous Scone Cup Carnival, Scone encourages equine enthusiasts to stay for a week, a season or a lifetime. Scone in the NSW Hunter Valley is renowned worldwide as the Horse Capital of Australia.
Home to leading Thoroughbred nurseries, along with a multitude of other equestrian pursuits, it’s every horse lover’s dream.
Situated three hours from Sydney and only two hours from Newcastle’s famous beaches, Scone is surrounded by meandering back roads lined with green fields and picturesque valleys full of young foals, mares and yearlings frolicking in spacious paddocks.
Scone is also home to Arrowfield, one of Australia’s biggest Thoroughbred stud farms. Located approximately eight kilometres out of town on Gundy Road (and only five minutes from Linga Longa Inn, made famous by a visit from Chris Hemsworth) it extends across 2,200 acres of prime land in the fertile Segenhoe Valley, traversed by the beautiful Pages River.
Renowned as the birthplace of some of Australia’s best Thoroughbred athletes, Arrowfield Stud is organised in five key areas: broodmares and foaling, yearlings, stallions, farming, and racing. The infrastructure and facilities, including seven purpose-built barns, two foaling units, a stallion complex, and a 110 box state-of-the-art yearling barn, have all been designed and built to ensure the best care of all resident horses and the safety of the people who work with them.
The Arrowfield employment advantage
Arrowfield offers a fabulous opportunity to work on a leading Australian family-owned farm, led by John and Paul Messara, with superb facilities, a first-class team of people and one of the world’s best stallion rosters, along with a stellar collection of broodmares and sale-topping yearling drafts.
Arrowfield supports its team members with opportunities to boost knowledge, expand skills and broaden experience in diverse sectors of the Thoroughbred industry. On-farm accommodation is provided, with travel assistance if required, and there’s a regular program of guest presentations and training sessions throughout the year. Best of all, there are opportunities for all levels of horsemanship.
A variety of roles
One of the best things about working on a stud farm is the chance to work through, and learn about the full life-cycle of the horse. Arrowfield offers full-time and seasonal roles in all aspects of the business:
Broodmares and Foaling Unit – More than 250 foals are born at Arrowfield each spring. Our foaling units are much like hospital nurseries, where pre-birth and post-birth care is our number one priority. Foaling units are supervised 24 hours a day from late July to November with round-the-clock veterinary supervision of our mares and newborns. This area of the farm is one of the best places to start your Thoroughbred employment journey.
Yearling Sale Preparation – From November to April, we prepare around 200 yearlings for Australia’s top sales, including Magic Millions on the Gold Coast in January and Inglis Easter in Sydney in April. Preparation as a yearling is one of the most important stages of a Thoroughbred athlete’s career, with constant focus on handling, nutrition, gentle exercise, grooming and plenty of yard time. It’s a great opportunity to learn about educating and developing the young athlete and to share the sale prep experience with a young and energetic team.
Stallion Handler – Arrowfield’s stallion team is responsible for the daily care and management of a truly spectacular group of horses, including four-time champion sire Snitzel. Full-time job opportunities in this part of the farm are held by highly skilled senior staff, but there are plenty of support roles open during the breeding season.
Arrowfield Training Centre – Led by Group 1-winning trainer Paul Messara, the centre offers a boutique team environment in a superbly designed, modern stable and track facility located right beside Arrowfield Stud. Positions are generally available for all levels of horse skills, including trackwork rider, stablehand or strapper.
Farming – With more than 2,000 acres of prime horse country to manage, there are regular openings within the farm and maintenance team. From gardening to driving a tractor, no two days are the same with ample opportunity to build your skills on a large commercial farm.
Arrowfield graduates
While Arrowfield graduates are best-known for their athleticism on the racetrack and incredible breeding achievements, our Jockey Cap & Diamonds brand is increasingly sought-after as a mark of reliable and trainable off-the-track Thoroughbreds. Raised in our ‘horse heaven’, Arrowfield-bred horses have a great start to life with quality nutrition, care and education that produces strong, sound horses with great temperaments.
