Harness Racing Victoria’s Hero program has unveiled its new Sponsored Rider initiative, continuing the program’s proud tradition of celebrating and promoting standardbreds beyond the track.
Building on the strong foundations of the former Ambassador program, this next chapter brings a refreshed approach to supporting riders who embody the values of the Hero community and showcase the breed’s versatility through their work, competition results and public presence.
Jennifer Lewis, Hero’s Program Manager, said the initiative recognises the importance of visible role models who can share authentic stories and inspire more people to connect with standardbreds.
“We still wanted to have key people spreading a positive message about standardbreds and life after racing, competing regularly and with good social media presence to give us as far reach as possible in promoting the breed,” Jennifer said.
The program brings together a small group of dedicated horse people who not only perform at a high level in their chosen disciplines, but also share a genuine commitment to promoting the Hero message.
The first to be named as Hero Sponsored Riders are Emma Lindell, Mitch and Brooke Fox and Kylee Paull, each helping to build greater visibility for standardbreds outside of racing.
For dressage rider Emma Lindell, partnering with Hero and her much-loved gelding MF Hollywood feels like a natural continuation of a journey that began years ago.
Journey Equestrian Photography
“I’m thrilled to partner with HRV Hero alongside MF Hollywood (James) to help promote standardbreds as a Sponsored Rider. Through this collaboration, we hope to showcase just how versatile and talented these horses are beyond the track.” Emma explains.
“My own journey in dressage has been a testament to the potential of the standardbred and I hope my achievements can inspire more riders to open their hearts to these incredible horses.”
Emma has been involved with Hero since 2022, originally as an Ambassador, helping to raise awareness of standardbreds within the wider riding community. Over the past seven years, Emma has owned several standardbreds and seen first-hand their intelligence, adaptability and gentle temperament.
Emma and James will soon compete at the HRCAV Top Teams Dressage event at Werribee, riding at Level 1, with her sights set firmly on the higher levels. Her success in the dressage arena continues to show that former racehorses can excel in the most technical and disciplined of equestrian sports.
Mitch and Brooke Fox return to Hero as Sponsored Riders, continuing their long-standing connection with standardbreds. “Mitch and I are excited to be partnering with Hero once again as Sponsored Riders to help promote the standardbreds and how versatile they are,” Brooke said.
The pair’s journey with standardbreds has been one of patience and transformation. From racetrack to show ring, Fox Equestrian have produced horses that hold their own amongst elite company.
Stable favourite Kasbah Kid, affectionately known as Mitch and Brooke’s ‘pride and joy’, has claimed top honours in both showing and hunting classes at the Melbourne Royal Show, earning a reputation for stepping up to any challenge.
Fox Equestrian’s newest recruit, Malcolm’s Rhythm, has already made a strong impression with an undefeated record of six shows for six Champion or Supreme Led Standardbred titles.
Looking ahead, they plan to campaign both Kasbah Kid and Malcolm’s Rhythm at the Canberra and Sydney Royals in 2026, with Malcolm’s Rhythm soon to debut under saddle.
Kylee Paull has spent more than fifteen years competing with her homebred gelding Whiskey Business, known as Minty. The pair began in harness and monte’ racing before turning their focus to barrel racing and sporting events, where they’ve claimed national titles and wins against some of the top horses of other breeds in Australia.
Kylee has also produced several standardbreds to the top levels across different sporting disciplines, continuing to show that the breed can compete with the best. Her newest horse, Don’t Touch The Duco, is already showing strong promise for the seasons ahead.
“It is an amazing opportunity to be a Sponsored Rider for Hero and something I look forward to”, Kylee says.
“The support and encouragement from Hero is fantastic. To be able to have life after racing shared to a broader audience means that more people can see the standardbred excelling in different disciplines”.
Through these riders and their talented horses, Hero continues to champion the message that every standardbred deserves a genuine second career. From the dressage arena to the show ring and the speed of sporting and barrel racing, their results show what the breed can do when given the chance.
The Sponsored Rider initiative builds on the foundations of the Ambassador program and focuses on visible role models who compete regularly, engage thoughtfully online and open doors for more standardbreds beyond the track.
Across the season, Hero will share updates, tell the stories behind the work and invite the community to follow their progress.
