Mrs Hazel Bradford
Hazel Bradford’s name is synonymous with the horse ring at the Melbourne Royal Show.
Born in Yea, Victoria, Mrs Bradford began showing horses and Shetland ponies at the Melbourne Royal Show in the mid-1940s. She took to the ring alongside her sister Mavis and the pair was extremely successful, taking home many ribbons and trophies.
Hazel later married Alan ‘Happy’ Bradford and moved to Drouin in West Gippsland, while Mavis married renowned horseman and Olympian, Bill Roycroft.
Hazel Bradford (left) winning the Utility Australian Stock Horse Class in the 1960s on Tex.
Mrs Bradford bred horses and ponies under the Burrabong prefix and showed them with much success. The whole Bradford family was well-known at the Melbourne Royal Show, featuring in the winner’s line-up multiple times. Mrs Bradford was still taking home the blue ribbon in the 1960s, winning the Utility Australian Stock Horse Class riding Tex.
Mrs Bradford was well-respected by her peers and supported many riders at agricultural shows across the country. She passed away in 2022 at the age of 96 and is remembered for her generosity in sharing her wealth of knowledge, her honest and straightforward opinions, and a true love for horses.