Keith Urquhart
Councillor, judge and steward - Keith Urquhart can’t remember exactly how old he was when he started going to the Royal Melbourne Show but knows he was ‘pretty young’.
Keith Urquhart can’t remember exactly how old he was when he started going to the Royal Melbourne Show but knows he was ‘pretty young’. Born in Albury in 1929, Keith grew up in the Victorian town of Boonerah on a property where his family kept sheep, cattle and horses. For Keith, the Show was all about the animals, in particular, the horses. Horses were his passion.
Keith competed over a number of years in the Working Stock Horse event in which he had remarkable success. ‘That was an event that I loved competing in. I was lucky enough to win it – win it or got placed – I think on 17 occasions with 13 different horses.’ Two of these wins were with one of his best stockhorses, Sandman, who Keith rode in events and demonstrations over many years, both at the Show and elsewhere around Australia.
Keith has been a member of the Royal Agricultural Society of Victoria (RASV) Council since 1977. He also spent many years on the Horse Committee, including as chairman between 1991 and 1996. He worked at the Show as a judge and spent many years working in the ringmaster’s office including a stint as assistant ringmaster. This meant participating in the management of the day-to-day operation of Show activities, including the Grand Parade. Keith also spent some time as chairman of the Farm Management Committee helping to select which farm would be awarded the prestigious Farm Management prize each year.
Keith has great respect for the all the participants who have worked tirelessly to make the Show a success each year:
Well I suppose the competitors were the legends because they made the Show. Without the competitors we wouldn't have had a Show. The judges did a great job –there's lots of sectors did a great job and without them we couldn't have gone on. The committees, the red coats, the secretaries, they all put in a lot of work…
His years of involvement with RASV and the Show meant many wonderful memories for Keith: ‘I loved my time there, enjoyed every minute of it. I'm glad I had the opportunity of doing it.’