By Jeremy Cook
Yangan horse lover Debbie Teatoff first showed her horses at the Ekka more than three decades ago, later winning plenty of ribbons in the years that followed.
In 2024, she watched from the stands as her daughter Mel Clausen followed in her footsteps, taking home several winning ribbons for best junior filly exhibit, champion stallion, supreme clydesdale exhibit and champion gelding.
While Ms Teatoff mightn’t have been the one in the arena, the victories were still very much a family effort. Three of the winning ribbons were won by two horses named owned by Ms Teatoff and her husband Grant. Ms Clausen’s gelding, named MacCauley, secured the final ribbon.
Ms Teatoff, now a federal clydesdale judge, said she first showed her horses at the Ekka in 1992 and hadn’t competed in more than a decade.
She said her daughter was “as proud as punch” of her horses, particularly the since-crowned champion stallion KJ Patriot.
“She shows him and she looks after him,” Ms Teatoff said.
“We live on the same property here at Yangan so she does most of the prepping of him and always shows him.
“Whether he’s in the paddock covered in mud … she just loves him and she’s always proud of him.
Despite watching from afar, Ms Teatoff said it was “always nice” to see one of the family horses win a competition.
