A local who breeds waler horses as a hobby dressed himself in an Australian light horseman uniform worn in World War 1 and led the Anzac parade.
The waler is a very tough bush horse bred from the original first 7 horses brought from South Africa to Australia with the first fleet in 1788. Over the years that followed in was cross bred with European imports until it became renown in military circles for its toughness and ability to make long journeys at a good speed. In WWI, the Waler became legendary with the Australian Light Horse for their feats of endurance and courage in the desert campaigns and later in France. Unfortunately in spite of thousands being sent overseas to join the war effort only one was allowed to return home. All the rest were left behind much to the distress of their soldier comrades. One of the Light Horsemen Troooper Bluegum wrote,
I don't think I could stand the thought of my old fancy hack
Just crawling round old Cairo with a 'Gyppo on his back.
Perhaps some English tourist out in Palestine may find
My broken-hearted Waler with a wooden plough behind.
No: I think I'd better shoot him and tell a little lie:--
"He floundered in a wombat hole and then lay down to die."
May be I'll get court-martialled; but I'm damned if I'm inclined
To go back to Australia and leave my horse behind.
From memory, it was the horse that belonged to one of the Generals who commanded the Light Horse that returned. The other sad thing is that while many of the Light Horse members fought and died in Gallipoli, their horses weren't with them. They were used as infantry.
