Patrick Salway's memory lives on with 'St Patrick's' Royal Easter Show win

Patrick's wife Renee was overjoyed with the result, aptly giving the young horse the name St Patrick in memory of her late husband.

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Renee struggled to find words to capture what the Easter Show win meant, thinking of what the win would've meant to Patrick.

At 3.30am on New Years Eve of 2019, St Patrick was rushed to the Cobargo Show Grounds, after the Salway's Cobargo property had become too unsafe for him to stay at.

Just hours later, after battling spot fires, Patrick and his father Robert were killed by what experts described as a 'ferocious firestorm'.

"It was all very traumatic and we rushed him [St Patrick] on the float that night and the air was thick with smoke," Renee said.

"We more or less said 'See ya later mate', and dumped him at the showground because we didn't have a safe enough place or paddock or stable on the property to keep him in.

In the spur of the moment, Renee left St Patrick with the other horses at the Cobargo Showground, not knowing they'd later have to be let loose to fend for themselves as fires threatened the showground.

St Patrick was found alive later on, having sustained cuts and a minor leg injury. He had pneumonia from smoke-inhalation and had to be on antibiotics.

Three years on and although the smoke has cleared, Renee said St Patrick was still spooked by fires.

"He was at a training day in Werribee and there was a fire in the stable down there. This was about six months ago, and he was quite distressed, I think from all the memories coming back," she said.

Renee and Patrick got St Patrick as a young horse from South Australia, two years prior to the Black Summer Bushfires.

"It was his up-and-coming, exciting horse that he had hopes and dreams for to be successful with himself," she said.

Following Patrick's death, Renee enlisted the help of close family friend and veteran rider Mark Kenzig to campaign and continue St Patrick's education.

"After everything that happened I put forward what I thought was best, and I think Patrick would've reached out to Mark being a good friend of his to have his help," she said.

Renee said Patrick loved to compete, with multiple titles across Australia over the years including the Sydney Royal.

"He won the Sydney Show numerous times in his rider class and also at Grand Nationals which he won twice," she said.

Locally, it's a rare occurrence to not see the Salway name on winners' lists at agricultural shows in the Bega Valley - a name synonymous with a range of cattle and horse events.

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St Patrick, however, competed on the Victorian circuit, stabled in Romsey, Victoria where Kenzig was based.

In his first season doing bigger shows St Patrick impressed across the Victorian circuit, as well as at other Royal Shows.

"He was second at Canberra Royal and successful at Barastoc in Victoria," Renee said.

"He won the Launceston Royal and qualified himself for Grand Nationals this year which was only a few weeks ago. Unfortunately a few things weren't going right and he didn't actually compete there."

Skipping Royal Nationals, the focus became Sydney Royal, the pinnacle of show riding.

"It's the biggest show in the southern hemisphere and I guess the most prestigious you can win as a livestock competitor," said Renee. Just to qualify, horses must win seven agricultural shows.

"This was his first Sydney Show and it was a very good quality line-up," Renee said.

Kenzig rode St Patrick at the Sydney Royal Easter Show on Tuesday, April 11, and impressed judges to take out first place in the Show Hunter Hack, over 16.2hh class.

Cheering St Patrick and Kenzig on, Renee put the win down to hours of hard work and dedication, in what was "a dream result and St Patrick's best performance yet," she said.

"It means a lot to me and I'm sure it would mean the world to Patrick too," she said.

"We always knew he was a special horse.

"I'm very grateful for Mark helping me get him where he is now."

Kenzig said St Patrick was considered the standout by the UK judges, and a top quality horse with an exciting future.

Renee recently sold St Patrick to Kenzig, happy to let him go to a close family friend.

"Mark has purchased him, to keep him and live out his days with his stable," she said.

Kenzig will continue to train and campaign St Patrick in Romsey, Victoria.

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