Fern Valley Peppi

Fern Valley Peppi (Peppi) was accepted into the AERA Hall of Fame on 23 March 2024 on  nomination by QERA. 

This nomination was based on Fern Valley Peppi having achieved 5 Far A Way Marathons Peppi was advertised in the trading post – “Purebred show Arab $1000”. 

I drove down to look at him. His owner was desperate to start endurance but was told by her  mentor that Peppi would never make an endurance horse. He was preened and clipped in  top show condition and full to the gills of feed. He was so full of feed that as he turned to run  off in the paddock, he double barrelled over the top of the owner’s head. Naturally after that I  bought him - a bargain at $600. 

For the first 6 months of training his legs continued to swell and I would stand him in the  creek after each ride. He was a very slow project but went on to do 7 x marathons (2  withdrawn at 240k), he had multiple 80k and 100k wins but I was never able to get him  around a 160k. He had the uncanny knack (5 separate occasions) of injuring himself days  out of each 160 attempt.  

He was the most loyal horse I have ever known. During FAWs I would leave him to eat on  track while I walked ahead and he would catch up to me when ready.  

He was retired at only 14 after a career ending injury. He lived with us until 32 when he was  put to sleep and lies under an old gum tree. 

Olaf Lochtenberg