The rollercoaster ride of life

Young harness racing couple Josh and Chloe Powderly were blessed with the arrival of a neat brown filly by Village Jasper on 17^th November 2010.

Her dam Witch Party was a gift to the couple by Choe’s father after he finished racing her to 12 wins and 43 placings.

So that lovely Village Jasper filly was later named Village Witch and gave Josh and Chloe the ride of a lifetime winning 24 races and $281,233.

Her first win came on Anzac Day 2015 at the Riverina track at Coolamon and culminated with seven wins at Menangle , four of them at Group Three level , and then a trip to Melbourne to compete in the 2018 Inter Dominion Series.

That trip resulted in a third placing behind Cruz Bromac in one of the Heats and a close second in the $50,000 Consolation final.

Village Witch , the fourth highest earning daughter of Village Jasper bred in Australia, is now a treasured broodmare for Josh and Chloe based at Rhiannon Park in Shepparton , Victoria and she foaled her first baby there on 12^th November 2020.

That foal , a filly by one of the World’s great stallions American Ideal , will now be offered as LOT 613 at next Sunday’s Neds APG Yearling Sale at the Inglis Complex at Warwick Farm.

The emotional highs that Village Witch gave the couple though came crashing down on 24^th January this year when Josh suffered a horrific accident whist working.   He and Chloe conduct an Electrical and Solar Installation business and it was whilst working on the roof of a building at Tumbarumba, NSW that Josh fell from the roof suffering severe spinal injuries.

The early prognosis is that Josh will never walk again and at the age of 42 that is a cruel blow to someone with another half of their life ahead.

long term and so Harness Racing NSW have set up a Benevolent Fund to assist the Powderly Family   – details of this Fund to donate to are :

BSB: 062 111

Account: 1073 1023

Name of Account: Harness Racing NSW.

Reference – Powderly Fundraiser and Payers Name.

Further details can be supplied by phoning Maurice Logue at HRNSW – 02 9722 6600 or 0400 984 193.

APG have generously agreed to donate the Commission on the sale of LOT 613 – the American Ideal / Village Witch filly.

Watch now the emotional video of Chloe speaking about the rollercoaster ride to life that she and Josh and their children are now experiencing.

By John Coffey