My pony reproduces the spirit of the backbane of
Australia, that of the iconic Bushman. The pony is
dressed in the traditional garb worn by the Bushman in
Australia. This would be easily recognized by any
Australian ever associated with Outback Australia. The
Bushman represents the Australian ethos of hard work and
mastership. The pony is attired in a Drizabone coat
which is traditionally made out of an oilskin material
and an Akubra hat which is made from the pelt of
rabbits. The rabbit is seen as a pest by many Australian
farmers. Such is the recognition of the Drizabone and
Akubra in epitomising the spirit of the Bushman that
they were used by horsemen in the opening ceremony of
the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games. Last year at the World
leaders Conference held in Australia our then Prime
Minister John Howard presented all the World Leaders
that attended with a Drizabone and an Akubra. All the
world leaders were photographed wearing that attire. On
his hind legs my pony is wearing Blundstone Boots which
are a sturdy ankle length boot made in Australia. Thus,
I named my pony Bushman's Dream, a simple yet
self-explanatory title for my pony. The base of my pony
is painted to represent the reddish hues of Outback
Australia. The tail and mane of my pony were painted in
gold paint and glitter added to give the illusion of the
hot Australian sun rebounding off my pony.
I used an air-drying paste to mould the Boots, Drizabone
and Akubra Hat. It was a slow and arduous process that
took me three hours alone just to mould the boots. The
formation of the Drizabone took several hours over a
period of a quite a few days to make. It had to be done
in segments using several layers of the paste in order
to give it a 3D effect. After which I then had to add
the detailing of the shoulder flap, buttons and collar.
After which I molded the Akubra. This too took a couple
of days as I had to wait for it to dry and add more
paste to it, allow it to dry again and then paint it,
paint it again and then add the headband and feather. I
used Jo Sonja's acrylic paints to paint the pony. It has
had two coats of the paint to all areas. After I
finished painting I did the final step of writing his
name along the base. After it dried I sprayed the pony
with a matt sealant.
