Update Aug 2006: Gavin Beever has been accepted for a Private Trainers license and as such can train the Cumbre Syndicated horses. This latest achievement is a successful upgrade from Gavin's earlier Owner Trainer License. Gavin's Trainers applications were considered by the interview panel at Racing Victoria as being one of the best they had ever received.

Gavin takes a wholistic approach to race horse training. He bases his approach on continuous improvement. Plan the approach, carry it out, assess, replan and carry it out… and so forth. All horses pass through a similar conditioning program with continual individual assessment, which leads to variation in intensity, distance and exercise type.

The program starts with ground work, trotting and hacking in the hills and swimming. There is a solid phase of long slow work designed to build base fitness and tendon, ligament and muscle strength. Then follows a continuation of long slow with short sharp fast work incorporated, which accelerates improvement in bone strength, the working of both anaerobic and aerobic energy pathways and both slow twitch and fast twitch fibres. Horses are individually assessed on their improvement and natural ability with the aid of x-ray examination, visual assessment and as the first stable in Australia to adopt E-Trakka as a key training tool (for more information see etrakka.com).

This process continues until the horse is at race fitness and the monitoring indicates what type of race should be aimed for.

• The basic ground work is focused on the physical and, equally as importantly, the mental development of each horse.
• It is a trust based training approach. The program for each horse is an individual one to suit the needs of each particular animal.
• It is designed to ensure each horse gets the opportunity to reach its full potential.
• Each training program is individualised. Gavin gives all horses a thorough warm up and all gain benefit from daily equissage.
• The ability to train horses on the farm (300 acres), in the adjacent National Park and at the Bendigo Track (20 minutes away, www.bendigojc.com.au), gives a variety of training options and keeps the horses fresh, physical and importantly mentally as well as enabling a variety of conditioning regimes.
• Cumbre work riders are very experienced and with E-trakka this combination leads to very precise workouts.
• The whole program is focussed on treating race horses as elite athletes and aiming at the only thing limiting performance is natural ability.
• When spelling and after work, horses can be paddocked. Horses can then be horses and enjoy the relaxation and feeling of well being this gives them.
• Nutrition is individualised and set with input from leading Veterinary Nutritionist John Kohnke and using Megan McKenzie from KER. A vet is on call at all times. Horses are individually checked a minimum of twice daily.

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Testa Reale was purchased, broken in and pre-trained by Cumbre. She is a real professional, bomb proof and a delight to work with.

Tony Vasil
Trainer - Aquanita, Caulfield

The approach used by Gavin is professional, caring and efficient for both horse and rider. I have often been the first person to ride a horse after Gavin and I have always found them to be willing, trusting, calm and relaxed even on my first ride. For anyone looking for a great start to their horse I most highly recommend Gavin to you.

Choe Bailey
Work Rider -Cumbre Stud

“Working with Cumbre Stud gives us peace of mind knowing that our 5 two year olds have been broken in and pre-trained to an exacting standard. Cumbre's hands on, individual pretraining, breaking and feeding regimes ensures that all our horses are given every opportunity to perform to their maximum potential, track riders have stated these horses were the best to ride they had ever had”

Max Meade
Bendigo Jockey Club Vice President &
Race Horse Owner