Kristy McBain (Eden-Monaro, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I stand here today to recognise Bega Valley born and raised carriage driver Boyd Exell. Some people find their calling and know from a very young age what they are going to do with their life, and this is what happened to Bega Valley's Boyd Exell. Like many country kids, he's always had a deep love and fascination for horses, so when his teacher introduced him to carriage driving there was no going back. Boyd won his first Australian pairs championship when he was just 16 years old, and since then he has become practically unbeatable in the sport of carriage driving. In fact, he's been crowned world champion five times and has won the FEI Driving World Cup championship eight times, with his most recent win coming in Stockholm just this week.

Carriage driving isn't very big in Australia, but on the world stage it is a professional sport that attracts sponsorship and large crowds. Boyd is out there on the world stage doing Bega and Australia proud. He has worked incredibly hard to get to the point where he dominates this sport, and he's a perfect example for country kids from all over Australia who may have big dreams.

Boyd's family still live in the Bega Valley. They are incredibly proud of his achievements, and I'm proud to stand here today to give this man the recognition he deserves in this parliament.

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