Eric Musgrove honoured as 2025 Country Achiever

The Australian Trainers’ Association presents the 2025 Country Achiever Award in partnership with Country Racing Victoria and the VRC. It’s a recognition of excellence, integrity and long-standing service to country racing – both on and off the track.

Trainer Eric Musgrove has become almost synonymous with jumps racing in Australia. His record is staggering: more than 700 winners over hurdles and fences, more than any other trainer in the country.

He’s won the Von Doussa Steeplechase at Oakbank 13 times, trained multiple Grand Annual winners, and developed generations of consistent horses who’ve delivered time and again at tracks across the country.

However, the statistics only tell part of the story. Musgrove is a horseman in the truest sense – someone who lives and works with animals, listens closely to their quirks and rhythms, and, after all these years, still finds joy in the most minor signs of progress.

He’s trained champions, but has also guided dozens of young trainers and jockeys, supported countless country clubs, and maintained his faith in a code of racing that he loves.

“For me, it’s always been about personal satisfaction. I’ve had good horses, good owners, and a great team around me. That makes all the difference.”

Musgrove’s love of horses runs deep, even though he didn’t come from a racing family. As a boy, he would go to great lengths just to get a ride. “I wasn’t from a horsey background, but from the time I was a kid, I was always drawn to them,” he said.

“I’d walk half a mile just to get a ride on a pony. I joined the pony club and hung around horses constantly. I wasn’t much interested in school – I’d sit in class and draw horses instead of paying attention. It was always a passion, almost an obsession.”

That passion led to a highly successful showjumping career, both in Australia and overseas. When Musgrove and his young family eventually settled in Victoria, the connections he’d made through showjumping opened the door to racing. He began breaking in and pre-training for major stables – including Lloyd Williams – before obtaining his licence in 1981.

“I always wanted to train,” he said. “But I didn’t have the money to set up properly at first. You need infrastructure – stables, tracks, a property. While I had a good set-up for showjumpers, it wasn’t suited to racehorses. So, I started breaking in horses and really enjoyed it. From there, it was a natural progression into training.”

Among the horses he helped pre-train early on were Revenue, who won the Victoria Derby and placed in the AJC Derby, and What A Nuisance, who would go on to win the 1985 Melbourne Cup. Initially, he trained flat horses who had some success, but over time, Musgrove found his true niche in the jumping ranks.

The horse who changed everything, though, was Karasi. A son of Kahyasi, Karasi had been a tough, consistent stayer on the flat, running fourth in the 2001 Melbourne Cup for David Hall. When Hall moved to Hong Kong, he suggested Musgrove might take the horse on.

“I remember David saying, ‘He’s small, not sure how he’ll jump, but he can stay.’ I went to have a look, brought him home – and the rest is history.”

Karasi became a legend, winning the Nakayama Grand Jump three years in a row from 2005 to 2007 – at the time, the richest jumps race in the world. He was inducted into the Australian Racing Hall of Fame in 2018 and lived out his retirement at Musgrove’s property, Karasi Park, until his death last year at 30.

“Financially, he changed my life,” Musgrove said. “But more than that, he was a pleasure to have around. He was honest as the day is long and a real character. He was just a tough, honest, lovely horse.”

Karasi Park – named in his honour – is where Musgrove still works from today. Set on 88 hectares at Coronet Bay, it’s a property Musgrove built from scratch. “All the tracks were excavated – we’ve put in pools, dams, drainage. It’s designed to make life easy. Not overly labour-intensive. Everything’s built to save time and effort, to work well and be good for the horses.”

The property features 50 boxes, a 10-horse walker, a 120-metre pool, and paddocks that stretch to the beach. Musgrove currently works a small team of 11. “I consider myself very lucky – I’ve got a good way of life and I really enjoy what I do. If you can earn a living doing something you love, you’re very fortunate.”

While records and wins have marked Musgrove’s long career, what keeps him in the sport is simpler: the horses and the process. “It’s very satisfying seeing them in their progression. It’s like children. It starts a certain way, and as they learn and develop and improve, it’s very satisfying. They are creatures of habit. They like routine, and they are sort of like companions.”

In that light, the Country Achiever Award feels less like a milestone and more like an acknowledgement of a life quietly devoted to horses – particularly in the regions Musgrove values most.

“I’m humbled to be the 2025 Country Achiever. We’ve raced a lot in the country over the years. There are a lot of great committees and a lot of great country clubs. A lot of country people really support racing, and you wouldn’t have your city races if you didn’t have your country races because the country has been the nursery for town for generations. You definitely need country racing. It’s strong. So many horses can win a race at Moe or Wangaratta or Warrnambool or Geelong and then come to town and win at their next start. The country means a lot to the industry, and it’s a great honour for me.”

“It’s a thrill,” Musgrove says. “A recognition of long-term achievements. I’ve had a few runners at Flemington and some good days, but this is very special. I’m very humbled.”