Every October, the quiet town of Kulin transforms into a burst of colour, laughter and horsepower. The Kulin Bush Races aren’t just a country event, they’re a celebration of community, creativity, and the kind of Aussie ingenuity that turns scrap metal into art. There’s something wonderfully “Wheatbelt” about the Kulin Bush Races, a weekend where horses, hay bales, and good humour collide under the Western Australia sky. But in true Kulin fashion, it’s not just the live horses that steal the show.
Along the road to the races, you’ll find a herd of metal legends, welded, bolted, and brilliantly weird. Each one tells a story, each one a slice of Wheatbelt wit. The iconic Tin Horse Highway is a must-see stop on any Wheatbelt tour, WA road trip, or wildflowertrail adventure. This year, we at CRISP decided to saddle up and make our mark, not with megabits and modems, but with something far shinier and infinitely more permanent: our very own tin horse.
We spend most days connecting communities through internet and tech wizardry. But this time, we wanted to connect through something that doesn’t need a signal. Because sure, we’re in the business of connection. But in Kulin, connection isn’t just digital it’s proudly displayed on the Tin Horse Highway, where imagination runs as wild as the open road. What started as a casual “We should build one!” quickly turned into a full-blown project in the shed. “Max, you should make one,” said his mum. And, as any smart son knows… when Mum says build a horse, you build a horse.
Max Ballard, with his mix of creative spark and down-to-earth determination, took the lead, designing, cutting, and welding every piece himself. No fancy blueprints, no engineering degree, just a shed full of old metal, chains, spray paint and a whole lot of Wheatbelt ingenuity. He welded, cut, bolted, and bent until the pile of parts started to look like… well, a horse. Bit by bit, that heap of recycled metal came to life, the mane made of twisted chain, the legs from old steel oil cans and a backbone built tough enough to handle a Wheatbelt storm. Seeing the sculpture take its place among the wild, witty herd that lines the Tin Horse Highway competition at the Kulin Bush Races was pure magic. There it was, a creation that started with a funny idea and ended as part of Western Australia’s most delightfully weird roadside attraction.
When race weekend rolled around, Max’s masterpiece took its place alongside 5 other creative entries in the Tin Horse Competition. The competition was fierce (and brilliantly weird), but CRISP Connection held its own, earning fourth place overall! Taking out first place was “Ed Kelly”, whose tin horse was a showstopper and crowd favourite. And honestly? We couldn’t be prouder to share the paddock with talent like that. The Kulin Bush Races 2025 remind us of what we love most about regional WA: when locals rally together to celebrate their patch of the world, incredible things happen. From sparks to steel, and from Mum’s idea to a Wheatbelt icon, we’re proud that CRISP could be part of it.
If you’re road-tripping through the Wheatbelt, keep an eye out for our CRISP tin horse, built by Max. Snap a pic, tag @CRISPWirelessFasterInternet, and use #CRISPKBR or #tinhorsehwy to let us know you’ve been to visit. And if you like your connections as strong as welded steel, we’ve got you covered.
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