Sport
23 June, 2026
A ladies’ man and state champion
HE has been loved since well before he was born – although the secret hope had been for a black filly, not a chestnut colt – and after four years of care and training, Spike, the only Hanoverian stallion north of Brisbane, thanked his “village” of supporters last month by becoming a state champion.
Spike, show name Glenhill Springstar, is a bit of a ladies’ man, owned by Bobby Physick, rider Marcela Adkins and her daughter Jessica Chalmers. Not to mention the army of women who keep the stallion in tip top condition.
He travelled with “team Spike” from Mareeba to south Brisbane in late May to compete in the 4 Year Old Young Horse State Championships. His impressive score of 83.4% sealed his victory.
“From the beginning, we knew Spike was a very special horse,” Jessica of GJC Performance Horses said.
“He is the kindest and most willing in temperament. When he isn’t being a legend while being ridden, he enjoys running around his paddock with his bucket in his mouth, showing off to everyone.”
Jessica has been in the Spike universe from the beginning.
“I am a warmblood breeder, and I researched the bloodlines for Bobby (Physick) when she was looking for a new young horse to purchase,” she said.
“Mum and I suggested Bobby buy this foal in utero as its breeding was excellent and it would have a bright future ahead.”
Spike was sired by the German-based Springbank II VH, and his dam was New Star LP. His pedigree also means he is the only licensed Hanoverian stallion sired by Springbank II VH in Australia.
To become a “licensed Hanoverian”, a distinct breed from Hanover in Germany, is a lengthy and involved process.
“He needed to meet very high standards. Then in February of this year, the Hanoverian Society of Australia brought over a female assessor, and alongside our Australian assessors, they passed and granted Spike his breeding licence.”
But Spike is much more than just his breeding and good looks.
“It really has taken a village of people to get Spike where he is today,” Jessica said.
Bred by Glenhill Sporthorses in NSW, Spike was transported to Mareeba at six months old when he was old enough to leave his surrogate mother.
At two-and-a-half years old, Jessica’s husband and business co-owner Geoff Chalmers broke Spike in to be ridden before he was handed over to Marcela to continue his dressage career.
“Since being under saddle with Marcela, under the guidance of her coach, Peter Fisher (who resides in Victoria), Spike has been training and improving over the last year-and-a-half, and in 2025, started his first competition season off,” Jessica said.
“He attended the local dressage competitions and always received excellent feedback from various judges from across Australia.
“He has been working towards these Young Horse classes ever since being broken in.
“They require a very well trained horse that shows their natural ability to go through the levels in dressage and hopefully become a Grand Prix horse in the future.”
The team travelled to North MacLean “to showcase our beautiful boy”.
“It took us four days to get to the venue, which is a huge challenge for horses, but his continuous training paid off,” Jessica said.
“Bobby, Marcela and I own Spike together, but really everyone should be thanked for getting Spike to where he is.
“From body treatments to expert veterinary care, a lot of ladies have helped along the way.
“Dr. Roxanne Harvey, the co-owner of Sundance Vets in Mareeba, has looked after Spike’s veterinary needs since he was six months old and has helped us develop a healthy young horse, Erin Flanagan from EMF Equine with her continued PEMF treatments on Spike to keep his muscles happy and Michelle Bolch who does body work and acupuncture on Spike routinely to keep his body moving freely.”
