Guyra farmer Wayne Mills rode his trusty dark horse Ace through the streets of Tamworth in remembrance of his father who was wounded during World War II.
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Mr Mills was one of four men, including Warren Bramley from Blandford, Michael Roland, and David Thurn from Manilla, who represented the Australian Light Horse Brigade during the Legacy Torch relay in Tamworth on July 4.
Mr Mills' father lost sight in one of his eyes while attempting to dig out a mine on the battlefield in November 1942, during the second battle of Al Alamein in Egypt.
"He was in the desert and a mine blew up on him," Mr Mills said.
He was discharged about six months later and sent back to Australia on a hospital ship where he was rehabilitated and returned to work as a sheep and wool officer in Glen Innes.
Mr Mills said that after his dad died at the age of 60 in 1972, "Legacy helped my family right up until my mother passed away at a very old age. So I want to congratulate Legacy for that."
"They went through hell, some blokes had a few troubles with alcohol but dad didn't he was pretty good," Mr Mills said.
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The Legacy Torch relay kicked off in Poizieres, France, on April 23, and is expected to visit all 45 clubs via France, Belgium, UK and Australia before finishing in Melbourne on October 13.
The relay commemorates 100 years since Legacy was established, based on the promise of a soldier to his dying mate in the trenches of WWI "I'll look after the missus and kids".
Mr Mills also had three uncles who were in the war and his aunt was a nursing sister "who went through all stages of the war from the Middle East up to New Guinea".
His horse Ace
Ace is a stock horse which is one of many horse breeds that became known collectively as the 'Walers' that went off to war as part of the Australian Light Horse Brigade.
The horses were famously known as Walers because even though they came from all over Australia, they were originally sold in NSW.
The ALHB was disbanded shortly after WWI, and were replaced by technological developments in mechanical warfare by WWII.
The 12-year-old bay is one of two horses Mr Mills keeps on his farm in Guyra, sadly, Ace's uncle died about a week ago but lived longer than most to the age if 33.
"I was dreading the day I'd go up there and find him all lying down with crows getting at him. But he just died. He just rolled over," Mr Mills said.
"He'd gone to sleep in the paddock. How beautiful?
"There were no struggle marks or anything. He was with his sister, Ace's mother.
"That is what happens. That is life."
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