When it comes to breeding horses no one really knows when that special one will come along...if your lucky you will breed it yourself, ride it competitively, breed it on and let it live out its natural life.
This mare, Fantasy, was by Gott's Pride out of a home bred mare....
Returning home as a young man after working away for a year, Fantasy became part of his mustering team and of course the campdrafting circuit. Recently we have both become quite nostalgic about those days, he was footloose and fancy free and lived for campdrafting!
This mare set herself apart from everything else he rode, her temperament, her cow sense and her eyes. There was an untouchable bond between these two...
When I first visited him at home, another young ringer working here at the time asked, "Does he kiss you as much as he kisses his horses?" To which I laughed in that giggly way I do...I spent a week of my holidays mustering with the team, quickly I realised he wasn't joking...
Monto Campdraft 1996
Winning the Maiden at Nebo in 1996....time flies!
The progressive at Nebo same year.
He was so proud of her with her first foal by Mt Hope Zorro, a colt we called Kareem.
She had 7 foals altogether losing two pregnancies due to complications. This was rectified with the help of the late Dr Alistair Rogers from Rockhampton, a wonderful vet who tragically lost his life to Hendra virus.
She retired from Pony Club over 12 months ago....our youngest the lucky one to get the last ride!
The last photos we have of this dear old mare shown here with her granddaughter (unnamed), daughter (Butter...aptly named by the kids because "she's as soft as butter") and her buddy up the back there Honda....half sisters! She could see us sighting a fence line...I mean she could see him. I think she thought I was alright but she definitely had a thing for him!
The chestnut, One Moore Playboy filly out of Grace (Fantasy's daughter) is unbroken but so kind eyed and gorgeous...
If she could have spoken I can only imagine what she would have been saying!
The obligatory scratch...
As Dad says "As long as you have memories you will always have them!"
what a champion old mare!
ReplyDeleteYou have me in tears Trude. What a beautiful tribute to a beautiful mare. Horses are a lot like dogs aren't they, the way they are such an integral part of the team and worm their way into your hearts. Hope your old dog's still travelling well.
ReplyDeleteFiona, you are so right, they are such an integral part of our life on the land...he was very blessed to have such a horse and by default we all benefited. The old dog is travelling well, arthritis has been so much better since his big trip away....just a testament to all of us to keep moving as we get older...
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