February 2000

Welcome to the first edition of the Splitters Creek Sport Horse Stud News. I hope to produce a newsletter every few months for anyone interested in my new stud's activities.

Why did the stud commence? I have had horses for about 18 years but usually no more than 1 or 2 at a time, and mainly purebred arabians. In January 1998 I decided it was time to stop riding (or rather, stop falling off) following 2 nasty falls in 3 weeks. (Not to mention a broken tail bone (ouch!) 2 years before that, and don't forget the vertebrae disc bulge (not horse related) a year before that!)

Around the same time I visited an old friend Les Ellery of Cudglebar Stud only to find that he had fallen on hard times with droughts and floods, followed by a fire which destroyed his house. Because of this he had virtually stopped breeding horses, and coupled with the expenses of bloodtyping and other Arabian Horse Society costs it was possible that his unique genetic pool of 'old colonial' arabian working bloodlines would eventually disappear.

It seemed a very natural progression when I stopped riding to move my attentions to breeding horses and the obvious basis to my stud being the Cudglebar bloodlines, whose tenacity and toughness I had admired for the last 18 years. In addition to breeding 'old colonials' I also hope to breed up a line of tall derivatives.

I started endurance riding around Sydney in the early 1980's with a purebred mare called 'Oasis Rebbeca' (Abyad x Cynthia [Razaz]). I had no idea what I was doing nor how to get a horse fit but I was keen! Around that time I also became involved in the administrative side of things, and was secretary of the 'Colo Challenge' - a 100 mile ride held in the Colo area of NSW, the first year after the Tom Quilty began rotating around the states.

I moved to Albury in 1990 and trained other horses where life's circumstances permitted. I was never a ride winner or up on the pointscores, but I like to think I've learnt something after years of following endurance, reading and making the odd mistake. (It's true!)

Where is the Splitters Creek Sport Horse Stud? At the time of writing the stud is great in spirit but lacking in real property. I have 8 horses here on agistment in Albury, 3 at Cudglebar Stud near Dubbo NSW and a mare and colt foal at Aloha Stud, Lake Cargelligo, NSW. As you might expect it's costing me a fortune in expenses and driving me to distraction in going out to feed & check the horses etc - doubly difficult when breeding horses and foaling are involved.

I hope (must) consolidate onto the one property hopefully by August / September 2000. I am looking around and need something no smaller than 100 acres. I have long service due later this year so will be able to take a month off and get the horses moved and settled etc.

Why is the stud called a Sport Horse Stud? I like this name as I feel it epitomises what I am aiming to breed ie horses for sporting pursuits - natural athletes with the body and temperament to compete in a variety of disciplines. 'Sport Horse Stud' is quite a common term in the US, so it's not an original name by any means.

What's the story about Cudglebar Nur Ed Dam? Ashes is a grey stallion rising 19 years by Helicon (x Sala) out of Cudglebar Hagar (x El Katif). He was an original participant in the Kikkuli Experiments and also competed in endurance as a younger horse. He has sired the 1999 NSW Middleweight Distance Horse of the Year, Hyksos Sabok.

When I leased 'Ashes' at the beginning of spring, I took him to the Equine Artificial Breeding Centre near Holbrook NSW for semen testing and if possible to freeze some semen from him. As there is little other Helicon blood now at Cudglebar my objective was to have semen many years down the track to use back over the daughters of the Cudglebar horses I am currently breeding. His live semen was about 40% which was not high enough to freeze but certainly enough to use with natural service. He was bred at the Equine Centre to Jirrima O'Dear (Arabian warmblood) and Aloha Arctic Gold (part bred & palomino). O'Dear tested positive at 21 days but had lost her foal by 45 days (sigh). Arctic Gold tested negative twice.

Financially broke from that exercise I took Ashes up to my brother's place at Tumut NSW where he ran with my old endurance mare, Cathbery Abzarrah (Arabian Park Konig x Oasis Rebbeca). I took Arctic Gold to a Welsh Cob Section D called Barnon Imperial Jack to breed a flashy, 'go-forever' harness horse. After her foal is weaned she will be 4 1/2 and ready to start her endurance career. (Has today tested positive J )

At the end of December, I was lucky enough to get a suitable paddock in Albury where I could run Ashes and some mares, including Jirrima O'Dear and a trotting mare that I recently purchased. So I am now awaiting the outcome of this exercise.

Not wanting to get away from training horses in endurance, I purchased a sulky and had my 6 y.o. chestnut gelding, Cudglebar Tarquin (Cairo [imp NZ] x Cudglebar Midi) broken to harness. We hope to do quite a few endurance drives in NSW this year. I have a 7 y.o. Diablo gelding called Rowallan Mitchell who did his first training ride (56km) late last year. He will be ready also to do his first endurance rides this year.

Thanks for reading my first newsletter!

Catherine McAlpine