History of the Stockhorse on Allandale

Allandale is well known for breeding & growing quality livestock for over a century from prime milk tooth steers to restocker heifers for the southern producers. In the early part of the 1900's, Allandale was also held in high regard for its ability to produce a quality horse whether it be race winners in the bush or on the metropolitan tracks to the Light Horse Brigade remounts during the war years.

During the early years

Allandale's owner through out the War years was Mr George Bennet. A visionary in his day, Mr Bennet was not only known for his prosperity in the pastoral industry but also for his passion for racing & breeding thoroughbreds. He spent a great deal of time and money establishing a quality breeding herd at Allandale and a training establishment aptly called Allan Park (also known as Jordan Park) in the Adelaide Hills. Mr Bennet experienced a large deal of success and had a number of fine horses that once finished racing were sent upto Allandale to join the breeding herd.

One such stallion to be sent to Allandale was "SCINTILLATION," by the imported sire "AMHERST" from "GLITTERING STAR" who traces back to " GASWORKS " who won the Australian Cup. A local bred horse by "SCINTILLATION" was testimony to George Bennet's breeding program. “ HOMER ” was a winner of 14 Firsts and 1 Second out of 15 starts at the Oodnadatta Races during his racing career at Oodnadatta. George Bennet was a great believer in sending his young stock upto Allandale to allow them to grow on the hard country.

" our practise of stabling and rugging our racehorses does not deteriorate the quality of young stock bred from them in any way, for they are able to go out to the hard country of the interior and live and thrive there just as well as on the good country "

Bennet's ideals were based on personal experience and as a cattleman in the Far North, it was breeding programs such as these that bred thousands of horses that met their fate, in battle, on foreign soil.

"Training for a race improves any horse, but, of course,

a great deal depends on the type of animal selected.

Some people go in for too much pedigree and not

enough horse, but, I most certainly believe that the

breeder with the use of good racing sires mated with

station mares should produce a splendid type of animal

for use on the stations and the kind of animal that would

be most valuable to export for military purpose and that

will stand the Indian climate and go through a hard

campaign with any horse in the world."

Breeding for abroad

The 'remounts' now known more commonly as Bronco horses or Walers, were distinctive in their appearance with their large feathery legs courtesy of their sires which were usually of Percheron or Clydesdale descent. The dams were usually of thoroughbred origin and the characteristics of the remounts were complimentary of both breeds - ability, speed, strength & soundness. Today, a small number of stations in the Far North still breed such a type of horse as many stations still like to use the traditional method of branding calves Bronco Branding using the Bronco horse.

Donnagh Clarke's great uncle Stan Ferguson, owner of Ernabella and noted man of the bush. The photo was taken in Palestine and written on the back of the photo is reference to the wood in the nosebag as to boil a billy. Photo: Brumby/Ferguson Collection

Breeding remounts on Allandale Station, Oodnadatta. Photo courtesy of the Bennet Family.

Many of the wild horses in  outback  South Australia are descendants of the remount breeding herds let loose after the end of World War 1. Today, not as many roam the Outback but the country is so vast that the large cattle stations will always have a few mobs hiding on these runs.

1907 Melbourne Cup Winner

The "inside" country that George Bennet admired not only produced good stock horses & race horses but the surrounding Oodnadatta district, with its passion for racing, also produced fine horseman - the winning jockey, of the 1907 Melbourne Cup.

Riding “APOLOGUE” a 5 year old bay horse trained by Isaac Ernshaw, he won the race in 3:27:05 . In this race Evans collapsed at the end due to excessive wasting in order to make the weight. Evans was noted for his flamboyance , Billy Evans had a successful racing career and spent time riding FITZ-GRAFTON, a QLD Champion, sold for 2000 guineas and exported to India. William Evans was a prominent jockey of that era and also a native of Oodnadatta. Evans also experienced wide success as a jockey on the pony racing circuit which was a very popular during the early 1900's. In its day, the township of Oodnadatta ran several race meetings a year with the first being 1890. For many, the prestige associated with winning an Oodnadatta Cup was likened to winning an Adelaide Cup. 

This bush race meeting is now in it's 120th year and the prestige of winning an Oodnadatta Cup is as strong now as what it was at the turn of the last century. The Oodnadatta Races have only ever been cancelled twice, once for flood and the other  due to drought!

Another  chapter begins to unfold

In today's modern society and with the ability to source bloodlines from all over the world, Allandale is once again home to a breeding program that prides itself on world class genetics combined with horses of splendid type, who's progeny will be of purpose regardless of equine discipline.

The purchase of Destinys Oak, bred by Richard Bull of Tamarang in NSW, was for the sole purpose of joining him to a select band of mares with heritage Australian Stock Horse bloodlines that are bred to work all day out in the paddock with the potential to perform at a top level in a variety of disciplines.

Sired by Australia's No.1 Challenge & Campdraft sire, ACRES DESTINY IMP and out of SWEET SUSIE OAK, a very own daughter of DOCS FRECKLE OAK IMP (NCHA Hall of Fame inductee) DESTINYS OAK is an exciting prospect in waiting.

ACRES DESTINY IMP has American NCHA LTE $28,000 in only 6 months and performances including 1996 NCHA Futurity Open Semi-finalist, 1997 Chisholm Trail Open finalist, 1997 Augusta Open Semi-finalist, 1997 Super Stakes Open finalist & 1997 Derby Open Finalist.

By the American sire, BOB ACRE DOC, a NCHA Open and Non Pro World Champion. He is #11 Leading Sire with progeny earnings in excess of $8.4M .

His dam is the well performed SAN JOSE HICKORY, one of the greatest performers of her time she was shown to final 18 out of 21 major events & has winnings approaching $245,000.00.

SAN JOSE HICKORY wins include:

1984 NCHA Futurity semi-finalist

1984 Sunbelt Spectacular finalist

1985 Tropicana finalist

1985 ACCHA Futurity finalist

1985 Gold & Silver Champion, Bonanza finalist

Super Stakes finalist

Redbud Classic finalist

Big Country Maturity Reserve Champion

Plains Maturity Reserve Champion

1986 Tropicana Classic finalist

1986 ACCHA Classic finalist

1986 Bonanza Classic finalist

SAN JOSE HICKORY is a full sister to JOSE HICKORY, a 1985 gelding shown mostly in week end competition amassing over $100,000.00 through the early 1990’s.

Heritage Australian Stock Horse Bloodlines 

A new type of Australian performance horse is emerging from the popular practise of placing select Quarter Horse sires over Australian Stock Horse mares with heritage bloodlines. This combination is proving to be successful across a wide variety of equestrian disciplines. Mares selected for breeding carry some of the most sought after bloodlines in the country. They have been selected for type, temperament and ability.

This select group of mares carry female lines that are in a class of their own which is a reflection of many years of thoughtful breeding by Ventry McLennan, his son Stuart and wife Nita and daughter Maxine Brook. Ventry McLennan was a highly respected horseman and is one that has made a mark on the Australian Stock Horse breed as an individual. He sought and bred a type of horse, generation after generation, to develop a line of horses, particularly females, that are in great demand as broodmares here and abroad. Under the ‘STAR’ prefix, Stuart and Nita further developed the bloodlines producing top class performance horses at Fairview in QLD.

Today, Nita McLennan has continued to breed on this magnificent line of horses. With a focus on retaining independence for future breeding generations and in close consultation with Mrs McLennan we are fortunate to secure several young mares for our breeding programme. Mares travelling to South Australia are from an outstanding female line:

STAR MISS VALAIS

(Star Travelling Man * Waringa Val)

Breeding Table

GRADYS MISS MASTERLUKE

 (Valentine Stud Masterluke - FS x merraid 02)

Breeding Table

MY STYLISH AIR

(Star Black Minstril - FS x Welsh Air)

Breeding Table

Breeding Table

WILJOHN QUILL

(Earl Radium x Berrico Feather)

Breeding Table

Daughters out of these mares are sired by:

STAR PAVAROTTI

(Star Black Minstril -FS x Star Glenna's Daughter - IM)

Breeding Table

BOOERIE CREEK TAIPAN

(Better View Gunfire x Yarrannoo Bethena)

Breeding Table

BOOERIE CREEK WINCHESTER

(Jaipur ASB x Nabinabah Zephyr)

Breeding Table

  VALENTINE STUD MASTER CAST

(Valentine Stud Masterluke - FS x Valentine Stud Forecast)

Breeding Table

All of our mares carry a large degree of ASB bloodlines which have been proven throughout the years in a wide variety of equestrian disciplines. 

These female bloodlines are impressive and if you look through the bloodlines you will find - Warwick Gold Cup winners, World Cup Campdrafting Champions, Cloncurry Stockman Challenge winners, an ASH Maiden Campdraft Series winner & the 2006 Warwick Stallion Draft winner.  

Foals by  DESTINYS OAK  and  OAKS ROMEO  out of these beautifully bred mares will be exciting prospects whether it be - campdrafting, challenges, cutting, pony club, polocrosse or the show ring.

For further information on any of the broodmares or their foals please Contact Us Broodmares and youngstock are available for sale, our Sale Catalogue lists a small selection of youngstock on offer at this time.

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