Keeping the Utility Horse to the Fore
Featured Image: B Haydon’s Champion Blood Stallion ‘Tester Bay’ by Haydon’s Tester from Somnus Mare, ’Bloomfield’, Blandford winning a sash at a local race meeting; or possibly a Blue Ribbon at the RAS of NSW Royal Easter Show?
Excerpt, Letter to the Editor, Scone Advocate, Tuesday 29th May 1962; Reprinted in ‘Mac Bridge; The Man and his Recollections’ by Heather Ashford and Margaret Ashford-Macdougall 1983, Scone and Upper Hunter Historical Society, 1983 Bi-Centennial Publication No. 2
Keeping the Utility Horse to the Fore
It was a pleasure to read in the columns of the Advocate on 8th May 1962, of the success achieved at the Sydney Royal Show by Jill and H B Haydon of Blandford, in the Saddle Horse Section.
The success calls to mind having on numerous occasions heard my father, William Bridge, express toe opinion that best saddle horses in the Upper Hunter were bred by the McDonald brothers, Alan and Donald, whilst in occupation at Segenhoe, in 1850’s and 1860’s, and the Haydons of Bloomfield, Blandford.
My father was employed as a stockman in 1863 – 4, and had thirty horses allotted to him, and therefore had ample opportunity to try them out.
It was whilst at Segenhoe that he met Bob Haydon and had many a stirring gallop through the bush alongside that great horseman. I believe the gallops took place on Glengarry, a property on the Pages River, at present owned by members of the Croaker family. This would be when horses and cattle strayed from Segenhoe. Of course fences were few and far between a hundred years ago.
It is nice to find that the Haydon family are carrying on with the good work, and keeping the utility horse to the fore.
Excerpt, Letter to the Editor, Scone Advocate, Tuesday 29th May 1962; Reprinted in ‘Mac Bridge; The Man and his Recollections’ by Heather Ashford and Margaret Ashford-Macdougall 1983, Scone and Upper Hunter Historical Society, 1983 Bi-Centennial Publication No. 2