Foundation Mare Article by Lindsay Ferguson RUMBELS ALMA - FM HSH ASH Reg: 15389

Born on the steep hills of the Upper Hunter Valley in , the Rumbel had a job to do. They had their character developed by their job and their geographical surroundings. Ken Rumbel, a cattleman from the Dungog/ Gloucester district, is now 82 years old and still breeding horses and cattle.

en recalls the details of this Foundation As the Australian Stock Society like her much as she got too excited for Mare’s background and also tells was not so prominent in its early days, half them to be comfortable riding her.’ K a little about his Wiljohn ASH stud. of the mares they got were not registered, so ‘I thought she was a kind mare – a Named after his two sons, William and the Australian Stud Book only bit uptight, but at least she didn’t want John, it currently has 266 horses registered records part of their list of descendants. to buck, I found her good to ride; not with the Society. RUMBELS ALMA - FM HSH was a good walker, but you could trot her The Rumbels speak proudly of the bred by Vic Middlebrook, a dairy farmer safely in really steep country.’ horses they have bred. Their objective in who lived just 12 miles down the road breeding is to produce horses that are from Ken Rumbel. Her registered name good to ride, have natural cattle sense and comes from that of Vic’s wife, Alma. good conformation, and the sure-footed Ken said, ‘I was keen to borrow the ability to negotiate extremely steep terrain. mare and breed from her as she had a Breeding this type of horse has allowed good pedigree and good conformation. many to excel at campdrafting, , When I was given permission to led and hacking classes, jumping, pony use the mare for breeding, it didn’t club, futurities and maturities, and taking take me long to pick her up.’ their riders—including the Rumbel ‘She was one of the good old types, family—to the top. That aim has paid off, about 15.1hh and a brown/yellow bay as the Rumbels sold many of their horses in appearance. She had been ridden by and attracted a lot of outside mares. someone doing stockwork and they didn’t

RUMBELS ALMA - FM HSH

Colour: Brown Height: 15.1hh Bignells Radiant, sire of RUMBELS ALMA - FM HSH Lifespan:PROFILE: 24yrs (1951-1975JOHNSTONS approx) DARK SECRET - FS HSH Breeder:Colour Vic Middlebrook, BrownNundle NSW Dungog, NSW Performance:Height Stockhorse and15.1 broodmarehh ‘They were good horses— Progeny:Lifespan Two registered progeny,20 years the(1955 most – 1975) notable they didn’t want to being the stallion WILJOHN RAYMUS - HSH. Breeder Unknown buck—they just wanted Performance Lightly campdrafted 38 registered progeny, the most notable beingcecil the 02 mares - WH to work cattle.’ radium 02 - WH CHEX, VICKIS FLIGHT and the stallion STARLIGHTblack STUD bessANCHOR 03 Progenybignells radiant 02- HSH. - WH Sire taylors saladin sire 02 The pedigree of RUMBELS ALMA - FM mac whites dawn 02 HSH shows a well-known sire on the top + plus 3 generation pedigree to be included. silver girl 02 side and a local dam on the bottom side. unknown sire Ken continued, ‘Vic had bred her out of + MAP OF with dot onv rumbelsCasino. spot 001 a good mare of his, that I named Bonnot unknown dam END.bonnot 02 when I had RUMBELS ALMA - FM HSH Dam ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ unknown sire classified. Bonnot was a strong mare that I ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++unknown dam unknown dam rode a number of times and was very good in slippery conditions. She was about the same size as her daughter and by a good stallion of

16 AUSTRALIAN STOCK HORSE JOURNAL WILJOHN RAYMUS - HSH (WILLUNGA CONRAY - HSH/ RUMBELS ALMA - FM HSH) with Ken Rumbel

Ken McKay’s that I called Spot. He was a big strong stock horse type.’ The second on the other hand was an athletic, campdrafting type.’ Bignells Radiant was the sire of RUMBELS ALMA - FM Both of these colts became sires who had the ability and HSH. He was the winner of 45 campdrafts, including two toughness needed for working horses of the day. They both World Championships at the Sydney Royal Easter Show. This stood at the Rumbel’s place at Chichester, on the southern side grey stallion needs little introduction to those familiar with the of the Barrington Tops near Dungog, New South Wales. Australian Stock Horse breed, as he is a key Taproot Sire. The first foal of RUMBELS ALMA - FM HSH was a bay colt His legacy has been passed on through a number of top quality born in 1971 and registered as WILJOHN RABONE - HSH. Ken progeny such as his sons, RADUX - FS HSH and QUICKSILVER - used the stock horse colt Dandy, to see if the mare would breed. HSH, who was the dam-sire of KIRKBYS STUD WALLAROO - HSH Dandy was a colt that Ken had broken-in for Mr Young. He was and KIRKBYS STUD WARRIGAL - HSH. Bignells Radiant is also sire by a Haydon’s Starlight colt, and out of Amber, a granddaughter of the Foundation Mares, LADY RADIANT - FM HSH and RADIETTE of Radium through her sire Metal. WILJOHN RABONE - HSH is - FM HSH, and also of Glamor, the dam of REALITY - FS HSH. Dandy’s only offspring in the Australian Stock Horse Stud Book. By Radium and out of Mac Whites Dawn (a grand-daughter As a maiden mare, the foaling went well but she had no milk. of Saladin), Bignells Radiant only sired 18 horses that are listed Ken’s vet, Bob Gilchrist directed that some tough love be given, ‘he’s a in the Australian Stock Horse Stud Book, and only seven of those big-boned, hairy b**. Make him suck!’, Ken recalls him saying. And so are registered. There would have been many more not listed, the colt grew to be a healthy, strong, 15.1hh horse with a good nature. so this low number of progeny is not indicative of his quality. ‘I took him to a draft for the first time and was a bit fearful of Ken explained, ‘Bignells Radiant was about this district for leaving him on his own as he could get upset. I kept going back some years. The stallion was good but there were not many to the truck to check on him but found him still tied to the truck horses about by him, as no one much knew about him and and half-asleep’, said Ken. John attests to his toughness as a how good he was. This was in the early days of campdrafting stockhorse. ‘We could ride him from Chichester, 18 miles over the when there were only about 40 competitors for a draft.’ Barrington Tops to Kerriput, Ken’s Gloucester property, have him The breeding record of RUMBELS ALMA - FM HSH serve a mare, move stock and he would still have enough energy is one of mixed success, with only two colt foals the result to ride back to Chichester that night if we wished too’, said John. - but they have had quite an impact. After her second WILJOHN RABONE - HSH stood at the Rumbels and produced foal was born she developed a serious uterine infection 49 registered horses, mostly with the Wiljohn prefix. ‘All of his and although she survived, it made her sterile. progeny were terrific. They had brains and cattle sense,’ said ‘Her two foals were by different sires and entirely different horses,’ John. ‘My best mare by him, WILJOHN BO PEEP - HSH, won a said Ken. His son John explained the difference in type, ‘The first Maiden, three Novices and an Open campdraft in her first season. foal was a big, strong-boned horse who was a ripper in the bush. Right now I am breaking in one of her granddaughters’, he said.

MARCH/APRIL 2013 17 WILJOHN BO PEEP - HSH produced four colts. WILJOHN PEEPING TOM - HSH, by WILJOHN ROMAN - HSH, is producing top polocrosse and stock horses. The other two colts bear John’s stud prefix, “Belmur”. BELMUR JACKAROO - HSH, also by WILJOHN ROMAN - HSH, was sold to Western Australia, competed very successfully at their State ASH Championships and produced some good horses. BELMUR IMPACT was sold to Queensland, where he is an Open campdrafter known as Maclaren. The second colt out of our Foundation Mare was born the following year in 1972 and named WILJOHN RAYMUS - HSH. He was by WILLUNGA CONRAY - HSH (Smokey/Dolly), a stallion who looked good on paper as he was a grandson of the great stallion Dimray. Locally the progeny of WILLUNGA CONRAY - HSH had a bit of a reputation as not being the easiest horses to handle, but he was made quite popular after people saw the wonderful nature of WILJOHN RAYMUS - HSH. At 15hh, this brown colt was slightly smaller than his half brother but he too had a good nature. ‘He would come to me when I called, and whinny when he heard my voice’, said Ken. WILJOHN RAYMUS - HSH won a campdraft at his first start as a three year old. Kenny Oakley (Junior) rode him to most of his wins, and John Rumbel rode him in a couple of Junior events. John recalls that he had a natural ability for the sport and needed no training other than stockwork. He won about ten Open campdrafts, before passing away at 12 years of age. As a sire, WILJOHN RAYMUS - HSH

Above: Bernadette Holz riding the mare WILJOHN JEAN (MYRA TEMPLE - HSH/ WILJOHN GEORGEENA) Photo Credit: unknown Left: Winner of the 1998 National Futurity at Condobolin, New South Wales, WILJOHN JEAN held by rider, Brett Holz, with owner, Ken Rumbel. Photo: Warwick Merton

was the more prolific of the two stallions, with 103 registered progeny. This is impressive given his relatively short life. By contrast with his brother, most of his progeny were from outside mares. Of the Wiljohn horses bred, WILJOHN JENNIFER (WILJOHN RAYMUS - HSH/ WILJOHN JENNIFERS JOY) won the Champion Yearling class (Buckley Trophy) at the Eastern Branch Show, then went on to become an Open campdrafting mare – a top campdrafter who has now produced nine foals. John continued, ‘WILJOHN RAYMEE was our best gelding who won a dozen Opens. My wife Ann won

18 AUSTRALIAN STOCK HORSE JOURNAL Top left: Blue, Open campdraft horse by WILJOHN RAYMUS - HSH. Photo: Sue Jones Bottom left: Mare WILJOHN BO PEEP - HSH (WILJOHN RABONE - HSH/WIRRAGULLA TELL TAIL - HSH), with foal WILJOHN PEEPING TOM - HSH (by WILJOHN ROMAN - HSH). Above: Mare WILJOHN JENNIFER (WILJOHN RAYMUS - HSH/WILJOHN JENNIFERS JOY)

Ladies drafts on him and took him to two second places in with Brett’s wife Bernadette, bringing home prizes from the 2010 Open drafts, with my son winning Junior Cut Outs on him.’ National Polocrosse Championships held in Ballarat, Victoria. WILJOHN COMMET (WILJOHN RAYMUS - HSH/ LISTERS GEM) Last year WILJOHN JEAN produced a filly by EDENHOPE was a good colt who got injured before he could be campdrafted. He HENRY, and now is back in work being ridden at campdrafting and produced 27 foals. His full sister, WILJOHN MELODY was a brilliant polocrosse by their eleven year old daughter, Nikola. WILJOHN campdrafter, a beautiful horse that unfortunately died in an accident. JEAN has proven to be a very versatile horse for the whole Descendants of WILJOHN RAYMUS - HSH have also had family. With an objective of producing all-round horses, Brett has success. One example is his granddaughter WILJOHN JEAN, chosen a mare with great depth of breeding in this regard. ridden by Brett Holz to win the 1998 National Futurity held in With two promising colts it is no wonder that in 1973 Ken tried Condoblin, New South Wales. She was out of the WILJOHN to get RUMBELS ALMA - FM HSH in foal again. He had no luck, RAYMUS - HSH mare WILJOHN GEORGEENA, who has produced but reckons that with the improved veterinary procedures of today a creditable 13 foals for the stud. She was by the stallion MYRA things may have been different. Ken got to keep this Foundation TEMPLE - HSH (MYRA BRONZE - FS HSH/MYRA JANE - FM Mare, but she died in the mid 1970s without producing any more HSH), a horse given to Ken and used over a number of their mares foals. From only these two colts, she now has over 591 descendants. that were by the RUMBELS ALMA - FM HSH stallions. Brett took That number alone says that the mare was ‘fit for the purpose’. her on as a two year old and trained her up for the Futurity. RUMBELS ALMA - FM HSH was a good type, tough and capable He bought WILJOHN JEAN from Ken about six years ago of handling the demands of cattle work in rough country. Such are when Ken was back on horse numbers. She has won the Foundation Horses of the breed that are the building blocks one campdraft from limited starts and has played polocrosse of the versatile Australian Stock Horses that we ride today.

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