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THIS PUBLICATION PROUDLY SPONSORED BY THE SHIRES OF LUSCOMBE SHIRE HORSES AND THE PEOPLE INTERESTED IN THEM JANUARY 2004 GRONANT BEACHGIRL GRONANT BEACHGIRL Both Marylou and myself are dedicated to the Shire Breed and have made several trips to the UK to meet with Shire Breeders and look at their horses. This convinced us that Australian Shires needed new genetics to underpin the quality that we were seeking from Shires. Philip Moss, a Shire Breeder that we had visited on a number of occasions was the catalyst for our decision to import a quality mare. Philip, who judged at the 2003 Royal Sydney Show expressed his view at a seminar that some Australian Shire Breeders had addressed the question of breeding quality Shires by using semen from premium quality UK based Shire Stallions eg Trelow Father Abraham, Walton Supreme and Nottage Trump Card. He now felt it was necessary to address the question of the quality of females in Australia. Mr Moss’ thoughts and comments after seeing Shires in Australia were similar views to ours. It was apparent to both Marylou and myself that since the original importation of 13 mares to Australia from the UK in the mid 80’s and a single mare (in foal) from New Zealand in the mid 90’s that there had been no fresh female genetics available to us. Hence, our decision to import a high quality mare that will set us on the path of quality breeding. The main qualities that we are looking for are feet, legs and feather which are the critical points of Shire horses. Gronant Beachgirl is very strong in these areas and when she is joined to the frozen semen that we have been using here in Australia should produce better quality Shires for us to use in breeding and for harness. Beachgirl’s extended pedigree is exceptionally strong on both Sire and Dam sides. There are many Peterborough champions scattered in her forbears. Beachgirl, a beautiful bay, has settled into her new home at Warragul in Victoria and greatly impresses all that have seen her including our farrier who commented that she had the perfect feet for a heavy horse. Article by Peter and Mayrlou McKeon owners of Gronant Beachgirl. Photo’s of Beachgirl were taken while she was in England. SHIRE HORSES IN VICTORIA After having no registered Shires in Victoria since the early 1900’s the number of Shires there is steadily growing. Firstly Lisa Beechy took the breed to that state by purchasing a couple of Shires, most recently Trelow Father Abraham, the imported English Stallion. Photographed below shortly after arriving in Australia. Then followed Jane Greenman with the purchase of Luscombe Nodram in 2003, shown here on his first birthday. The most recent arrivals to Victoria are Gronant Beachgirl and her soon to be born foal, along with the shire stallion Cedars Charlie. They have made Southern Cross Shires their new home and will join the Shires already owned by Peter and Marylou McKeon. Beachgirl photographed below in England. As the numbers of Shire horses in Victoria is increasing I thought this might be the opportune time to investigate how great the Shire was in times gone by in that state. After an extensive search of the old Draught Horse Stud Books it rapidly became obvious there were some fantastic bloodlines imported into Australia. There are too many to mention here so the easiest way was to list the names of some of the imported horses along with their sire who appears in brackets. Some of them were purchased to use to cover Clydesdales or by people who wanted the Shire to improve their draught horses. The number and name of those with a purebred Shire sire or dam is to numerous to even mention here. Though looking at their pedigree it is no doubt some would be sought after today. The Draught Horse Stud Book of Australia represented the Shire, Clydesdale, Percheron, Suffolk Punch and Australian Draught horses until the individual breeds decided to commence their own stud books. This occurred from about 1920. There was an Australian Shire Horse Society in the early 1980’s though this proved never to go anywhere. Horses listed in it were descendants from mixed breeding and virtually unproven, or reputed to be of purebred shire descent. Still there are many interesting tales to tell and I am sure we could fill pages of this newsletter with them. So take some time to read the following as a factual account kept by the RAS of Victoria in the early part of the 1900’s. The Draught Horse Stud Book of Australia – volume 1, lists the number of shires on its books as 9 horses. It is very sad to think that the horse which represented the first heavy horse to be introduced into Australia went from being the most numerously imported horses to virtual extinction in Australia, to now slowly regaining its numbers and totaling about 80 registered horses. What is sadder still is the number of Shires imported into Australia in the last Centaury was almost as many as we have here today – 1911 – 63 horses imported, 1912, 60 horses imported, 1913 to 1924 – 68 horses were imported. Two of the horses listed in this volume include: Young Thumper (sire Thumper 2117), Titch (sire Tatton Friar 21953). The Draught Horse Stud Book of Australia – volumes 1 to V lists a large number of mares and stallions showing both Shire and Clydesdale bloodlines. These horses went on to become Australian Draught Horses, but in the majority of cases went on to be foundation stock for the Clydesdales of Australia. In the early days the Clydesdale Stud Book was ‘open”. Today it is closed in Australia, accepting only purebred stock. The Draught Horse Stud Book of Australia – volumes 1 to VI This volume also lists a very large number of Shire Clydesdale cross horses. Though there were some Purebred Shires imported such as: Big Gun (sire Waggoner), Boro’ Sportsman (sire Dunsmore Royal Grey), Pride of the Shires (sire Noble ), Young Oxford (sire Samson 1922) The Draught Horse Stud Book of Australia – volumes 1 to IX Revised, lists horses born from 1857 to 1912, of these there was 35 imported Shires listed here. Some of them were: Disraeli (sire Farmers Glory), Dumbleton Squire (sire Champion of England), Emperor (sire Young Thumper), Dewstow Forest King (sire Lockinge Forest King), Kyme Tom (sire Honest Tom), Landmarker (sire Childwick Champion), Mount Wellington (sire Waxworks), Powisland Blue Blood (sire Buscot Harold), Pride of the Shires (sire Noble), Prince of the Isles (sire Honest Tom),.Not only were there some great sires there were also some great grandsires, to name a few: Brown Stout, Englands Glory, Bar None, Drayman, Markeaton Royal Harold, Lincolnshire Lad, Lincolnshire Lad II, British Oak. The Draught Horse Stud Book of Australia – volumes 1 to VII The Melbourne Royal Show 1912: Shire Stallion 4 years old and over – 21 entries: 1st Solomon IV, 2nd Rocklands Romsey, 3rd Contraband Shire Brood mare 4 years old and over – 2 entries: 1st Blosson, 2nd Ware Modesty, Shire Dry Mare 4 years old and over – 2 entries: 1st Bardon Forest Belle Gold Medal presented by SHS England for the best shire stallion or entire colt: winner Solomon IV Gold Medal presented by SHS England for the best shire mare or filly: winner Bardon Forest Belle By now the number of purebred Shire listed in the book was declining, it seems people either did not register their shires or registered them with the Shire Horse Society in England. In this edition there is a very large number of Shire/Clydesdale cross breds registered. The Draught Horse Stud Book of Australia – volumes 1 to VIII Imports were still common and here are some of those registered with this association after being imported from England: Boro’ Forest Belle (sire Lockinge Forest King), Tarra Blue Bell (sire Bowden Royal Duke), Dumbleton Squire (sire Champion of England), Boro’ Ranger 29133 Buscot Victor), Landmarker 30605(Childwick Champion) Melbourne Royal show results 1913 Shire Stallion 4 years old and over – 13 entries: 1st Solomon IV, 2nd Boro Ranger, 3rd Cast Iron II Shire Brood mare 4 years old and over – 6 entries: 1st Boro’ Forest Belle, 2nd Severn Iris, 3rd Sulby Emerald Shire Dry mare 4 years old and over – 1 entry: 1st Bardon Forest Belle Gold Cup presented by SHS England for the best Shire Stallion or Entire Colt: Solomon IV Gold Cup presented by Shire Horse Society England for the best Shire Mare: Boro’ Forest Belle I wonder if we will see the day when Shires are once again shown at the Melbourne Royal in Shire classes, as well as the turnout classes. NEW STALLION BLOODLINES FOR AUSTRALIA Maurice Irvine has imported a Shire stallion from England. His name is Arclid Adonis: Sire - Blackden Charlie By Cubley Charlie, Dam - Acle Belladonna (Sire Bodernog Master By Dothan Mastermind). He was 27 months old when I bought him in August and he arrived in Australia on 2 11 2003. He has settled well to the Hunter Valley and a number of mares are already in foal to him. His breeder is Tony Bull of Arclid Shires in Cheshire. Adonis is bay in colour, with three white legs and one dark leg. With the blood lines that this horse is carrying, we are expecting some interesting additions to the Australian Shire Horse population It has been a while since information regarding the registration and description of the Shire was in the newsletter, so I thought this would be a good time to revisit it.