The Darling Downs is arguably the centre of the Queensland thoroughbred breeding industry with numerous large and small horse studs scattered around the region from Cambooya to Gladfield and from Warwick to Greenmount where rich soil is ideal for growing good horse pasture.

The breeding season starts in August and continues through till December with the first foals born in August and mares begin to be served by stallions in September.

Unlike other horse breeds, where artificial insemination of mares is common practice, thoroughbred mares must be physically served by a stallion if the foal is to be prepared for a racing career.

This requirement means that many of the thoroughbred horse studs on the Downs stand stallions who will serve dozens of Queensland mares and mares from interstate.

The Darling Downs boasts many of the best stallions not just in Queensland, but Australia, with Cambooya’s Eureka Stud standing one of Australia’s premier stallions in Spirit of Boom.

The breeding of thoroughbred horses on the Darling Downs goes back over a hundred years with several of today’s major studs being family owned businesses going back four generations.

Raheen Stud at Gladfield is a four generation family business which transitioned from dairy production to horses well over fifty years ago.

The Nolan family is well known and much respected across the thoroughbred industry with Basil Nolan Senior holding the position of President of the Queensland Owners and Breeders Association for twelve years.

Basil said the thoroughbred industry on the Downs employs over 2000 people directly on horse studs with possibly another 2000 people, such as farriers, veterinarians, hay producers, and equine food and equipment suppliers being indirectly employed.

The Nolan’s Raheen Stud had a busy breeding season with close to one hundred foals born during the six month season and their stallion Heroic Valour serving over eighty mares.

Basil felt the current breeding season was a difficult one, as prolonged rainfall made it difficult to get mares into foal.

This belief was echoed by Scott McAlpine of Eureka Stud who also believed environmental factors had affected many mare’s ability to get into foal or late foaling down.

As the breeding season finishes studs begin preparing their yearlings for sales such as the Magic Millions auction on the Gold Coast.

Scott McAlpine said top trainers from down south such as Gai Waterhouse had already visited his stud to inspect the new crop of yearlings bound for the auctions.

Naturally it is the hope of all breeders that their yearlings will attract plenty of attention that translates into top prices.

Greenmount’s Clear Mountain Fairview Stud is another of the top Queensland Studs where the Frappell family has just completed one of its busiest breeding seasons.

Bob Frappell and son Mick stand three of Queensland’s top stallions and are especially excited by the success of their stallion, Worthy Cause, who has already sired a Group One winner despite being only a young stallion.

Wives Maree and Lisa Frappell are also heavily involved in the stud’s operation as are the young Frappell children making the stud another three generation family business.

There are numerous small studs scattered across the Downs such as Ashmore Downs at East Greenmount where cattle grazier Spencer Morgan of Condamine has purchased exciting young stallion, Sensei. Stud master Ashley Milne has been busy with Sensei serving 60 mares this season.

There is no such thing as a quiet time on a horse stud but with the end of the breeding season there at least comes an end to mares foaling at 2am, and those on foal watch can return to normal sleep patterns, at least until next breeding season.

This article appeared in On Our Selection News, 15 December 2022.