History of the Stud

Introduction

The Haydon horses at Bloomfield have the unique claim of being bred by the same family on the same property since the early 1830`s. The horses in the stud today are grouped into female families which trace, mother to daughter, to the original foundation mares. Over the generations these families have been recorded and graded for ability, temperament, action, mouths and conformation. The success of the stud today can be mostly attributed to the strength of these strong female lines. The stud’s policy has been to breed a quality, versatile riding horse with about three-quarter thoroughbred blood. The aim is to breed ability and trainable horses that will perform at the elite level.

The Stud’s sort after proven bloodlines continue to have a strong influence, with their home bred horses performing so well here and overseas, as well as in numerous other studs using the bloodlines through Romance/Conman, Star Black Minstril, the sires Haydon Satellite in the USA and Haydon Oracle in the UK.

The Haydon Family

The Pioneering days

Peter Haydon arrived in the colony in 1830. He established Bloomfield being one of the original landholders and pioneers in the district. He was joined by his brother Thomas in 1836 who then built the sandstone homestead and took up more country. Thomas spent most of his time in the saddle, frequently using Aboriginal guides and realized the importance of breeding good riding horses. With his prized stallion Young Dover he started breeding top quality horses and started exporting horses as Army remounts known as the renowned “Walers”.

His son’s Stuart and Bernard’s journeys took them as far as the Gulf where they established various properties including Haydon, Vena Park, Claraville, Maggieville, Wondoola, Glenore, Timora, Waverley and Lily Lake. All stock were taken with them involving long Droving trips, with hundreds of horses from Bloomfield, starting them as they went. Read more about Droving horses from the Hunter to the Gulf and Droving to the Gulf .

The Waler’s

Thomas’s sons Peter, Stuart, Bernard and Thomas continued on with horses as their rural interests spread. Horse breeding became a bigger enterprise and “Walers” were shipped out in the hundreds as remounts. In 1888 Bernard stood Haydon Tester who was undefeated and whose stock were rarely beaten in the then popular Bridle Spurts over a quarter of a mile, where the winner received a bridle. Haydon Tester continued on a legacy to this day as most of the horses in the stud today trace back to Tester mares. Three horses by Haydon Tester where in the famous Charge of Beersheba, galloping their way into history. Benard Haydon was a keen racing man, winning many races with the horses he bred like Harvest Home by Tester who won 20 races at Randwick, Newcastle and other meetings.

The Light Horse days

This famous charge has now been recognized as a National official day of Remembrance, and has gone down in history as “the last successful mounted cavalry charge”. The feat of these Australian horses under the harsh desert conditions was truly remarkable and well documented. His brother B.B. (Barney) Haydon riding his Bloomfield mount Polo (by Tester) survived the entire Middle East campaign, a remarkable feat. This feat was also accomplished by Fred (by Tester) ridden by their neighbour Max Wright from Bickham. Both were taken for their “last ride” as they could not be returned home.

Barney Haydon was also one of the leading horsemen in the early days of Campdrafting and established an enviable record on the Bloomfield mare Haydon Thora. He later became a well known judge, officiating at the RAS and major shows all around Australia.

The fourth generation

The Bloomfield Homestead block was then taken over by Fred’s son F.B. (Jim) Haydon. Through his life he reached the top in campdrafting, cutting, training, instructing, judging, breeding, playing and producing polo ponies. He drafted in the N.S.W team at the Sydney RAS in the 1930’s and years later played polo on the same ground winning Champion Polo Pony with Haydon Gem in 1967. He took on the challenge of the quarter horses and won the Australian Cutting Horse Championships on the Bloomfield mare Haydon Gypsey II in 1969.

 

His brother H.B. (Hilton) Haydon also established a similar reputation as a horseman, winning many champions on Haydon Snip as did his daughter Jill who won champion Galloway hack in Sydney four times on Bambalina. Guy’s son J.B. (John) Haydon also played polo like his father playing on home bred horses. His champion mare Haydon Eulalie continued on the Thora Family for the stud.

Australian Stock Horse Society formation

With the formation of the ASH Society in 1971 the Bloomfield horses were all entered into the stud book being foundation members. Peter become one of the early classifiers.The stud in 1982 was then divided between Jim’s sons Peter and James. Peter retained the Haydon Horse Stud prefix, continuing to register all the horses and James adopted the Scotts Creek Horse Stud prefix.

2021 represented the 50 Year Anniversary of the  formation of the ASHS. the stud has always been a strong supporter and stalwart of the Society from day one, being original members. Peter was an early classifier. This has been recognised going from a Gold Member to becoming a Platinum Member and receiving a 50 Years Medallion. Jim Haydon was at the first meeting which is acknowledged on the back of the Medallion.

Expansion of the Stud

The stud is currently run by Peter and his wife Alison, with their three sons Henry, Nick and David. The breeding numbers have been increased and on-property sales were held during the 1990’s. In 1991 34 horses were sold at the on property sale, in 1994 32 were sold and in 1997 46 were sold. A colt sale was held in 2011. Horses are sold continually privately and weanlings are sold on farm each year.

The horses have performed successfully across a broad spectrum of activities. Peter has competed successfully and pursued most horse avenues through pony club, jumping, eventing, campdrafting, polo, cutting, roping, showing, judging, instruction and training.

Appointment to the Royal Stables, Windsor Castle, England

Haydon Polo Team

In 1994 the three boys played at Ellerston in the junior polo league, all on Bloomfield bred horses. Henry (Haydon Beranghi Lass), Nick (Haydon Emerald) and David (Haydon Dark Jewel) at eight years old, hit the winning goal in the extra time to win the final and Nick took out the MVP award. They continued on through the Scone Junior Polo School, run by Peter and Alison. They helped with foal handling, played at young horse chukkas and with the general handling and riding of the young horses.

In 1996 Peter played with his three sons in Scone Polo Club’s Wootton Cup. It was quite a feat coordinating horses, saddles, bridles, sticks and strategies but made possible behind the scenes by wife and mother Alison. They reached the final but lost by one goal to a team rated six goals higher.

In 1997 they re-grouped and again made the final. After an exciting game they won beating Anto White’s team with the boys holding their own well in adult company. Nick at fourteen years of age was also awarded the club’s MacCleod Cup for the most improved player.

The Recent Years

In 2005 Nick won the J D MacLeod High Goal Trophy playing in Kerry Packer’s Ellerston White team alongside the renowned 10 goaler Gonzalo Pieres and 10 goaler goaler David ‘Perlon’ Stirling.

 

David started playing more in 2010 winning the Scone League. His horse Haydon Madonna (by Drawn) was award BPP and he also played the runner up Haydon Luna. During this time he combined working in Sydney with playing at both Scone and Windsor Polo Clubs as well as at Ellerston. In 2011 he won two finals at Windsor on their last weekend of the autumn season.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Haydon’s took on a ten year fight to stop the Bickham Coalmine and history was made when the NSW Premier came to Scone to announced it would not proceed. The Upper Hunter’s position as a leading horse breeding centre had been preserved. After Kentucky it is the second largest horse breeding area in the world.

the Haydon horses go from strength to strength, performing at the highest level in many pursuits with continued International success. Haydon Satellite was exported as a sire in 2008 to the USA. Haydon Angel Jewel was recognised as the “world’s number one player Adolfo Cambiaso’s best mare to play outside Argentina”. She won BPP at the Cartier International Day, when Argentina defeated England in the Test Match in 2009 to win the Coronation Cup. She was in the winning Queen’s Cup and Gold Cup teams in 2010. She won BPP prizes in the US including being in the Best String at the US Open, she won the Argentine Triple Crown with the maximum La Dolfina 40 goal team, then back to win again in the UK high goal plus winning the Spanish Silver and Gold Cups in 2014 and 2015. She won every major tournament in the world and in 2017 was inducted into the Hall of Fame.

In a memorable game for the stud, Haydon Scud by Haydon Drawn, also played in the final of the 2010 UK Gold Cup on the opposing team, played by 10 goaler Sapo Caset. He and Angel Jewel often clashed in fierce competition against each other both playing in three of the six chukkas, as they were their main horses.

In 2010 Haydon Victoriana was exported to Argentina where she played the Argentine Open. After playing Haydon Olivia 11 at Ellerston, Alejandro Mussio took her to England for the high goal in 2011 and often played against Haydon Angel Jewel. Australia’s top player Ruki Baillieu won BPP at Ellerston on Flirt in 2011. Haydon Spanish Jet won the US Gold Cup in 2016 after a career playing around the world.

2017 was the 100 Years Commemoration of the Charge of Beersheba and a special Landline Documentary was produced filmed at the stud. Haydon Midnight’s legacy has lived on in a children’s book, documentaries, Peter FitzSimons book The Last Charge, the Midnight race, paintings and she was even mentioned in the Prime Minister’s speech at Beersheba.

the influence of Champion Australian Three Old Drawn has been immense for the stud. His stock proved that the higher the level of competition the better they got, especially overseas. They showed exceptional ability and control at pace, a rare commodity. The stud used his sire son Haydon Nightwatch and retained many of his daughters.

In 2018 Haydon Oracle was exported to the UK as a foundation sire to start the ASHS in England, similarly as Haydon Satellite had done in America.

The stud has been fortunate to be able to tap into the world recognised bloodlines of Ellerston using the sires Solar, Churchill and Ruski, whose mother Cruiser proved one of the best international mares in 2018 in England before going on to play the Argentine Open.

The depth of the Stud’s bloodlines and with their trainability traits now means two olds in their first month of riding will just follow the ball around to hit using no reins, which is setting the benchmark worldwide.

                                                               Ellerston Ruski November 2020

Haydon Angel Jewel after winning the League at Scone, Australia went on to be played overseas by the worlds best player Adolfo Cambiaso. She was inducted into the Hall of Fame after being the only horse ever to win every major tournaments in the World…..winning the Coronation Cup Test Match, the Gold Cups in the UK, the US and Spainish Triple Crown and winning an Argentine Triple Crown. With her depth of pedigree being out of champion mare Haydon Emerald by Haydon Never Dopubt and being by Champion Three Old Drawn it is no wonder her progeny are excelling. Breeding in Argentina she has produced the likes of Dolfina Zorro, Dolfina Misky and Dolfina Dinamita who have been playing in the 2024 US Triple Crown series. Angel’s full sister’s sire son Haydon Oracle in 2024 won his first Test Match in Engalnd.