Widden Lass Family

This family has been very influential in the studbook but a shortage of filly foals in recent generations have reduced the numbers at Haydon Horse Stud but the family has thrived under the guidance of other breeders.

The original WIDDEN LASS came from the Wormwell Family from the Mooni River in Queensland. The Haydon’s were buying a mob of cattle from them in the 1920’s. To get the deal over the line they said they would take the whole mob if they included the yellow bay mare in the deal. The mare had impressed them and she returned to Bloomfield with the mob of cattle and she was called Widden Lass. In a letter to Ventry McLennan, FB (Fred) Haydon writes ” I have never seen a better drafter” which is a huge endorsement given he had seen plenty and won on many good ones. Later the Wormwell would have great success with a stallion they purchased from the Haydon’s called Sensation by Young Valais.

WIDDEN LASS came from a long line of proven cutting-out and bush horses. She was by Prodigal one of the best known sires of early stock horses in Queensland. She was a brilliant camp mare. Apparently….you could gallop her into buggy shafts and she would turn and gallop back out. This turning ability is still evident in the family today. Top horsewomen Maxine Brooks who had a lot of them found they “could turn within themselves”. Unfortunately Widden Lass broke her knee in 1927 while competing at Muswellbrook, falling on the cement cricket pitch and was then breed from.

WIDDEN LASS produced two good fillies –
TWINKLE by Starlight in 1930
WONGLE I by Dart in 1931

Both had started campdrafting well but had their performance careers interrupted by the war years.

TWINKLE produced ALICE by Bungunyah, and SUNSET by Bobbed Steel, both very good campdrafters sold to Glenalvon.

WONGLE produced;
RIPPLE by Blazier, an outstanding pony club mount and hack ridden by Jill Haydon at the Sydney Royal.
WONGLE II by Bobbed Steel, a lovely type and used as a broodmare due to an injury.
BAMBINO by Bobbed Steel, her full sister won many campdrafts and hacks in the North West performed by Judy Mackay.

The family continues on through WONGLE II, a remarkable broodmare evident by the extent her bloodlines have influenced stock horse breeding.

Her foals included the lovely types WONGLE III and SUSIE by Chan, the top sires YANDOOYA SOVEREIGN by Young Valais and his full brother REVEILLE.

Their full sister YARRANOO BANGLES by Young Valais went to Ventry McLennan where she proved an outstanding foundation mare for the renowned Yarranoo horses.She produced;  Radar in 1960 by Bald Hills Echo who won the Station Hack at Sydney Royal three times and twice at Brisbane Royal; then came Gem, Mexico, Kentucky and Sapphire.

Radar sired the top mares Yarranoo Belle and Yarranoo Star.

Yarranoo Star was dam of the outstanding stallion Star Black Minstril, sire of 204 progency, including  Bruce McNaughton’s champion campdraft mare Music; Krystle winner of the Best A.S.H at the National Polocrosse Championships in 1986; the National Champion Dark Glen, winner of everything from led, working, hack to campdrafting; the outstanding mare Star Carousal winner of the Cloncurry Stockmans Challenge and whose daughter by Native Son, Nonda Dottie Papunya produced the Golden Buckle winner Nonda Last Frontier;  Reggae, Rhumbi, Ragtime, Skye, Symphony, Star Caddie, the sires Silver Minstrel, Stroller, Flying Minstrel, Flying Star, Maestro, Mr Minstral, Minstril11, River Dance, Minstril, Star Brigadoon, Star Pavarotti, Star Caruso, Talisman Fiddler, etc

Star Black Minstril

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

YARRANOO BANGLES remarkable legacy continued by further producing;

*YARRANOO BRACELET in 1970 by Collum Simmer and she had six progency including; WOODBRIDGE TRINKET in 1988 by Silver Minstrel and she produced two progency including WOODBRIDGE LINKS  in 1998 by Battle Abbey having with four progency; YARRANOO BETHENA in 1982 by Star Black Minstril producing  nine progency; YARRANOO JASMINE in 1984 by Star Black Minstril producing seven progency.

  * YARRANOO CHARM in 1974 by Yarranoo Glencoe going onto have 12 progency including: YARRANOO GEM in 1978 by Voltsung producing three progency; YARRANOO KRYSTLE in 1979 by Star Black Minstril winner at the Polocrosse Nationals,  YARRANOO RAGTIME in 1980 by Star Black Minstril with seven progency including NONDA MIDNIGHT BOOGIE in 1992 by Docs Freckles Oak, having eight progency  including NONDA WALLFLOWER in 2013 by Hazelwood Conman who s the dam of NONDA NORTH STAR DREAMING in 2019 by Nonda Southern Cross, NONDA BEBOPALOOBA  in 1986 by Native Son was a champion polocrosse mare, producing five progency; YARRANOO REGGAE in 1981 by Star Black Ministril won the Widgee Futurity, having two progency including NONDA NATIVE LIMBO in 1986 by Native Son; YARRANOO RHUMBA in 1982 by Star Black Ministril producing NONDA HULA HOOP in 1987 by Docs Boab having eight progency including the top campdraft mare YOUNGSTAR MARNIES GLAMOUR in 2009 by Marnies Destiny, who was the top scoring horse in the 2021 Triple Crown Series.

  *YARRANOO JEWEL in 1976 by Yarranoo Glencoe having five progency including WOODBRIDGE CHARM with three progency; YARRANOO KIMBERLEY in 1985 by Native Son having two progency.

  *YARRANOO LOCKET in 1972 by Collum Simmer having four progency including YARRANOO WYAMBEE in 1978 by Volsung having five progency including the successfully performed stallion YARRANOO MUSICIAN in 1991 by Yarranoo Stroller producing 101 progency and his full brother YARRANOO STARMAN in 1988 and his full-sister YARRANOO SOPRANO in 1989 producing six progency; and YARRANOO ANNALEE who won Supreme Led at  Far North Coast Brach Show.

Click to see article on Yarranoo Bangles-Foundation Mare.

Nonda Stud’s Heather Brown purchased four fillies by Star Black Minstril from the Widden Lass Family……Yarranoo Ragtime, Reggae, Rhumba and Bethena and has further developed the family in to the power house it is today.

WONGLE III (882) was rated as one of the best types sired by Chan and won Champion Broodmare at the Scone A.S.H Show in 1976 which was the only time she was shown. Her progeny won the Mare Progeny Group class many times.

She produced;
WILLOWY LASS by Blukens successful in led classes and a very fast polo mare.

BERANGHI LASS by Beranghi, Supreme Led Exhibit Scone A.S.H Show 1983 and winner of Polo Pony Awards;

GAELIC LASS by Beranghi, her full sister was successful in led, hack and dressage classes;
ELSIE LASS smart cattle mare and top producing broodmare;
RUSH by Rodeo Rush played polo and used as a sire;

ESLIE LASS proved a top producer being dam of;
SIMONE by Dart won drafts ridden by David Wirth who describes as a beautiful mare, and her full sister SECRET LASS purchased by Bowman family and worked extensively; and the smart gelding ESLIE LAD; BUSH LASS by Bush Glow purchased by the Hamish Hunter, Armidale described as “a magnificent mare 15 hh, great walker and ability with good temperament”; AMBER LASS by Bush Glow purchased by David Wirth; attractive filly GLOW LASS and BUSH LAD by Bush Glow purchased by Jack Wallace, Milton proved a top riding horses and a fantastic walker. He was such a fast walker Jack would challenge anyone to beat him over 400m and give them 100m start! Click here for article.

WILLOWY LASS produced KOKODA LASS by Salute 1989 (153290) used as a broodmare and was mother of DANCING LASS (Pavlova) by Haydon Dancer 2005 (182278). She was winning in the show ring six months after being started and has excelled in many events, competing at Sydney RAS and winning the area Horse of the Year.

 

 

 

 

 

 

YOUNGSTAR MARNIES GLAMOUR was foaled in 2009 out of Nonda Hula Hoop by Marnies Destiny is the winner of many Open Campdrafts. She is the seventh generation of the Widden Lass Family and those outstanding cattle working traits continue to live on through her.  In 2016 she won the Cloncurry Classic Challenge, in 2021 she was equal runner up in both the Warwick Gold Cup and Grandfather Clock ridden by Will Durkin and going on to be the top scoring horse in the 2021 Triple Crown Series.

Marnies Glamour and Will Durkin

Marnies Glamour and Will Durkin with her awards

Please refer to the Studbook for the latest listings.