EX-NEW ZEALAND OWNED SIRES AND THEIR PROGENY.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Issue 1303, 15 April 1915, Page 7

EX-NEW ZEALAND OWNED SIRES AND THEIR PROGENY.

Mr. J. B. Reid was an unconscious benefactor to Australia —or, rather, afforded Australian studmasters a splendid opportunity to profit by his judgment—when he sold out his splendid stud, which he formed at Elderslie (New Zealand) for the purpose of breeding thoroughbreds for the market from English stallions, English mares, and the very pick of the New Zealand Stud Book. But it did not take him long (says “Milroy” in his interesting articles on the sales of thoroughbred yearlings)

to discover that breeding for sale in a totalisator country was a delusion and a snare, and he sold out at the first good opportunity. His three stallions —as I have had occasion to remark more than once —came to Australia. They are Charlemagne 11., Varco, and Di Gamas sire, Vasco. One of the Charlemagnes sold at his break-up was Carlita. Judges of blood stock will have some excellent opportunities of overhauling the progeny of Charlemagne 11. and Varco at the coming sales, and if they are not satisfied with the exhibits it is impossible to please them. Varco was purchased by Messrs. Leslie and Herbert Rouse, the owners of Bira ganbil stud, and at the same time they secured Couronne, with Carlita a foal at her side. Couronne would have made an excellent mate for Varco, but she died. Her death made a great difference in the fortunes of

these two yound studmasters, for had they but a colt by Varco out of her, and a good one to look at, there would have been some good bidding round the ring. However, there will be some attractive Varcos from Biralganbil paraded, also a splendid chestnut bred by Mr. W. F. McDonald at Wambo, and Thompson Brothers have a good one out of La Siesta. The Varcos are all good doers. They will, in fact, “live on “the smell of an oil rag.” At first they behave like fiends, but when they settle down they are most docile horses. I think it will be agreed that a Biraganbil-bred son of Varco out of Adria is a top-notch-er. His dam is a highly-connected mare, and the dam of a good winner. Messrs. Rouse bought her at Mr. Reid's sale. She is of the same family as Beresina, and is by Stepniak. Her colt is a most powerful fellow, and as healthy as a sandboy. Evidence of his invincible digestion is most apparent. He has a marvellous barrel and quarters, splendid muscular development, and a perfect -et of flat-boned legs. A colt out of Felicia—cue of the best of the old Biraganbil breed, by Grafton from Melissa, by Marvellous—is another stout-built fe’low, with a great set of loins and legs. When he has finished racing he will be an ideal horse for station work, in the production of saddle horses. He is a masculine horse, likely to get them in his own st.y le and invest them with courage and fire, without which the saddle horse is worthless for military or other work; and as long as we breed such horses as he, and use them for station work, the “waler” will still ho’d his place as the premier military horse of India—and also, I may add, among Germans, who took many shipments from here, and declared them to be superior to the best Irish. Messrs. Rouse have a very substantial and shapely colt, good-tempered and as hard as steel, in a bay by Linacre out of Lady Fucile, by Fucile; and a solid bay colt, a real dualpurpose horse, by Varco out of Bribe, by Fortunatus; also a brown colt by Varco out of St. Margaret—a NewZealander, by Soult —who is all quality and appears to be a very speedy customer.