Omar Morgans – Stud Profile

THE STORY OF OUR STUD-OMAR MORGANS

Initially, we were breeding Clydesdales and had heard of the Morgan horses imported by George and Mary Reid at Oakdale, just out of Sydney.  We made an appointment to go and see them with the intention of breeding my riding mare to Saddleback Sultan.  We tried very hard to follow the directions we had been given by Mary but finished up at the Police Station in Camden to ask for directions.  After arriving a little late at the house, George came out and pointed up the road and said, “She is up there”.  We found the Thoroughbred Stud up the road and Mary came out and said “You’re late!”.  She hopped into her car and drove off.  Back to the house we went where Mary stated that she was very busy and did not have a lot of time to give us.  Saddleback Sultan was stood up in front of us and I went weak in the knees and breathless all at once.  He was exactly what I thought a Morgan should look like.  I showed Mary a photo of my mare and I think she liked what she saw as we were then taken for a tour around all the horses.  Later that year (1980) we took my mare Tinkerbelle to spend time with Saddleback Sultan and Omar Ranee was the result.

We then moved to Western Australia so John could work and drive the Shire Team for the Swan Brewery during the defence of the America’s Cup.  After we returned to Collector we had a break from breeding horses.

Then in the 1990’s, after the death of my beloved Tinkerbelle,, we decided we should breed from Omar Ranee but Ranee had other ideas as she had already stopped cycling.  We did try using Omar Renee’s half sister but unfortunately that did not work either.  So the search for our first Pure Morgan started.  Mt Tawonga Bea was purchased and put in foal to Karenza Apollo and Omar Phoebe was the result, born in 2001 and Omar Delphi followed in 2002.  I found it difficult to send mares away with foals at foot, so we started searching for a stallion.  After seeing and meeting Tui’s Wind Song, at that time owned by Deb Saunders, we looked at a young colt in New Zealand.  Twinhill Ronaldo was purchased and imported into Australia and the Omar Morgan Stud was born.

We attended our first National Morgan Show at Albury in 2000 with our younger son Matthew on Omar Ranee and older son Daniel riding Woodbine Bracken for Joanne Hayes.  I showed Mt Tawonga Bea in led classes.  In 2001 Matthew and Omar Ranee won the Mary Woolverton Versatility Silver Buckle Challenge at their second National Morgan Show.

At this time the boys were very involved in endurance riding and Matthew found that Omar Ranee had a high heart rate and was always vetted out because of this.  We leased Mt Tawonga Bogan for Matthew to campaign and in 2001 Matthew became the first Australian to ride a Pure Bred Morgan to the completion of an 80km Endurance ride.

With Twinhill Ronaldo on his way from New Zealand, we thought that we would see what we might get with a similar cross, so we sent Mt Tawonga Bea to Deb Saunders to be put to Tui’s Wind Song.  Omar Enchanting Breeze was produced in 2004 but unfortunately Mt Tawonga Bea died when Breeze was born.  We hand-raised Breeze on milk replacement and full cream powdered milk from a bottle for the first few days and then we taught him to use a milk bar, so I did not have to spend too much time with him. He was running in a paddock with other horses and went to feed himself at the milk bar.

2005 Omar Enchanting Breeze: Champion Led Pure Morgan Entire at the National Morgan Show at only 3 1/2 months of age.  With Twinhill Ronaldo under saddle and also in harness, we started to take him to National Shows.  Over the next few years Daniel and Twinhill Ronaldo win the Mary Woolverton Silver Buckle Versatility Challenge twice and Omar Enchanting Breeze and Daniel were second 2 years running (2011-2012).  We have limited our travelling to National Shows now and only attend local shows with our younger stock.  Omar Free and Eezy owned and shown by Robyn Arney, won 2018 Supreme Champion Pure Bred Morgan In Hand at the National Morgan Show in Young.

We stand both stallions to outside mares and cover our own mares each year at our 60 acre property in Collector, only 40 kilometres from Canberra.  The stallions we use are chosen for temperament, trainability and talent.  The mares we have expecting foals this season are Omar Phoebe, Moonbah Liberty Silk, Omar Ebonight, Mt Tawonga Play Girl, Haymeron Park Darlingprue and, for this breeding season, we also have Equinox Cashmere.  This season we have used an unrelated outside stallion, Warlock’s Eminent Domain who has exciting American bloodlines.  We have 4 mares in foal to Warlock’s Eminent Domain which will give us 2 foals with 100% USA blood lines not available before in Australia and 2 crossed with Twinhill Ronaldo bloodlines.  The other 2 mares go back to the original Morgan’s imported into Australia in the 1970’s.

 

Some of our progeny are:

 Twinhill Ronaldo Progeny

Omar Rienzi – bay gelding used for eventing, general riding and ANMS Reserve Champion Part Morgan Male in Hand, won Best Educated Ridden Part Morgan and Ridden Stock Horse

Omar Ebonite – brown/black mare Champion ridden and led at shows. Retained for breeding

Omar Delta – brown/black mare. Multiple Show winner, Dressage winner with scores over 67%. Showjumping ribbon winner, eventer, competing in team penning, team sorting, barrel racing and sporting. Used at schools to introduce students to safe practice around horses.  Now having a great time helping Jess enjoy riding again around the Harden.

Omar Entice the Night – black gelding. Show ribbon winner, dressage ribbons, used for Lighthorse street parades, competing in team penning/sorting and has done some cutting.  Having a great time with Jean and enjoying his life.

Omar Rosie Moonbeams – Black mare Used in Harness.

Omar Nocturne Rhapsody- black gelding just started under saddle and has recently moved to Tasmania

 

 

 

Omar Enchanting Breeze Progeny

 

Omar Free And Eezy – Liver chestnut gelding ANMS Supreme Led Purebred and multiple ribbon winner at shows. Now under saddle attending clinics and looking after his owner Robyn.

Omar Patriotic Breeze – Bay full brother to Free And Eezy. Rising 3 and soon to be started.

Omar Denim – Bay filly, broad ribbon Show winner as a yearling.

Omar Stepping Out – used initially as John’s riding horse. Now living at a property near Yass for cattle and sheep work, team penning/sorting competitions and Lighthorse parades

 

Visitors to our stud are always welcome and youngstock for sale.

Website gormanhorse.com.au  Email [email protected]

Breeze 2006 show  Twinhill Ronaldo being drivenRobyn & Omar Free And Eezy

 

 

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