Eyes misting and voice failing, Robert Baldwin struggles to describe the devastation he feels at selling his stallion, Bar Doc Hickory* Q-29399. Having stood a stallion at stud every year for the past 48 years, Robert is crushed.Failing health and the effects of the recent horse flu epidemic have combined to force a sale for which he is not emotionally prepared. Her voice barely above a whisper, Robert’s wife of almost 50 years, Susan, adds that his decision to sell is ‘monumental’. It is the end of an era and feels like the end of the world.

By MaryAnne Leighton

Robert BaldwinAQHA Hall of Fame

Robert’s contribution to the AQHARobert Baldwin was inducted into the AQHA Hall of Fame in 2001 for his services to the AQHA since 1964 and for his tireless and continual promotion of the Quarter Horse in Australia since the early 60s.

The AQHA was formed in 1964 and Robert was elected to the Board in 1968. He was an original Director of the AQHA when it was incorporated on 17 March 1972 and served on the Board until 1976. He was elected AQHA Treasurer from 1973-1974, and AQHA President in 1976 and again from 2001-2003.

Robert was one of the AQHA’s first two clas-sifiers, appointed when classification was introduced in 1969 and inspecting, classifying and promoting Quarter Horses until, as AQHA President, he dispensed with the process in 1976. He used his time as a travelling classifier to promote the Quarter Horse in every part of the country he visited. In the early 1970s, at the NZQHA’s request, the AQHA sent him to New Zealand where he established the formation of the New Zealand classification system along the same lines as the Australian system.

He was the foundation President of the NSW Quarter Horse Association and the founder of the Euroka Cutting and Western Performance Club which ran Australia’s first four cutting futurities – the first, held in 1971, was called the Australian Cutting Horse Association Futurity (and he still has a copy of his entry form), and the following three were NCHA Futurities. In 1970 he was asked to chair a meeting at Gatton and in April 1971 to form a steering committee to amalgamate the two national cutting associa-tions - the NCHA and Australian Cutting Horse Association - into one body, the NCHA. With the help of his lawyer brother, Robert also drafted the constitution of the NCHA.

Robert has been an AQHA judge since the early years of the Association, and is an NCHA and EFA judge who has judged throughout Australia and in New Zealand and Norfolk Island. He judged Quarter Horse classes at every Royal Show on the east coast of Australia, won the first western pleasure class at Sydney Royal in 1978 on a horse he bred himself and he bred the winners of the Sydney Royal pleasure class in 1979 and 1980.

He was instrumental in founding the NSW Premier State Show halter futurities and

subsequently won seven of the first 11 year-ling futurities with horses he bred, five of them by Roc‘O’Lena* Q-1662. This talented and resourceful man was the driving force behind the very profitable and successful 2001 AQHA Championship Show, was the youngest Presi-dent of the Walgett PA&H Association (holding that position for five years) and the youngest Honorary Life Member, spent three years on the Show Society Council of NSW, was President of the Rural Fire Brigade and one of five people who established the Walgett Rugby Union Club. (He is particularly proud of his position as an International Rugby Union referee and of a comment made in the press by a senior Fijian prince, Ratu George, that ‘Mr Baldwin was the best referee our team played under’ on a Fijian rugby tour of Australia in 1961.)

In recognition of his services to the Australian Quarter Horse industry, Robert is an Honor-ary Life Member of the AQHA and was named AQHA Quarter Horseman of the Year in 1981. He is also an Honorary Life Member of the NSWQHA and the Walgett PA&H Association and a Life Member of the NCHA. He has twice been inducted into the NCHA Hall of Fame – into the NCHA Heritage Hall of Fame in 1992

The end of an era,

Robert and Bar Doc Hickory

Q-29399

for his outstanding personal contribution to the constant promotion of the cutting horse and his exemplary contribution of time, effort and inter-est in the NCHA and its basic endeavours, and in 1995 to the NCHA Non Pro Hall of Fame after amassing $20,000 total lifetime earnings. In 1997 and 1998 two of his horses were inducted into the NCHA Heritage Horse Hall of Fame in recognition of their contribution to the history and sport of cutting. Roc‘O’Lena* was inducted in 1997, followed the next year by Doc’s Misty Morn* Q-594.

An obsession with horsesRobert is the only member of his family ever to be involved with horses. His father was a lawyer who had his own practice in Walgett and his mother was a talented musician who studied music at the highest level, taught music and who received an Order of Australia Medal for her services to education in isolated regions. Robert’s brother followed their father into law and his sister followed their mother into music. By the time she was three, his sister could play by ear the tunes she heard on the radio and she later studied at the Conservatorium of Music and became a talented performing artist in her own right. Robert is the first to admit he can’t sing a note but he has inherited rhythm - a vital attribute for a successful horseman.

Robert has always loved all animals but says he is obsessed with horses. He began riding at the age of five when a family friend, Stan Weber, encouraged him to ride four-and-a-half miles every afternoon to bring home Stan’s milking cows. Stan taught Robert bushcraft, how to shear sheep, break-in a horse and work a team of draught horses to dig bore drains. Robert

rode bareback until he was nine and by the time he was twelve Stan Weber trusted him enough to send him out on the road, droving a mob of sheep.

Robert attended boarding school at Barker College in Sydney. He excelled in sport where his sense of rhythm stood him in good stead. He played A Grade rugby union and cricket and won his age swimming championships for four years. He gained top marks in bookkeeping and business studies, knowledge of which he later put to good use when he established his horse stud at Walgett. While his school results were good and he had the intelligence and drive to become a lawyer or vet, all Robert ever wanted to do was to go into the bush, and so he left school after completing the equivalent of Year 11.

Knowing how serious his son was about work-ing on the land, Robert’s father helped him get a job, gave him a suitcase full of good clothes, another suitcase full of working clothes and told him, ‘I’m always here if you need me, son.’ For sixteen months Robert worked as a jackaroo on 75,000 acre and 90,000 acre Australian Mer-cantile Land and Farming (AML&F) properties at Walgett then moved to Maneroo, a 187,000 acre sheep station near Longreach in Central Queensland. In the early 1950s Robert was called up for National Service where he rose to the position of Platoon Commander but as soon he completed his time as a Nashi he went straight back to the land to the life he loved. Of the next property, Strathdarr, on which he worked, Robert says, ‘The horses there bucked like hell and you needed to be eighteen and stu-pid to ride them.’ He remembers once riding and really liking a mare who bucked seven times in

a short one-and-a-half miles. Robert trained her and six months later the boss’s daughter-in-law took out Reserve Champion Hack on her at the Longreach Show. This success in transforming a bronc into a champion hack had the added bonus of Robert being the only station hand per-mitted to handle the boss’s own horse. Robert himself rode many hacks and won many hack classes over the years but regrettably there are no photos of him doing it.

Robert loves animals as much as he is passion-ate about them and this passion has evolved into an ability to pick the cream from any mob, whether it is cattle, horses, sheep or dogs. He bred sheepdogs and showed them to great success and relates a story from his Strathdarr days, ‘I was counting 3200 ewe weaners and

Robert BaldwinP

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Australian team Penning Champions Robert Baldwin and Blyyth Ritchie.

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noticed a ewe I liked very much.’ He says, ‘I grabbed her and had a good look at her and thought how lovely she was.’ He respectfully approached the boss and told him he’d found an outstanding weaner. The boss - the top stud man in Queensland - was sceptical that Robert would find her again amongst a mob of 3200 and was so impressed when it proved a pain-less task for the 21-year-old jackaroo that he allowed Robert to bring her back to the Station, shear her and prepare her for showing. Robert

says, ‘That ewe was never beaten.’

When Robert was Stud Overseer at Bairnkine Merino Station back at Walgett he met Susan, the only daughter of Sam and Gwyneth Sheaffe of Euroka Station. Robert and Susan became engaged in 1956 when Robert was 22, and when Susan went to Sydney for twelve months to undertake a mothercraft course, Robert went to work for the Sheaffes at Euroka, a 22,500 acre property that grew crops and ran 7500 merino sheep and 2000 cattle.

Another instance of Robert’s eye for an animal occurred when Robert bought two stud cows, and then he and Susan were married and went on honeymoon. Six weeks later the cows had calved and, naturally, he wanted to see what they had produced. The cows were still on the vendor’s property. Robert refused the vendor’s offer to cut them out for him and found his own cows with no reference to stud records or other paperwork. The vendor was shocked and later told Robert he’d frightened the hell out of him so much he had to go back and check every stud record to confirm that Robert was right. ‘He also told me I was the first buyer who’d ever recognised the cattle he’d bought.’ Another time Robert was able - simply by looking at them - to mother up all but one pair of 53 pairs of cows and calves after they had been through the yards and the calves marked.

Euroka Quarter Horse StudTo breed great horses a breeder must have a clear image of what he is aiming for and Robert has always had this vision. Right from the start he knew what he wanted his Quarter Horses to be and he has never deviated from his path.

Robert’s first introduction to the Quarter Horse was in 1959 when he met Jack Reilly and his 7YO imported stallion, Jackaroo* Q-34. He was so impressed with what he saw that he invited Jack to stand Jackaroo* at Euroka for the 1959 and 1960 breeding seasons, using him over his own mostly Thoroughbred mares, hoping to breed better Campdraft horses for himself - and he did. In 1961 he bought the first cross stallion, Retford Quarter Staff R1-322, from Sam Hordern and Jack Reilly using £500 given to him by Susan and another £500 he borrowed

Robert (left) at Welgett Show with Flirt, best bitch of show 1964.

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from the bank. When Jackaroo* came onto the market in 1966 Robert snapped him up and he remained at Euroka until 1970. Today Jackaroo* is recognised as a leading broodmare sire and for years many top cutting horses carried his bloodlines.

These two stallions were immediately but briefly followed in 1963 by Alazan de Lela* Q-36, then in 1969 Robert visited the States for the first time where he says, ‘I saw just what beautiful horses Quarter Horses could be.’ On this visit he bought two young stallions, War Beaver* Q-206 and Mr Moore 8* Q-207 and stood them at stud for an initial service fee of $250.

Robert chose War Beaver* for his conforma-tion and his potential as a cutting horse. War Beaver’s breeding was the magic cross of Leo and King - as popular in the 60s as Doc Bar proved to be later. War Beaver’s full brother was a AAA running horse and they traced back to the all-time greats, Della Moore, Steel Dust, Joe Reed, Oklahoma Star and Yellow Jacket. War Beaver* stood Champion Quarter Horse Stallion at the 1971 Sydney Royal and was equal 4th in the Open Cutting at Penrith in 1972, his first cut-ting after just three months of training. A broken splint bone in his hind leg followed by a fracture to the second phalanx bone (pinned to help him through his breeding career) cut short his show career but even though he didn’t have the

chance to fully prove himself in the cutting pen, in the early 80s he was described as the cutting horse sire of Australia and the local equivalent of Doc Bar.

War Beaver* sired five cutting futurity winners and numerous placegetters including: Ima Beaver Q-823 who was 1976 NCHA Futurity Champion and who won all three cutting futuri-ties offered in 1976; War Mist Q-2975, the bay daughter of the immortal Doc’s Misty Morn* won the NCHA Non Pro futurity in 1982; Euroka Starlet R2-886 won the NCHA Futurity, the Coonamble Cutting Futurity and placed second in the Moonbi Futurity in 1977 (she is the only futurity winning mare to produce a futurity win-ner in Doc’s Sue Q-2977 and is the granddam

Robert paid £2000 for Quarter Staff R1-322 in 1961.

Hamish McCallum winning the Moonbi Open in 1978 on Ima Beaver Q-823

Photo: Todd Tenney

At Euroka Stud in 1971, Robert smooches with his Mescal* mare, Euroka Quarter Dream, watched by her Mr Moore 8* colt, Euroka Quarter Image.

of Raelene Higgins’ futurity winner One Hellofa Spin Q-42160); Beaver Doc Q-2980; War Barbie Q-2201; Euroka War Bird Q-1157; Euroka Bar-rito R1-4655; War Dance R2-657 and Jandon Beaver Q-5533.

Robert selected Mr Moore 8* for his potential as a cutting horse and sire of cutting horses. He was by the King P234 stallion Hank Man who achieved a ROM in reining from only three shows, and out of a Hollywood Gold mare. Mr Moore 8* is believed to be the first Australian-owned horse to place in any American competi-tion when, with Pine Johnson in the saddle and Robert paying the bills, he placed third in the 1969 Open Reining at Fort Worth, Texas. On his arrival in Australia, Mr Moore 8* won the first list-ed Open Cutting to be held in this country and was 1973 Champion Queensland Open Cutting horse. He is the maternal great-grandsire of cutting sensation, One Moore Spin Q-24600. In 1975 Robert sold Mr Moore 8* to New Zealand where he proved to be a major influence on the Quarter Horse industry in that country.

In 1972 Robert imported Two Eyed Chap* Q-656 who went on to sire four AQHA Champi-ons and one AQHA Amateur owner Champion horse, and Jolly Baron* Q-655 who sired only

35 foals (including Pine Hills Kentucky Baron Q-2228) before also being sold on to New Zealand. When Robert attended the American Quarter Horse Association Convention in 1974 as part of an Australian delegation. This visit coincided with his 40th birthday. To his horror, at the convention dinner a spotlight was focussed on him and 960 people stood up and sang Happy Birthday. He was mortified.

Robert’s next acquisition was the impeccably bred Doc T Bar* Q-1341, by Doc Bar and out of a Poco Tivio mare. When he was advertised for sale in 1978 Robert saw in him what no one else recognised nor wanted. He paid $30,000 for the 3YO colt, trained him, earned one halter and 60 cutting points with him then in 1982 sold him to the USA for an Australian record price of $125,000. Doc T Bar* competed in the States for only one year against the top horses of the day such as Little Peppy, earned US$30,000 in lifetime earnings and finished ninth in the world - the only Australian-trained horse to finish in the World Top Ten. On 12 March 1983, Doc T Bar again changed hands, this time for a phenom-enal US$500,000.

Roc‘O’Lena* Q-1662

Robert and Euroka Starlet R2-886, Moonbi

Robert sold Doc T Bar Q-1341 to the USA in 1982

for an Australian record price of $125,000

Mr Moore 8 Q-207 and Robert at Moe in Victoria

The horse most often associated with Robert is the mighty Roc‘O’Lena* who was born in quarantine in the UK and who arrived in Aus-tralia in the winter of 1975, when he was four months old. Robert always had his finger on the pulse of who was doing what in the Quarter Horse world and when he became aware that two impeccably-bred American Quarter Horse mares, the AmQHA Honour Roll halter mare,

Roxana Bar* Q-1158 and a yearling full sister to Docs Oak, Doc’s Susie Bay* Q-1159, were about to be abandoned in England in the winter of 1974, he pounced. An exceptional American horseman had bought pregnant mares in the States and sold all the foals they were carrying (except the foal out of Roxana Bar*) to Austral-ian buyers. Robert tracked him down as he was about to depart Sydney and, with an agent from

stock and station agents Winchcombe Carson as witness, negotiated to buy two of the best mares ever to come to this country. Robert of-fered $30,000 for Roxana Bar* and Docs Susie Bay*, on condition that a contract was drawn up by the agent and signed on the spot by both parties. Robert paid the $8000 shipping fees for both mares and when they had safely arrived in Sydney, paid the balance of $22,000. He was a very happy man and with good reason.

On the 23rd of February 1975, Robert re-ceived a telegram from the quarantine station in England advising him that Roxana Bar* had that day produced a beautiful chestnut colt by Doc O’Lena. He couldn’t wait to board the ship carrying the consignment of new Quarter Horse blood when it docked in Sydney but nowhere could he find a chestnut colt on a grey mare. However, with a gleam in his eye and a grin on his face he skipped back down the gangway and said to Susan, ‘I can’t find a chestnut colt but there’s a buckskin colt on a grey mare in there and I don’t care if it’s pink!’ He was smitten with the colt he named Roc‘O’Lena* and rightly saw a great future for him.The great Roc’O’Lena Q-1662

Photo: Russel Griffiths

The great Roc’O’Lena son, Roc Arena Q-17211- the

great sire passed his action and ability to his offspring.

Robert and Roc‘O’Lena* won the 1978 NCHA Derby, Roc’s son Jack O’Lena won the NCHA Futurity in 1986, Misty Lena Q-4543 (his daugh-ter out of Doc’s Misty Morn*) was the only horse in 1985 to make the finals of both the Open and Non Pro Cutting Futurities and she and Robert went on to win the Non Pro Futurity before Rob-ert sold her for $40,000.

In 1996 Roc‘O’Lena* received what the Quarter Horse News described as the highest award the AQHA Board could grant - the AQHA Award of Honour. It was awarded to any horse that had made a major contribution to the Quarter Horse breed in this country, and was eventually replaced by the AQHA Hall of Fame. Robert kept Roc’s breeding exclusive so, while he did not produce as many foals as he could have, what he did produce were outstanding. Robert says, ‘He produced extreme horses.’ His unique feature as a sire was that he passed on his own above-average performance talents and great looks, producing halter and cutting futurity champions as well as champions in the western performance ring and in show jumping and hacking. Of the seven NSW Premier State Yearling Halter Futurities won by Robert Bald-win-bred youngsters, five were by Roc‘O’Lena*. He was a sire in the true spirit of the Austral-ian Quarter Horse - he bred versatility into his offspring. Robert says, ‘Any knowledgeable American who ever saw Roc said he was the best Doc O’Lena in the world. I was once told he was the best horse ever to come into Australia, and probably the best that will ever come here.’

In 1980 Doc’s Misty Morn* foaled a bay colt by War Beaver* that Robert named Jandon Beaver Q-5533. Under Robert’s guidance, Jandon Beaver was NCHA Derby Reserve Champion in 1984, placed third in the 1986 NCHA Open Cutting and has ROMs for cutting and perform-ance. Robert bred some excellent foals by him including Senator J Beaver Q-24355 the AQHA

Champion and AQHA Amateur Owner Cham-pion horse who ended his show career in 2006 with a total of 1699 AQHA points and 28 awards. His daughter, Sweet Jandon Q-9201, topped Rocky sale when Donald Gunn bought her, and then sold her on to Copperwood Stud.

When War Beaver* died in 1983 Robert pur-chased Kool Smoke* Q-3004 who had been passed in at the Clover Leaf Stud dispersal sale. Kool Smoke* was bred along similar lines to War Beaver* and he sired an NCHA Derby Champion and the 1986 NCHA Non Pro Futurity Champion, Clover Dry Smoke Q-6686.

In 1992 Robert travelled to the USA to represent Australia in an annual non pro cutting competi-tion between teams from the two countries. He was fourteen years older than any other competitor. Riding the Smart Little Lena geld-ing, Smart Little Hombre, Robert scored an unexpected 218½. His score was unexpected because he discovered he’d been given a lemon to ride. Smart Little Hombre hadn’t once stayed in the cutting pen during the previous twelve months and Robert was not allowed to ride him before the competition. However, once in the saddle he used his experience and skills of

persuasion to get four clean runs on the rogue horse, amazing his American hosts by missing the high point score by only half a point.

While in the States, Robert spied the 2YO Bar Doc Hickory* and bought him for his good looks, movement, outstanding conformation and pedigree. Robert did not know it at the time, but Hick was to be the last in the line of very successful stallions chosen by him to stand at stud in Australia. Once in Australia with Robert in the saddle, Hick won more than $10,000 in open and non pro earnings. He took on and beat all the good horses in Australia when he

Mares awaiting preg testing before the Euroka 30th Anniversary Sale 1989

Winners of Produce of Dam at the 1992 Premier State Show (l to r) Ultimate Roc and John Dornof, Senator J Beaver and

Fiona Holtkamp, Pillamindi Roc and Robert Baldwin.

Photo: Mike Kenyon

Kathy Daughn

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USA

won the 1995 Cotton County Classic Challenge, he scored 149 in a 1997 open non pro show, won at the NSW State Championships and won the biggest novice class in the country at the Sydney Cutting Club, in his last eight runs he scored between 148 and 150.

Like Robert’s ten stallions before him, Hick quickly put good performance horses on the ground and he stamped them with his own good looks. Nine of Hick’s offspring finaled in every futurity and derby in which they were entered, Hickorys Gem Q-32773 placed fourth in the NCHA Derby and his daughter, Doc Peppa Toy Q-34927, is the highest money earning reining horse in the country with more than $30,000 in earnings. Hick has also thrown leading camp-drafters, barrel racers, and pleasure and halter horses.

In 2004 Bar Doc Hickory* achieved a milestone in AQHA history when six of his offspring left the country, sold for an average price of $17,000. A mare, filly and colt went to New Caledonia, and a colt and two fillies went to the USA. The following year another two of Hick’s progeny went to Canada. No advertising was needed to sell to this international market; all sales were made through Robert’s extensive international connections.

Robert was still in the saddle at the 2005 NCHA Futurity show, at the age of 71, but out of the saddle he needed to use a cane to walk. He had previously won two NCHA Futurities, one NCHA Derby, two NCHA Non Pro Futurities and untold NCHA Open Non Pro cuttings (including four in one night), so in 2005 he set his sights on the only NCHA event that has so far escaped him, the NCHA Non Pro Derby. Robert was sporting a new knee and hadn’t had the opportunity to ride much in the build-up to the futurity show but in his usual indomitable fashion, he didn’t let that deter him. Riding his Bar Doc Hickory* daughter, Hicks Delight Q-44359, he says, ‘I lost the first cow both rounds but got two whacking good cows after that and when I got off a bloke offered me $25,000 for the mare,’ an offer he refused. He and Hicks Delight attended only six cutting competitions in 2006 and against open and non pro horses placed third four times and fourth once. Hicks Delight is now in foal.

It takes great mares to produce great foals

Robert firmly believes - and has proven - that to produce top class horses you need to breed from top mares. Mares like Doc’s Misty Morn* Q-594, Roxana Bar* Q-1158, Holiday Streak* Q-3566 and Doc’s Susie Bay*.

The great Roxana Bar*, AmQHA Champion, 1967 Honor Roll Halter Horse of the USA and 1967 High Point Junior Halter Mare of the USA, arrived in Australia in 1975 with Roc‘O’Lena at foot. Every one of the eight foals she produced for Robert has points in one event or another. She was the dam of the lovely grey stallion, Roc Deck Q-5889 by Morn Deck who was shown extensively and produced great foals of his own before departing for New Zealand in 1984. A younger full brother to Roc Deck was Bar Deck Q-4478 who produced a significant number of outstanding performance offspring. Roxana Bar* was also the dam of the grey colt by Doc’s Poco Bar* Q-839, Roc Bar Q-2976, whom Robert showed briefly before selling him to the USA in 1980 where he earned US$2029.75 in NCHA cutting earnings before his untimely death. Doc’s Annabar Q-3661 won Australia’s first big all breeds halter futurity from 56 entries, and Roxana Bar* was also the dam of the good producing mares, Waranna Bar Q-2193, and Roxanna T Q-6901 and the halter gelding, Mr Bar Jack Q-3958.

In 1976 Robert bought the great cutting mare, Doc’s Misty Morn* after seeing her at a show in Sydney. Her first foal for Robert was one of

Robert and the legendary Docs Misty Morn Q-594 in foal with Morn Deck Q-2160.

Photo: Mike Kenyon

Robert and Docs Annabar Q-3661, NCHA

Derby Champion

Photo: Mike Kenyon

the greatest all-round producing stallions this country has ever seen, the immortal Morn Deck Q-2160. This horse encompasses everything Robert ever aimed for in his breeding pro-gramme and vindicated Robert’s high regard for his dam. Apart from Morn Deck, Doc’s Misty Morn* produced Misty Lena Q-4543, Robert’s 1985 NCHA Non Pro Cutting Futurity Champion and the only horse of her year to make the finals in both the Open and Non Pro Futurities; War Mist Q-2975 who with Robert won the NCHA Non Pro Futurity in 1982, Jandon Beaver Q-5533 the NCHA Derby Reserve Champion in 1984; Roc Arena Q-17211 with whom Robert won thirteen cuttings before selling him to an equally successful home; the consistent non pro cutting stallion Son of a Roc Q-21972 and the performance stallion, T G Roc Q-19404. Tradi-tional Roc Q-15316 was in the top ten at seven out of twelve cutting futurity runs with Robert, winning one round before taking out the 1989 Super Sires Non Pro Cutting Futurity.

Robert admits that when he paid $30,000 for Doc’s Misty Morn* he had only $1000 in the bank but knew he could handle the debt. He says, ‘I chased that mare but they wouldn’t sell her. They wanted $60,000 for her plus her first and fourth foals as well. Eventually they agreed I could have the option on her if she ever came on the market for less and they honoured that agreement.’ Robert says his purchase of Doc’s Misty Morn* ‘caused such talk in the industry

that I put up the price on every one of my sale horses by $2500 - and I got it! That’s what happens when you buy good horses.’ Robert sold Morn Deck for $15,000 when the colt was only four months old and he was able to pay for Doc’s Misty Morn* in full within six months. He says, ‘Since then I haven’t sold a colt out of her for less than $20,000 or a filly for less than $40,000.’ That’s good business.

Yet another outstanding example of Robert’s ability to breed horses that are not only above average performance horses themselves but have the ability to breed on was Beaver Doc. Robert bred Doc’s Susie Bay* to War Beaver* in 1977 and the following year she foaled the gorgeous bay colt who in turn sired his share of AQHA Champions, AQHA Youth Champion Horses and AQHA Amateur Owner Champion Horses. In 1978 Robert sold Doc’s Susie Bay* for $30,000 to finance his purchase of Doc T Bar*.

Robert had judged Holiday Streak* at Sydney Royal in 1982 and was so impressed that he bought her soon after, paying $20,000 even though she was sold as a non-breeder. Holiday Streak* was not only Champion Mare at Sydney Royal but she was also AQHA National Cham-pion Mare in 1992 (from 22 entires) and AQHA Reserve National Champion Mare the following year (from 35 entries). She had a total of 143 points in halter, ridden and youth events and

earned ROMs for pleasure, performance and halter.

Robert used his extensive experience as a stud master to get Holiday Streak* in foal when she was six and he bred eleven foals from this non-breeder before selling her. Every foal she gave him was a champion. Cast your mind back to the eleven full siblings - Conceit O’Lena Q-11961, multi halter futurity champion and undefeated AQHA National Champion (every one of whose seven foals are champions in one area or another); Elite O Lena Q-15315, Halter Futurity Champion whose halter career was cut tragically short when she was just a yearling; Unique O’Lena Q-16419, multi halter futurity champion and dam of sixteen foals including Docs Shabang Q-25936 and Docs Cool Dude Q-29367 (as far as Robert knows, Conceit O’Lena and Unique O’Lena are the only full sisters to take out Champion and Reserve Champion at a major show, something of which he is very proud); Complete O Lena Q-21335, halter and pleasure supremo; Discreet O Lena Q-22638, Halter Futurity and State Champion; Pillamindi Roc Q-24357, AQHA Champion, Halter and Reining Futurity Champion, AQHA Reserve National Champion who sold to Ger-many for $26,000 after siring the likes of the versatile Halter Futurity Champion and AQHA Champion Mister Mindi Boom Q-29361 and Pillamindi Doll Q-30678 who was NRHA Reining Futurity Reserve Champion and who accompa-nied superstar clinician Clinton Anderson to the USA where she is almost as big a star as he is; Ultimate Roc Q-26047 AQHA National champion and State Champion; Outback Roc Q-27454 State Champion; Deceit O Lena Q-29511 AQHA Champion, Halter Futurity Champion, NPHA Champion, State Champion; Streak Olena Q-33346 AQHA Champion, NPHA Champion, State Champion and AQHA Reserve National

Holiday Streak Q-3566

1988 Conceit O’Lena Q-11961

Special Treat Q-33703 (x Conceit O’Lena)

Hicks Hombre Q-32913 (x Conceit O’Lena)

Champion; and the last of the full siblings, Rob-ert’s own mare, Repeat O Lena Q-34847, who was never shown because her arrival ten years ago coincided with Robert’s diagnosis of leukae-mia. This was the catalyst for selling his stud at ‘Pillamindi’, moving into a house in Tamworth and agisting his remaining mares and foals on a friend’s property. However, he says, ‘She’s as good a broodmare as the rest of them and I sell her foals for an average of $11,500.’

The Roc‘O’Lena* / Holiday Streak* cross was exceptional and their foals were highly sought after. Roxana Bar* and Holiday Streak* were never beaten in Produce of Dam classes and on more than one occasion Robert won both Get of Sire and Produce of Dam at the NSW Premier State Show.

48 years of successHow is it that a man who is so afraid of heights can climb so quickly and so smoothly to the pin-nacle of his profession and remain there for 48 years? How have Robert Baldwin and Euroka endured while so many other horsemen and trainers have come and gone and hundreds of other studs have emerged, stayed in business for a while and then passed into obscurity? The answer is passion. Robert is as passionate about horses today as he was 48 years ago and he is adamant that everything he has done was done for the horses, not for himself. The fact that horses like him as much as he likes them probably has a lot to do with it too.

He ran Euroka Stud as a business and in a business-like manner. He raised and trained 66 cutting horses and countless halter and perform-ance champions and says he always tried to bring out one good horse in some discipline every year. He has the gift of picking what area

a foal would be suited for the moment it hit the ground, whether it was cutting, reining, pleasure or dressage. First and foremost, his ambitions are for his horses, not himself. “A lot of people have horses to make themselves famous - I never have. I’ve had horses so I could make them famous.’ Robert is renowned for his keen eye for a horse which is honed by his study of form and motion. He says, ‘There’s not a horse born that will ever make an athlete if he can’t move his stifle two inches in front of a line dropped down vertically from his hip. If he can’t move his hind legs under him, he can’t elevate his front end.’ He adds, ‘People with cutting horses don’t understand it,’ stressing that it’s as true for a cutting horse as it is for a dressage horse.

Robert has always known what he was doing and exactly what he was aiming for in his breed-ing programme. Whilst he bred only the best to the best for his own purposes, he never rejected any outside mare that came to one of his stal-lions saying, ‘Some mares with pedigrees to kill for are not good mothers and some do not produce what their pedigree promises.’ He gives credit to his good clients saying, ‘The people who buy the horses make the horses,’ and without the right clients doing the right thing with the horses they buy from the breeder, a stallion is nothing.

Robert bred, trained and showed all his own western horses and is renowned for treating his halter horses as work horses, using them to muster 3000 acre paddocks. He is proud of always ‘riding my work horses and working my show horses.’ Those who know him well, like his friend Max McTaggart, still maintain he breeds the best looking working horses this country has ever seen. Robert believes he was one of the first riders in Australia to win a campdraft on a

Quarter Horse when he won the 1967 Novice Draft at Coonamble on a 3½-year-old by Retford Quarter Staff R1-322 called Euroka Favour II A-72.

‘I’ve never thought what to do with a horse after it’s done something. I always look forward to the next goal for the horse. Most of the top prizes I’ve won - and I’ve been lucky enough to win a hell of a lot of them - I didn’t have any thought of winning and have been surprised when I was called out. Funny, isn’t it? I won just because I showed the horse.’

Robert took horses to Rockhampton Quarter Horse sale only twice, topping the sale aver-age both times and topping all categories he entered.

Tall poppy

In spite of his commitment to his community and to helping others, Robert is and has always been a tall poppy. In some eyes this means he must be cut down to size. He is sometimes seen as aloof and unapproachable, is often vilified and is the subject of gossip and innuendo. Understand-ably, he finds this hurtful and says, ‘People don’t realise I’m human and I need friends too.’ Robert constantly helped others in hard times, paying their entry fees, allowing them to pay off service fees, offering time-payment for horses and discretely lending his imported mares for others to breed from. His generosity has gone unknown and unacknowledged by all except those people involved.

Robert’s generosity of spirit extends from taking on an overseas student, to legging Ricky Glen up onto War Beaver* in the early 80s, after the horse had been turned out for seven years or so, to lifting a little girl onto 28YO Doc’s Misty Morn*, knowing that the thrill is equally as great for them all.

As a testimony to his business acumen, in all his 48 years he has only ever experienced two bad debts and says, ‘People say the horse game is bad. I don’t, I think it’s normal.’

There has always been a queue of young Aus-tralian horsemen and women waiting for an op-portunity to work for and learn from the master. Ricky Glen, Raelene Higgins, Hamish McCallum, Chris Ibbotson and Jacky Lewers all worked for Robert and Jacky maintains, ‘Robert is the only man in the industry who is prepared to give a girl a go.’ These young riders benefited from his advice, instruction and from rubbing shoulders with and learning from some of Australia’s greatest horses. There are many other lead-ing trainers who prefer not to mention that they too seek and heed Robert’s advice. Canadian horsewoman, Sylvie Fritsch, a Monty Roberts devotee with two training certificates from the horse whisperer, watched Robert handling foals and asked if he would teach his methods to her. She commented, ‘Monty Roberts only handled two-year-old horses but Robert did better and different things with foals.’ Sylvie spent almost

Robert Campdrafting on Euroka Favour II A-72

Raelene Higgins & Authentic Roc 1993. (Robert & Sue gave Raelene & David Higgins a service to Roc’O’Lena as a

wedding gift, the resulting foal was the great Authentic Roc).

Photo: Frances Adam

Raelene Higgins & Authentic Roc 1993. (Robert & Sue gave Raelene & David Higgins a service to Roc’O’Lena as a

wedding gift, the resulting foal was the great Authentic Roc).

four years with Robert, attending New England Uni while studying the Robert Baldwin way of handling and training horses. When she returned home to Canada, Sylvie took two of Robert’s horses with her.

There are many who choose to ignore his advice and he is scathing of today’s training methods which are, he says, ‘All bash and crash.’ He adds, ‘I watched ten trainers at the NCHA Futu-rity and not one of their horses actually watched the cow.’ It didn’t stop them getting good scores but how much better could they have been? Robert says it has been a long time since he had a horse that he didn’t like but believes that peo-ple don’t actually like horses any more. ‘I don’t know of a professional trainer who I think likes horses - they only think of how much they’re rid-ing for. They don’t like the horses and they don’t like the clients, the clients are only the people who pay for their fun.’

The end of an eraEuroka Quarter Horse Stud began and will end with Robert. Susan understands his passion but doesn’t share it, and neither do their two children or five grandchildren. Daughter Gina was inter-ested enough to ride but not compete, preferring to play ice hockey for NSW before taking up photography as a profession, while Michael was fiercely competitive for a time and was unbeaten in his final year of youth cutting, winning eight in a row and taking out NCHA High Point Youth in his senior year, but he has exchanged his saddle and spurs for fluency in the Japanese language and now works in the tourism industry in Cairns.

You can tell a lot about a man by the way his animals respond to him. Robert and Susan’s long haired dachshund Mia adores Robert. Her eyes follow him constantly, she sneaks over to touch her nose to his leg to reassure herself that he is still there and she just loves to sit in his lap. I’m sure his horses would sit in his lap too, if they could. He sometimes feels that without his animals he would have no one to love and they respond to his love with an adoration that is beautiful to see.

Robert’s two new knees and new hip have given him a new lease of life. He has recovered from a clot in his lung and his leukaemia is under con-trol. He still works and shoes his own horses and handles his own foals and his ambition now is to ride in the 2010 NCHA Futurity, when he is 76 - depending on his health and finances. Having made the heartbreaking decision to sell Hick and retire, Robert would like to keep one horse to ride and a mare to breed for the rest of his life - but he is not yet ready to sell his remaining brood-mares. Not just yet.

Robert is a repository of the history of the AQHA - he has been lucky enough to know all the people and all the horses and he knows where all the skeletons are buried. You could do worse than to tap his knowledge. Sit down and listen to him, he has a lot to say and says it in a considered and measured way. He knows his own mind, is sure of his facts and is keen to share his knowledge of the industry, saying, ‘I could save people a lot of money if they used me as a consultant.’

Seeing his horses succeed and seeing people succeed with his horses has given Robert his greatest pleasure over the past 48 years, and if he is to be remembered for anything it would be for that alone.

Times have changed since he began in the Quarter Horse industry and he believes there’s no room for people like him any more. He says, ‘The people who bred so many good horses, loved the horses and wanted to do the right thing by the horses - it’s all gone out the door. Now it’s all science (AI, embryo transfer etc) and a lot of people like me are going to get out.’ The industry will be a poorer place without this consummate professional with his honest con-cern for people, horses and the Quarter Horse industry; an articulate and passionate man who is never afraid to compliment others or offer advice and who cried for five days when he had to euthanise Roc‘O’Lena. He says, ‘I know I’ll do the same when Hick leaves.’

Robert and Susan Baldwin, photographed by their

daughter Gina.

Gina, Ice Hockey Champion

Youth cutting champion, Michael Baldwin, with Euroka Bright O’Lena R2-2754

Photo: Mike Kenyon

Robert Baldwin whispers ‘farewell’ to his mate, Bar Doc Hickory Q-29399

Photo: MaryAnne Leighton