Egmont Park Stud discontinued

We have owned or co-owned Egmont Park Stud for 48 years and during this time have only had two managers, Mark & Sue Litchwark and Peter & Leean Bell.

Current manager, Peter, has been plagued with leg problems as a result of a motor vehicle accident in his youth.

Our respect for him and his loyalty and dedication to us over many years has had a big influence on our decision to call time on this part of our operations.

The Stud has a rich history in breeding the very best horses to have graced our race tracks including:

Blacks a Fake – Be Good Johnny – Slipnslide – Good Lookin Girl

Rhapsody in Red – Colt Thirty One – Trend Setter

Majestic Mach – Rani Major – Charming Allie – Heavens Trend

Goldrush Girl – Joys a Babe & Fame Assured, are just some of the names that readily spring to mind.

We have always had a burning desire to improve the breeding in Queensland and left no stones unturned in our quest to make Queensland the leading State for breeding in Australia.

The 2,000 acres of rich limestone fertile soil also produced Dalrello, one of Queensland’s best ever thoroughbreds.

Over the years we have endeavoured to drought proof the property by installing six huge new dams to ensure we have good supplies of water in the severest of droughts.

It’s now history that our brood mares have exceptional maternal families tracing back to two basic foundation families in Call Girl and Mistron, both recommended to us by world renowned breeding expert, Norman Pierce of New Zealand.

Winding down of the stud, on one hand will be very sad for us, on the other hand it will mean that Queensland breeders will be presented with a once in a lifetime opportunity to buy from some of the best maternal family lines which are unprecedented in the stud book when we put many of our mares to the market mid this year and an opportunity not to be missed.

So hopefully we will see the majority of these mares remain in the hands of Queensland breeders.

Probably the most famous of the Sires to stand at Egmont Park was Fake Left, (sire of Blacks a Fake, Australia’s best pacer), plus many more famous sons and he has remained as Australia’s leading broodmare sire for decades such was his potency.

A sentimental favourite stallion is Mr Feelgood, ($3,366,157), who we own in partnership with Peter & Zilla O’Shea, who have proven to be the most wonderful partners anyone could be lucky enough to have and with whom we won the 2009 Inter Dominion at Parklands on the Gold Coast.

We both have also had the pleasure of winning a host of other major Group events with Mr Feelgood and his progeny have now won in excess of $10,000,000 in prize money in his stud career.

Sadly the loss of Hurrikane KingCole was a blow not only to his US owners, but to farm staff and ourselves, as even though we only had him for a few years, we all loved him dearly.

Yearlings bred at the Stud have regularly been top priced at Brisbane Yearling Sales.

The way we presented brood mares for clients was the hallmark of Queensland’s breeding.

Through droughts and good seasons, our mares were acknowledged by clients and guests alike as the best presented in Australia.

We have enjoyed some amazing achievements during the Stud’s career, one of which was to design the Sires/QBred programme and get it approved by then Treasurer of Queensland, Sir Llew Edwards in October 1981.

It has been the foundation that has ensured growth and development of breeding in this State.

Another milestone was the setting up of the APG Sales Series of which I was the inaugural chairman and underwrote its financial success which has lifted breeding to a new level Australia wide.

It is generally regarded as one of the most exciting aspects of racing seeing your foal born and follow its development through educations and trials, etc, and finally reaching the race track and then of course the real icing on the cake is the thrill of its first win and if good enough its first group win or placing – just magical.

Situated only 15 kilometres from Toowoomba City, the future of the Stud will remain as a Seymour family asset and will run initially black angus/wagyu cross cattle.

The only regret we have is that there are no members of our family who have an interest in horses to carry on the tradition.

Let’s hope that the breeding industry in Queensland continues to be successful and everyone enjoys participating in its success as much as we have.

Best wishes going forward!

Kind regards

Kevin & Kay Seymour