Welcome to Season 2024

As it has become my habit to write something on the eve of the stud season ahead, I find myself reflecting on those seasons that have been and gone already. And am slightly alarmed to count 44 of them!

This 2024 season, will be my 45th stud season, even discounting the two years at Agricultural College. I made up for the two missed years with a couple of Northern Hemisphere seasons, one at the Irish National Stud and the other at Coolmore Ireland.

So, what keeps someone in the thoroughbred breeding game for so long? I certainly considered the options over the years but none seriously enough to change tack. Having started out at the bottom of the pile as a 16-year-old kid, there was a lot to learn, see and do that held my interest for the first 20 years. At about this point I began looking for any opportunity to put into practice all I had learnt, in the form of a farm of my own. In the interest of keeping the story simple, I will just say I managed to secure a back block of 64 acres that became the foundation of what is today, Bombora Downs. That was back in 2000, since then we have added 3 more titles, planted 30,000+ trees, built a bit of infrastructure to the point where I think we have a pretty nice farm on which to live, work and raise horses.

Of course, horses are the central theme. Certainly, for me since the age of eight, horses have been a daily part of my life. They are the common interest between you and I as well as many of the wonderful people I have met throughout my career. Whilst I have a great deal of experience with the animal, I find there are still things to learn to hold my interest every year. I think I grow as a horseman and in turn as a human as well.

The thoroughbred industry itself has changed over my tenure. It is now adays a pretty solid show and something I have not always been entirely comfortable with. As with many businesses now, it is “get big” or “get out” or “specialise”. Most of the small family-owned farms that dotted the state, standing one to two good value stallions have now gone. The smaller farms of today, mostly walk-on to corporate owned farms where the focus is very much on commercialism.

It is very hard for those of you who still wish to breed to race, to find stallions that offer real merit at affordable service fees. Concurrently it is not easy for stallions that fall just short of commercial to find farms with the facilities, expertise, and staff to stand them. Stallions are a lot of work, as is foaling down, weaning and sales prep. That said, they do make up good part of the mix here at Bombora Downs.

So it is without further ado that I will wish you well for the season ahead. Thank you in advance for whatever support may come and introduce you to the class of ’24:

Cliff’s Edge    Cape Of Good Hope    Dandino    De Gaulle
Frankel My Dear    Ka Ying Master    Soul Patch

Christoph Bruechert