Stock Horses › History
- 1900 - 1912
- NH Brown and his brother Reg Brown start breeding thoroughbreds on their stations near Dubbo, NSW. They also play polo and develop their own successful line of polo ponies.
- 1912 - 1918
- Reg Brown volunteers with the First Light Horse and sets sail for the Middle East with his horse Dipso. Captain Brown later awarded the Military Cross for valour: gives all praise to his horse, Dipso. Brown gives him to his commanding officer when he is posted to Gallopili. Dipso later wins the Raffa Cup, the main race held by the Australian Army to celebrate the end of the war. True to form, Dipso won from a field of 30. Dipso covers two furlongs in heavy sand and wins by four lengths. Captain Brown survives Gallopili only to be later killed in France, 1918. NH Brown names his baby son after him. His photograph remains on the family mantelpiece.
Miss Maltese photographed in 1919 after her win the Juvanile Stakes in Sydney. The filly was bred by NH Brown
- 1919
- NH Brown wins Juvenile Stakes with his filly Miss Maltese in Sydney.
- 1923
- NH Brown leaves his thoroughbred broodmares behind with his surviving brother at Dubbo and moves 2,000 miles north to Nonda, a sheep and cattle station near Julia Creek. He begins to breed the Nonda line of station horses.
- NH Brown wins the Carrington Stakes and the Futurity Stakes with his horse Grecian Orator in Sydney.
- 1926
- Nonda hit by severe drought. All stock sent away on agistment.
- 1929 - 1933
- The Great Depression.
- 1933 - 1939
- The Brown family begins to rebuild stock numbers at Nonda. As the threat of war looms, NH Brown decides to disperse his thoroughbred broodmares left behind with his surviving brother at Dubbo. Sells a mare called Lady March in foal to Excitement.
- 1939 - 1945
- The Second World War. Nonda Downs is behind the Brisbane Line: Reg Brown enlists and his sister Norah goes away to work with the American command in Townsville. NH Brown and his stockmen left to run the station and supply meat and wool for the war. The north prepares for invasion: troop trains go through the station every day, station claypans pegged out for airstrips, mustard gas buried nearby, arsenic supplied for the bores.
- 1946
- The Melbourne Cup is won by Russia (by Excitement from Lady March). NH Brown says, "There you go. I'll just have to find myself another one."
- 1947
- Reg Brown (27) rides one of his favourite fillies on the station. The photograph was taken to send to his sweetheart 2,000 miles away in Sydney. They were married some months later, and she kept the framed photograph beside to her bed for the next fifty years.
- 1953
- NH Brown retires, hands over Nonda Downs and the horse breeding program to his son Reg. Tells his head stockman he is going to New Zealand to buy a Melbourne Cup winner.
- 1955
- NH Brown purchases a yearling colt - Macdougal (Marco Polo - Lady Fox) from Trelawney Stud at the New Zealand Sales.
NH Brown
- 1956
- NH Brown passes away suddenly. Macdougal given to his son, Reg
- 1958
- Macdougal wins the Brisbane Cup.
Macdougal gets a touch of the tartan and a swirl of the bagpipes, 1959, just prior to his Melbourne Cup win
- 1959
- Macdougal wins The Melbourne Cup, the Queens Cup and the Metropolitan. Reg Brown calls his stock and station agent from Flemington Racecourse and gets him to put on free beer at all the hotels in Julia Creek and Richmond (and lollies and ice creams for the children.) It is the only Melbourne Cup to go into the Australian Bush.
- 1960
- Reg Brown (185 cms, 89 kgs) wins the Maxwelton (pop.26) Hurry Scurry, a 2-furlong race for gentlemen jockeys over 10 stone. Rides his favourite camp horse Charlie Chaplin hands and heels.
- 1963
- Reg Brown breeds and trains Trees, winner of the Nelia Cup (pop. 30) Tells people "This is what racing is all about."
- 1973
- Reg Brown hands over the horse-breeding program to his daughter Heather and teaches her the ropes.
NONDA SWEET THING (with colt foal at foot by NONDA SKYWATCH) held by Aboriginal station stockman Johnny Banning (1978)
Reg Brown and his daughter Heather (assisted by one of the station stockmen) hold three Nonda bred horses at the 1982 Cloncurry Show: (L-R) NONDA NATIVE WHIMSEY (by NATIVE SON) NONDA JEANNIE GUN (full sister to Native Son) and NATIVE SON
Reg Brown and his daughter Heather at the 1982 Cloncurry Show holding (l-r) NONDA NATIVE WHIMSEY and NATIVE SON
- 1982 - 1983
- Heather shows a number of the station horses successfully at Cloncurry and Hughenden Show.
- 1983
(22 July) - Heather rides in the Winton to Longreach Endurance Ride to write a story on R.M.Williams for The Australian newspaper. Station stock horse Nonda Native Son is taken from the mustering string and given a few long rides before his start in Winton. Travels 96 miles in 14 hours on one leg. The next day travels 35 miles in 2 hours and 11 minutes. Passes all vet checks.
Heather Brown (on NATIVE SON) and the legendary RM Williams at the end of the Winton to Longreach Endurance Ride. They had just ridden a 35 mile leg in 2 hours and 11 minutes.
- 1983
(26 July) - Reg Brown passes away suddenly.
- 1983
(15 August) - Nonda Whimsey (ridden by Ian Francis) wins the station hack at Brisbane Royal Show, becoming the first horse from the North to do so.
- 1984
- Heather Brown (along with family friend and next door neighbour Peter Abdy) creates the CLONCURRY STOCKMENS CHALLENGE as a memorial to her late father Reg. 18 years later, the event is considered one of the three major events in the Australian performance horse industry.
Ian Francis and STAR CAROUSEL (3yo) after her victory in the Moonbi Cow Horse Futurity
- 1986
- Star Carousel (owned by Nonda) wins Moonbi Cow Horse Futurity (Ian Francis)
- Nonda Night Bird wins Junior State Champion Under Saddle (Dalby)
STAR CAROUSEL and Ian Francis in the Dry Pattern at the 1987 Cloncurry Stockmen's Challenge. The mare won both the Dry Work and the Campdraft Section on her way to victory in the event
- 1987
- Star Carousel wins the Cloncurry Stockmen's Challenge (Ian Francis)
Ian Francis and NONDA TALL POPPY at Brisbane Royal Show -
when she swept the pool and won every ridden ASHS event on the card (five wins)
- 1989
- Nonda Tall Poppy wins the AQHA High Point Cow horse of Australia and is runner up Reining Horse of Australia. Has five ridden starts in ASHS classes at Brisbane Royal show for five wins.
- 1991
- Nonda makes the decision to radically shift its breeding program, retiring from competition to breed large numbers of mares to Docs Freckles Oak, then at the beginning of his stud career.
- 1992
- Lets Talk Later (Docs Freckles Oak - Nonda Sweet Dreams) foaled.
NONDA LETS TALK LATER works her way into the prestigious National Cutting Horse Association Final with trainer Robert Mackay in the saddle
- 1995
- Nonda Lets Talk Later is a Finalist in the NCHA Futurity (Robert Mackay)
- 1996
- Nonda Lets Talk Later is a finalist in the NCHA Derby. Also runs second in the novice at the NCHA National Finals. Commences her camp-drafting career with Terry Hall.
Terry Hall and NONDA LETS TALK LATER round the pegs at Cambooya Open 1998
- 1998
- Nonda Lets Talk Later wins Walcha Golden Gate, Proston Golden Spurs, Finalist Warwick Gold Cup, fastest round in the Canning Downs (27 seconds)
- Nonda Native Bebopalooba (Native Son - Yarranoo Ragtime) won Champion Horse of the 1998 National Polocrosse Finals, Champions Mens Horse, Best No. 1 and Champion ASHS.
NONDA NATIVE BEBOPALOOPA
- 1999
- Lets Talk Later sent to stud. Foals chestnut filly Nonda Lucinda in December.
- 2000
- Nonda Luciinda weaned in May: her dam Lets Talk Later runs 2nd at Pearl of the North in July, then wins Cloncurry Open, Winton Open and Restricted Open.
Terry Hall and NONDA LETS TALK LATER round the second peg at Warwick 2000
- 2000
(October) - Nonda Lets Talk Later wins the Warwick Gold Cup (Terry Hall) Finalist Canning Downs (22 seconds) highest overall aggregate Canning Downs and Warwick Gold Cup. Highest scoring Stock Horse, Highest scoring Quarter Horse. Retired to stud.
- 2000
- Nonda Yothu Yindi (Docs Freckles Oak - Star Carousel) wins Stallion Campdraft at ASHS National Finals.
- 2001
- The Nonda horses find a new home at Plaintree Farms on the Darling Downs.
PLAINTREE FARMS - The New Home of the Nonda Horses
- 2002
- Nonda announces their decision to move back into thoroughbred racing and breeding. The stud - now trading as Plaintree Farms - will continue to produce stock horses aimed at Warwick and the Cloncurry Stockmen's Challenge.
- 2003
- Plaintree announces partnership with Mr John Messara and Arrowfield
- 2004
- Plaintree announces partnership with Mr Gerry Harvey and Baramul.
- 2005
- Plaintree announces partnership with Mr Muzzafar Yaseen and Platinum Scissors, Group 1 winning full brother to super-sire Redoutes Choice
- 2006
- Nonda announces their new stock horse sire Nonda Redford (Semipalitinsk- Nonda Lets Talk Later)