Stock Horses
Nonda Ralph Lauren
NONDA RALPH LAUREN
Conatus – Nonda Allnightlong
Age: Rising 2YO (foaled 2007)
Height: Will mature around 51.1
Registration: ASHS registration is currently underway
Comments
Just like his namesake, Ralph Lauren is a class act. He is a full brother to Sunny Side (Lot 5) and a half brother to Nonda Charlie Peno (Acres Destiny) now owned and campaigned by Master Horseman Bill Willoughby. Ralph Lauren is by Conatus, which makes him a half thoroughbred – half quarter horse/stockhorse, so he will be ideally suited to sports like polo, polocrosses and campdrafting as well as the show ring. He is well grown and correct, a keen learner with a good intelligent mind.
His dam Nonda Allnightlong is one of our leading broodmares. She is a half sister to Nonda Lets Talk Later, winner of the Warwick Gold Cup.As a rising 2YO, Ralph Lauren is ready to start under saddle later this spring.
Pedigree
Sire
Conatus (Danehill / Light Up The World)
He’s the Danehill son with the kind of explosive speed that burnt up the racetracks and set two dazzling class records. He’s the Australian son and heir to the extraordinary Denise’s Joy family, and when it comes to speed he has it all wrapped up: Danehill, Rory’s Jester, Bletchingly and two crosses of Star Kingdom.
Conatus’ first crop are now 3YO’s and they are showing plenty of ability (see News section) with 10 race wins and 18 placings. His filly, Gag Order has won 3 races and placed once in town out of 5 starts. Other winners include: Tuscon Rain, Lenny’s Lot, Princess Conny, Jeffrey Joe, Pocket Battleship, Punjab and Wild and Free.
As a yearling, Conatus was sold for $650,000 at the Gold Coast Magic Millions. He is one of the highest priced colts ever sold by Baramul Stud.
Conatus is the classic powerhouse sprinter with heavy, deep muscling and a massive hindquarter. He carries the unmistakable stamp of his sire Danehill. He is a rich bay with one white sock and a small star. He stands 15.3 hh and is short backed, athletic and well balanced with good bone. He has good legs and feet.
Conatus is a pleasure to handle and work with. He is intelligent and responsive with his handlers.
He has thrown particularly impressive 2YO’s, yearlings and weanlings. They have good length of rein, nice sloping shoulders, good legs and feet. Some respected judges have expressed the opinion that he has upgraded his foals by a considerable margin. He has also upgraded his mares and stamped his type on his foals very evenly.
His foals are mostly bays. There are a few chestnuts that show the unmistakable stamp of Rory’s Jester, the sire of his dam Light Up The World, with the familiar white splashy blaze and socks. His foals are kind and intelligent to handle and are remarkably quick learners.
First Dam
Nonda Allnightlong (Doc Freckles Oaks / Nonda Night Bird)
Nonda Allnightlong was injured in a mustering accident as a 2YO and subsequently retired to the broodmare band as a 3YO. She is a three quarter sister to Nonda Lets Talk Later. She has been an exceptional producer to date.
Nonda Lets Talk Later, three-quarter sister to Nonda Allnightlong
Performance Record
- Won the 2000 Warwick Gold Cup (ridden by Terry Hall)
- The only horse in Australian history to ever make the finals of the Warwick Gold Cup (Terry Hall) and the NCHA Futurity and the NCHA Derby (Robert Mackay)
- Finalist 2000 Canning Downs: highest aggregate Gold Cup/Canning Downs. Ran the fastest round in 2000 Canning Downs (22 seconds)
- Also won the Walcha Golden Gate, the Proston Golden Spurs, 2nd Pearl of the North etc
- From Nonda’s finest family of great camp mares tracing back to 1923
Pedigree Notes
Sire: Docs Freckles Oak (Docs Oak – Freckles Fancy)
Nonda Let’s Talk Later is an own daughter of the late Docs Freckles Oak who is a legend in his own lifetime. Many great judges regard him as “the best quarter horse to ever come to Australia”.
The influence of this horse on the Australian working horse industry is already significant and will further increase in future decades. He has sired the winners of every major camp draft in the country as well as multiple cutting champions, reining champions, Cloncurry Stockmen’s Challenge Finalists and placegetters and polo ponies.
He is now proving to be a champion broodmare sire as well, and his daughters remain in great demand commanding very high prices.
Second Dam
Nonda Night Bird (Nonda Skywatch – Nonda Cuddles)
Pedigree Notes
Nonda Night Bird was an exceptional type of mare. This original taproot family was developed by the Brown family in 1923 at Nonda Downs station, Julia Creek N.W. Qld. They were an outstanding line of camp drafters, station stock horses and all-rounders with tremendous heart and stamina.
Performance
Nonda Night Bird was shown by champion trainer Ian Francis.
- 2YO: Junior State Champion Working Horse of Qld at the State Championship Show.
- 3Y0: won the Station Hack Class at Brisbane Royal Show (youngest horse in history to do so): second at the 3YO Widgee Futurity
- 4Y0: Retired to stud where she produced 5 daughters until her untimely death.
Stud Record
Her foals include:
- Nonda Bounceback (Rivoli Rex)
Sold by Nonda as a 2Y0 and drafted by Peter Cominsky. This mare placed second in the Novice Draft at the ACA National Titles (by one and a half points) Peter Cominsky had a very high opinion of this mare. She was later re-purchased by Nonda to join their brood mare band where she proved extremely successful. Her progeny include:- Nonda Military Cross (Acres Destiny) sire owned by Mr David Rathie and successfully campaigned by Mick Connelly
- Nonda Spider in the Swag (Nonda Swag) successful sire in Western Australia
- Nonda Undoolya (Beaver Doc) Multiple halter and show winner for her owners.
- Nonda Sweet Dreams (Boab) See above.
- Nonda Allnightlong (Docs Freckles Oak) Not shown due to injury. At stud she has produced the outstanding and widely respected Open campdrafter ONE DARK NIGHT (Acres Destiny) owned by the Hick Family, of St Elmo Julia Creek, NWQ
- Nonda Happy Ever After (Docs Freckles Oak) Drafted by Terry Hall before she returned to the Nonda broodmare band. She has produced a number of quality colts.
Third Dam
Nonda Cuddles (Skymark – Nonda Blue Mist)
Nonda Cuddles was a brilliant camp mare at Nonda who became a wonderful producer. This family has been owned and bred by members of the Brown family at Nonda Downs for 83 years: NH Brown (1923-1953) Reg Brown (1953-1975) Heather Brown (1975-2006).
The Rotorua family has always been regarded as Nonda’s best family. This family carries outstanding thoroughbred blood – the kind of bush thoroughbred that passed on speed, conformation and temperament.
Due to the distance and isolation of Nonda Downs, a station in North West Queensland, Nonda Cuddles was only ever bred to the one stallion, the thoroughbred Skywatch (Lumley Road – Countess Lloyda).
What Nonda Cuddles might have achieved if she had the opportunity to be bred to some of the more popular campdraft sires in the South can only be left to the imagination.
Her foals include:
- Nonda Bull Mitchell (Skywatch): station camp horse and picnic race horse
- Nonda Flynn (Skywatch)– station camp horse
- Nonda Jeannie Gunn (Skywatch)– halter winner at Brisbane RNA
- Nonda Daisy Bates (Skywatch) – broodmare
- Nonda Nellie Melba (Skywatch)– broodmare
- Nonda Salute (Skywatch) – gelding
- NONDA NIGHT BIRD (Skywatch)
- Shown by champion trainer Ian Francis.
- 2YO: Junior State Champion Working Horse of Qld
- 3Y0: won the Station Hack Class at Brisbane Royal Show: second at Widgee Futurity to another Nonda owned Filly.
- 4Y0: Retired to stud
- NONDA NATIVE SON (Skywatch)
- Remarkably tough, handsome horse who won a legion of admirers. He was used as a station camp horse at Nonda Downs during the years when the BTEC clean-up campaign was under way, and his speciality was running bulls. He was one of the greatest natural horses on cattle we have ever bred.
- He was shown at Cloncurry Show and Hughenden Show, where he won the Champion Stock Horse stallion on both occasions.
- His only other outing was in the Winton to Longreach Endurance Ride. Heather Brown was asked by outback legend RM Williams to accompany him for part of the ride and write about it for the Weekend Australian in order to promote the then yet-to-be-built Australian Stockman’s Hall of Fame in Longreach.
- Then a 6YO – and coming off the back of a long winter muster on the station – Native Son started the Ride without any special training. He vetted through at Eversham, 96 miles down the road, and the next day completed the 35 miles from Maneroo station into Longreach in 2 hours and 11 minutes. He vetted through again and won the admiration of both vets and horsemen everywhere.
- In a stud career cut tragically short by his early death (32 registered foals) Native Son managed to sire:
- NONDA BEBOPALOOPA (Charlie Brook) Champion Polocrosse Horse of Australia
- WOODBRIDGE GAZELLE winner of the prestigious Victorian Barastoc Horse of the Year.
- NONDA NATIVE WHIMSEY – won Station Hack at the Brisbane Royal Show in 1983, the only horse from the north to ever do so. Trained by Ian Francis, she also won another 8 working stock horse events.
Price
For Private Sale
Photo Gallery
CONATUS (Danehill – Light Up The World) (Rory’s Jester)
Conatus
Docs Freckles Oak
Lets Talk Later, three-quarter sister to Nonda Allnightlong
Lets Talk Later, 2000 Warwick Gold Cup (ridden by Terry Hall)
Lets Talk Later – NCHA Futurity
Heather Pascoe (nee Brown) on Lets Talk Later, NCHA Derby finalist
Nonda Night Bird cutting (ridden by Ian Francis)
Nonda Cuddles as a 3YO in 1967
Nonda Native Son
Nonda Native Son – ridden by Johnny Banning (aboriginal stockman)
Heather Brown and Nonda Downs stockman Joe Wilson. Native Son is photographed minutes after he crossed the line after traveling 35 miles in 2 hours and 11 minutes
Heather Brown and RM Williams
Nonda Bebopaloopa
Woodbridge Gazelle
Nonda Native Whimsey