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1905
4 January 1905
PINE RIDGE, GULGONG.
J. A. BUCKLAND'S ESTATE.
The Home of High class Trotting Stock.
BY 'MAIL' SPECIALS.
IF trotting ever becomes as popular a pastime with the people of Australia as it is in America, or even New Zealand, and the history of it is written, Mr. J. A. Buckland will surely figure largely as one of the most unselfish and enthusiastic of its votaries, who devoted much time, money, and hard work to me raising and development of the trotter to a standard unequalled in Australia. Trotting is pre eminently the first horse sport with Americans, and no money is considered ill-spent by its adherents if they can raise a 'stake horse.' Among all the thousand of standard trotters annually bred in the vast American union, how few has the great country raised better than Fritz? This magnificent record breaker was one of the first trotters Mr. Buckland bred from Van Cleve, and there is only one stain on his record. When hardly recovered from a cold contracted while travelling across the Tasman Sea, from Syd ney to New Zealand, and in a palpably unfit condition, the world famous son of Van Cleve was defeated for championship honours by Ribbonwood - a pacer. Pricing action does not involve so great a strain on the physical powers of a horse as does true trotting, and the pacers get over the ground faster than the orthodox trotter. Fritz is the truest of true trotters. He. 'never got up,' i.e., broke, in his life, and his action can only be likened to that of a perfect machine.
A great deal of capital was made out of Ribbonwood's victory over Fritz, and the local enthusiasts cheered Ribbonwood till they could cheer no longer, forgetting for the nonce, no doubt, the great Fritz who a few years before, when in prime health, gave all their champions 10 seconds start in an exhibition race, and by an oversight lost several additional seconds, but caught them in half a mile, and beat them as if they were so many dog-cart road horses.
Some years ago trotting promised to become a popular sport in Sydney, and lovers of the game will still, no doubt, remember the splendid fields that ocasionally started at the suburban meetings and used to draw good crowds, but the game was killed by the rapacity of the promoters and their friends, an unholy combination of pony race artists and third-rate trotting men. They killed the sport as they killed pedestrianism, by tolerating and abetting roguery in order that they and a few of their friends could get money easily. The public became wary, and inclined to be ribald at the mention of a trot, and the few good men in the business got out. Despite the bad odour into which trotting had got, the presence of Fritz for an exhibition race used to be a sure drawing card, and would be so still if Mr. Buckland were to fetch him to the capital. This indicates that a first-class horse can compel admiration and interest the public despite the fact that they had good reasons for not loving the game, and, had a few men like J. A. Buckland got hold of the reins of government, and thrown the boomsters out before the game was killed outright, when trotting was becoming popular here the sport would have been flourishing, to-day, and the New South Wales Trotting Association would not have such an uphill battle to fight in its endeavours to rehabilitate the sport in the eyes of the public.
Some 16 years ago Mr. Buckland established a stud of trotters with Van Cleve at the head of affairs at Wonbobbie, on the Marthaguy, and obtained the most, flattering results, for besides the great Fritz, he raised such as Valiant, Viva, Valour, Frederick, The Heir, Vaunt, Hush, Hark, Answer, Wonbobbie, Verity, Velocity, Veto, Venare, Franz, Velox, Katie M., Vasco, Sunshine, Joe, Don Cleve Quincey, Cling, and Daybreak, all the get of Van Cleve; and, with the exception of Joe and Wonbobbie, all have been successful in New Zealand. St. Louis, whom Mr. Buckland used as second stallion at Wonbobbie and Pine Ridge, is the sire of What, St. Simon, Ziska, St. John, Rexie, Louise, and Husheen, all good winners, and with the exception of Louise, all have won in New Zealand. St. Simon, Rexie, and Husheen are out of Van Cleve mares. Among this lot What was considered up to champion form when well, for he showed his owner a 2m 12s trial. Burlingham, Cinders, Ben Hur, and 'Frisco - all children of Burlington, Jun., also bred by Mr. Buckland, are notable New Zealand winners; Ben Hur, in fact, holds the saddle record for a mile in that country. Burlingham and Cinders are out of Van Cleve mares. When old Van Cleve died his beautiful son Valiant took his place in the stud, and three foals were his first contribution to it. Among these are Veracity and Veneda, now in New Zealand. Veracity's maiden race was a two miles event, which he won in 5m 4s, which is flattering proof that Valiant inherits his famous sire's potency. Besides the lengthy list of winners mentioned. Van Cleve has sired many others from public mares. During his five seasons of racing in New Zealand Mr. Buckland has topped the winning owners on four occasions, and was second once - a flattering record, truly, but only a fair reward for his enterprise in maintaining a select stud in this State and a racing stable in Maoriland.
In America Mr. Buckland would have found much honour for breeding such an average of horses from a small stud of mares. Five years ago Mr. Bucklaud purchased Pine Ridge station, situated nearly midway between Mudgee and Coonabarabran, on the edge of the great Liverpool Plains volcanic belt, and removed his flocks, herds and stud horses there. Here he has built a magnificent stone dwelling house and stables that would do credit to the most gilt-edged English stud farm, from plans drawn by Mr. Lamrock an architect of Orange. Of course, one of the first tasks entered upon when Mr. Buckland took over Pine Ridge from the late Hon George Henry Cox was to lay down a trotting track, as well as a training course, for his thoroughbreds, though for the latter there is now no use, as Mr. Buckland has purchased an establishment at Randwick, and his racers are trained at headquarters. Every morning the Pine Ridge trotting track is a busy scene, for there are always many horses in active work to replenish an establishment which the owner maintains in New Zealand, and there is always a squad of youngsters to be taught the way they should go - in harness. To properly educate a trotter much knowledge of horse flesh and exemplary patience are needed. The Pine Ridge trotters are famous for their perfect manners and true action, which, of course, reflects the highest credit upon the master of the stud, who despite the multitudinous duties connected with the management of a large estate, plays the most active part in the education of his young steppers. Besides being a breeder of standard harness horses, Mr. Buckland breeds thoroughbreds, stud sheep, and beautiful short-horns. He is also an eminent raiser of poultry, pigeons, parrots, dogs, and deer, turkeys being a speciality with him. Pine Ridge proper runs into over 40,000 acres of splendid land and in addition to this 5640 acres are leased from the Lawson estate. Though credit is due to Mr. Lamrock for the fine buildings, the gardens, drives, plantations, and the general beautification of the homestead emanated from Mr. and Mrs. Buckland.
Respecting Pine Ridge and the stock he saw, our travelling photographer, who has spent a busy life among horses, cattle, and sheep, writes as under:-
'It is a treat, as well as instructive, to have a cruise around the home stead. Everything is done solid and well, and cleanliness is particularly noticeable throughout the whole establishment. I left Pine Ridge with the impression that it is only those who are in constant contact with horses such as are there that know what lovable animals they are. It is a pity Australia had not a few dozen like Mr. Buckland to take such pride in keeping up such a desirable class of horses. I did not see a weed on the whole estate. But I saw among the mobs many that were big and well-built enough to trot eight or nine miles an hour with half a ton behind them. Mr. Buckland shows himself a real admirer of good horseflesh right through, for the blood stock are of the best, and his station team of draughts are said to be the champions of the district, and they certainly look good; in fact, now I come to think of it, his cattle are a beautiful type of the pure-bred shorthorn, and the sheep are of the same standard.'
Mr. Buckland keeps a nice little stud of thoroughbred mares at Pine Ridge, though in this class he has not achieved anything like the success he has obtained with the trotter, but that, unfortunately, is due to ill luck. At the break up of Kirkham Stud he secured two fine Chester mares, Angola and Madras, but one of his first experiences with them was to lose a magnificent colt by Ayr Laddie from Madras. Remembering this fine youngster Mr. Buckland sent Madras to Woodlawn on a visit to Ayr Laddie, when Mr. James Thompson brought back that good-looking son of Ayrshire back from Queensland. Mohair, who has won some nice races for the colours, was bred by the owner, and is out of Angola, while other winners bred by Mr. Buckland which the writer recalls at the moment are Zenda and Aurated. Some time back grand old Van Cleve paid his debt to Nature, and was buried with honours that became a horse of his class. Having many big-class Ven Cleve fillies Mr. Buckland sent abroad for a stallion to cross with them, and his agent in San Francisco purchased a fine-looking colt from Senator Stanford, the owner of the famous Palo Alto Stud, who was the first to conceive the possibility of great improvement in the trotter - by crossing males of great note with thoroughbred mares. The colt purchased for Pine Ridge has been named California. He is a youngster of great quality with most beautiful shoulders, curved crest, and a straight, lean, game head. With him from America came a mare named Etta Wood, a standard trotter who has since produced a fine foal by Iran Alto. This distinguished stranger in a strange land is a low-set, classy mare, well pitched forward on a pair of beautiful shoulders Valiant, as the accompanying picture shows, is a worthy son of a worthy sire, who, it will be remembered made a two-year-old record at Canterbury (N.Z.) in 1899, when he easily won the Produce Stakes in 2m 35s5
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