Driving north from the grey of a damp Melbourne morning, to the blissful warm sun of the Riverina is a shock to the system, but a lot of people did. They also came from NSW, SA Queensland, and parts unknown.

Eric Dudley’s Kirreway property is typical of the farms of the district. A lovely old house, green lawns and towering jacaranda trees framing it tables on the lawn and local ladies selling sandwiches and cold drinks.

The car park was crammed. It has to be said that sunlight and beautiful ponies brings the showies out, like flies to a barbeque. They came from EVERWHERE and if they couldn’t be there they bid by phone.

Bidding started strongly with Bruce Flood, mobile phone plastered firmly against his ear, paying $4000 for Weston Eternity, a nice mare, typical of the Kirreway stock by K. Beeches from the great mare Weston Mode l.

every yard, every stable was full with beautiful ponies & Galloways

Graham Colvin of Headley Park Riding Ponies payed $2750 for lot two Kirreway Dover a small Land Mascot mare, and her foal Kirreway Heidi by Warrawee Dundee sold for $1500.

It was to be seen time and again during this sale that the Riding Pony fans have yet to realise the value of the Galloway type foal.

Anyone who has recently tried to buy one of these in a “going” situation would realise that the Dundees are goldmines… but then Eric Dudley, like Bart Cummings has always been one step ahead of the market.

The lovely brood mare Kirreway Rendezvous will join the brood mare band at Kolbeach after spirited bidding. She sold for $10,000.

Lot five was a super Dundee foal from Kirreway Extasy, liver chestnut with three long white socks  stands up so cleanly out of the shoulder and what a mover. Christine Stevenson has one on the bargains of the sale for $1000.

It sounds silly to say that paying $4,500 means you got a bargain… but there were a few of us that felt that lot 6, KB Dresden was the pick of the Kolbeach babies… so like his famous mum Dresden Park Renee, with perhaps even more spring in his step Bree Roberts  was happy to pay the $4500 and good luck to her.

Tony Oliver Watkins paid the same amount for the chestnut filly Kolbeach Hollyhock, from the famous Holly’s Gem family, and then the colt that everyone had been admiring lot eight, KB Print came into the ring.

So like his grandpa Owendale Percival, with a big white star, same head carriage and same strut to his movement the bids came faster that Peter Heagney could take them.

He was passed in at $16,000 and sold later for his reserve of $20,000, and is destined for a show career. As he is the first foal of The Kolbeach Stud stallion Fernleigh Fine Print, currently being campaigned in NSW by Bruce Flood, it’s obvious if this young stallion produces stock of the quality of Print he’ll be back at Kolbeach next season with a full book of the stud’s mares.

The crowd had not recovered from that excitement when lot nine stepped daintily into the rings. Kolbeach Frame, by Camargue Tribute from Fayremoon Picture once again had Peter Heagney talking faster than any auctioneer should have to.

With the bids rising without stopping to $17,000, when a happy Graham Elliot took the special Kolbeach hat given to every pony buyer. [pictured opposite]

Vicky Lawrie expressed sorrow that the stud had neglected to enter their youngstock for the up coming Melbourne Summer Royal. “They are prepared, and it would have been easy for the owners to take them, “ she said “We won’t make that mistake next time, we’ll enter all the sale horses. She’s so beautiful, it would have been interesting to see how she went.”

The next lot a grey KB Mask sold to Damian Evans for $3,000 and Annie Coxon brought Kirreway Bardot, a young mare from the lovely Glenway Magnolia for $2750.

Annie Brockoff brought her nice foal by Warrawee Dundee for $1000.

Kirreway Extasy, whose foal had sold earlier was sold to Jan Langley for $5,500, and Kirreway Decore went to Graham Colvin for $3000.

A nice Acrobat mare, Kirreway Folksong was a bargain for MaryJane Bruns at $2000 and the Edwrads family passed in Kirreway Bracelot, a placegetter under saddle at Melbourne Royal for $6000.

Roger Searle and Graham Elliot teamed to buy Kolbeach Wave for $7,500. A gorgeous buckskin her colour will be a striking bonus to her show career.

KB Cards, an upstanding chestnut colt with a heap of personality was one of only two Kolbeach lots with a reserve and passed in at $11,000.

KB Covers, the glamour baby of the sale, with his bright chestnut coat and blonde mane and tail gets a lot of his spectacular movement from his granny Covers, and with his beautiful pony face and tiny ears will be a joy to whatever child gets to ride him. Damian Evans paid $4,000 for him. Robert Day paid $3500 for the bay filly Kolbeach Classical, and Pat Hyland bid by phone to buy Kirreway Fifth Avenue from the lovely mare Kirreway Olivia for $5200.

Sally Watkins bought a super potential Galloway in the bay gelding Kirreway Gemini  from the TB mare Ada by Kirreway Beeches for $5000, and came back two lots later for the lovely Dundee colt from the champion saddle pony, Kirreway Reflections for $3750.

Phew! what a day...

Kirreway Guesswork a yearling by Dundee from Bardot sold to Sally Shiption for $2750, and is another nice Galloway to come, and Eric rightly passed in Kirreway Honour, by Dundee from the TB mare Broadway Singer for $1250.

Bree Roberts bought another in the bay gelding KB Streets for $4250, and Kolbeach Sea Pearl a lovely sweet filly that will mature to small galloway sold for $2750 to Graham Colvin of Headley Park Riding Ponies.  Kolbeach Flowers, a chestnut filly went to Swan Hill for just $1500, and Quamby Park Chokito’s cute as a button bay son went to the Coulinson family for $1750.

Tony Oliver Watkins once again came in for some action with his buy of Kirreway Fire and Ice, a Small Land Maytino filly from Kirreway Clouds, by Small Land Mascot form Kirreway Olivia… blue blooded Riding Pony breeding for $2500.

Lot 32 Kirreway Elitist sold for $2750, and the Galloway type filly Kirreway Glamour once again from a TB mare, was a bargain at $500. The same can be said for Kirreway Gyro, $750, Kirreway Grandee $1250, and Saravale Sandboy at $1250. All potential galloways, all by Warrawee Dundee, their buyers are looking at the biggest return on their investment, with the prices for these useful size horses booming by the year. All his stock have great action and a lovely turn of shoulder and neck… time will tell who has bought most wisely.

Lot 38, a chestnut filly Kolbeach Questions another from a TB mare, by Camarge Tribute sold for $2250 to the Solloway family, and KB Popstar, from Osary Spice Girl, sold for $2750 to Judy Ivory.

Judy went back to her cheque book for a beautiful TB mare, Flirting with a gorgeous foal at foot by Dundee and in foal to him again for $4000 and lot 41 another TB mare Burnbrae Jo sold for $800. The last mare sold, the stock horse Rose, with a nice Dundee foal at foot went to Robyn Parker for $1600.

Eques-Digi Snap Shots...

The Hard Working Crew ....

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