PG . 23
AUSTRALIAN QUARTER HORSE ASSOCIATION HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES
THE AUSTRALIAN QUARTER HORSE ASSOCIATION HONOURS MAX MCTAGGART WITH INDUCTION INTO THE HALL OF FAME .
Max McTaggart was born into the famous McTaggart rodeo family of Goondiwindi , Queensland . His father , Hilton , was a horse trader , drover and contract musterer . His mother , Mabel , was the daughter of a teamster .
Max ’ s horsemanship skills were learnt from an early age as his father had 112 horses , including two stallions with brood mares and he didn ’ t own a piece of ground . There would be 30 to 40 horses in a droving plant at a time and yards were a luxury they didn ’ t have . Some of the horses Max broke in on stations were eight to 10 years old .
When Max saw the first four imported King Ranch stallions at Warwick , he particularly liked “ Mescal ” and “ Gold Standard ” and thought they would all cross well to station mares as some of the horses were being bred too light for bush work . He couldn ’ t wait to ride and train one for himself .
The first was “ Quarter Elgrando ” and many others followed after him . Max purchased Elgrando at the age of 13 months and broke him in at 14 months . He then spent 22 months on the road with sheep . This unique partnership showed together for many years in all eastern States promoting the equine skills and versatility of the Quarter Horse . At a Quarter Horse Show at Penrith in 1973 , “ Quarter Elgrando ” won the $ 1,000 Open Reining and , at the same show , his three year old daughter “ Elamo ” won the $ 1,000 Open Cutting .
Max bought “ Mr War Cutter ” ( Imp ) and “ Hank Man Leo ” ( Imp ) both of whom he trained and showed in the cutting pen . They had ability to burn which they passed on to their progeny . He still owns “ Hank Man Leo ” who is 23 and breeding well for his age .
Max McTaggart was the first Quarter Horse trainer to go out on his own training for the public from his base of 55acres in the Lurg Hills near Benalla , Victoria . with the “ Elgrando ” prefix and carrying “ bulls head ” brands on their hips .
Max is a born communicator and loves to teach people of all ages . His work and support for AQHA Youth is legendary . If his Youth riders didn ’ t have a horse to show , he mounted them on his cutting horses for the Youth classes .
Several of Max ’ s students have gone on to become trainers themselves and he is very proud of their achievements . Max is now retired from public training . In spite of major surgery for prostate cancer he still rides horses for “ Bangtail ”, breeds Quarters Horses and does what his own teacher and mentor , the late Pine Johnson of Texas , told him to be sure to do ...... pass his knowledge on to others .
Max is a past AQHA Board Director and held AQHA Judge No . 1 badge ( he still has the badge ). His other achievements include : -
• 1978 Carnation Quarter Horseman of the Year
• 1978 AQHA Senior Cutting Champion on “ Mr War Cutter ”.
• 1979 AQHA Senior Cutting Champion on “ Mr War Cutter ”.
• All Max ’ s stallions have been listed AQHA Leading Sires in various categories .
• 1979 Coach for first AQHA Youth World Cup team to go overseas to Washington State , USA .
• VQHA Living Legend Award .
• Winner of VQHA Cutters Invitational on “ Elgrando Bobby H ”.
• Past NCHA Judge and is an NCHA Riders Hall of Fame inductee .
• Six NCHA High Point Horse titles .
• All Max ’ s stallions have been listed AQHA Leading Sires in various categories .
He was droving sheep in the area with his wife , Norma and young daughter Cheryl , when they discovered the picturesque spot . Many outstanding Quarter Horses have been bred there
AQHA JANUARY / FEBRUARY ISSUE 2022