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Bill Kerr and his great sprinter , Willomurra Finnigan R1-3868 AAA ( Jet Master x Chambery TB ) after Finnigan won the Jubilee Sprint in the presence of Queen Elizabeth at the Willomurra track 1977 . “ One of my all-time favourite photographs ” Merrie says “ because of the expression on the faces of both Bill and Finnigan . Finnigan remains one of my favourite horses and he was a major influence in us selecting Winning Deck as a sire all those years ago - a decision we never regretted
The grounds of Willomurra were developed for a variety of activities including a new quarter mile racing track
John Wharton and Seductive Sniper A1-12989 winners of the Inaugural Merrie Elliott Breeders Cup 2021
And there are breeders in this country who are importing modern racing genetics from the USA to see it through . Allan Sullivan is one such man . “ I ’ ve been a fan of the Quarter Horse for as long as I can remember with a strong leaning to the running QH . As a young person I purchased an Ima Go Man colt which I raced successfully and rode for several years , never quite appreciating his unique qualities . I soon became a fan of Go Man Go which continues to this very day . He ’ s always at the top of my mind when I do a pedigree analysis for matings . I guess I like the ‘ underdog ’ who ’ s had to get to the top the hard way .
In my late twenties I purchased the Go Man Go stallion , Friendly Ten from the Horden family . The problem was I had no money , no mares , no property , and no plan . This is how I came to know Merrie Elliott when I leased the horse to Willomurra QH Stud where she was stud manager . I would love to own him today , he would be a terrific sire .
In 1991 , after having no horses for several years I set my focus on my new business Sullivans Mining & Hardware . By 2004 / 05 I was able to return to my love for the running horse and imported two mares , Scoot N Fly and Shez Nobodys Darling .
2022 Merrie Elliott Breeders Cup Champion - Go Kelly Go A1-12933 with ( from left ) owner Steve McCann and presenters Paul Stephens & Ashley Gallagher
Both were by stallions that I considered were two of the best broodmare sires of all time - Strawfly Special and Heza Fast Man . The mares were in foal to Stoli , who had just won the All American Derby and was regarded as the hottest sire to stand at stud in many years . These two mares became the foundation of my breeding program . I ’ ve since imported ( 2022 ) another filly , Nauti by RC Me Leaving You .
“ After a few years I became aware that there was some sprint racing happening in North Queensland . I wanted to test my breeding program so I approached them to see if I could help , and so the Merrie Elliott Breeders Cup was born .”
Allan Sullivan initiated the Merrie Elliott Breeders Cup in 2020 to achieve a couple of objectives - 1 . Quarter Horse racing was being held in far North Queensland but with minimal prizemoney , so he thought it would be a great tool to promote the growth of the sport and boost the local communities .
2 . The name was chosen because he simply couldn ’ t think of anyone more worthy - none who ’ d contributed as much for so long , to not only the running Quarter Horse but the industry in general . And this was a fitting tribute to honour Merrie Elliott ’ s lifetime of commitment .
2024 AQHA YEARBOOK ~ MAY / JUNE ISSUE