Clockwise from top left : John Cowley as a teenager , mustering on Bobbie Bruce ; Bobbie Bruce as an old horse ; Ernie Cowley flag racing on Bobbie Bruce , an event in which the little stallion was never beaten .
Bobbie Bruce
This great ‘ pony ’ of Ernie Cowley has had a profound influence on the Australian Stock Horse Stud Book . Bred at Glendonbrook , Singleton , in the Hunter Valley , Bobbie Bruce was by the well known racing pony Bruce , who was by Moorefield ( TB ). Moorefield was by Cheviot , out of Bengal Light . Bruce ’ s dam was a TB mare .
Bobbie Bruce ’ s dam , Cadger , was one of the great campdraft mares of her era , winning three Australian Championship Campdrafts . In a long competitive career , Cadger was only beaten once in a flag race , and she won campdrafts in many areas , including Wallamba . Cadger was by the TB sire Sylvander , and out of a mare who was by the imported pony stallion , Docken . Cadger was bred by Lindsay Wood of ‘ Melrose ’, Reedy Creek , Singleton . Ernie Cowley purchased her as a young mare , broke her in and rode her during her competitive life .
From a limited number of outings , Bobbie Bruce won eight of the ten campdrafts he contested , and was unbeaten in flag races . He sired the Foundation stallions MUSTER - FS and SCRUMLO FIRELIGHT - FS . He is also the sire of Respect , the dam of ELLIOTTS CREEK CADET - FS . He is the sire of two Foundation mares , STANTON STUD SAUCER - FM and SCRUMLO VICTORIA - FM , and the grandsire of Foundation mare FOREST NANCY - FM . Co-founder of the Australian Stock Horse Society , Bert Griffith , had great faith in Bobbie Bruce , and he sent his highly regarded mare , Flame , to him on two occasions . In 1959 she produced the Foundation mare SCRUMLO VICTORIA - FM . This mare , at her first outing , won three campdrafts on the one day at Rouchel . She went on to be a great broodmare , producing the Impact stallion , SCRUMLO VICTORY - IS . In 1960 the Bobbie Bruce / Flame combination produced the Foundation stallion SCRUMLO FIRELIGHT - FS .
The first foals by Bobbie Bruce were born in 1937 and the last foals were born in 1963 . During his long life Bobbie Bruce served over 1,000 mares . The Cowley Family have a record of all mares served .
Australian Stock Horse Society 1971 - 2011 21