Branga Prudence
( Port Rush / Gentle Annie)
Branga Prudence, the mare that Bert Griffith bought from Branga Plains at Walcha, proved highly influential in the Australian Stock Horse Stud Book.
Bert Griffith’ s father managed Branga Plains at Walcha, New South Wales, for WH Mackay. This property was sold in 1929. Mr Griffith Snr moved to manage Anambah at Maitland, and Bert Griffith, who worked on Branga Plains, was shifted to work on Scrumlo. He was instructed to bring two horses with him. No one is clear about one of the horses, but the other mare was to be the foundation of the Scrumlo horses for the next 70 + years: Branga Prudence. This mare was by the TB sire Port Rush, and out of Gentle Annie. Bert’ s daughter Mary Griffith recalls,‘ Nearly all the Branga Plains horses were Thoroughbred, because of the flatter country, with a lot of them being by Port Rush and Secundas. There was always a Gentle Annie and Branga Prudence on Scrumlo.’
Brian Brooker tells a great story about Branga Prudence.‘ There was a bush race meeting at Rouchel not long after Bert Griffith arrived from Branga Plains. He brought the long coated Branga Prudence down to start in the top event of the day. Locals tactfully suggested it might be better to start in the scrubbers’ race, but Bert stuck to his guns and contested the Open. Needless to say, she streeted the opposition.’
Mary Griffith recalls,‘ Bush race meetings were a passion with my father, and he and his brother Jim were highly successful.’
When Bert arrived at Scrumlo, he shared the single accommodation with another great horseman, Reg Watts. By the early 1930s, Bert had gone from stockman to manager. By this time the property had passed on to FK Mackay( Darby), who had become very good friends with Bert, and they continued this friendship until Bert’ s death over 50 years later.
Branga Prudence, the mare that Bert Griffith bought from Branga Plains at Walcha, proved highly influential in the Australian Stock Horse Stud Book. She is the granddam of two Foundation Mares, SCRUMLO NITA- FM and SCRUMLO BRANGA PRUDENCE- FM, the great granddam of SCRUMLO VICTORIA- FM, and the great great granddam of the Impact Stallion SCRUMLO VICTORY- IS and the Impact Mare RAYS GIFT- IM.
Bert Griffith. co-founder of the Australian Stock Horse Society, holding Branga Prudence, a foundation mare of the Scrumlo line.
Descendants of Branga Prudence
Above: Ian MacCallum running second on SCRUMLO BRANGA PRUDENCE- FM at Moonan, 1961. Allan Ward was quoted in 1976 as saying this mare was‘ the greatest campdraft mare I ever rode’.
Above right: SCRUMLO VICTORY- IS Right: SCRUMLO NITA- FM
Australian Stock Horse Society 1971- 2011 43