By Andrea Branchini
There are names and there are characters, but at times the name is the character.
THE BRUMBY (3, g, Spirit of Boom–Rhiannons Girl, by General Nediym), a maiden winner and stakes-placed in Australia, has been bestowed with a name that reflects his true colors. “Brumby” as a proper noun denotes free-roaming feral horses in Australia, especially in the Northern Territory and Queensland. The young Thoroughbred roamed free over acres of the Queensland outback when the owners, prompted by the rising value of Spirit of Boom's stock, made the decision to send him to a weanling sale. A helicopter was required to locate the roving mare and foal in the large Australian property and once found, “a rapid weaning, branding and micro-chipping and straight to sale,” said Jo Griffin. The weanling was purchased for A$135,000 by Justin Casse at the Gold Coast Weanling sale in 2018 and was later pinhooked via Griffin's Lime County Thoroughbreds for A$250,000 the following year at the Inglis Classic Yearling Sale. The “outback reputation” of the horse must have been fully established by the time of the yearling sale, Griffin recalls eventual buyer Tom McEvoy telling her “Bring out the Brumby!” when going back for third and fourth looks before the auction.
“Wild, wild horses/we'll ride them some day,” as intimated by the final verses of a famous Rolling Stones' song.
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