Kia-Ora Racing Legacy

By Harley Walden

In the spring of 1935, halfway up a steep hill overlooking the homestead and stallion yards, and the deep-grassed acres of Kia-Ora Stud, stood a newly railed grave.

It had no ornate fittings, was concreted plainly, and the inscription simply read: Magpie, Dark Ronald from Popinjay, Foaled 1914—Died 1934.

It was enough, Bert Riddle always contended.

Magpie, great stallion and personality needed neither verbal flourishes nor flowery epitaph.

On July 22, 1952, those words spoken of Magpie could have been echoed of A. W. (Bert) Riddle himself as the word filtered through from Scone’s Scott Memorial Hospital of the passing of a gentleman who was regarded at the highest level, not only by those with close ties to the Scone Race Club, an organisation he had served tirelessly since the early years of racing at Alabama, but from those who regarded this man as the senior stud-master in the Southern Hemisphere.

It was an accolade he had earned through his deeds in securing the title of Percy Miller’s Kia-Ora Stud, Segenhoe, as the premier thoroughbred-breeding nursery beneath the Southern Cross.

Those people close to Bert Riddle often spoke of his role at Kia-Ora, saying, “He did more than just control the famous property, he managed it capably and conscientiously, he became Kia-ora’s guiding star, its very heart and soul.”

One day in 1915, the late Percy Miller conceived an idea as he looked across the Pages River towards the neighbouring Segenhoe Stud.

If Segenhoe could produce champion racehorses, why not Kia-Ora? Was the question he asked himself?

From the soils of both properties came the lush green pastures that were watered by the lime-stone-laden water of the Pages River.

In January 1916, Percy Miller installed five mares he had been breeding from as a hobby, along with a moderate stallion, Flippant.

In hindsight Percy Miller’s next move was one he would not live to regret.

He installed as his manager Albert William Riddle, a trotting man, young in years, but old in the way of horses.

When Bert Riddle arrived at Kia-Ora he could never have imagined what would unfold and develop from this rough broad land over the next three decades, but only after a mountain of hard work.

It had only half-a-house, one big shed for general use, one shearing shed, and an old stone cottage built by the convicts nearly one hundred years earlier.

The only fence, to speak of, was the boundary between Kia-Ora and Segenhoe.

There were no boxes and no wells; the water supply came from the Pages River as it wended its way to join the Hunter.

Bert Riddle and his gradually growing number of staff needed six years to clear the timber and get the property into a proper working state.

As things progressed, the man who had been chosen to lay it out often smiled as he looked back and spoke of the “elastic” fences and barns that were built.

By this time Magpie was establishing his mark and Kia-Ora was looking towards a future that would make it into a world famous stud.

The son of Dark Ronald was a breeder’s dream, not only producing top class gallopers, but broodmares that, when coupled with the stallions that succeeded him, Midstream (imp), Delville Wood (imp), Le Grand Duc (imp) and many more, continued to turn out champions that left the famous stud with an unrivalled legacy and the famous sire as one of the greatest staying influences of Australian horse breeding.

Like most businesses around that period, the thoroughbred industry was finding its feet in a field that was becoming very competitive.

As Kia-Ora, along with the famous Thompson owned Widden Stud, had set the benchmark in both competition and quality, the standard had to be maintained, especially as the two rival studs, (Kia-Ora and Widden) offered more than 100 yearlings apiece around 1940 at the Sydney Yearling Sales.

With a high percentage of winner-producing results.

A reliable staff in those days was regarded at the highest level.

Not only where they responsible for the everyday, and sometimes nighttime running of the stud, they had to be flexible in every aspect of animal husbandry.

With Veterinary Surgeons next to nil in many parts of the country around that time, it was left up to the staff of these studs to use their common sense and to put into practice a legacy that had been handed down, in some cases from generation to generation.

Then again, on many counts it was just natural instinct and faith in one’s own ability, knowing that having done your best, you would be okay with the man who delivered the orders.

This is where Bert Riddle stood tall!

When things went wrong, as Kia-Ora passed through its comparatively lean years, he remained unperturbed, something that would suggest there were times when it is best to pretend not to see.

But he would never countenance carelessness or gross inefficiency.

While he remained friendly and affable with his staff, he did not say much, preferring to listen and weigh arguments before entering judgement.

The man who guided the famous stud through the lean times, good times and great times, expected thoroughness and loyalty, which he himself gave Kia-Ora.

The memorial to A. W. Riddle lay in the hills and pastures of Kia-Ora’s 2650 acres, and in the fond memories of all that knew him would remain with them through life.