Hunter Thoroughbred Breeders Association is an organisation devoted to fostering, protecting, promoting and preserving the thoroughbred breeding industry in the Hunter Valley area of New South Wales.

 

The Hunter Thoroughbred Breeders Association represents stallion farms, broodmare farms, the largest equine hospital in the Southern Hemisphere and a sophisticated network of equine support industries all of whom are dependent on Australia’s premier breeding industry.

 

Together we employ thousands of people across our region and contribute to the employment of hundreds of thousands of people across our value chain nationally – from feed merchants, saddlers and equine transport companies right through to the racing industry.

 

The Hunter Valley is the recognised horse capital of Australia. It is the second largest thoroughbred breeding region in the world second only to the State of Kentucky in the USA.

 

Boasting world class stallion rosters at a number of farms, with high class Australian horses bolstered by an annual influx of top level shuttle stallions from the UK, Ireland, Europe, USA and Japan each year, the Hunter has plenty to offer.

 

These stallions serve 40 per cent of Australia’s broodmares each breeding season and their progeny dominate the Australian black type calendar every racing season.

 

Along with first class Australian-owned stallion farms such as Arrowfield, Kingstar Farm, Newgate Farm,  Widden and Yarraman Park, to name but a few, international operations such as Coolmore, Godolphin-Darley, Kia Ora, Emirates Park and Vinery Stud add great depth and quality to the line up of stallions on offer.

 

Many of Australia’s greatest broodmares reside on farms in the Hunter, such as: Shantha’s Choice the dam of Redoute’s Choice, Platinum Scissors and Manhattan Rain; Tracy’s Element the dam of Typhoon Tracy and Red Element; Palia the dam of Onemorenomore; Procrastinate, the dam of Foreplay and Time Thief; Circles of Gold the dam of Elvstroem and Haradasun; Nancy Eleanor the dam of Golden Slipper winner Phelan Ready; Surrealist the dam of Racing To Win and Purrealist – the list goes on. And the quality endures.

 

There is a host of wonderful broodmare specialist farms in the region with names like Alma Vale, Amarina, Ambergate, Barador, Baramul, Berkeley Park, Bhima, Byerley, Cressfield, Chatsworth, Davali, Edinglassie, Fernrigg Farm, Glastonbury Farms, Glen Gallic, Golden Grove, Goodwood Park, Holbrook Thoroughbreds, Kanangra, Kia Ora Stud, Kirks Bridge Farm, Marquee, Middlebrook Valley Lodge, Monarch Stud, Murulla Stud, Noogee Park, Retreat, Ridgmont, Riversdale, Robrick Lodge, Rothwell Park, Segenhoe Stud, Sledmere, Toologanvale, Torryburn, Valiant Stud and Willow Park Stud.

 

Stallions, mares, farms, people - the underpinning strength of thoroughbred breeding in the Hunter.

 

Our Board reflects our commitment to the preservation and promotion of the thoroughbred industry. It comprises representatives from some of Australia’s most influential and historic thoroughbred breeding farms including Arrowfield, Aquis, Coolmore, Davali, Godolphin, Newgate, Riversdale, Vinery, Yarraman Park and the Scone Equine Hospital.

 

Our Commitment

 

The Hunter Thoroughbred Breeders Association is committed to upholding near 200 years of breeding history by fostering, protecting, promoting and preserving the thoroughbred breeding industry in the Hunter Valley.

 

We are committed to improving awareness of the value and importance of our industry domestically and globally and to retaining our position as one of the most influential and respected premier breeding regions in the world.

 

The Hunter Thoroughbred Breeding Industry is:

 

• One of three international centres of Thoroughbred Breeding Excellence in the world (alongside Kentucky in the USA and Newmarket in the UK);

• Australia’s largest producer, supplier and exporter of premium thoroughbreds;

• The second largest concentration of thoroughbred breeding studs in the world (second only to Kentucky in the USA);

• Home to the most influential domestic and international breeding investors and to a sophisticated network of equine support industries (including the Southern Hemisphere’s largest equine hospital).

 

The Hunter Valley is Australia’s Horse Capital and we are committed to working with our community and with Governments at al levels to foster the industry’s preservation, promotion and prosperity.

 

READ MORE ABOUT OUR INDUSTRY HERE