Articles
In this page we provide
copies of articles or links to news about the EB Lodge team.
Equestrian Life Magazine September 2008
When talking with Andrew Buckley, you have to keep reminding yourself
how comparatively young he still is, when you consider what he has
achieved in a small amount of time. At only 27, he has built a
reputable and very successful business in the difficult and demanding
industry of training and breeding. The hours are long, attention to
detail meticulous and in a high pressure environment, you have to
produce results. However, he wouldn’t have it any other way. Andrew
says: “This is really all I have ever wanted to do. I had been training
and showing horses as hobby throughout my last few years at high school.
I was accepted to university when I finished school but after only a few
months I realised that it really wasn’t for me and I knew that if I were
to succeed in training horses I had to dedicate all my time and
attention to it”.
Andrew’s family have always been involved in horses however he has only
been riding since he was 15 and worked part time to fund his passion for
his future career. His first priority has always been to succeed in
dressage. He purchased his first Warmblood from Heath and Rozzie Ryan
when he was 19. That mare, Mayfly, went on to be extremely successful in
hand and under saddle for both Andrew and her current owners. He was so
impressed by her attitude and potential that he then proceeded to
purchase her dam, Stirling Scarlet, in foal to Medallion, resulting in
the filly Mayhem. Scarlet has since become his matriarch mare. He
continues: “I have always invested a lot of time and money into lessons
with experts like Heath and Rozzie; people I really admire. They have
been invaluable to me in their support and kindness. I owe them a huge
debt of gratitude for all they have done for me and from what I have
learnt from them. Without these people I certainly would not have the
horses and opportunities that I have today”. “I have always taken the
opportunity to attend schools from visiting international trainers as
well. I found that this experience was integral to the knowledge I
needed to apply to beginning the business and I continue to learn form
these people”.
Hence, the formation of his business, E B Lodge. Situated in the heart
of the beautiful Hunter Valley at Maitland, NSW, Andrew has been
operating his breeding and training barn for around 3 years. His
primary focus is the breeding and training of his own horses. E B Lodge
owns and stands at stud, Rubin James, the exciting young Rubinstein
stallion that Andrew purchased two years ago. Rubin James had a basic
education when he and Andrew first teamed up however they are now
training at FEI level with great results from limited outings at Medium
level. Rubin James began his competition career in hand and under
saddle in late 2006, dominating the Australian show circuit. His
highlights include dual Australian National Champion and Supreme Exhibit
at Sydney Royal in 2007. Andrew describes Rubin: “This horse is the
complete package. He has an international pedigree, amazing temperament
and a ride-ability second to none, and now that his first crop of foals
are on the ground, great progeny. He has really stamped his foals and I
believe that he will be a sought after sire in the future”.
Andrew approached the proposition and purchase of his stallion with
definite outcomes in mind. It was imperative to him that the horse must
have the breeding and potential to suit not only his ambitions for him,
but also to be competitive and commercial in the Australian breeding
industry. Andrew feels that probably one of the nerve wracking, yet
proudest, moments in his career was watching the first Rubin James baby
being born. “I get so much satisfaction with this horse. He displays so
much talent, is so agreeable and is a beautiful horse to have a round in
every way. The way he handles his training and his attitude makes
working with him a breeze. He improves every day”. Andrew continues “He
is so quiet as well. The girls can handle him without a bit and even in
the middle of our very busy breeding season you can serve with him,
saddle him up and he has his complete focus on work. That’s hard to find
in a competition stallion.”
Another facet of the business is Andrew’s boutique broodmare band. He
owns 5 broodmares, all of them carefully selected for their pedigree
and type. They include bloodlines from Salute, Ludendorf, Medallion,
Weltmeyer, Regardez Moi, and Carbine. “I was very patient, and
researched extensively, with my selection of mares. I think that your
mares are such an integral part of your breeding program and it is so
important to have a solid genetic foundation to build on. The progeny
from these mares, Rubin James and any outside stallions I breed with are
the product which my reputation depends upon. It is so important to get
it right”. Andrew has gained great satisfaction from watching mares
that he has bred, then produce the kind of foals he has been striving
for. He feels that breeding is such a satisfying outcome for all the
work and planning that he has invested in the business. The E B Lodge
progeny are what the core of the business depends upon for further
growth.
Andrew is excited about the coming season. “This is going to be an
important season for E B Lodge. The first Rubin James babies sold really
quickly so it’s important to get more out into the marketplace. Also my
homebred mares, half sisters, EBL Rumba (Regardez Moi/ Salute) and
Mayhem (Medallion/Salute), who are out of Stirling Scarlet, are both in
foal to new German young horse sensation, Quaterback. “When I saw the
footage of this horse I was organising frozen semen straight away. Our
AI technician Darren Raey got a positive pregnancy with both mares at
their first insemination. It’s great that E B Lodge will have the first
Australian Quaterback foals on the ground this year”. In recent years
E B Lodge has become one of the leading producers of ridden and halter
horses in Australia. He says: “The business has grown so quickly. When
I started the barn I only had a handful of halter and ridden horses
showing them for clients at all the major shows and Royals throughout
Australia. I have been fortunate to show some of the most successful
horses in the country. Horses like Gold N Wings, Orabanda Accolade,
Orabanda County Fashion, Paint the Picture, Ramico Royal Beau, Sanlirra
Pavlova, Manorvale Perdita, Rathowen Quantum and my own Mayfly, Mayhem,
Rumba and Rainsong. These horses really lifted my profile”.
The 2008 Sydney Royal, however, was a highlight of Andrew’s career. E B
Lodge shows on behalf of their client, Mrs Nancy Niven, the black Riding
Pony stallion Bevanlee After Dark. This outstanding pony won Best Ridden
Stallion of Show, Supreme Saddle Pony led exhibit, Champion Saddle Pony
led exhibit, Reserve Champion Part bred Welsh ridden exhibit and won 5
of his other breed and led classes. Andrew laughs: “I think our jaws
just kept on hitting the ground every time that pony stepped out into
the ring. The E B Lodge team certainly kept the crowd amused with our
hysteria and cheers for every win. I think After Dark may have been a
crowd favourite!” Sydney Royal also saw Andrew’s impressive Lubeck/
Koningsberg filly, Lush, awarded Supreme Arabian Derivative exhibit.
This filly was the talk of the showground. “Lush is amazing. I cannot
wait to ride her and her breeding prospects are unlimited. My long-time
friend and mentor Lyn Jackson gave me the opportunity to purchase this
filly. We couldn’t have asked for better results. Our Welsh A stallion
Woranora Peekaboo was Champion Welsh exhibit, Celadon Elusive and
Rocksbury Matinee were highly placed for our client, Amanda Riorden and
the Welsh B filly we produced and recently sold, Woranora Flaunt It, was
Champion also”.
Another exciting addition to the barn is DP Ice. The Argentinean bred
thoroughbred was purchased from Victorian show rider, Dale Plumb, after
Sydney Royal this year. Andrew describes the horse as “amazing, a really
serious contender for major awards this season. I loved him from the
moment saw him”.
Andrew realises how fortunate he is to have the help and support of his
family, friends and staff. “The business was actually named after my
grandmother, Eunice Buckley. And the actual barn and stud is located on
my mother and stepfathers property. All my family and friends have been
amazingly supportive towards me and I know that my business wouldn’t be
what it is today without them”. Andrew also recognises his staff’s
contribution towards the daily running of the barn. “I am so lucky that
I have great people working with me. Julie Tayler has been a welcome
addition to the barn in recent months and brings with her a wealth of
experience having broken in and trained some of Australia’s finest
horses. Lizzy Howard handles all my PR, marketing and client liaison.
She is generally the first point of contact for the business now and
runs the office and deals with accounts, appointments, suppliers and
paperwork. Not my strong point I have to admit, I’d rather be in the
saddle, some of those show entries need a week to complete with such a
big team of horses!”
E B Lodge has re-branded the business in recent months with a new logo,
website, marketing material and corporate image and has made
communication with prospective clients and the marketplace easier and
more efficient. As the business has grown so has its professional
identity. Helping also is sponsorship from Furney’s Stockfeed and
Showstoppers Equestrian Wear. The barn has built a strong association
with these companies and is privileged to be representing them. Andrew
adds: “The business has just evolved so rapidly that it does take a lot
of organisation and hard work from everyone involved. It’s a fact that I
don’t handle accounting matters or paperwork very well!” “I also
heavily rely on Andrea Kricek in the barn to ensure that everything runs
smoothly. It makes things so much easier now I can ride and concentrate
on my horses. It reflects in my riding and the horse’s training when the
barn is running well and is a positive environment to work in. We have
experienced and knowledgeable people who all contribute”. Andrew
reflects: “I think it’s a great feeling to really want to get to work
and know that you are surrounded by a strong team. It makes all the
difference. The barn is a fun and social place with the breeding program
not only kept to the horse side of things. We also breed French Bulldogs
which is challenging but also provides hours of endless entertainment.
They are the funniest breed and we are expecting puppies at the end of
June. The excitement is building! ”
When asked about the future direction of E B Lodge Andrew replies: “I
am so proud of what we have achieved so far. All I can ask is that the
business keeps growing and improving. From the training barn side of
things I want to offer my clients the opportunity to really enjoy
competing with their horses and to promote and represent them as best we
can. That is what it is all about.” Andrew adds: “And from the
breeding perspective, my focus is to compete and to continue the
training of my youngstock and Rubin James. This horse has so much
potential and I look forward to raising his profile and breeding more
spectacular foals from him. A couple of new additions to my broodmare’s
wouldn’t go astray either and I am always on the lookout for an exciting
new stallion and competition prospects!” So we can expect to hear a
lot more from E B Lodge and this promising and talented young man in the
future.