Nick Hancock & Stephanie Griffiths embarked on a combined horse breeding program shortly after they met, both having bred a handful prior.
Nick had a couple of minimally performed stallions that got their venture underway, and their mares, although pretty good may not have won a draft. Over the next 5 years they worked on turning this around and soon developed a more performed broodmare band.
Next it was time to find a well-bred, well performed stallion, no easy task in a buoyant horse sale market. At one stage it seemed impossible. They had been looking in the Dalby and Tamworth catalogues to see what may be coming up, when out of the blue the opportunity arose to purchase Moore Rox.
Moore Rox was a stallion that had always impressed them, but they never did get the chance to breed to him. For years they had admired the line of Fitzgerald horses, they’d watched all members of the family rock up to any draft, anywhere, and win.
They couldn’t believe it!
Brendan Fitzgerald Gave Nick and Steph the background on how Moore Rox came to be.
His story stemmed from two mares he really liked, the first, Moore Rox’s Paternal grandam LASTREC, a draft winning mare that Brendan bred to Warrenbri Romeo. Unfortunately, she died just weeks after giving birth to ROXON, Moore Rox’s sire, so he was raised as a poddy.
Brendan liking the mare as much as he did, and being by the formidable sire in Romeo, decided to keep him a stallion. Roxon went on to win many drafts and bred multiple Open draft winners.
The second standout mare in Moore Rox’s story is his dam LESWALT LADY MOORE ACRES, a great Acres Destiny mare that the Fitzgerald family campaigned, owned by the Mitchell family. She was Reserve Rookie Horse of the Year & won over 10 Open drafts, 8 of them the year she was in foal with Moore Rox.
She was retired to stud back with the owners after Moore Rox was born. How history repeats itself, just like his sire, Brendon decided to keep Moore Rox a stallion due to the high regard he had for his mother. Brendon trained and campaigned Moore Rox and took him through to Open Status.
Moore Rox hasn’t bred as many mares as a stallion of his stature probably deserves, as he was not really stood to outside mares and Brendon’s mares were very closely related to him.
However, the few who are out there are performing as expected, winning placing, and doing their owners proud.
There is so much that Nick and Steph admire about Moore Rox, his type and bone, and his ability to not only cut a cow out, but the speed and toughness he employs to handle and run down a strong fast bullock. He is soft but tough, quiet but aggressive, and best of all, he has a lot of horse power, but no dirt.
They’ve won the lottery and they want to share the joy. They hope to give him the exposure he deserves to attract well-credentialed, performed mares. In the not-too-distant future they want to see, “Heaps of MR progeny carrying the blue!”
Moore Rox’s books are officially OPEN!
