Lethal King Cole stands out from the crowd and there is something intriguing about him. He captivates the imagination and leaves a lasting impression on all who get to know him. This horse is of an exemplary type. From his head to his hooves, he is made to move efficiently and to be a true athlete. Yet with this superior package also comes a kind and honest nature. He is a horse that is quick to learn and eager to please. A more magical combination is hard to imagine.
Peter Shakspeare first heard about Lethal King Cole from Leah Read. “She said to me, ‘Nathan Wilson has a young horse coming up that he thinks is smart and doing a lot for his age’.” He was entered in the 2021 Nutrien Classic Sale and before he got carried away, Peter consulted some highly respected horsemen, including Terry Hall. “I looked at him with Terry and while he acknowledged the horse was on the smaller side, he thought he had a perfect conformation”.
Coincidentally, Shaun O’Hanlon rang Peter while he was at the sale to tell him about the same horse. “I respect Shaun as a horseman and when he said ‘there’s a horse coming up you should take a look at’, I knew he was worth seeing”. It turned out to be the same horse. If you are a believer in destiny, it seems Peter was meant to find this horse.
Peter’s vision for Lethal King Cole centres around the sports of Working Cow Horse and Stockmans Challenges, which in his opinion have a bright future as high-quality spectator experiences; that require talented, versatile and athletic horses.
By chance, Matthew Craine approached Peter, wanting to be part of a syndicate, somewhat like what Peter is involved in with Mark Buttsworth as the One Moore Syndicate which owns One Stylish Pepto. Peter and Matthew agreed that they would bid on Lethal King Cole and set a limit of $60,000.
The young colt was presented extremely well and there was a considerable amount of interest in him. In Peters opinion, he could seemingly do everything asked of him with intensity and without showing any signs of pressure. The syndicate were the highest bidders when the hammer fell, well over budget at $80,000.
Peter believes that Lethal King Cole has everything you could want in a future prospect. Being very well balanced, extremely well put together and having a calm nature that Peter describes as ‘just perfect’. In fact another horseman that Peter respects, Terry O’Hanlon, made a very big statement about Lethal King Cole.
“He was amazed by him and said, ‘we have been trying to breed a horse with this conformation for 50 years. He has potential to do more for the industry with respect to conformation than any horse before him.”
Peter and Matthew decided to send Lethal King Cole to Leah Read to continue his training. And offered a third share for her part in training and showing the colt, which Leah enthusiastically accepted; having been involved with the horse from the initial purchase. To leave no stone unturned, they continue to seek input from some of the greats including Mark Buttsworth, Terry Hall, Shaun O’Hanlon and Pete Comiskey.
Nathan Wilson & Lethal King Cole. Sold $80,000.
In Peters words, “I have a lot of respect for Leah’s horsemanship skills. We feel that we have the best minds and abilities involved to give the horse his best shot at getting to where we believe he can end up”.
Nathan and Brydie put an exceptional foundation on Lethal King Cole from a breaker and with his preparation for the sale, thus setting him up to seamlessly transition into his training program. He has the confidence and mindset to handle everything asked of him without fuss and in Peters words, he responds to pressure effortlessly.
“He does what you ask, then just settles. He is not fazed by anything. He sets himself extremely well, and this is his natural ability which is largely to do with his inherit athleticism and structure – it makes it so easy for him to do what he needs to do.”
His type and ability are not of course the only appeal with this exciting horse. He is by US sire NRR Cat King Cole, who Peter first noticed when he won the world title in the USA. “He is exceptional. I intended to breed my own mares to him, but when this young horse came up in Australia from a quality mare, I pricked my ears”.
Lethal King Cole & Leah Read.
Peter freely admits that Lethal King Cole is a big prospect in a small package. Don’t let his size fool you, as Peter says, “He is big enough to do what he has got to do – and he does it very well. Many great horse-people will tell you that it’s not the size of the horse that matters when it’s got the heart, ability, and desire to please that Lethal King Cole has”.
While Peter, Matthew and Leah know that it is something of a journey from buying any young colt to training them and proving them as a competitive prospect and sire – they are excited by the spectrum of ability this horse has to work a cow with both athleticism and intelligence.
“We have put a lot of thought into it. We have a lot of mates around us that are willing to lend their expertise and help along the way and we believe we have the horse that will achieve something truly special”.
Peter finishes by saying, “In the words of great horseman Mark Buttsworth, ‘Shake I think you have another Champion’.
Here’s hoping we have another LEGEND IN THE MAKING!”
