There are some horses you go looking for, and others that find you. Quba falls squarely into the second camp.

A 7yo Quba stepped into the ring at the 2025 Dalby Australian Stock Horse Sale carrying a pedigree that blends proven performance with genuine stock horse toughness. When the hammer fell at $100,000, he was purchased by The Quba Syndicate – made up of friends from Taroom, Adrian and JJ Lamb and Lachlan Darr, who hadn’t gone to Dalby with any intention of buying a stallion but came away confident and excited about his enormous potential.

Quba is by Hazelwood Conman and out of Toomba Quicken – a Stanton Stud Black Breeze mare. Quba is bred from one of those mare lines that is talked about with respect. Quicken was a highly regarded novice mare, rarely out of the placings, and remembered just as much for her consistency as for her toughness. She was an outstanding bush horse: sure-footed in thick timber, excellent on tough cattle, and dependable when situations got tough. Those qualities have carried strongly through her progeny, who are known for being as highly skilled mustering as in the campdraft arena. Quicken was also a full sister to Will Durkin’s Quebec, now deceased, but a proven producer of campdraft winners.

Quba is no exception to the strength of the family. Even as a young breaker, he showed a maturity beyond his years, with a natural feel for cattle and an easy, willing nature. He has always been kind, gentle, and straightforward to handle. He has run comfortably in big paddocks with geldings, has been hand-served, and is uncomplicated to manage.

Athletic, quick, good-minded, and confident across the ground, Quba is now ready to begin his campdrafting career for the 2026 season. While he did plenty of miles mustering as a young horse, his competitive start was delayed by circumstance rather than ability, following a property move by his breeders and previous owners, Grant Mitchell and Ingrid O’Neill.

Ingrid described Quba as coming from their favourite mare line, noting that many of her best horses trace back to Toomba Quicken. Quicken’s own résumé included wins and placings across hack, led, challenge, pleasure, reining, and campdraft events, with highlights including 4th in the 2007 Horse of the North U5 Challenge, 2nd in the 2012 ACA Northern Zone Novice Horse, and 5th Open Horse.

For Adrian, JJ, and Lachlan, acquiring Quba wasn’t the plan going into the Dalby sale. JJ laughs that she should have known better than to leave the two men together with a bid card. When the pair saw Quba warming up out the back, he caught their eye. Both families had sold mares earlier in the sale, and when they started talking numbers, they realised the stallion was within reach.

“We thought twice about him being by Conman because there are plenty of them around, but his mare line is so strong, and there aren’t many Black Breeze-bred horses in our area. He’ll cross nicely with our mares, and because we muster on horses, those bush horse attributes really matter to us. We figured he’d make around $100,000.”

Adrian and JJ had to leave Dalby early and dialled into the livestream as they drove home. Service dropped out somewhere between Miles and Wandoan and came back just as Quba entered the ring. Before Lachlan even left the sale, mare owners were already enquiring. Quba spent just two days in Taroom before heading north to the breeding centre at Monto.

The syndicate has wasted no time planning Quba’s future. With strong early interest from mare owners – driven by his breeding, type, temperament, and the way he presented at Dalby – he will stand at stud before returning to Taroom to join the mustering team and begin preparation for the 2026 campdraft season, where Adrian will campaign him.

For mare owners looking for a stallion with a proven female line, genuine bush credentials, and the athleticism and mindset required to compete successfully, Quba offers a compelling opportunity.

Every person who has had anything to do with him believes the same thing – this is a horse with a big future ahead, both in the arena and as a sire.

As of 2025 Quba only has 2 progeny on the ground owned by previous owners Ingrid O’Neill & Grant Mitchell.  They are not yet broken in.

WATCH THIS SPACE!

2025

2025

• Dalby ASH Sale Video.  [View Video on Facebook].
• Dalby ASH Sale Pre Sale video by Ingrid O’Neill.  [View Video on Facebook].