Profiles

  

 

Profile- Double Buzz TB Stallion

    In 1947, the late Frank Glasser traveled to the Sydney Easter Yearling Sales with his brother Bob, in the hope of picking up a yearling to race-and he did.  One youngster-Hoopla-was quite successful over short distances, but the other-Double Buzz didn’t make it past the breaking in stage-cutting the tendons of both front legs in a confrontation with a feed bin. Fortunately, he was used over quite a few station mares, and the rest, as they say, is history.  

    Double Buzz had come up in the Sale during a time when many buyers were lunching, and was within Franks’ budget.  Double Buzzs’ breeding was outstanding-by Heroics Double sired by Heroic and from the Buzzard mare, Ida Buzz-he was bred to race.  However, he was to become one of those thoroughbred sires who was destined to be the sire of stockhorses-campdraft winning ones at that.            

    By the late fifties, Frank and Max had a truck full of campdraft winning horses by Double Buzz . Perfection-winner of over 120 ‘drafts, Lady Blue and Harmony-both winners of many ‘drafts, sometimes all three of them placing in the one ‘draft.  Rainbow and Pinto, both geldings winning their share as well. Max had Maroo, who was to win the Warwick Gold Cup in 1964, and place 2nd in 1968.  She also won the Chinchilla Grandfather Clock Open in 1967-sadly for us, she never bred us a live foal.  Frank had sold Double Buzz, and when he went to buy him back was horrified to see that he was covered in mange, he didn’t want him back at any price!! Hans Knudsen-the man who initiated the Chinchilla Grandfather Clock Open Campdraft, eventually owned Buzz, but rarely took outside mares to him. Some of Wayne Knudsens first campdraft wins were on the progeny of Double Buzz.        

    By the late 1960s’ Frank had given up competeing in ‘drafts, and rarely even bred a mare.  There was much excitement in February, 1972, when the 22 year old Perfection gave birth to her first and only foal,a filly- Perfect Image (Registered with the ASH as Perfect).  This foal was by Double Skee, a campdraft winning son of Double Buzz, and she was to go on and win her share of ‘drafts and become the cornerstone of many of the horses in the Glencoe breeding program of today. The Australian Stock Horse Society had been formed in 1971, and in September of that year, the Glassers had their first mares registered with the ASHS, and Perfection was one of them.

     In 1959 Frank and Max had traveled south from Chinchilla  to Bourke and Brewarrina to campdraft-a long way in those days. Frank won the Open ‘Draft at the Australian Campdraft Championships at Brewarrina on Perfection and Max won the Juvenile riding her as well,(he also won the Autralian Champion Bullock ride!!). When she won the Open, Perfection had beaten a fairly plain little black horse into 2nd place-that horse was Abbey.  Frank was not overly impressed with his type, but grudgingly respected his ability Of-course, all ASH Breeders  today recognize the tremendous input Abbey has in the breed, so it seems surreal that 50 years later, when you look at Glencoe Abstracts’ pedigree, you are in fact seeing direct  bloodlines of both Perfection and Abbey.

 

 

 

 

Profile- Francis “Frank” William Glasser.

 

Born at   Emmaville,NSW, August 1912, Frank was the youngest of  5 children-2 girls and three boys. Much was made by his siblings, that as the youngest, Frank had been “indulged” by his parents and sisters, however, it seems that he did know the meaning of work, and when he set his mind to do something, he rarely failed to achieve his objective Not one to make friends easily, those he did make were for life,- his word and handshake were his bond. Frank could never understand any  men who did not think likewise..

           

After shearing in his youth, Frank married JeanCross from Texas-well known horse family-and, in the 1930s’, set up in partnership with his brother Harrold Glasser, at “Yagaburne” in the Goondiwindi district.  A fairly raw, undeveloped block, there were long days in the saddle, so it seems inconceivable that for “relaxation” scrubber running was the sport of choice!! With nephew Charlie Glasser, brother-in-law Tom Cross,and well known scrub runner Stan Bischoff , they made a formidable team, and many a long yarn about wild scrub cattle, prickly pear, fallen timber etc were told in later years.

 

 It was during this time that Frank actually bred his first foal-Combo-who would go on and win campdrafts for Frank.  Apparently Frank had walked a mob of cattle into Goondi, camping a couple of nights along they way . It wasn’t until almost a year after that trip, bemoaning how fat and lazy his best mare had become, that the reason for her condition became apparent-a foal he named Combo!

 

 Over the next 10 years, Frank bought and sold a couple of properties. It was during the war years, and again living in Qld, near Texas, that he began to ride competitively. Many small gymkhanas, sports days, and campdrafts were held to raise funds  for the Red Cross etc.  These were the stepping stones to a very serious addiction to campdrafting. In 1947, on a trip to the Easter Yearling Sales with his brother Bob, Frank bought 2 yearlings-Hoopla and Double Buzz.. Hoopla raced successfully on the Darling Downs, but Double Buzz injured himself whilst being broken in. Frank, and his brother-in-law Jack Cross,  put several station mares of mostly TB breeding to Double Buzz and that is the basis of what the breeding at “Glencoe Stockhorses”are today

 

Frank was born to compete-it made no difference if it was fat lambs, flock sheep, fleeces ,fat cattle, stud cattle, show horses or campdrafting - he was there to win, and he mostly did!!  In the early fifties Frank would rail his horses to Mitchell to draft at the Rutland Rodeo. By the mid-fifties he was driving over barely there developmental roads from Roma, through Injune up into the Arcadia Valley to compete at Springsure. Longreach, Winton , Blackall,  Mt. Isa, Cunnamulla, Augathella  all held campdrafts- and Frank traveled to them all, over dirt road, in a Bedford truck- a new Bedford truck-but still a very slow truck1! One epic trip to Longreach ended with a mad dash home over very muddy dirt roads- on that occasion the horses were on the truck for something like 21 hours straight-they lay down for a day or two after that trip. On another occasion at Longreach, his very best mare-Perfection- had been badly horned in the gut whilst in the cut-out yard - so it was a very long trip home, and straight through to Dalby to the new Vet in town- the late Bruce Wilson- who nursed her back to health and competition level, against all the odds-this was the beginning of a long association with this wonderfull vet.

 

!959 was the year-by then he and son Max had 7 Open Campdrafters on board and they traveled near and far to  campdraft-  spent hours each morning  trotting the horses for miles in preparation for the big trip. Bourke and Brewarrina were going to have big campdrafts- Brewarrina even going so far as to call their event the “Australian Championships”!! Horsemen traveled from all over the Eastern States to compete at Brewarrina-the Championships carried big prizemoney- 200 pounds being 1st prize for both the top Flag racing  and the top Bending race horses. Max still speaks about the wonderful reception the competitors received when they arrived- the famous pick-up family- the  Parkins family, Mick Boss –owner of Gold Cup winning Prince-, Jack Johnston of  “Cool Dust” fame- all so welcoming to the travelers. The Glasser family had a pretty good run- Perfection and Frank won the Open Draft with Gertie Brook and Abbey placing 2nd. Max and Perfection won the Juvenile draft, and to add icing to the cake Max won the grandly titled 1959 Autralian Junior Championship Bullock Ride!!!  All in all a successful trip taking home about 1,000 pounds for their efforts-good money in 1959

 

Perfection, Lady Blue, Harmony, Maroo, Pinto and Rainbow were some of the Double Buzz progeny being drafted at this time.  Frank and Max had both won the Open Campdraft conducted at Chinchilla in October each year, on several occasions. Frank had in mind to win the Warwick Gold Cup, and indeed Perfection placed 2nd in 19.  . He had to be satisfied with Max winning it on Maroo in 1964 and then placing 2nd in1968.  When Hans Knudsen donated the Grandfather Clock for the October Open at Chinchilla, Frank had his eye on that, as well.  Again, he had to be satisfied with Max winning it in 1967, again on Maroo.  By the end of the 1960s’, Franks focus on campdrafting became understandably less- he was close to 60 years, he had sold Double Buzz in 19  , had not been breeding horses for some years , and his mares were at the end of their competition days.  A couple of horses he purchased were not up to snuff and he did not relish coming second!!  Harmony, Perfection and Lady Blue were bred from, but it almost  too late. Lady Blue bred a gelding, Harmony only had two foal s e filly who drafted successfully but died from tetnus contracted when sent to get in foal, and a gelding who died from colic. Perfection had one filly foal at 22 years of age. This mare- Perfect, went on to win and place in several ‘drafts and is the cornerstone of our broodmare band of today.

 

Frank did live to see Perfect ‘draft successfully, but not long enough to see Perfections’ great grandson Glencoe Abstract compete- his wife Jean did, and it was one of the greatest pleasures of her life towards the end to come and see the progeny of these horses from the 1930s’ still competing- and winning 60 years later.  Frank thought that watching a campdraft, when you were no longer competing, pretty boring, and as many of his compatriots passed away before he did, campdrafts no longer held any interest for him.