PROMINENT Tasmanian harness racing breeders Fred and Pauline Barker have made moves to wind their enterprise down with a dispersal sale last weekend resulting in all of their breeding stock changing hands.
Fred and Pauline have been contemplating a change for some time and when Pauline became ill last year and with further treatment required they sped up the process and held an auction at their Beaconsfield property last Saturday.
The Barkers offered 17 lots for sale ranging from four top broodmares including Amarillen to a number of weanlings by top stallions from the best of the Barkers’ breeding stock.
They kept their racing stock but those horses also will eventually be sold.
It brings to an end a breeding entrerprise thast spans over 50 years.
One of their best broodmares Amarillen (x Fake Left from Nellirama) was sold to local breeder Ricky Hinds of Kell Cill Stud who paid $35,000 for the mare that has produced a string of top class performers including Group 1-winning pacer Villagem.
Hinds also purchased Jillsmidnitetango (Metropolitan-Miss Hap) for $2500 and he took eight-year-old broodmare Battling Babe home as a bonus.
Northern farmer John Brown paid $5000 for a major In Art yearling filly out of Helena Quickstep and he gave $7500 for another yearling filly (Courage Under Fire-Ballroom Belle) with both fillies likely to be trained by Maurice Jarman.
North-West Coast trainer Craig Hayes did well with his buy of a weanling colt by Always A Virgin from Timetogonelly (x Time Stands Still) that sold for $3500.
The Barkers hope to eventually downsize their property and then spend time travelling.