The books may have closed on legendary stallion Hazelwood Conman, but he has left behind a bloodline of more than a thousand progeny, each with a chance to add to his legacy in the uniquely Australian sport of campdrafting.
Refer to Hazelwood Conman in a room of stockmen and women and you are sure to get a response akin to mentioning Shane Warne inside a cricket club.
The 23-year-old Australian Stockhorse is a campdrafting legend, having amassed trophies from the esteemed Nutrien (Landmark) Classic, the Australian Stockhorse Nationals and the Warwick Champion of Champions.
Campdrafting is an Australian sport, where a rider and horse work cattle.
"He makes it look easy," said Chris Hall, Conman's owner, breeder and one of only two people to have ever ridden him in a campdraft – the other being her husband, Terry Hall.
"The first run he ever had, he just [did] a couple of things that were outstanding, then after that it just got better every time," Mr Hall said.
Conman's owners were not alone in noticing his natural ability in the early campdrafts, soon bystanders were approaching the couple about the young stallion.
"We never worried about it though. He's our horse and we never thought anything more about it."
While no-one other than the Halls has competed on Conman, many have attempted to replicate the stallion's talent by breeding with his genetics.
There are currently more than 1,200 registered Australian Stockhorses sired by Conman through artificial insemination.
Breeding the next Conman
As Conman showed signs of ageing, the Halls tried to lighten his workload.
"We upped his service fee a couple of years ago to try to lower the number of people on his books, but they just kept coming," Mr Hall said.
By 2020, Conman's stud fee was $6,050. It was a high price, but one many were willing to pay in order to breed their own future champion.
And many have been successful – at all nine events of the 2021 Nutrien Classic Campdraft & Challenge, a Conman progeny has appeared on the leaderboard.
At one same event, a four-year-old daughter of Conman's sold for $85,000.
But breeding the next campdrafting legend isn't a cut-and-dry formula.
"It depends on the people themselves, whether they allow the horse to work with them, then the rider and the horse have to work together to outsmart the beast," Mr Hall said.
"Then they can have a bit of fun together out in the arena."
Hazelwood Conman's days are spent in the paddock now, rather than the camp.
In early May, the Halls made the decision to close Conman's books to the public.
The Halls say the stallion is still as fit and healthy as ever, but they believe he deserves a quiet retirement.
And as far as breeding a Conman replacement for themselves, the Halls haven't had any luck.
"We're never going to get another just like him," Mr Hall said.
"He's impossible to replace."
