We caught up with Noelene Bishop who bred stakes-winner Wrote To Arataki from her sole broodmare, Galloping Gerte.
How did you get into breeding horses?
Well, I love animals and have always had animals, but I have never had a thoroughbred. Both my grandfather and father were into it. I have six sons and no daughters, so I say it took me to get a filly to get a daughter! I also wanted a filly that I could later breed from.
Tell us about Galloping Gerte?
I bought her dam at the yearling sales for $2500, she didn’t do anything on the racetrack but was by Reset and I liked him as a stallion. My husband Bill is good friends with Brent from Highview Stud so we sent Miss Reset over to Highview to be served by Align. The resulting foal was Galloping Gerte. She didn’t have a great start in life as Miss Reset wasn’t really interested in looking after her so my husband and I did all we could to make sure she was getting everything she needed as a foal. She was quite the character when being broken in and had a habit wanting to lie down when the rider would get on her.
We call her Millie at home, but I couldn’t think of a race name for her; and my nick name is “Galloping Gerte” so my husband suggested I put forward that and we got it! She won two races in her short career.
What else do you have in your bloodstock portfolio (youngstock, racehorses etc)
I have Ring Jessie who is a 3yo full sister to Wrote To Arataki, and Galloping Gerte has another full-sister at foot and she is back in foal to Wrote.
Why did you chose Wrote to send her to?
As we are friends with Brent, we wanted to send her to one of his stallions. I went over and visited and really liked the look of Wrote. As ‘Millie’ is tall and sort of slight, I wanted something that could give her foals a bit of ‘oomph’ and Wrote is lovely and strong so I chose him.
Tell us about how Wrote to Arataki ended up in Australia?
She had one at Cambridge and ran third, and when Emma-Lee (Browne) said we had an offer from Australia, I sold her as I wanted to be able to finance the next one. It is pretty exciting watching what she is achieving over there.
Proudest moment as a breeder?
Breeding a stakes winner when I only have one broodmare.
