Five Minutes With Marilyn Mort

Tally Station is a picturesque horse breeding facility situated in Harrisville, South East Queensland and with the season in full swing, owner and manager Marilyn Mort, is a very busy lady indeed. With plenty of foals being born and five stallions standing at stud, including Quarter Horses Kid Cross, Chips Hot Nblazing, Potassium, Page N Chicles and newly imported Paint stallion One Kool Kisser, it’s no wonder Marilyn is flat out. Horsezone managed to borrow Marilyn for five minutes and find out a little more about what makes this equine-breeding wonder woman tick.

What made you decide to get involved with western horses ie: Quarter horses and Paints?
It came about through friends when we lived in Tallebudgera Valley on the Gold Coast. They stood a buckskin Quarter Horse stallion and we admired his lovely calm mind.

How many years have you been breeding horses?
I seriously started breeding with the purchase of a pregnant Quarter Horse mare, from Rhonda McCallum, in 1995. Her first foal went on to be a Multiple Champion.

What do you love most about breeding horses?
The resulting beautiful babies are what breeding is all about to me. Seeing what you have produced through careful mating of the mare to the stallion that will suit her. I love working with our stallions who are very individual in their own way and knowing they are comfortable working with us. Another big high is seeing the babies produced by my stallions out and winning for their owners.

Which of the Tally Station stallions is your favourite?
Kid Cross will always be "The Man" to me... he was our first purchase so he is very special. Don’t tell my other boys that though! I love them all really.

Your favourite Tally Station mare?
This is a hard one... My girls have given us so much joy and I am proud of every one of them . Pure N Sweet will always be very special as I bought her as a yearling, rode her all over the hills of Tallebudgera Valley, carried new born abandoned calves on her and she went on to teach every one of my stallions to breed . She has just been an amazing mare.

Most anticipated foal this season?
Another difficult question... We have so many that I am excited to see born. I do, however rub the tummies of my Paint mares and ask for lots of white!

Most rewarding horsey achievement by a horse you bred or by one of your stallions?
I have lost count as to how many State and National Champions, as well as World Show Qualifiers our stallions and mares have produced . My personal big buzz was when I won my first Quarter Horse National Champion Title with Drip Me In Diamonds as a weanling and then went back the next year and took out the yearling title!

Your most important future horse-related goal - what gets you up in the morning?
The completion of a very long term goal... to see sound, sensible and very trainable babies produced by our stallions out there winning for their Amateur and Youth riders .It doesn't matter how good a stallion’s progeny may be in the hands of Professionals, to me a great stallion caters for this most important market – the Amateurs and Youth. These people are who keep the Western Breeds Associations alive.

Who is your inspiration?
My husband John... I couldn't do any of this without him. He has transformed from a very talented surfer in his youth into a very professional horseman when it comes to stallion handling and mare management. No one has taught him - he just is a natural. His calm manner with all the horses is something that can never be bought – it’s just him.

What is your motto?
That’s easy! We have used this motto from the start: "We Don’t Follow Trends.... We Set Them! "
 

PICTURED: One of Tally Station's gorgeous foals - Quarter Horse colt (Potassium x Drip Me In Diamonds)

To find out more about Tally Station Quarter Horses CLICK HERE