Iconic Survivor - Warregold Cindy - Could be Yours!

By now everyone is familiar with the iconic image of Australian Stock Horse, Warregold Cindy, desperately swimming behind the boat to safety, when floods engulfed Chinchilla late in 2010.  That picture tells a million words, however, here is the story behind the photo...

(pictured above: golden girl Warregold Cindy before the floods)

It had been raining fairly steadily throughout December 2010 and the Condomine River was rising but Warregold Stock Horse Stud was considered to be on high enough ground to be safe – neighbours with lower properties had even moved 125 head of cattle to Warregold for safety.  So Steve and Ursula Keating felt it was safe to leave their 550 acre property in the capable hands of a caretaker, Fred Allwood and visit family in Far North Queensland for Christmas.

Unfortunately the water relentlessly continued to rise, higher than the oldest residents around Chinchilla could remember, and Warregold Stock Horse Stud at 'Coleridge' was soon engulfed.  Fred Allwood rang Steve and Ursula with the bad news that water was continuing to rise and advised they’d better come home.  He had managed to get the cattle and most of the horses into the five acre area around the house, which was the highest point of the property, however, he was horrified to find that six horses weren’t with the others and were now stranded on a patch of ground, that wasn't even a metre higher than the water, which was still rising.  These horses were surrounded by over 1km of water all around.

Steve and Ursula were unable to get all the way home (were in fact stuck at Capella, north of Emerald – so extensive was the flooding), but luckily were able to communicate with the Fred via phone.  Fred was going to swim out to the horses and then swim them back, but Steve said it was too far and to contact the Chinchilla SES flood boat crew, to see if they could help get the stranded horses to safety.  These life savers soon arrived with capable helpers and boats.

When they approached the horses, who were becoming quite anxious, they had to lead them into the water and then encourage them to swim behind the small motor boat.  They had over a 1km to swim before reaching safety through water that was over three metres high and well over all fences and gates on the property.  After the first horse was taken to safety the problems really started.  For safety reasons, they could only take one horse at a time behind the boat and the horses left behind began to get uneasy and tried to follow, however, they soon became disorientated in the deep water and began to flounder.  So the boats then had to virtually muster the horses back onto the dry land to wait their turn.  This went on until amazingly all six were finally standing, exhausted but safe, on dry land.  Two hours after this rescue, the dry patch where the horses were standing was engulfed with floodwater.

In a deperate attempt to make it home, Steven and Ursula gained special permission from the Queensland Police Service to take the western route through flood affected and devastated Alpha and Jericho and on through Barcaldine and Blackall.  When Steven and Ursula finally made it home on 2 January, it was the middle of the night, so they couldn’t see the full extent of the damage, however, all they could smell was rotting vegetation and dead fish – not a smell you would normally associate with a house in Chinchilla!  As dawn broke the full devastation to their property was revealed.  The water had been through the underneath section of the house, however, the worst damage was in the paddocks.  Of the 550 acres that make up Warregold Stock Horse Stud, virtually 545 of it was now covered in thick black mud and silt.  In the five acre area surrounding the house, 70 horses and over 125 head of cattle were sheltering.  This was the only area not transformed into mud flats.  Almost 200 acres of crops, including sorghum and millet, were totally destroyed and where there had previously been lush pasture, was now a useless sea of black.  On 12 January, the property flooded again, once wasn’t enough for this region, mother-nature decided it had to be hit by the flood twice. (Steven is pictured above riding Warregold Asti - another mare who was successfully rescued by the SES crew - checking out the damage caused after the first flood).

During this time, to try and get them some sort of feed, the cattle were walked out on the road and luckily there was a little hay stored in the shed to feed the horses.

The cattle went on to agistment recently but now the hay is running low, the paddocks are still mud and five acres is simply not enough for 70 horses!.  The mud has dried and Steven tried burning the dead grass sticking through to hopefully encourage some kind of new growth but it wouldn’t burn.  So the need for feed is now becoming desperate.  Many fences are destroyed and there’s terrible water damage all over the property and with the help of neighbours and local earth moving contractors - who are also affected,  but such is their generosity - work is being done to repair the damage.

Many in Chinchilla have been affected in the same way as Warregold Stock Horse Stud, with several in lower areas far worse off – houses and sheds destroyed as well as their properties.  This strong community are pulling together to help each other in any way they can, however, there is going to be a need of help from outside for these self sufficient people, mainly by assisting with provision of hay due to pastures being destroyed.  This community are determined not to be beaten.  They will still be holding the Chinchilla Melon Festival on 17 – 20 February, with their website stating, "Despite the recent floods, the 2011 Chinchilla Melon Festival will still be held! The Festival started in 1994 as a way to pull the community together during a devastating drought, and while the ground might be significantly less dry now, the Festival's tradition - and the community of Chinchilla - is still going strong!"  The Chinchilla Campdraft being held on 26 – 27 February will also go ahead and coincidentally Ursula Keating is the Chinchilla Campdraft Secretary!

NOW YOU CAN OWN GOLDEN GIRL WARREGOLD CINDY!

Happily the six horses who swam to safety are all doing well and poster girl, Warregold Cindy, has come through particularly well.  To underline the amazing spirit and big-heartedness of the Chinchilla community, Steven and Ursula have decided to Auction Warregold Cindy while the Horsezone Stallion Service Auction is being run, from 14 – 18 February and donate half the proceeds from her sale to flood relief fund!

Cindy (pictured left) is such an amazing example of all that is great about Australian Stock Horses – she has a huge heart, with heaps of ‘try’ and nothing phases her.  She’ll go all day and try everything.  Her huge heart and calm temperament were definitely in evidence when she refused to give up and swam for 1km to save her life.  Prior to Christmas, Ursula had been riding Cindy regularly at the Stanbroke Pastoral Feedlot and was very impressed with her ability on cattle, wonderful nature and softness.  Four year old Cindy, who is a golden dun, is so quiet that the Keatings’ four and seven year old children ride her with no problems and she is a total pleasure to handle in all ways.  Cindy is by Warregold Leather and out of Kirkbys Stud Wattle, who are both proven campdrafters.  Steven and Ursula were planning to start campaigning Cindy at campdrafts this year. 

Steven and Ursula have also donated services to their stallions Warrenbri Regal (pictured right) and Warregold Coolibah Spirit for the online service auction.  Warrenbri Regal is by the legendary Warrenbri Romeo and has won campdrafts and at shows.  He is a true black with perfect stockhorse conformation and is a proven sire of good stock horses.  Warregold Coolibah Spirit (pictured below) is a young up and coming sire who will be campaigned at campdrafts this year.  He has a good temperament and excellent conformation.

We explained to Steven that this auction was to raise money for people like him and his family, and he was certainly not expected to contribute.  He replied with, “we are more than happy to help out and donate half the proceeds from Cindy’s sale and services to our stallions, because compared to the people in Grantham and Lockyer we were ok.  We had warning.  They had no warning and so many have lost their houses, livestock, everything. We were lucky compared to that.”

CLICK HERE for the feature on why we'd love to own Cindy and HERE to visit the Flood Auction where you can bid on Cindy.

CLICK HERE to visit the Warregold Horse Stud website and find out more about Warregold Cindy, Warrenbri Regal and Warregold Coolibah Spirit.

CLICK HERE to view the Horsezone Floods Photo Gallery for more images of how Chinchilla and other areas have been affected.

Stay tuned to Horsezone for more information on how you can submit your bid for Warregold Cindy and become the owner of an Aussie icon!