RINGSIDE WITH TB GENERATION Z

WRITTEN BY KATRINA PARTRIDGE

You’ve seen them: one minute barely tall enough to peer over the sale rostrum as they stand alongside one of their parents, then blink and they are old enough to be inspecting yearlings or leading them through the ring and before you know it they are answering the phone or greeting you with a smile because (where on earth did that time go?) they are now running the farm or jockeying for a high level sporting or political career.

We sat down with nine children: Charlie Mitchell (14), Charlie Magnier (13), Rupert Tait (13), James Nolan (13), Jack Murphy (12), Bella Bowditch (10), and Frank (10), Johnny (9) and Fred (6) Messara. Their thoroughbred lineage is impeccable. We wanted to know what they knew of their surname’s history and the company name associated with it.

We wanted to know if Mum or Dad ever embarrasses them. We wanted to understand their hopes and dreams, what famous person they would love to meet, and what chores they hated. What became apparent during the course of each interview was that whilst entirely unique each child positively shone with their enthusiasm, insight, intellect, love of sport, a refreshing thirst for knowledge, a ‘real’ personality, warmth, and belief in the future. They were incredibly engaging and what really made them stand out was their extraordinary early understanding of what their generational thoroughbred DNA represented. Each knew and understood the substantive brands they were a part of. Many were (day-to-day) absorbing and appreciating what their parents do each day.

They understood the value of hard work, they were active learners when there are horses and farming involved: about life (and loss), and appreciating what distance (compared to city life) can have on both opportunity and also family relationships. The custodian role that their parents (and grandparents) play in these children’s development was integral. It is this experience that educates the next generation in the language of the thoroughbred; a language many of us take for granted. Vitor Belfort is credited with the quote ‘Legacy is not what I did for myself. It’s what I’m doing for the next generation.’ It is perhaps a trite saying - but the future of the Industry is in good hands. Watch this space ...

Having grown up at the farm that is home to Australia’s Champion Sire - I Am Invincible - Charlie well appreciates the importance the horse has made to his family.

“We love Vinny. He has changed our lives and made this farm. He is the stallion everyone waits for and the bonus is he is a really beautiful horse. You can sit on his back - he is a real gentleman.”

Charlie is an integral part of the Yarraman operation (as is every member of the Mitchell family) and the hard work, good (and bad) luck that has laced their life story makes this 14 year old sound quite seasoned when he says. “We are very lucky - it’s all about luck. Dad has always worked so hard and he will never tell someone to do a job he will not do. He says if you have integrity and can earn respect then people will not only want to work alongside you but they will continue doing so.”

Brimming with good humour and insight, it’s not a stretch to imagine this young man assuming the management reins one day; he certainly understands the hard work it takes and the love of the sport flows through his veins.

“I love it - racing, the farm, all of it. I do my best bets on Thursday night and I have a Super Coach stable between me and Willa (my sister). I love it in particular watching anything that we have bred.”

James Nolan may be a young adolescent but his knowledge of thoroughbred pedigrees would put many bloodstock agents to shame. Others in his family report on his ability to recognise every mare on the farm and his ability to swiftly recall their breeding, past foals, and runners.

“The Nolan name is probably well known in the racing industry because we have been involved in this Industry for a very long time,” James reflects. “My great grandmother and father started it in 1957 so that’s a long time ago and from all the way from then it has come a long way.”

The school goer (and accomplished polocrosse player) faithfully takes in his weekend Best Bets to his teachers each Friday.

“I just love the Industry, I love going to races, I love the racing, I love the horses.”

Flick forward to late July 2032 and don’t be surprised to see this youngster representing Australia at the Brisbane Olympics (his goal to compete against his Irish-born cousins) in showjumping. Like many I spoke with, Charlie sat on a horse before he could walk and is currently competing internationally on the showjumping circuit. Horses are in this adolescent’s blood but interestingly (given the Triple Crown winners, Champion Sires and headline horses that call Coolmore home) Charlie highlights Cox Plate victor Adelaide as his favourite.

“It’s a tough question but I’ll always remember [Adelaide] when he won the Cox Plate in 2014. I think he was drawn on the outside and Brian had a lot of confidence in him and his ability.

I had been lucky enough to go out to Werribee to the quarantine facility to watch his final pieces of work but my favourite memory of him is going out to see him the day after the race and being able to lead him from the stable. He has such a wonderful temperament and ever since that day we have had a special bond and he is the first stallion I visit in the barn.”

Coolmore is a global phenomenon; something the young Magnier understands.

“My grandparents and great grandparents surrounded themselves with brilliant horsemen and they themselves are brilliant horsemen. They are talented, they have the right people and horses and as a result they have had sustained success over many decades. There are also so many people in the family across the globe who are involved”.

They are descended from an Australian Breeding Empire and all three not only understand this but respect the hard work that made it happen. Six year old Fred is quick to pipe up that his Pa [John Messara] is very important as he is in charge of the farm. Eldest brother Frank adds “Pa has a big responsibility looking after Arrowfield. He gets a phone call like every two seconds and always answers it - so does Dad - it’s really hard as they have to stare at a computer all day and type.

“Pa brought this property and built it from scratch. He had all the barns built and the fences and bought the horses. He is really important to the farm.”

“Yes, Pa is very good at picking horses,” states Johnny. “I like going to the races too - I often go with him and sometimes I even get to go in the truck like I did the day Dad had Luna Mia running in the Kosciusko! That was so great!”

Whilst ‘The Horse Capital’ is recognised as the nucleus of Australian breeding, Rupert is insightful enough even at 13 to understand that sometimes being a bit separate can have its advantages.

“I love the fact that we are apart from the Hunter and that not everyone around us is preoccupied with racing,” he states. “[Twin Hills] is a very large spacious farm which I love, it’s kid friendly with loads of places to play, and I love all the facilities as it offers everything.

Rupert is also no stranger to equestrian pursuits, acknowledging it is his Mother that is the “driving force behind all of us riding; it’s a great sport to do as a family.”

On a stud where racing is second nature, the sound of race commentary on TV and radio alike would be almost white noise to most but Rupert says he loves the gamble that is involved and the risk that sometimes won’t pay off.

“I have grown up with it which I think is probably part of it. I love the atmosphere at the races no matter where you are in the world it is the same,” he says. “I love that anyone can go to the races no matter where they are from. I love the thrill of having a winner; of screaming ‘Yes! Yes! Yes!’ at the tv.”

Rupert is also well familiar with the significance of his family name.

“We have had a lot of horses that have won and been exceptional: two Golden Slipper winners, Tie the Knot won the Sydney Gold Cup twice and my grandfather, Dad and Mum have invested lots of time, money and effort into the sport and they love the thrill that comes along with that.”

He is young, quietly spoken and intensely talented. After just 12 months in the equine sport of cutting Jack was crowned NSW Junior Cutting Champion and placed second in the Rookies (all ages). Start chatting to him about what makes a cutting horse so good and you quickly realise that this is a child with an innate understanding of the workings of a horse’s mind and what motivates them to excel in hand and under saddle.

His desire to be with/around horses extends to the thoroughbreds his family are renowned for.

“Jack often feeds up with me over the weekend and you often spot him in the paddocks walking around the horses,” his father says. “He can put his hands on any horse even foals that no one else can handle and he has always been like that. Maybe that is why the cutting horses work for him so well and show for him - he has an affinity with them. He goes off whilst I’m watching the races and just walks around. It’s great to see. You can’t make kids do that. They have to be born with it.”

January and the 2022 Gold Coast Yearling Sale looms near. Need any encouragement as to why Magic Millions is THE place to be? Just ask the 10 year old daughter of the Managing Director.

“[Magic Millions] have sold some of the best horses in the world like Winx, Sunlight and Arcadia Queen,” says Bella. “For me I also get to go to the barrier draw and to the races and I get to see my Pop and my Uncle as they often have a horse running.”

Rupert: Two things really I love - the sale atmosphere is fast, full on and interesting. I like going up to the ring as well as being back at the stables with the horses for the behind the scenes work. I do also like the amusement parks and the places you can go.

Bella: Doing inspections because I get to meet loads of Dad’s clients and I get to see so many amazing horses that are going into the sale. I also like the barrier draw as I get to see what lucky horses get to go into the amazing Magic Millions races.

Charlie Magnier: Definitely catching up with my Uncle MV and Emily and getting to go to the sales complex. Everyone there is so nice. It’s great being in the ring and with friends.

James: I love being at the Gold Coast in January, seeing all my cousins from Murulla and my friends and the atmosphere of the sales and the races.

Jack: Helping dad at the sales, going to the ring and seeing how good a horse looks. How strong they are, how good their step is and how good their forearm is. At the ring how do we sell a horse - where the bidders are going to be and how to watch the bidders.

Charlie Mitchell: The sales - going out on sale day - the buzz. I look forward to seeing friends that I haven’t seen in a year. The Sushi is awesome ! There’s so much better food up there than there is down here [in Scone]. There is also family time and a chance to go for a swim.

Frank: Going to the water parks.

Johnny: Looking at the horses with Dad.

Fred: Going on the electric scooters at Surfers Paradise.

Rupert: A cricket bat, a book and my phone.

James: My sale catalogue is the most important thing I pack.

Johnny: My Arrowfield hat.

Fred: Swimmers.

Rupert: Cricket (bowler).

Bella: Art and dancing. Tap, jazz ballet and lyrical.

Charlie M: I love showjumping and I am very fortunate to have 3 amazing horses. I also like soccer (Chelsea supporter), golf and tennis.

James: I have a lot to learn but I particularly enjoy helping to foal down the mares at the farm.

Jack: I really like cutting.

Charlie Mitchell: All the jobs that Dad doesn’t like to do - cleaning water troughs, pony yards, the garbage especially - as Dad leaves it for me everyday. I’m really into basketball and rugby.

Frank: Sports particularly basketball.

Johnny: BMX riding.

Fred: Maths.

Rupert: When I’m with Mum rather than at boarding school she puts suntan cream on me about 10 times a day even to the point of rushing up at half time.

Charlie M: Dad’s fashion sense and colour coordination can be seriously questionable at times; luckily Mum is there!

Charlie Mitchell: That’s easy - Dad singing in front of my friends in the car. He’s not a very good singer. He’s really loud and uses the wrong words. He sings to 80’s songs that no-one else has even heard of. But he loves it.

Rupert: Bags my bed in the apartment, and if there is any time hopefully get to the beach.

James: My brother William and I try and get a lift down in the truck and help unload and then feed all the horses.

Jack: I go up in the horse truck with Dad and we unload the horses and put them in their stables.

Charlie Mitchell: Head straight to the sales with Dad. We go and check that the horses are ok and Dad checks that the staff are ok. We tell Mum we’re going for 10 minutes but it always ends up being the rest of the day by the time we have said hi to everyone.

Frank: I go to the Magic Millions complex with Dad.

Rupert: Barack Obama. I think he was a great leader, he looked to the future, he wasn’t caught up with everything, he accommodated for everyone, he was concise in his decisions and a great public speaker.

Bella: The Royal Family as I would get to see all the incredible jewels that they have and see the Palace.

Charlie M: N’Golo Kante. He plays for Chelsea. He is one of my sporting heroes - not just because of his talent but he is so down to earth and humble.

James: James McDonald as he is very famous and is very successful riding a lot of winners including Verry Elleegant; she is a great mare and they are a great combination.

Jack: Matt Gaines (world class cutter and trainer who has earned USD$9,003,776 -3rd highest-ever money earner in the sport). He just knows how the horse acts and what to do and he is really good with horses. Understanding the horse is really important.

Charlie Mitchell: Michael Hooper or Michael Jordan - because of their mentality. They are so tough, whenever they get put down they get straight back up again.

Frank: Ryan Reynolds - he’s a really cool actor.

Johnny: Sylvester Stallone - he inspires me.

Fred: The animals in the Lion King.

Rupert: You have to play sport for at least 30 minutes a day.

Bella: Please listen to me and please be patient.

James: I’m not a big fan of rules but I would probably say to be respectful and have a good attitude to work.

Jack: You have to go to bed first.

Charlie Mitchell: Not many!

Frank: No rules.

Johnny: It’s going to be a yes day - parents have to do everything that their children tell them all day.

Fred: Everyone gets a free holiday.

Rupert: I would love to become an Australian cricket player. That would be amazing. Maybe own a horse stud. Every time I see a new TV show I’m like ‘I want to do that or that!’. There are so many options. I would love to be a sports agent and own or be the CEO of a massive ski resort in America.

Bella: I really want to do some show jumping. Next year I am quitting dance after four years doing it to start riding.

Charlie M: I hope to be part of the next generation of the Coolmore Team.

James: I really hope my future is at Raheen and to expand it. That means I will have to work a lot harder to make it as successful as my parents and grandparents have.

Jack: I really want to take over the farm and run thoroughbreds, cutting horses and cattle.

Charlie Mitchell: I want to be like Dad but I do love sport so will see where that takes me. Probably staying with the horses though. I love working with them, seeing them go from foals to the race track and what they become.

Frank: I’d like to be an NRL or NBA sports star.

Johnny: I’m going to run Arrowfield - I work here now. I pick up manure and rocks. Am I'm learning. I love the foaling unit as it's where we ride bikes and it's where I work.

Fred: I am going to use my maths and do shares like pa [John Messara]. I will work on the stock market so I can buy his house.

Rupert: Once every 4 months we have to go and pull out all the weeds from the garden bed.

Bella: Cleaning up other people’s mess especially my brother’s. He’s really messy.

Charlie M: Preventing WW3 breaking out between my sisters.

James: Cleaning the house.

Jack: Doing the dishes.

Charlie Mitchell: Putting out the garbage - Dad always seems to have just taken off his shoes when he realizes it needs to be put out so I then get told to do it.

Frank: Putting out the rubbish.

Fred: Doing the dishes.

Rupert: Try your hardest, have fun and enjoy the moment and don’t be too hard on yourself.

Bella: ‘Bella are you listening to me??’ I have said it 3 times already.

Charlie Magnier: To always be humble and not to cut corners.

James: That I’m very good outside yet I can’t even make my bed when I’m inside.

Jack: Go to bed!

Charlie Mitchell: Do the garbage ?!?! Dad always says never ask someone to do something that you wouldn’t do yourself. And that’s a saying he lives by.

Frank: Brothers stick together.

Johnny: Stay in your lane which means mind your business and don’t worry about what other people say or do; worry about yourself.

Rupert: Dad is very good at speaking and he’s very good on the business side of horse racing, he knows a lot about cricket but one thing he is probably not so talented at is mechanical stuff. Mum is a great horse rider but she doesn’t like public speaking.

Charlie Magnier: Dad is really good at looking after the staff on the farm and treats everyone the same and people say they like working for him.

Jack: Mum and Dad are really good at making the farm big and choosing the right horses and knowing how to control the farm.

Rupert: a very expensive cricket bat, a nice cool car, some stock as I need to keep the money going, and maybe some horses.

Bella: A horse for show jumping.

Charlie Magnier: I’ve been lucky enough to go around all the European sales for the last three months with Dad, MV, Paul Shanahan and some of the other lads. I’ve really liked the Saxon Warrior yearlings that I’ve seen so I’d go with one of those colts.

James: A well bred race mare who was good on the track to breed from.

Jack: A big semi to drive the horses and the cattle.

Charlie Mitchell: A few broodmares as Dad could give me some advice there and if there is anything left over I would want to support people who need it.

Frank: A big mansion on a hill.

Johnny: I’d buy a stallion and a mare and keep breeding them both and then get more than a million dollars and I could spend that.

Fred: A mansion.

Rupert: Being in a prison maximum security unit and being one of the guards who has to break up the fights. That’s a very dangerous job.

Bella: Being the Prime Minister last year when Covid hit as no one had had to deal with this virus before and wouldn’t know what to do.

Charlie M: Maybe a politician. They are constantly having to make really hard decisions that can potentially impact so many people’s lives and you are constantly being criticized for everything and it would be hard to make everyone happy.

James: Prime Minister but I will leave that to my older brother seeing that he knows everything! You have to deal with a lot of things and everything that is happening in the world at that moment like Covid as well as deal with all the other leaders from all the different states and countries.

Jack: Being in an office as you are inside looking at a screen all day. I prefer being outside, being with the horses, driving the tractors.

Charlie Mitchell: Being a chef at a boarding school as the food is never much good. Actually the hardest job would be being a vet. You get to save horses’ lives but also when it goes wrong it would be very hard to cope with it. Working with animals you love and you can potentially lose them. The hardest jobs are often the most rewarding though - Mum says the big wins come with the big losses so being a vet or being a horse owner actually have a lot in common.

Frank: Being a magician as it would be hard tricking people and if you messed up you’d embarrass yourself.

Johnny: The people who have to go up the really big buildings and clean the windows particularly if they didn’t have a harness.

Rupert: Our love for each other, we all look out for each other.

Bella: How funny and incredible they are.

Charlie M: Most of our family live on the other side of the world in Ireland, England and France which makes us a very tight family. We are all very close to our European family as well.

James: We always look out for each other and when someone needs a hand we help them out to make their life easier.

Jack: We all work together and help each other out on the farm.

Charlie Mitchell: Living on a stud and working together brings everyone together as a family. It’s really nice. We play tennis, we work together, we play cards, and we are all interested in same things ... except for music tastes !

Johnny: The time we spend together - we are always caring for one another.

Fred: We’re always together.

Rupert: Maybe the President of the United States - I think it would be very challenging but very rewarding. You would have to make some very tough decisions but when they pay off and the public is happy then I think it would be a great job to have.

Charlie M: To be honest I would love to work at Coolmore. It’s such a beautiful stud, it has a world renowned roster of stallions and probably one of the best broodmare bands in the country. I’d love to be a part of that.

James: My dream job has always been to be a jockey but I don’t think I can due to my size so anything in racing or breeding and that comes back to my future at Raheen.

Jack: Having lots of horses and a cattle station.

Charlie Mitchell: Working with horses in general as it’s so calming for your head - it puts you in an entirely different place. I see them born, see them sold, see them with a trainer then race. You get to see your life’s work.

Frank: Playing sports.

Johnny: I want to be a horse; I’d like to be a stallion as I really like them. Snitzel - because he is my favourite as he is one of the best in the world and he is nice to pat.

Fred: A bird as then I could fly.