Australia: Age shall not weary Sadaqa

Theland.farmonline.com.au

PHIL THOMSON
10/05/2009

WORLD-renowned stallion, Chip Chase Sadaqa, is an old-timer but is still one hell of a stud.

An unnamed Middle Eastern sheik’s offer to buy all Sadaqa’s 128 offspring residing at Queensland stud, Toft Endurance, was refused in recent months.

It came as the ageing, Bathurst-born bay stallion was awarded the 2008 World Arabian Horse Organisation (WAHO) Trophy.

The 32-year-and-two-month-old stallion serviced six mares every month this past season, for a tidy sum of 34 in about 24 weeks.

Punching the numbers into a calculator reveals the horse’s owner, Peter Toft, missed out on at least $5.1 million when he knocked back the Arab leader’s offer but it was probably more like double this amount.

Peter loves training endurance horses more than making quick money.

He does not know when the sun will set on the virility of Sadaqa, who will impregnate one mare a month this winter to stay in shape.

Read the full story in this week's The Land.