Arabian Stud

Kelkette Park is situated 6km from Yackandandah in North East Victoria.

The Stud was started in 1960 when Margarette Bohm sent her A grade polocrosse mare Diamond to the Arabian stallion, Malik. Delaah Milek was the result and she was to become Margarette's pride and joy. As a 3 year old Delaah Milek won the Partbred Arabian Mare class at Sydney Royal. Delaah was born in Sydney and remained with Kelkette Park until her passing at 29 years. Her 1975 daughter by foundation sire Zarak (Zadaran x Scherzade (imp), Kelkette Park Deziree, remained at Kelkette Park until her passing at 32 years.

The next step, breeding purebreds, followed with the first foundation mare, La Dalliance (Crystal Fire (imp) x Dalma). This mare was an elegant and beautiful bay many remember being shown led and under saddle, including side-saddle, for numerous Championships. La Dalliance has six daughters still within Kelkette Park today. Her daughter Blue Dusk, the Supreme Exhibit at the 1990 Victorian Arabian Classic, passed away in 2008 at 27 years of age. 

Dalma (Abiram (imp) x Dominita (imp), arrived later and produced daughters by Zarak and Kelkette Park Izak and sons by Kelkette Park Izak, including bay stallion Blue Dominance, a Supreme Exhibit at shows led and under saddle and a very successful endurance horse. Blue Dominance sadly passed away in 2009 at 29 years of age leaving some lovey young stock to carry on his legacy.

lolia (Silver Moonlight (imp & exp) x Deirdre) was another remarkable mare. She is the dam of Kelkette Park Izak (by Zarak), a Champion at halter and under saddle and a very successful endurance horse who placed 3rd Open 1986 Tom Quilty; and Silver Image (by Mustafa (imp) with ten straight wins and eight Fittest Horse awards, prior to rejoining the broodmare band in 1989. Today there is one Iolia daughter, Silver Iesha, two granddaughters. Kelkette Park Silver Intuition and Kelkette Park Silver Ivory plus great granddaughter Kelkette Park Silver Ingenuity.

Head study of the gorgeous stallion Kelkette Park Silver Implication by the outcross sire Mustafa from Silver Bint lolia

Electra (Crystal Fire (imp) x Silver Magic (imp) left a legacy of three daughters and two stallion sons, Silver Eclipse and Silver Eternity, both superb producing sires. Electra is also the dam of endurance geldings Silver Ibn Zarak (by Zarak), Kelkette Park Silver Echo and Kelkette Park Silver Elite.

Scimitar Flamella (Count Manilla (imp) x Flamenco), was another valued broodmare. She has produced five sons who are very successful endurance horses and her daughter Fyrene (by Kelkette Park Izak) has been a remarkable broodmare (and the dam of well-known Kelkette Park Flyte and Kelkette Park Fyre).

Lycara (Cyrasa (imp) x Lalla) also produced some wonderful offspring including Kelkette Park Lyric (by Latefi), winner of the Junior section of the 1987 Tom Quilty; Kelkette Park Lysa, dam of Kelkette Park Lark, by Blue Dominance; and the lovely mare Lynaire (by Kelkette Park Izak, dam of well known endurance sisters Kelkette Park Lynara, 10th Open 1999 Tom Quilty and Kelkette Park Lydia winner junior section 2004 NSW State Championship and Fittest Horse).

Santarabia Nasiha (San Sebastian (imp) x Carousel), left her much admired bay daughter Kelkette Park Nazrella (by Zarak), a full sister to Kelkette Park Nazareth, 3rd Open 1988 Tom Quilty. Kelkette Park Nazrella has produce well known endurance horses Kelkette Park Nadina, winner Lightweight 2000 Tom Quilty and Kelkette Park Nathan, another very successful endurance horse.

In 1980, Boomerang Muskateer (Mustafa (imp) x Deirdre), came to Kelkette Park and produced the superb mare Blue Dusk (x La Dalliance), 1985 Australian Champion Futurity Filly and 1990 Victorian Classic Supreme Purebred Exhibit with colt foal Kelkette Park Diplomat at foot and in foal again. This was the first time this prestigious award had been won by a mare with a foal at foot. Kelkette Park Diplomat (x Blue Dusk), now 20 years old, is a leading sire at Kelkette Park.
Silver Elegance (x Electra) was 1985 Top Five Australian Futurity Filly and Silver Inheritance (X lolia) was dam of the beautiful Silver Impression and several successful endurance horses. These lovely mares produced foals to Silver Eclipse, thus line breeding to Silver Fire, the matriarch of Lady Wentworth's Crabbet Park Stud, England. Silver Elegance died aged 27 years in 2008.

An outcross stallion was sought for the growing band of retained fillies and Sakhan (Kapehr (imp) x Sariah (imp) was chosen as a yearling, after a long search. Sakhan has fulfilled all expectations producing numerous top show and endurance horses including mares Kelkette Park Enchantress and Kelkette Park Eloquence (x Kelkette Park Silver Estelle), Kelkette Park Lynara, Kelkette Park Lydia (x Kelkette Park Lysa), Kelkette Park Dominica, geldings Kelkette Park Discovery, Kelkette Park Nathan, Kelkette Park Durack and stallion Silver Eternity. At 27 years of age he continues to produce top stock.

Devil-A Bit (imp) was another outcross stallion to come to Kelkette Park and in one season produced the outstanding Kelkette Park Dardinelle (x La Dalliance), winner 1995 Victorian State Championship and Kelkette Park Fyre (x Fyrene), 1st Junior 1998 Victoran State Championship 11h 15m, 1st Junior 1999 Tom Quilty Endurance Ride 13h 3m, 2nd Lightweight and Fittest Horse 2000 Tom Quilty 12h 19m, 1st Al Maktoum Cup Ireland 200km July 2000 and 10th World Championship 160km France, August 2000.

Today Kelkette Park continues to breed for quality not quantity and remains unmoved by fads or fashions.

Every Arabian on the Stud is here because it is an important part of the breeding program. Breeding is like a recipe - it has many ingredients. I'm a firm believer that the best breed promotion is done by the horses themselves. Visitors are always welcome and are invited to see every Arabian. As this takes several hours, prior notification of a visit is greatly appreciated to ensure I'm here to personally show the horses.