For Rob Hodgman, great horses have always started with great mares. While many people begin by looking at the stallion, Rob has always believed the strength of a breeding program lies in its maternal families. That philosophy shaped the breeding of EBS Phalaris from the very beginning.
Bred by Rob and Monica Hodgman, EBS Phalaris is by the legendary Dual Rey and out of EBS Clypsil, a mare Rob regarded as one of the most influential horses in his breeding program. At the time, Rob and Monica weren't large-scale breeders, but they knew that if they wanted to remain competitive in the cutting industry they needed to match the genetics of the best horses they were competing against. That led them to make the significant investment in using Dual Rey semen from America.
Breeding to American semen meant working to American breeding seasons, so Phalaris arrived outside the traditional Australian foaling season. Looking back, Rob believes breeding to Dual Rey was one of the best decisions they made, but he is quick to point out that the decision only worked because of the mare behind him.
EBS Clypsil, a daughter of Docs Spinifex, was a mare Rob admired immensely. She possessed plenty of power and natural ability and, while she could be a little hot, she always stood out to him. Rob also owned and competed several of her successful siblings throughout his career, giving him complete confidence in the strength of the family. He believes mares often don't receive the recognition they deserve simply because they can only produce one foal each year, while stallions leave many more. For Rob, every breeding decision begins by studying the mare side of a pedigree.
Ironically, when Phalaris was born, Rob admits he was initially disappointed he was a colt. His long-term goal had always been to strengthen his mare families, so another filly had been his preference. But as the young colt grew and ran through the hills, there was always something about him that caught Rob's eye. He often wondered whether he simply wanted him to be special or whether he genuinely was, but there was something about the colt that continually appealed to him.
Rob started Phalaris under saddle at just sixteen months of age before introducing him to the flag and cattle. It didn't take long for his natural ability to become apparent. Like every young horse, he needed to be educated, but from the beginning Phalaris always seemed comfortable with a cow. He was naturally well over himself in frame and had an instinctive way of positioning himself that made the job look easy. Rob says there was always something about the way he worked a cow that appealed to him.
Those early impressions were soon confirmed in the show pen. Phalaris first announced himself by finishing Reserve Champion at the Tamworth Futurity before Heath Sinclair, who had spent years working with Rob, rode him to the Comet River Open Futurity win. The following season, Rob returned to claim the Tamworth Open Derby Championship aboard him.
Phalaris also became a remarkable family horse. Rob's daughter claimed a Non Pro Classic Championship with him before his eldest son added a Non Pro Classic Championship of his own. Alongside those headline performances, Phalaris collected major wins at the NCHA Futurity, Cotton Country Cutting Show, Comet River Cutting and Eastern Falls Cutting Club, while also recording numerous placings at events including the AQHA National Championships, World Show Downunder and the Darling Downs Cutting Club Futurity. His consistency against Australia's leading horses established him as one of the country's most respected cutting performers.
Despite all of those achievements, the performance Rob remembers most wasn't one that ended with a championship. Competing in the Open at the Tamworth Futurity, he selected what he describes as a particularly difficult cow. Throughout the run, the cow continually challenged Phalaris and even kicked him, yet he never stopped trying. Rob still considers it one of the horse's greatest performances because of the courage and determination he displayed. It wasn't a championship winning run, but it's one people still talk about today. As Rob puts it, special horses have a way of digging you out of difficult situations, and in those moments you're simply lucky to be with them.
When Phalaris retired from competition, Rob felt he had already given the Hodgman family everything they could have hoped for. He had won championships, become an outstanding family horse and created memories they would never forget. As far as Rob was concerned, Phalaris didn't owe them anything more. If he went on to become a successful sire, that would simply be a bonus.
Standing a stallion, however, presented a challenge. Because the Hodgmans' own mare families were so closely related to Phalaris, they couldn't continually breed their mares back to him. His future would depend largely on outside mare owners supporting him. Rob often says that to make a stallion successful you either need a large band of exceptional mares yourself or the support of breeders willing to give your horse an opportunity. For Phalaris, that support became invaluable.
One of the people Rob remains most grateful to is long-time friends John and Donna Kempton. The Kemptons bred one of their Stock Horse, Quarter Horse mares to Phalaris, and at the time Rob's eldest son James was breaking in all of Rob's young horses, including several by Phalaris. From that year's crop, the Kemptons' gelding was clearly the standout.
Wanting to thank John and Donna for the friendship and support they had shown him over many years, Rob offered to train the gelding free of charge. It is a story that still brings great emotion to him today because he strongly believes in supporting the people who have supported you. The gelding went on to finish fourth at the Tamworth Futurity before claiming the Comet Futurity Championship, becoming the first Phalaris progeny Rob had the opportunity to campaign himself. Rob credits horses like this, and the mare owners who believed in Phalaris, as being instrumental in establishing his reputation as a sire.
Rob never tried to make Phalaris a fashionable stallion. His favourite movie has always been Field of Dreams, and he believes if something is meant to happen, it will. His focus remained on breeding good horses rather than chasing popularity. In the early years, breeding numbers grew slowly, but standing at Stacey McGregor's breeding facility in Victoria gave mare owners another opportunity to access proven Australian bloodlines. When imported semen didn't always result in pregnancies, many breeders chose Phalaris as a high quality fresh semen alternative, gradually increasing his progeny numbers and allowing his offspring to establish his reputation through their own performances.
Rob believes Australian stallions have always had to earn their place. While imported horses naturally attract attention, locally bred stallions have to prove themselves one foal at a time. There are no shortcuts. Looking back, Rob believes the success Phalaris has enjoyed as a sire belongs just as much to the mare owners who supported him as it does to the horse himself.
Today, Rob believes Phalaris consistently leaves his progeny with a huge stop, soft movement and a natural way of working a cow. He particularly likes breeding him to mares with plenty of cow, a bit of heat or plenty of personality, believing those mares complement him exceptionally well. Away from competition, Phalaris was always a beautiful horse to handle, and one that professional trainers, family members and amateur riders all enjoyed riding.
Throughout his career, Phalaris competed exclusively in the cutting arena. Cutting has always been Rob's passion, and he never felt the need to pursue another discipline. In his eyes, Phalaris had already achieved everything he could have hoped for as a performance horse.
Looking back, Rob believes Phalaris exceeded every expectation. The colt he had once hoped might have been a filly became an outstanding family competition horse, an influential sire and one of the defining horses of the Hodgman breeding program. More importantly, he reinforced the philosophy Rob has believed throughout his career: great stallions are built on great mares. Today, through the success of his progeny, EBS Phalaris continues to leave his mark on the Australian cutting horse industry, ensuring his story is far from over.
