Highway to Hell was bred by Raelene Higgins from her legendary mare One Hellofa Spin. Choosing a sire to continue the legacy of this outstanding mare needed careful consideration and only the very best could possibly be an option. In 2010 for Raelene, that was Dual Rey.
The resulting chestnut colt foal was born on 1st November 2011. As he grew it was evident that this colt was something special. He was eye catching, a good size, an outstanding type and a pleasure to be around. He was named Highway To Hell and Raelene made the difficult decision to put him through the 2014 Landmark Classic Sale.
He was broken in as a 2yo before being sent to Hugh Miles for sale preparation. While there was significant interest in the colt, there was one young man quietly making a plan, hoping to buy this stunning young colt and enter his cutting career with a flying start.
Mat was just transitioning from campdrafting into cutting. At the time he was working from Kingaroy under the guidance of Mark Buttsworth. Mat was training his first cutting horse, Hard Hat Hilda, and preparing for the 2014 NCHA Futurity.
Having such an exceptional horse at the start of his career, Mat was hungry for another great cutting prospect and when he saw Highway to Hell in the sale catalogue he was determined to have a go at buying him. To give him a shot at coming home with the colt, Mat sold a couple of his other young horses and also formed a syndicate with good friend Wayne Saddler, called the Allstar Syndicate.
Initially it was the colt’s genetics that appealed to Mat. “I already had a lot of respect for Dual Rey and his progeny, I liked the way they moved”. That he was out of One Hellofa Spin was the icing on the cake and Mat knew this was a serious prospect. He and Wayne went into the sale having no idea if the colt would top the sale or if they could buy him, but they were hopeful.
In the end, Highway to Hell did top the sale at $70,000 and The Allstar Syndicate were the successful bidders.
At this time Mat had moved to Killarney where he would base his training operation from Graham Amos’ facility. Highway to Hell went straight home with Mat to Killarney and continued his training, and the process of transitioning from preparation for campdrafting to a cutting focus. He very quickly proved to be everything Mat and Wayne had hoped for. His intelligence and trainability were apparent from the start, as was his athleticism. There has never been a moment that Mat has doubted this superstar horse.
Mat would compete on Highway to Hell in the 2015 NCHA Futurity. He was still a newcomer to the sport and was happy to make the Limited Open Futurity final. Mat is the first to admit that it was his own lack of show experience that resulted in the pair missing the Open Futurity final by 1 point.
“At first I probably didn’t understand how much horse power I had. I knew he was good. He has always been easy to train and very honest. He has been a pleasure the whole time. As my training methods have changed over the years, I have been able to bring out the flare he has, and he continued to adapt and get better as my training evolved”. To Mat that shows what an amazing mind the horse has. “I’m not sure all horses would have done what he has, stayed competitive and even got better being asked to adapt as we went along”.
Mat describes Highway to Hell as being very intelligent, and inquisitive. “He has a very big heart. He wants to please and he never gives up”. Mat also says that he adjusts to the rider seamlessly, and can be competitive for his wife Casey in a Non Pro event then go up a gear when Mat asks a lot of him in Open competition.
Highway to Hell will always hold a special place for Mat. “I have had him from a 2 year-old and competed on him at the highest level in the country and been able to win against the best. That is very rewarding.”
Mat was looking forward to going out with a bang in 2021 on Highway To Hell, having planned the stallion’s transition to campdrafting. Unfortunately the 2021 NCHA Futurity was cancelled due to Covid and his final showcase changed to the Victorian Futurity. Mat did not make the decision to move Highway To Hell to the campdraft arena lightly.
Having a background in campdrafting, Mat is very aware of what it takes to excel in that sport as a sire. Mat made sure the horse could rate a beast and had the legs and athleticism to be able to compete at the highest level before he even contemplated this decision. He also consulted friend Mark Buttsworth who gave the stallion a run on cattle and agreed to campaign him.
Highway To Hell was already appealing to mare owners wanting to breed camp horses. His exceptional, refined time, size and athleticism as well as his good mind are all the ingredients it takes to breed champion progeny. “There’s a lot of nice horses, but he has that bit extra. I think he will be a very good camp horse and he is already proving that he is passing on his superior traits to his foals”.
Highway to Hell has around 30 progeny on the ground so far as of 2021. His oldest is a Classic Challenge aged cutting horses called Reybanz who is a successful show horse. Another of his early foals is called One Hellofa Hilda, who won the 2020 Peel Valley Open Futurity.
His progeny are soft minded and very balanced. Mat said he has been thrilled about how consistent they are. “We get quite a few different genetics come through here and I haven’t found any better than Highway To Hells progeny. Regardless of what mare they are out of, they all have had a similar feel and this is very exciting”.
Highway To Hell has never flown under the radar. This stallion has caught the imagination of all who see him since he was a 2yo. He is bound to continue to captivate as he enters the next phase of his competitive career and as he continues to prove his merit as an exceptional and versatile sire.
