Robbie Bloch is a young man with a passion for life and livestock. A livestock agent for the Inverell firm, C.L. Squires and Co, he has maintained a lifelong interest in horses and the people who breed and compete with these equine athletes. His personal goal is to own a few really top horses and to breed his own progeny with which he and his family can compete.
As a younger man he always watched Clarke Family Style and believed she was the best mare he had seen. She performed with athleticism, desire and a nature that suited Troy, Sally and their boys as she went through her grades winning over 30 drafts including 15 Opens, Ladies, Juveniles and even an Old Buffers.
Although Robbie was too young to have seen her dam, Clarke Family Charm, compete he knew that Style’s ability was no fluke as Charm had been a Warwick Gold Cup winner as had her sire, Warrenbri Omega.
This combination of genetics and ability was the reason that Robbie and his wife Rosie decided that one day they would really like to own a foal out of Style if the opportunity ever presented itself. They had no definite ambition to own a stallion or a plan to compete at National level with a Challenge horse. They just wanted to have Style genetics in their own horses.
Visiting Troy’s property on business in late 2019 Robbie saw Style with a young Conman colt foal and immediately enquired as to whether he would be for sale. The answer was no and not to be put off Robbie booked his mares in for two years down the track to breed to this young foal.
Meanwhile the young foal, now known as Freestyler, progressed, always impressing Troy. He broke him in as a 2yo and his easy nature, balance and attitude made him an enormous prospect from the get go. He had all the usual stockwork throughout his first year under saddle and continued to impress Troy at every step showing the potential and breeding to go to the top anywhere in any discipline.
Troy felt he was the ultimate horse that he was trying to breed with staying true to the stock horse type and with the ability of his own premier mare line and the reputation and the marketability of the Conmans.
This then left Troy with a major dilemma. He had two top class colts and competing with both was not really what he wanted.
When Freestyler was ready to start stud duties Troy suggested Robbie could pick him up to join his own mares, an opportunity he jumped at. He picked him up in late October and after a serious conversation between Robbie and Troy, an hour later Robbie and Rosie owned the colt.
So with no idea that they would actually own this beautiful colt previously, they then began to hatch a plan for his future. Brett Welsh was offered the opportunity to begin the training program with Freestyler after he finished breeding duties.
Brett has continued to be impressed with his development and his first competition was in the 2022 St George Junior Challenge where they finished 2nd. He was then to go to the ASHA National Futurity, but the event was cancelled.
