A little about how Harley Quarter Horses (HQH) came to be.....
Newdegate is located South East of Perth in the lower wheat belt region and this is where Paul and Claire broad acre farm with family. A life long passion for quarter horses has developed into breeding quality, strong horses that are a pleasure to be around.
Paul Harley's first experiences with quarter horses was on Yarrabah Quarter Horse Stud (Home of Supposin IMP USA, & Leo's Gal Tish IMP USA) in Mundijong where his father John managed Ken Courts stud for many years before it dispersed. He then went on to ride and breed Polo ponies, he competed over east and spent time with his uncle Mike Harley who is very well known on and around the polo field. Paul came back to WA to follow in his fathers footsteps and work with station horses up north. Paul has now settled in Newdegate with his wife Claire and two daughters. He is spending his time training Harley Quarter Horses newest additions as well as finding time to practice cutting.
Claire Chamberlain grew up in Newdegate and started with horses at the age of eight, she continued to ride horses for many years and still does. Claire loves training and handling Harley Quarter Horses, she manages the business side of the stud while finding time to teach their daughters to ride.
"I've always wanted a well mannered, good looking, versatile horse and I've finally found it, the quarter horse".
Caitlyn 7yrs - Lake Grace Riding School Gymkana Paul and Amelia - Seeding 2009
Claire and Smart Lil Jewel - Back in work Jan 2011
The History of The Harley Horsemen:
By Dawn Harley 2010
Paul comes from a long line of accomplished horsemen as far back his Great Grandfather Tom Appleyard Harley who as a young man left his home in Yorkshire and took a steamer bound for Chicago. He got himself a horse and headed west. In Iowa he met up with Colonel William Cody {Buffolo Bill] and not being known as a backward young man he went right on up to Col Cody and asked him for a job. Col Cody obliged him with a job on his ranch at Council Bluffs in Wyoming. He worked there for a couple of years before moving on . He then joined the Canadian Mounted Riflemen and headed for more adventure.
His Grandfather built his own Polo field in front of his house in Rhodesia and invited the local farmers to play and so started up a Polo Club. His two eldest sons, Pauls father John and his brother Michael , on being sent away to boarding school at the tender age of 6 took a couple of horses with them and took over running the pony club both at junior school [Eagle School] and also carried on with the job at senior school [Plum Tree]. Both the two elder boys took part in all the local Gymkhanas and were soon playing polocrosse and Polo. Both boys were excellent players and Mike later played as a Professional all over the world. Pauls Dad came to Australia at the age of 19 and took on station work until he was , at the age of 21, managing Liveringa in the Kimberlies with sheep and horses and after 8 years when the station was sold to an American company he came south where he met and married and had a family but still played Polo in Perth and Polocrosse in which ever local town was nearest to the farm he was working on. When working in Narambeen he started a Pony Club for the local farmers children and taught the kids the rudimentary skills of jumping barriers etc. He also helped them learn the proper ways to feed and care for their ponies and check their their teeth feet etc. He played a lot of polocrosse in those early days too. A year or so later he started a small Appaloosa Stud using Bob Neumans Stallion Cadets High Wind. He had some success but on taking a job as Stud Manager at Yarrabah breading Quarter Horses first and then Thoroughbreds, he no longer had the time for his own Stud. He did all his own shoeing etc and most of his own vet work. Paul sat his first horse with his Dad at ten months old and by the time he was twelve he was playing a very decent game of Polocrosse. He once broke his right arm and so that he didn’t have to miss out he taught himself to play left handed. He learned to break in youngsters by working alongside his Dad and also his Uncle Mike in the Eastern States and played some Polo there too until he broke his leg in a game. He did a lot of station work in his young days and had alot to do with the horses up there, breaking and schooling etc. He has his fathers way with horses, he only had to speak to them and they knew what was expected.
Paul has become very successful in his own right and lives his life much as his father did.... ‘If someone else can do it then so can I and there is always something new to learn.’
(top pic)Paul on Steel Blue (Second Left) passing to John at front on Red Legs (Right)
John and Paul receiving Polocrosse Awards late 80's
(top pic)John Harley at Front. National Polo late 60's
John and weanling Appaloosa he bred late 80's
