Cover image courtesy of Middlebrook Valley Lodge
By Bren O'Brien
The recent sale of Middlebrook Valley Lodge won’t see a change in either the name of the farm or personnel, with well-respected horsewoman Verna Metcalfe to remain in charge of the operation.
The new owners, who wish to remain private, secured the 150-hectare Hunter Valley property in the past couple of weeks, with further details of the deal expected to be released in the coming weeks.
Significantly, Metcalfe, who has been involved with the farm for the past 13 years, remains as manager, providing strong continuity from the success achieved under the previous ownership.
The new owner canvassed a range of options for how the farm will be run and what it will be named, but in the end, it’s 'as you were', albeit with significant investment to come.
"The farm will take a slightly different course now," Metcalfe said. "It’s still going to be Middlebrook Valley Lodge, they were thinking of making a change, but because it’s got such a good name, I said to them, why would you?
"Apparently Arthur Inglis gave me a very good reference, so that means a lot." - Verna Metcalfe
"Apparently Arthur Inglis gave me a very good reference, so that means a lot. A lot of people in this industry were approached about me and it makes me feel that I must do something right and that people think a bit of me."
Located 15kms north of Scone, Middlebrook Valley already has a large 22-box yearling barn, an electric walker and round yard, post and rail fencing and yards, a foaling complex, two stallion boxes and yards as well as shedding for feed, hay and machinery.
It also enjoys dual frontage to the Middlebrook Creek and has a 46-megalite irrigation licence.
David and Verna Metcalfe | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
Under the new ownership, the farm will get some upgrades, with a greater focus on facilities to help grow Middlebrook Valley's burgeoning spelling and agistment business.
"There is a bit to come. They will put a fair bit of money into the property to develop it even more. That is good, and I can see us going forward from here, which is great. I'm very happy about it all," she said.
"It is pretty good as it is, but we are just going to do some redevelopment work and build some new stables and things like that. We want to make the place one of the best agistment farms in the Hunter.
"We will still be doing sales and we are spelling a lot of racehorses now and we are very particular in how we spell them and how we look after them. I think the trainers we spell for are very happy and we want to expand that side of it as well. There's a bit of a need for good spelling farms."
Middlebrook Valley Lodge has foaled, raised and/or consigned a host of top quality racehorses with Group 1 winners All Too Hard, Jameka (Myboycharlie {Ire}) and Divine Prophet among the graduates of the farm under Metcalfe's care.
