When people think of legendary Australian horses, Phar Lap comes to mind. But in bush circles, there was another name spoken with equal reverence — Rocky Ned. Born on the Horton River in the Bingara district in 1907, Rocky Ned became arguably the greatest buckjumper Australia has ever produced. His story is one of raw power, controversy, and an unbeaten spirit that captured the hearts of a nation.
And it's a story that Rodney's Relics is proud to have preserved in print.
From Stock Horse to Outlaw
Rocky Ned's transformation from quiet stock horse to legendary outlaw began with a simple fright. While being ridden by Paddy Murphy — who made the mistake of lifting an empty water tin with a hoe — Ned bolted, tossed his rider, and galloped home. Something had changed. The mild-mannered horse was gone forever.
After Murphy enlisted in World War I, Ned was sold to an Afghan trader who used him as a humble pack horse, carting goods between Warialda Rail and Warialda for five years. Few could have predicted what lay ahead.
The Circus Years — Where a Legend Was Born
In 1923, Lennon's Bros Travelling Circus and Buckjump Show came to Bingara — and everything changed. Lennon Bros purchased Ned for just ten pounds. From that humble beginning, Rocky Ned took on all comers. With very few exceptions, they all ended up in the dust.
Following the death of Mr. Lennon in 1927, Ned was sold to showman Tom Handley, who toured him across Australia. At the Sydney Agricultural Showground, one hundred pounds was offered to any rider who could stay on — not one ever claimed it. When American cowboys were brought out for the Melbourne Centenary celebrations, they tried their own large saddles and were thrown in quick succession. The longest ride? Eleven seconds.
The Riders Who Tried — and the Controversy That Followed
Rocky Ned's career was never short of drama. A handful of riders claimed to have conquered him, and each claim sparked decades of debate.
Gordon Attwater rode Ned at Grafton Showground in 1929, winning twenty pounds — but controversy followed for nearly fifty years over the type of saddle he used. Showman Thorpe McConville publicly challenged Attwater to repeat the ride "under normal rodeo conditions." Attwater declined. The debate raged on.
Jack Stanton, one of Australia's finest rough riders — a man who had toured South Africa and studied the best bucking stock in America and Canada — said plainly: "I have no doubts about Rocky Ned being the best bucking horse of all times." Stanton admitted he rode Ned as many as three times in a day during Tom Handley's shows, and was successful only once. That single admission speaks volumes.
The Final Years
Thorpe McConville eventually purchased Ned and made him the star of his Wild Australia Circus and Rodeo alongside another great outlaw, 'Swanee'. Despite his advancing age, Ned kept performing — still unbeaten.
McConville eventually retired Ned to his farm on the Murrumbidgee, where the old champion lived out his final years. In 1941, the Portland Guardian reported on his last public appearance at Narrandera Show Night:
"The old champion was cheered to the echo as he retired after giving a wonderful exhibition, still unbeaten."
Rocky Ned passed away in 1943, aged 35 — undefeated to the end.
A Poem for a Champion
Writer W. Tye captured it best in a tribute published in 1941:
Here's a song of the bushman to you, Rocky Ned,
that tells of the wide, open ways,
where, as King of the Ring, 'neath the skies overhead,
you reigned in those halcyon days.The long trek has ended, your race has been run,
and you at sweet leisure may rest,
in the bend of the river, the goal you have won,
since, old fellow, you gave of your best.
Read the Full Story
Rocky Ned's complete story — researched with care and verified against historical newspaper records — is published in Bingara Our Town, Our People Vol. 1, available now from Rodney's Relics.
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