A Once-in-a-Lifetime Mare
Eltorrio was bred by Jaye’s stallion, Daley’s Playrio, and the exceptional mare Citori through a foal-for-foal arrangement with Kate Morrison. Each year during the breeding season, Kate left Citori and two of her top camp mares with Jaye at Bibil, while she returned to her property in the Northern Territory. Citori came from a long line of performance mares, with a campdrafting history that stretches back to Kate’s grandmother, and every mare in her lineage had been successfully campdrafted by the women in the family.
Eltorrio was broken in at “Bibil” by Anthony Jessup from Winton, who gave her around ten rides before Jaye took her on. From the beginning she was something special, with a huge stop, natural athleticism, and a mindset beyond her years. She placed in futurities as a three-year-old, won futurities at four, and finished sixth in the Cloncurry Stockman’s Challenge that same year.
In 2013, Ben Hall took over the reins. At her very first start, she bypassed a maiden draft altogether due to the program schedule and competed straight into the novice at Blackall, scoring an 89 and 88 to win. Over the next two years, she confirmed her superstar status, winning four novices and two opens, including the prestigious Canning Downs at Warwick, as well as the aggregate of the Gold Cup and Canning Downs prize. By 2014, within her first twelve months in Ben’s hands, she had won all her novices and her first open.
She went on to claim the ACA Rookie Horse title, Novice Horse title, and Open Horse title, firmly establishing herself as one of the most outstanding mares of her generation. Jaye describes her as feminine, with a strong hindquarter, excellent rein, and a kind nature. She is never bossy, always the last to get her nosebag on, and a genuine pleasure to have around.
Eltorrio was 9 years old when her full sibling, Eldorrio, was born, furthering the family’s legacy with Playrio, who was 18 at the time. Together, the two siblings represent the strength and consistency of this proven line.
As a broodmare, Eltorrio has already made her mark. She produced a colt by Invictus, purchased as a yearling at the Toowoomba Supreme Sale for $30,000 by Ben & Cheri Stanger. Now five years old, he has already won futurity drafts and, in 2025, placed second in novice drafts three times. Jaye also owns a three-year-old Metallic Storm filly out of Eltorrio, a two-year-old filly by Smooth Talkin Style, a three-year-old Rollz Royce colt, a two-year-old Rollz Royce filly, and a yearling Metallic Cat filly.
What excites Jaye most about Eltorrio is her ability to cross successfully with both Australian and American bloodlines, giving her the opportunity to expand her breeding program while retaining the qualities she values most. One of the most consistent traits passed on through her progeny, as well as through her full sibling Eldorrio, is their immense stop and their genuine desire for their job, qualities that Ben and Jaye consider invaluable.
Although rare for campdraft horses, Eltorrio has earned impressive lifetime earnings, a testament to her exceptional career and ability to consistently perform at the highest level. With her performance record, her influence as a broodmare, and her contribution to the Daley and Hall family breeding program, Eltorrio has cemented her place as a once-in-a-lifetime mare.
