Rune
In the rugged wilderness of Kosciuszko National Park, where the untamed spirit of the Brumby reigns supreme, there is a stallion unlike any other, a mysterious figure known as Rune.
For the past four years, Ian Brown, our dedicated professional photographer, has tracked the movements of Rune, a stallion who defies expectations and rewrites the rule book of what it means to be a Brumby. Rune has always been a bachelor, a lone figure moving through the mountains with a quiet confidence that demands respect. But unlike other stallions, Rune doesn't seek the typical path of dominance and power. Instead, he leads with a different kind of strength, one that has drawn a band of followers—bachelors who, like him, seem content to bide their time in the shadows.
Rune is always the lead bachelor, the one that others follow, as if instinctively knowing that he is their guide. He doesn't challenge the mightiest stallions or attempt to steal a mare from another's mob. It’s as though he avoids confrontation, preferring the calm of his own company and the companionship of those who choose to walk alongside him.
In a world where strength is often measured by the number of mares a stallion can claim, Rune is a paradox. He is powerful, yet he chooses not to assert his dominance. He is respected, yet he doesn’t seek to rule. It's as if Rune is waiting for something—perhaps the right moment, or perhaps the right mare. For now, he simply watches, learns, and moves through the landscape like a shadow, a figure of quiet resilience.
There’s a sense of inevitability in Rune's story, a feeling that one day, the tide will turn. Maybe one day, he will surprise us all, claiming a mare and stepping into a role that has eluded him for so long. Or perhaps Rune will remain the enigmatic bachelor, a symbol of quiet strength in a world that often values power above all else.
Rune's story is not just one of patience, but of a different kind of leadership—one that doesn't need to shout to be heard, one that leads not through force, but through example. In a landscape as wild and unpredictable as the mountains he calls home, Rune's presence is a reminder that true strength sometimes lies not in what is taken, but in what is chosen to be left alone.