Stonegrove Ace

[Archina]

Sadly, Stonegrove Ace a gorgeous chestnut BWBS, SHB (GB) was put to sleep today. Ace stood at Summerhill Stud for 24years and belonged to Doreen Allison owner of the stud.

It is suspected Ace had a tumour as he has been ill for the last week. Doreen has buried Ace at the stud beside his favourite mare Alexis who has had 8 foals from him.

This boy had one of the best temperments you could find in a stallion and was often used to tease mares for other stallions as he was so laid back and easy to handle.

Its a sad day for the breeding world.

 

[kerilli]

Oh, that is such a shame, I have one of his daughters, a beautiful bay 5 yr old mare, with one of the best temperaments I have ever known in a horse, she is an absolute darling, and is a stunning girl who moves beautifully. I hope she'll do him proud.
R.I.P. Ace.

 

[Caledonia]

Beautiful horse, with stunning paces. I remember watching him trot loose round the big indoor barn.
RIP, handsome boy.

 

[BlueberryPocket]

RIP Ace, a true gentleman who will be sadly missed.

I have a lovely colt by Ace, if he gets even just a wee bit of Ace's temprament he will be doing well.

 

[gillianelliott]

I worked with Ace for 4 seasons back from around 96 - 2000. The stud was mental busy with 5 working stallions at one point with Accondy being the main boy and one of the busiest stallions in the country. Ace was always the favourite - like a pet aswell as a working animal. His stock are prolific winner in the show ring and all 3 disciplines. He was easy then and we used to say he was better than an ultrasound scanner at telling us when the mare was ovulating. There was defo some truth in that. Laughing at some of the things you could ask him to do - that I probably shouldnt put on here ! I also had a gelding Adix by him who was flashy looking with the temperament of a pet dog - He is 13 now and the love of my life. The thought that Ace is buried next to Alexis almost puts a tear in my eye - she was a lovely mare and always was his fav. Her nickname was the Milkbar as when the weaned the foals together she would let the other drink from her for comfort. Im deeply saddened for Doreen and Tom - Ace was special guest at their wedding !!! Everyone who knows his quality and temperament will understand the loss to the sports horse breeding world. I wonder who will carry his legacy on - who has the top Ace covering stallion - Is it Artic Mill ?? Forgive me - Im out of the loop living in England! A friend phoned to say he had passed. Gutted but more than proud to have dealt with him in my career. Taught me more about studwork than any book or paper!!!!!!!!!

 

[kerilli]

thankyou so much for posting that, it's lovely to hear what a super boy he was, i'd love to hear a few of the stories about him if you have time to pm me at any time...
my girl by him has the sweetest temperament i've ever known, she's never even thought of kicking or biting in all the time i've owned her, and she follows me around like a dog if given the chance. really lovely horse.
here she is, not sure if she looks much like her daddy...

 

[Silverspring]

My friend had Ace of Diamonds and Ace of Spades, some of Ace's first babies I ever met. Spades (stable name Spud) was the most beautiful mare, she didn't have the big stunning paces but I've never found a nicer temperament. She was retired to foal due to head shaking and had 3 lovely little foals, all massive considering she was only 16.2.

Diamonds was a beautiful big boy (about 18hh) massive paces and a total gentle giant. A bit nervous as a competition horse but in the stable and at home he was a little (giant!) star. That said at his first cross country he went clear having only been jumped under saddle once, just such a willing boy would do anything you asked him.

Ace was one of the first big name warmblood in Scotland, long before everyone was riding Dutch. Goes to show British Warmbloods can be just as good.

 

[Silverspring]

thankyou so much for posting that, it's lovely to hear what a super boy he was, i'd love to hear a few of the stories about him if you have time to pm me at any time...
my girl by him has the sweetest temperament i've ever known, she's never even thought of kicking or biting in all the time i've owned her, and she follows me around like a dog if given the chance. really lovely horse.
here she is, not sure if she looks much like her daddy...

She's lovely, Ace was a beautiful bright chestnut and built like a tank. This is his stud photo, he had even more presence in the flesh.

http://www.summerhillstud.co.uk/details.asp?id=stonegroveace

 

[gillianelliott]

The stud card picture was taken when he was 3 or 4 I think - he was much chunkier than that in later years with more impressive topline and general muscle. I will try to look out some pics that I have if I can find them I will put them on. I have millions of my boy if I can work out how to put them on here. Ive just sold him actually to a quieter home. Must let the new owner know of this news. I havent even seen horse and hound article yet. To answer the question does your bay mare look like him. Some people might say no but she has his cheekbone and eye for sure. There is also a similar line across the quarters with similar hind leg action - when he wasnt showing off of course! Then he was a little more elevated of course. Not dissimilar to the action of many of his off spring I would say. Its more the colour that throws me !!

On the subject of British Warmbloods - Ace actually is Hanoverian X TB which has been given a BWBS passport as graded in this country. The German influence if of course there very much so and Akkord has been one of the most influential stallions of his generation. My gelding was out of a dressage pony !! He is 17Hh now and had the marking and colouring off Akkord but Aces temperament. Ace was a dark chestnut with some liver markings but he often threw out bright chestnuts with the lovely flaxen mane and tails. Another thing I remembered - Doreen always said she thought he preferred chestnut mares to cover naturally !!!

He was very territorial of his feed however and at times I was glad of the swing manger!!

 

[BlueberryPocket]

It's lovely to hear so many nice things about Ace and i'm sure Doreen would be very touched. Ace was the first horse I ever sat on and as above was a true gentleman. He used to open his mouth for the bit not alot of horses would do that!

have a lovely little colt by him, who is 2 weeks old but still has no name! any suggestions? wanted something with Ace or at least a reference to Ace or something to cards (as in playing cards) but just cant think if anything. Did think of Ace of Hearts, stable name Romeo but think it's a bit lame and he doesn't really suit Romeo, his dam is Vienna which means the Rome kind of ties in.

Any help would be appreciated.

will try post pic......

 

[brighteyes]

To hear these testimonials to a stallion would tempt even me, the world's most cautious advocate of amatuer breeding, to have put our mare to him. I can't imagine the feelings of loss and to have buried him next to his favourite mare speaks volumes about his owners.

 

[Archina]

I was lucky enough to know Ace is his later years. I became friends with Doreen and Tom just over 6 years ago when i put two of my mares in foal to him. Sadly Rosie, my bright chestnut filly out of my TB mare had to get PTS at 6 months old along with her dam, my shetland and another foal but i still have his other foal who is now 5 years old. He is just a wee thing standing at 14.3hh but he was only out of my 14.2hh competition mare.

I used to hate chestnuts thinking they were just scatty mental things but Ace changed my mind. As i only live about 5 mins away when i visited, Ace was the first i had to greet when i got there and he would come up for a scratch when you called his name. He loved gettin his ears and chin scratched Def the best stallion i have had the pleasure of knowing and working with. I still look for him in his paddock when i go to visit, a hard habit to break.

Doreen has a new boy in her life, Mac! A stunning liver chestnut quarterhorse, a special boy in his own right but could never replace Ace. Its great to hear other peoples stories about him. He is greatly missed.

This is Charlie, my 5yr old gelding out of Ace.

And of my filly foal Rosie who had to be PTS at 7 months old. She was 14.2hh at the time, she was going to be huge like her daddy.

 

[Ciss]

A little bit of early history now . Ace's dam Mandara (by Mansingh) was owned by Jan Funnell (but still married to her first husband and therefore known as Jan tredwell at the time). Jan lived very near to me at Water Stratford and when she decied to go abroad for a year Debbie Wallin and I arranged for Mandara (Mandy to her friends) to be be leased to as a broodmare to a breeder in Wales. She naturally chose to use Akkord on her as he stood locally and was noted for his superb temperament (Mandy was very hot being flat-race bred by James Delahooke) and Ace was the result. He was eligible for stallion grading because Mandy was one of the first Tb mares ever graded with the then BWBS and as a result he had pink papers.

Akkord also sired Crown Marcasite of course and about 15 years ago I organised a stallion parade at Addington in which Akkord, Ace and Crown Marcasite all paraded together as a tribute to Akkord and the three chestnut stallions in a row were a real sight to behold. And Mrs Kirby was a spleased as punch of course

 

[Archina]

Wish i had been there! Will have to show Doreen this thread, she would love it.

 

[Ciss]

Yes it would be great if Doreen could see it. Also I have Just remembered. The breeder who leased Mandara was Mo Crossley, the owner of teh Stonegrove prefix. I believe she still breeds the occassional Hannoverian foal.