Damien
Well-Known Member
that is devesating! I guess there is no point recomending anything as I am sure you have explored every venue to keep her comfortable. Tragic
Where did you start?
- Thread starter Bounty
- Start date
htobago
Well-Known Member
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
(armed with a big royalty cheque from my first bestseller,
[/ QUOTE ]
What book did you write?
[/ QUOTE ]
The book is 'Watching the English: The Hidden Rules of English Behaviour'
Much to my surprise, it has sold over a quarter of a million copies so far, and is still selling, so it might buy my next horse as well!
[ QUOTE ]
(armed with a big royalty cheque from my first bestseller,
[/ QUOTE ]
What book did you write?
[/ QUOTE ]
The book is 'Watching the English: The Hidden Rules of English Behaviour'
Much to my surprise, it has sold over a quarter of a million copies so far, and is still selling, so it might buy my next horse as well!
htobago
Well-Known Member
Oh Bounty how very sad.
I do hope you manage to keep her comfortable, poor girl.
htobago
Well-Known Member
[ QUOTE ]
ITA he is stunning!!! I dont "do" Arabs either but he is something else, can we have some big pic's of him up please
[/ QUOTE ]
Sorry springfall - I somehow missed your post! Thank you - that is so sweet of you. I'm always pleased when non-Arab people like my Arab - cos it suggests he is more than just a pretty face, and might actually do something useful under saddle one day!
Here's a bigger piccie:
ITA he is stunning!!! I dont "do" Arabs either but he is something else, can we have some big pic's of him up please
[/ QUOTE ]
Sorry springfall - I somehow missed your post! Thank you - that is so sweet of you. I'm always pleased when non-Arab people like my Arab - cos it suggests he is more than just a pretty face, and might actually do something useful under saddle one day!
Here's a bigger piccie:
christine48
Well-Known Member
We only have one mare who we initially bought as a 2 yr old for me to compete at riding club level. She just excelled all our expectations. As a 4 yr old she beat the wembly riding horse winner at her 1st show. she also won working hunters. as a 5 yr old she was in all of the riding club teams and placed at the championships. she then evented to advanced (didn't have a fence down for 4 seasons) and show jumped to grade B. Her 1st foal was placed at the YEH final and is now advanced. The 2nd foal (now 5) has just won the intro championship, is almost elimentary dressage and jumping newcomers. The next ones are only 3, 2 and a yearling. She's definately our horse of a lifetime and luckily she's had 2 fillies to keep the line going.
Damien
Well-Known Member
She certainly has done you proud Memo! How is she bred?
htobago Your book sounds right up my street! Can I have an autographed copy please? (battingeyelashesprofusely)
htobago Your book sounds right up my street! Can I have an autographed copy please? (battingeyelashesprofusely)
christine48
Well-Known Member
She's by Atlantus. Her dam was a grade A SJ by Welton Gameful out of a Kadir Cup mare. She has done us proud. hopefully still in foal to Karendasj.
Damien
Well-Known Member
ah yes right, look forwards to seeing next years youngster have seen some lovely progeny by him in Holland!
htobago
Well-Known Member
Thanks Opie *blushes* of course you can have a signed copy - PM me your address and I'll send you one when I get back to London. I hope you like it!
Where are you in Scotland? I would really love to come and see your horses one day...
Where are you in Scotland? I would really love to come and see your horses one day...
Damien
Well-Known Member
Great will do!
We are on the East coast, thirty minutes from Edinburgh and about the same from St Andrews. ideal climate here for the horses, not too wet, not too cold, not to dry, and not too hot! Have done my time with extreme weather conditions in Switzerland from -30 to plus 40 and hated it! Your more than welcome amytime!
We are on the East coast, thirty minutes from Edinburgh and about the same from St Andrews. ideal climate here for the horses, not too wet, not too cold, not to dry, and not too hot! Have done my time with extreme weather conditions in Switzerland from -30 to plus 40 and hated it! Your more than welcome amytime!
Anastasia
Well-Known Member
WOW...............this has been great reading........its amazing how everyone has got into breeding.............now are you all sitting comfortably........then here is my story...........
I started riding when I was 4 years old. It was really my sister who started off in horses and I just followed. Did all the usual riding school stuff and competitions, but was never as serious as my sister who did the entire pony club stuff etc?
Anyway my sister really got into it big style and did very well in dressage up to advanced level. My mum is a teacher but eventually in her wisdom decided to give that up to become the Stud Manager at the Straloch Bavarian Warmblood Stud in Aberdeenshire. We all moved onto the place and I have to say it was great. Our 4 bedroomed flat was above the stallion stables, so at night you could hear all the horses munching away..........
. Straloch was a beautiful estate and the owners had big plans for the place. They had two separate stables which we called the North and South stables (1/2 mile apart). In the South Stables were all the stallions and the young horses to be backed and ridden, then in the North stables were all the breeding mares, young foals and groups of youngsters that were in small herds according to age.
They had a HUGE main house, more like a mansion really that overlooked the most beautiful field where all the summer shows were held. They also used to hold big 3-day dressage competitions during the summer and game fairs. At the game fairs we used to do presentations of the stallions in-hand and then take the mares and foals down for the audience .it was quite a show turning up with 10 mares with foals at foot!!
They were one of the first people in Scotland (besides the Low Mitchells etc) to import warmblood horses. We used to have a big foal auction and riding horse auction each year and sold the horses all over the world. It used to be so exciting and we would take forever to plait up all the foals and horses. A huge batch of horses would arrive off transporters from Germany, which for me used to be just so exciting as I was still in my early teens and there were some cracking horses!
My sister became the stable rider for the Stud and there were many excellent German riders and trainers that came over the years.
Anyway this was where my mum purchased her first warmblood horse. A Bavarian mare called Viola that my sister had great success at dressage and showjumping. Mum then decided to put her in foal.
Now during the time we lived at Straloch my sister started going out with a farmer who had rented some of the steadings from the Estate. She then got engaged and married him and moved out. She then started up her own Stud called Blockhouse and purchased an Approved stallion from Straloch called Dumas. She got him up to advanced level in dressage and unfortunately she lost him last year to colic.
Anyway are you still with me he he he
So eventually we moved out of Straloch as my mother was starting to find working with one of the owners quite hard, and we moved into a rented farm.
She started up her own livery and schooling stables and we used to have YTS people who would stay with us and help with the horses etc. I was still riding at this point but was getting to the age were boys and going out was much more fun, so I kind of came away from horses for a while. This did not stop me from still having to muck out and help with the mares and foals (as at this point my mum was breeding 8 mares or so). At one point we had around 40 horses at home.
Mum then decided to go back to teaching so we left that farm and moved into the croft where my mum now stays. Eventually I persuaded my dad to buy me one of my mums foals called Taggart (my mum & dad had divorced when I was 9). He was a Bavarian Warmblood. She then decided to lease one of the stallions from the Straloch Stud called Tarsus.
Anyway ..I had a car accident and was looking VERY pretty in my neck brace when a very nice guy and his parents came into the house. Little did I know this would be my future hubby!!
Gordon had a TB mare and had happened to be passing my mums croft when he saw Tarsus in the field. He then decided to put his mare Storm to him.
As Gordon was over quite a lot we struck up a friendship ..i.e. my mother would chuck me out the house each time he appeared ..mmmm not sure if she was trying to tell me something!!
Anyway, Gordon decided to have his mare graded with the BBWA (British Bavarian Warmblood Association), so I got her ready for the grading and presented her. She was accepted into the Studbook.
I then took Gordon over to see my sisters Stud and as he keeps on reminding me, I talked the whole time LOL. Gordon also purchased a colt foal called Troy from my mum, who was by Tarsus.
Anyway I went away on a holiday to Spain with my pals and on my return Gordon asked me to marry him!!
We got married but could not afford to buy a farm, so we got a residential caravan and put it down on his parents farm. That was 11 years ago!!
When we started off we had Storm, Taggart and Troy. We then added to this with an Appaloosa mare called Cheetah that Gordon purchased from the late George Nimmo. (Eventually we sold her on, as she was difficult to breed to)
We put Storm back to the Bavarian stallions each year. Taggart was gelded and I backed and rode him, although it soon became apparent he was going to be too small for me, so we sold him on. Troy we kept entire. He was a stunning chesnut horse with quite a cheeky temperament.
We put Troy forward for the BBWA grading and he narrowly failed, and it was at this point we decided to put him forward for the SSH Stallion grading. We took him down to Balcormo Stud. Here he got the Listed category, which is the lowest grade the stallions can get.
To say we went away disappointed was an understatement as we really thought we had a chance with him. Anyway after that result we decided to have a rethink. After speaking to Margot Kennedy (the then Studbook Manager) and one of the KWPN judges we decided to geld Troy.
Now at this point I have to say I was a loyal Bavarian fan. However, one day Gordon and me were away for a run in the car and we came across Birkland Stud (Aberdeenshire) breeders of Dutch warmblood horses. Gordon said, lets go and have a look and I remember myself saying, I am not interested in Dutch horses! ha ha ha ha ha.
Anyway we went into Birkland and got shown round by the owner Steve Ross. I remember being in complete awe of the quality of horses I was looking at, as they were just outstanding.
We then returned to the Stud a week later and were shown several 2-year-old mares. We went with a good friend of ours who now rides for one of the Studs in America and is trained at GP level. Eventually we purchased Octavia B who was by the Nimmerdor son, Jurius. I remember us arguing because I wanted another mare called Oka G who then went on to become a good showjumper.
Now because we had taken the decision to geld Troy the KWPN and Margot were more than happy to help us find a new stallion prospect in Holland. So we ended up at VDL Stud in Holland for a weekend. Here we looked at more than 200 stallion prospects. Originally we wanted a 2 year old and I was hoping to find something by Ahorn (unfortunately he died just a few weeks before we went over). Anyway . none of the 2 year olds stood out, so eventually we persuaded them to show us their yearlings.
We went out into a huge grassy plain and here in the sun were 100 yearling colts. It was quite a spectacular view and one we had never witnessed before. After trying to look around them (which as you can imagine was VERY difficult) we spotted Geneve in the background.
I just pointed to Gordon and said this is the one for us
!! Now we only saw him standing, saw a few strides at walk and hardly any trot
.LOL
. We went back to the Stud and they did not want to sell us a yearling and kept on saying to take a 2 year old. This was because they had not yet separated the colts into those they were putting forward for the KWPN.
ANYWAY after 3 hours of negotiations we purchased Royal Geneve. We were just soooooooooo excited. We had a long wait to get him home however as we purchased him in the August and did not get him home until November. This was due to the fact that they could not just take one colt out of the herd, so we had to be patient and wait for them to bring all the colts back to the Stud for the winter.
I remember him coming off the Gillies Transporter like it was yesterday. The whole family was there to see him come home and to say we were excited was an understatement .it was like opening your first present from Santa as a child!
On the day Geneve left Holland I remember getting a call from the Stud, and to this day I remember it as if it was yesterday Caroline, take good care of this one as he is going to be VERY special .and he certainly was!!
Geneve went on to become a Licensed stallion. He got just two marks less than the stallion Cappuccino who was the Belgium 3 year old champion (and sire to one of Opies mares
), who also got Licensed. He then became one of the most popular breeding stallions of the SSH and was just starting to come into his own on the dressage front.
The rest they say is history, from there we purchased in other mares. We got a second mare from Birkland called Osprey, and then we started to purchase mares from Holland.
We ended up selling Storm to a lady for riding and Troy was sold to a girl in Wales, and in fact we got an update on him last year, and he is now around 14 I think.
Today we are continually trying to improve on our breeding mares, with bringing in the best mare lines we can, and also to breed the best foals we can in a very highly competitive market.
Tragically we lost Geneve last year at the age of just 8 after a colic operation (this was such a severe blow to us as he was such a popular breeding stallion and we had 40 mares booked to him last year) and the pain was just awful
and then followed quite a disastrous year for us on the horse front.
Thankfully in September 2005 our young stallion Vision got Licensed
, so he is now at the forefront of our breeding, and we are very grateful that we still have some Geneve semen to use on our own mares.
OH ..and 11 years on we are still in our caravan ha ha ha ha
(thank god its a decent size!). We have been so focused on our breeding programme that the new house kept on taking second place. However, we are hoping to build our new house in the spring of 2008 after lengthy problems with planners and timescales and we now own part of the farm and have just built a new shed to accommodate the horses
. although we are planning a second
And that is how I got into breeding .. You can all wake up now ..ha ha ha ha
I started riding when I was 4 years old. It was really my sister who started off in horses and I just followed. Did all the usual riding school stuff and competitions, but was never as serious as my sister who did the entire pony club stuff etc?
Anyway my sister really got into it big style and did very well in dressage up to advanced level. My mum is a teacher but eventually in her wisdom decided to give that up to become the Stud Manager at the Straloch Bavarian Warmblood Stud in Aberdeenshire. We all moved onto the place and I have to say it was great. Our 4 bedroomed flat was above the stallion stables, so at night you could hear all the horses munching away..........
They had a HUGE main house, more like a mansion really that overlooked the most beautiful field where all the summer shows were held. They also used to hold big 3-day dressage competitions during the summer and game fairs. At the game fairs we used to do presentations of the stallions in-hand and then take the mares and foals down for the audience .it was quite a show turning up with 10 mares with foals at foot!!
They were one of the first people in Scotland (besides the Low Mitchells etc) to import warmblood horses. We used to have a big foal auction and riding horse auction each year and sold the horses all over the world. It used to be so exciting and we would take forever to plait up all the foals and horses. A huge batch of horses would arrive off transporters from Germany, which for me used to be just so exciting as I was still in my early teens and there were some cracking horses!
My sister became the stable rider for the Stud and there were many excellent German riders and trainers that came over the years.
Anyway this was where my mum purchased her first warmblood horse. A Bavarian mare called Viola that my sister had great success at dressage and showjumping. Mum then decided to put her in foal.
Now during the time we lived at Straloch my sister started going out with a farmer who had rented some of the steadings from the Estate. She then got engaged and married him and moved out. She then started up her own Stud called Blockhouse and purchased an Approved stallion from Straloch called Dumas. She got him up to advanced level in dressage and unfortunately she lost him last year to colic.
Anyway are you still with me he he he
So eventually we moved out of Straloch as my mother was starting to find working with one of the owners quite hard, and we moved into a rented farm.
She started up her own livery and schooling stables and we used to have YTS people who would stay with us and help with the horses etc. I was still riding at this point but was getting to the age were boys and going out was much more fun, so I kind of came away from horses for a while. This did not stop me from still having to muck out and help with the mares and foals (as at this point my mum was breeding 8 mares or so). At one point we had around 40 horses at home.
Mum then decided to go back to teaching so we left that farm and moved into the croft where my mum now stays. Eventually I persuaded my dad to buy me one of my mums foals called Taggart (my mum & dad had divorced when I was 9). He was a Bavarian Warmblood. She then decided to lease one of the stallions from the Straloch Stud called Tarsus.
Anyway ..I had a car accident and was looking VERY pretty in my neck brace when a very nice guy and his parents came into the house. Little did I know this would be my future hubby!!
Gordon had a TB mare and had happened to be passing my mums croft when he saw Tarsus in the field. He then decided to put his mare Storm to him.
As Gordon was over quite a lot we struck up a friendship ..i.e. my mother would chuck me out the house each time he appeared ..mmmm not sure if she was trying to tell me something!!
Anyway, Gordon decided to have his mare graded with the BBWA (British Bavarian Warmblood Association), so I got her ready for the grading and presented her. She was accepted into the Studbook.
I then took Gordon over to see my sisters Stud and as he keeps on reminding me, I talked the whole time LOL. Gordon also purchased a colt foal called Troy from my mum, who was by Tarsus.
Anyway I went away on a holiday to Spain with my pals and on my return Gordon asked me to marry him!!
We got married but could not afford to buy a farm, so we got a residential caravan and put it down on his parents farm. That was 11 years ago!!
When we started off we had Storm, Taggart and Troy. We then added to this with an Appaloosa mare called Cheetah that Gordon purchased from the late George Nimmo. (Eventually we sold her on, as she was difficult to breed to)
We put Storm back to the Bavarian stallions each year. Taggart was gelded and I backed and rode him, although it soon became apparent he was going to be too small for me, so we sold him on. Troy we kept entire. He was a stunning chesnut horse with quite a cheeky temperament.
We put Troy forward for the BBWA grading and he narrowly failed, and it was at this point we decided to put him forward for the SSH Stallion grading. We took him down to Balcormo Stud. Here he got the Listed category, which is the lowest grade the stallions can get.
To say we went away disappointed was an understatement as we really thought we had a chance with him. Anyway after that result we decided to have a rethink. After speaking to Margot Kennedy (the then Studbook Manager) and one of the KWPN judges we decided to geld Troy.
Now at this point I have to say I was a loyal Bavarian fan. However, one day Gordon and me were away for a run in the car and we came across Birkland Stud (Aberdeenshire) breeders of Dutch warmblood horses. Gordon said, lets go and have a look and I remember myself saying, I am not interested in Dutch horses! ha ha ha ha ha.
Anyway we went into Birkland and got shown round by the owner Steve Ross. I remember being in complete awe of the quality of horses I was looking at, as they were just outstanding.
We then returned to the Stud a week later and were shown several 2-year-old mares. We went with a good friend of ours who now rides for one of the Studs in America and is trained at GP level. Eventually we purchased Octavia B who was by the Nimmerdor son, Jurius. I remember us arguing because I wanted another mare called Oka G who then went on to become a good showjumper.
Now because we had taken the decision to geld Troy the KWPN and Margot were more than happy to help us find a new stallion prospect in Holland. So we ended up at VDL Stud in Holland for a weekend. Here we looked at more than 200 stallion prospects. Originally we wanted a 2 year old and I was hoping to find something by Ahorn (unfortunately he died just a few weeks before we went over). Anyway . none of the 2 year olds stood out, so eventually we persuaded them to show us their yearlings.
We went out into a huge grassy plain and here in the sun were 100 yearling colts. It was quite a spectacular view and one we had never witnessed before. After trying to look around them (which as you can imagine was VERY difficult) we spotted Geneve in the background.
I just pointed to Gordon and said this is the one for us
ANYWAY after 3 hours of negotiations we purchased Royal Geneve. We were just soooooooooo excited. We had a long wait to get him home however as we purchased him in the August and did not get him home until November. This was due to the fact that they could not just take one colt out of the herd, so we had to be patient and wait for them to bring all the colts back to the Stud for the winter.
I remember him coming off the Gillies Transporter like it was yesterday. The whole family was there to see him come home and to say we were excited was an understatement .it was like opening your first present from Santa as a child!
On the day Geneve left Holland I remember getting a call from the Stud, and to this day I remember it as if it was yesterday Caroline, take good care of this one as he is going to be VERY special .and he certainly was!!
Geneve went on to become a Licensed stallion. He got just two marks less than the stallion Cappuccino who was the Belgium 3 year old champion (and sire to one of Opies mares
The rest they say is history, from there we purchased in other mares. We got a second mare from Birkland called Osprey, and then we started to purchase mares from Holland.
We ended up selling Storm to a lady for riding and Troy was sold to a girl in Wales, and in fact we got an update on him last year, and he is now around 14 I think.
Today we are continually trying to improve on our breeding mares, with bringing in the best mare lines we can, and also to breed the best foals we can in a very highly competitive market.
Tragically we lost Geneve last year at the age of just 8 after a colic operation (this was such a severe blow to us as he was such a popular breeding stallion and we had 40 mares booked to him last year) and the pain was just awful
Thankfully in September 2005 our young stallion Vision got Licensed
OH ..and 11 years on we are still in our caravan ha ha ha ha
And that is how I got into breeding .. You can all wake up now ..ha ha ha ha
Bounty
Well-Known Member
She's sounds wonderful memo... lets hope that it was the Welton lines that she got her brilliance from (my mare is in foal to Welton Adonis!)
Bounty
Well-Known Member
Well, I *think* you might win the prize for the logest story!
Really interesting though, and rest assured that you're a 'proper' horsey person seeing as you're still living in a caravan while the horses live in luxury, LOL!
So sorry to hear about Geneve, hopefully Vision will help to ease the pain.
Really interesting though, and rest assured that you're a 'proper' horsey person seeing as you're still living in a caravan while the horses live in luxury, LOL!
So sorry to hear about Geneve, hopefully Vision will help to ease the pain.
MissIndependance
Well-Known Member
Anastasia that was really interesting! I should mention we are also known as pikeys/trailer park as we live in a mobile home! Great fun with 2 young kids!
I can't imagine 100 colts all together in a field - but what a lovely way for them to spend their early years!
I can't imagine 100 colts all together in a field - but what a lovely way for them to spend their early years!
Damien
Well-Known Member
It's wonderful to see you carrying on the family tradition Caroline, that family home is going to seem like paradise after all those years, that's dedication for you! Surpassing your moms cooking is going to be a challenge for you..........
htobago
Well-Known Member
Great story Anastasia! Thank you!
Hope you get a real house soon...
Hope you get a real house soon...
christine48
Well-Known Member
Yes Welton gameful was an amazing stallion. Idon't know whether it comes from that side or Atlantus as he was also a prolific sire.
Bounty
Well-Known Member
Shhhh - it was the Welton side!
maestro
Well-Known Member
Talking of caravans we were in one for 5 yrs! Still having to do the cooking in one. In order to build the stud up and to be on site for foaling mares we are rebuilding a cottage but of course the stables had to be done first!
henryhorn
Well-Known Member
We started in a very small way thirty years ago with a couple of Section A mares and a Welsh Cob stallion.
Then moved house and just ran a riding/livery school with our own competition horses.
One mare was pretty flighty and managed to injure her splint bones kicking out at a gate, so we decided to put her in foal. There followed two years of high stud fees, one eventual foal born in August and lots of to- ing and fro-ong to several studs.
Around this time I admired a two year old ID x TB a mate had purchased via a dealer straight from ireland, she had a super eye for horses and had been breeding for ages, managing to sell some to top Sjumpers for substantial amounts of money, and had asked the dealer to find one with that particular bloodline which was pretty obscure then.
We got a call out of the blue a year or so later asking if we were interested in buying the now four year old, so as my husband was about to change horses anyway we went to view him.
When we arrived she said drive down that lane, he's near the bottom, so we drove then walked a mile or so but all we spotted were two old nags in a field, one with mane and tail to the floor, massively overgrown feet etc and a man and a child were feeding them bread. We were about to go back when my husband spotted one had balls.... Sure enough it was the stallion, who last time I had seen him was immaculately kept and pulled mane etc.
We decided to return the following week and ride him, and he was very very green..Just about hackable with difficulty, but there was something about him I liked, so we paid for him and he was delivered. He arrived kicking and screaming and I heard my friend go in to him and wallop him a good few times, then this snorting monster jumped down the ramp..
Over the next few months he had a few battles with my OH, but provided you were firm he was fine.
We learned about covering the hard way by getting it wrong a lot..
We learned that unless you had a mare properly in season she would kick or run and the stallion would try to cover her regardless, so there were some fun times (not) with stallion racing after a reluctant mare with me and OH hanging on for dear life!
As he reached a little older we decided to see if he could jump, up to that stage both of us had only ever competed at Riding Club level.
We took him BSJA-ing and after an initial rocky start when he would jump six feet (I swear I'm telling the truth) if he met a fence wrong, he started being placed or winning every time out.
We were then pestered by the scouts who many of the top riders have working for them on commision, and they became a pain in the bum. At every show they would come up often after he had won the class and offer money to buy him, and eventually one show I was sitting on him after the class cooling him off and one annoyed me so much with his constant offers I said "Ok, we will sell him, twenty grand!" Now bear in mind this was 20 odd years ago and that was a massive amount..
My plan of course was that they would leave us alone if I said a silly price. To my horror the two blokes got out their cheque book and handed me a card with a top SJ address on and said can you deliver him here please..
Red faced I blustered I was only joking, and they stormed off furious.
On the way home my husband and I planned how to breed lots of stallions and sell them and make our fortune.. (another story)
We didn't return to that venue ever again and carried on having fun.. When we moved down here we stopped competing him apart from taking him out locally a couple of times. He was second every time as not that fit anymore, and we retired him to stud.
Over the last 15 years we have built up a nucleus of his daughters (we have four now) and now put them to Chocolate who is Belgian warmblood X Tb x arab..
That obscure bloodline has suddenly become very popular as Seacrest and Cruising started winning world wide, and now it's sought after..
Bert lived out in the field happily here until he was pTS last November. He got arthritis from constant door kicking (be warned rubber your doors) and was only ridden once a year to lead our annual carnival. This year it's Chocx who will try and fill those big hooves..
His stock are mostly with their original buyers or breeders, they all write to me every now and again saying how much they love their horses, but they are a little sharp to ride which is why we use Chocx calmness to temper them down now.
Over the years we have bred his daughters to various outside stallions such as Matinee du Madon, Pentagon, Pure ID stallions, TB's and ID x Tbs.. but Chocx offspring are the nicest in temperament and looks.
As for breeding the dozens of top stallions to sell, well it can't be done that easily!
There never was an identical one to Bert, Monty was the nearest and he had a really hot brain.. I have to say though that all of his stock possess that brave bold jump, which passes down through his daughters now.
My ambition now is not to breed a stallion (it takes megabucks to do that nowadays) but to get one on the cover of H and H ..If I can breed an eventer good enough I'll die happy!
Most of our homebred stuff ends up doing a little Aff stuff and winning a lot at RC level, mostly due to their owner's limitations. If a top rider had one who knows what we could achieve.
We rarely take in outside mares but used to, as you say it's a massive responsibility , but who knows, CCJ may decide to in future.
I've learned loads but am still learning all the time, and spent loads too I should say..
Now if only all those years ago we had bought fifty mares and covered them all with that stallion, we may have been as famous as Welton... Our mistake was not using good enough mares to start with, so if any would be breeder is thinking about it, use the best stock you can find.. Don't breed from average or that's what you get..
As for rewards, well look at William, once I manage to pay that vet's bill he will be aimed at something special in the future...
Then moved house and just ran a riding/livery school with our own competition horses.
One mare was pretty flighty and managed to injure her splint bones kicking out at a gate, so we decided to put her in foal. There followed two years of high stud fees, one eventual foal born in August and lots of to- ing and fro-ong to several studs.
Around this time I admired a two year old ID x TB a mate had purchased via a dealer straight from ireland, she had a super eye for horses and had been breeding for ages, managing to sell some to top Sjumpers for substantial amounts of money, and had asked the dealer to find one with that particular bloodline which was pretty obscure then.
We got a call out of the blue a year or so later asking if we were interested in buying the now four year old, so as my husband was about to change horses anyway we went to view him.
When we arrived she said drive down that lane, he's near the bottom, so we drove then walked a mile or so but all we spotted were two old nags in a field, one with mane and tail to the floor, massively overgrown feet etc and a man and a child were feeding them bread. We were about to go back when my husband spotted one had balls.... Sure enough it was the stallion, who last time I had seen him was immaculately kept and pulled mane etc.
We decided to return the following week and ride him, and he was very very green..Just about hackable with difficulty, but there was something about him I liked, so we paid for him and he was delivered. He arrived kicking and screaming and I heard my friend go in to him and wallop him a good few times, then this snorting monster jumped down the ramp..
Over the next few months he had a few battles with my OH, but provided you were firm he was fine.
We learned about covering the hard way by getting it wrong a lot..
We learned that unless you had a mare properly in season she would kick or run and the stallion would try to cover her regardless, so there were some fun times (not) with stallion racing after a reluctant mare with me and OH hanging on for dear life!
As he reached a little older we decided to see if he could jump, up to that stage both of us had only ever competed at Riding Club level.
We took him BSJA-ing and after an initial rocky start when he would jump six feet (I swear I'm telling the truth) if he met a fence wrong, he started being placed or winning every time out.
We were then pestered by the scouts who many of the top riders have working for them on commision, and they became a pain in the bum. At every show they would come up often after he had won the class and offer money to buy him, and eventually one show I was sitting on him after the class cooling him off and one annoyed me so much with his constant offers I said "Ok, we will sell him, twenty grand!" Now bear in mind this was 20 odd years ago and that was a massive amount..
My plan of course was that they would leave us alone if I said a silly price. To my horror the two blokes got out their cheque book and handed me a card with a top SJ address on and said can you deliver him here please..
Red faced I blustered I was only joking, and they stormed off furious.
On the way home my husband and I planned how to breed lots of stallions and sell them and make our fortune.. (another story)
We didn't return to that venue ever again and carried on having fun.. When we moved down here we stopped competing him apart from taking him out locally a couple of times. He was second every time as not that fit anymore, and we retired him to stud.
Over the last 15 years we have built up a nucleus of his daughters (we have four now) and now put them to Chocolate who is Belgian warmblood X Tb x arab..
That obscure bloodline has suddenly become very popular as Seacrest and Cruising started winning world wide, and now it's sought after..
Bert lived out in the field happily here until he was pTS last November. He got arthritis from constant door kicking (be warned rubber your doors) and was only ridden once a year to lead our annual carnival. This year it's Chocx who will try and fill those big hooves..
His stock are mostly with their original buyers or breeders, they all write to me every now and again saying how much they love their horses, but they are a little sharp to ride which is why we use Chocx calmness to temper them down now.
Over the years we have bred his daughters to various outside stallions such as Matinee du Madon, Pentagon, Pure ID stallions, TB's and ID x Tbs.. but Chocx offspring are the nicest in temperament and looks.
As for breeding the dozens of top stallions to sell, well it can't be done that easily!
There never was an identical one to Bert, Monty was the nearest and he had a really hot brain.. I have to say though that all of his stock possess that brave bold jump, which passes down through his daughters now.
My ambition now is not to breed a stallion (it takes megabucks to do that nowadays) but to get one on the cover of H and H ..If I can breed an eventer good enough I'll die happy!
Most of our homebred stuff ends up doing a little Aff stuff and winning a lot at RC level, mostly due to their owner's limitations. If a top rider had one who knows what we could achieve.
We rarely take in outside mares but used to, as you say it's a massive responsibility , but who knows, CCJ may decide to in future.
I've learned loads but am still learning all the time, and spent loads too I should say..
Now if only all those years ago we had bought fifty mares and covered them all with that stallion, we may have been as famous as Welton... Our mistake was not using good enough mares to start with, so if any would be breeder is thinking about it, use the best stock you can find.. Don't breed from average or that's what you get..
As for rewards, well look at William, once I manage to pay that vet's bill he will be aimed at something special in the future...
Enfys
Well-Known Member
Such fascinating stories.
HH, did you ever regret not taking that cheque?
HH, did you ever regret not taking that cheque?
henryhorn
Well-Known Member
Really enjoyed reading this and began to realise why Geneve was so very special to you.
I am so glad you have some frozen straws, I bet you are careful with them!
Talking of very first starts I started off with £50, my own horse and some good friends who helped me build up my riding school, I too was a caravan dweller for five years, tho mine was a tiny one! I remember how wonderful it was to move to a proper house and have a hot bath in my own centrally heated bathroom, prior to that I had showers in a tiny cubicle in the caravan with little lukewarm water.
Modern mobile homes are wonderful, my sister is looking to move into one which has several en suites and everything else but in a smaller space.
Mine sadly was a part wrecked one but it saved me carrying home twenty sets of tack every night after a break-in.. I had a GSD running loose on the yard so I always felt safe!
I am so glad you have some frozen straws, I bet you are careful with them!
Talking of very first starts I started off with £50, my own horse and some good friends who helped me build up my riding school, I too was a caravan dweller for five years, tho mine was a tiny one! I remember how wonderful it was to move to a proper house and have a hot bath in my own centrally heated bathroom, prior to that I had showers in a tiny cubicle in the caravan with little lukewarm water.
Modern mobile homes are wonderful, my sister is looking to move into one which has several en suites and everything else but in a smaller space.
Mine sadly was a part wrecked one but it saved me carrying home twenty sets of tack every night after a break-in.. I had a GSD running loose on the yard so I always felt safe!
Anastasia
Well-Known Member
Thanks everyone, and Opie you never got a chance to sample my wonder cuisine.....LOL.............maybe next time when I have a house for you to stay in....ha ha ha ha
Yes the horses mean a great deal to us and Geneve more so.........and HH we are VERY grateful for the fact we have some straws left by him, we would have been lost otherwise as all the youngsters we bred by him we had sold!!
We ended up keeping one filly who was actually sold, but when we lost Geneve we cancelled the sale. Thankfully the buyer fully understood our reasons why.
HH loved your story also...............its great to see how we all became to be breeders.
Yes the horses mean a great deal to us and Geneve more so.........and HH we are VERY grateful for the fact we have some straws left by him, we would have been lost otherwise as all the youngsters we bred by him we had sold!!
We ended up keeping one filly who was actually sold, but when we lost Geneve we cancelled the sale. Thankfully the buyer fully understood our reasons why.
HH loved your story also...............its great to see how we all became to be breeders.
Bounty
Well-Known Member
Another 'longest story' contender there HH
do you really regret not b
"Now if only all those years ago we had bought fifty mares and covered them all with that stallion, we may have been as famous as Welton... "
Do you really regret not doing it on a big scale?
do you really regret not b
"Now if only all those years ago we had bought fifty mares and covered them all with that stallion, we may have been as famous as Welton... "
Do you really regret not doing it on a big scale?