An advantage with being a graduate student is all the conferences one can participate in. And when the meeting is in the UK and there's a free afternoon, what better way to spend it than to visit a Connemara stud?
In the beginning of September 1999 I found myself at a meeting in Edinburgh, so I called Mrs Simpson who runs the Sydserff stud not far away and of course I was welcome to come and visit. At Sydserff there were some 15 Connemaras of various age. In the first field we found a bay mare with her part bred foal by a thoroughbred stallion. The foal had been unwell and was therefor given some time alone with the dam. We then continued to say hello to the youngstock and the mares that had not been bred. Here were among others two palomino full sisters by Cocum Camelot who were both very nice with very nice head*. Mrs Simpson told me that when she first borrowed Camelot she had tried him on many mares, but not always with a good result. Fortunately he had proved to nick well with the daughters of Kirtling Brigadoon. Maybe, Mrs Simpson speculated, because of the doubling of Leam Bobby Finn who is the sire of Kirtling Brigadoon and grandsire of Cocum Camelot.
In the next field was the 26-year-old Kirtling Brigadoon. Brig, as he is called, is behing many of the successes of the Sydserff stud and he has produced both successful performance ponies and show winners. Brig is one of the stallions who have been awarded a Super Premium. In spite of his age he was in good shape, but Mrs Simpson told me that his teeth were beginning to be a bit poor. Fortunately this won't prevent this lovely stallion from being around a while longer.
When we had given Brig a thorough patting we went to look at the brood mares. Two friendly colts by Camelot competed for our attention**. The youngest was only six weeks old, but had no problem keeping up with his older brother. The older foal was out of Grey Rock Star, a nice old mare by Abbeyleix Owen. In the next field were two a bit older Sydserff ponies who had been away to be competed. One of them, a successful jumper, was of a little horsey type, but the other had a nice Connemara type and should perhaps be covered the next year. Both had recently returned to Sydserff and would soon be let out together with two other mares that had been covered by Camelot. One of these, Sydserff Golden Beech, a lovely dun mare, did her best to impress her new friends and showed herself to us in a lovely way.
In the last field, a bit away from the yard, was Cocum Camelot. He has previously lived at Bardsey Island, but when the Bardsey stud was moved to the mainland Mrs Simpson first leased Camelot for a year, and when he proved to nick well with Brigs daughters he stayed. By this time it was getting windy and Camelot who could smell the mares out of sight did his best to show off. Eventually he settled down enough to have time to say hello to us as well. After a cup of tea and homebaked Scottish shortbread I thanked Mrs Simpson for the our and returned to Edinburgh.
Shortly after the new year 2000 I had another chance to go to the UK, this time to Exeter in southwestern England. From here I took the train north to Cheltenham and the Shipton stud. Shipton was founded by Mrs Meckett more than 30 years ago. Throughout the years she has had good help from Doreen Halliday who was the one to show me around the stud. As both ladies are becoming older they also have help from their friends who for example show the ponies for them.
In the first field we saw the remaining two foals from the last summer's crop of five. There had only been one filly foal at the stud last year, but Dooreen had been surprised to find that there had been no difficulties selling the colt foals. Remaining on the stud was the filly foal and a colt to keep her company. The filly was from Shipton May Queens mare family*** and Mrs Beckett was going to keep her for now to have something to show during the coming season, but she would probably be sold later on as Mrs Beckett already had several descendants of May Queen.
Mrs Beckett only covers her mares every other year, and in the next field were the two mares who would foal the coming summer. Both mares were from May Queens family**** and in the same field was May Queen herself. She was the first Connemara born at Shipton and she is on of the Super Premium mares of the breed. May Queen is now more than 30 years old, but seemed to do well even though she was beginning to show her age. In this field was also Coleby Kate, a mare that Mrs Becket had bought for a good price as her previous owner didn't think she could be used as a brood mare, something Kate had disproved with a string of nice foals.
In the third field were the Shipton youngstock and the mares who hadn't been covered last summer. Most of the mares were in high condition despite the short grass and Doreen told me the ponies were such good doers it was difficult to keep them from becoming fat. When the ponies saw us walking through the field they cantered towards us to greet us. The one who made the biggest impression on me was Shipton Charisma, a three-year-old daughter of Shipton Teasel. She was a small bay mare who Doreen said reminded her of Atlantic Sentinel, Mrs Beckett's first stallion, and whom Charisma was linebred on. Mrs Becked imported Sentinel from Ireland and he was awarded his Super Premium for his many show winners and successful performance ponies. Most successful has perhaps Shipton Eblana been, who won gold at the European show jumping championships 1988. Sentinel caught laminitis last summer and had to be put down, 33 years old.
After seeing all the mares we continued to look at the stud's two stallions. Shipton Teasel has a wonderful dark, dark dun colour. He was sold as a foal as a stallion prospect to the Middleton stud and was also approved. When the owner died Mrs Beckett bought back Teasel, even though he was closely related to many of the mares and Teasel has found his place at the stud. The stud's second stallion Garryhack Tooreen has during many years been successful in the show ring. He has a lovely pony type and a wonderful temperament. Before I left Doreen let Teasel out in his field and I left with the memory of Teasel happily cantering around in the field fresh in my mind.
© Jenny Hagenblad, 2000
* During my visit I had neither pen nor paper with me and when I wrote this half a year later I couldn't remember the names of all the ponies. However, one of these mares must have been Sydserff Wytch Hazel.
** This is incorrect. One of the colts was Sydserff Gale by Kirtling Brigadoon. The other must have been Sydserff Avalon (by Camelot).
*** The filly foal was most likely Shipton Finola May
**** These mares were probably Shipton May Morn and Shipton Rosy Gem. If so it is only May Morn who is from May Queen's family.