Our Stallions

The first two stallions to be purchased in 1949 were the Welsh Mountain, Square Flashlight and the Thoroughbred, Golden Fern who had to be chased out of the lorry, as he was unhandled and quite violent to start with.  At about the same time the Dartmoor mare, New Moon, who turned out to be Dartmoor champion at most shows she entered, including the Breed Show, was purchased.

In the early 1950’s, a Palomino 2 year-old colt was purchased from Mrs Frank, of Crudwell, who said he was rather precocious as he had got several of her young fillies in foal!  He was named Bubbly, stood 13.1hh and was by the Franks’ stallion, Potato who was TB X Welsh Riding Pony.  The dam was a Welsh mare called Sunday.  Bubbly started as being a little wayward, but with Anne Bullen’s talents, he soon became the perfect riding pony.  He was shown in hand by Jennie and ridden by all the girls as he proved to be a fantastic jumper.  He was National Palomino Champion for 10 years.  He was a beautiful looking pony, a lovely mover and a very influential sire of children’s ponies.  His influence is still noted in many successful ponies of today.

Bubbly sired the stallions Bramshott Midnight Sun and Drayton Bubbling Gold, both champion Palominos.  His daughters, Prosperity of Catherston and Catherston Moon Fairy, the latter, who’s female line founded Sarah Vey’s (nee Bullen) Godsfield Stud, were both winners at the Royal International Horse Show.  He also bred many winners from New Moon, who would not get in foal to a pure bred Dartmoor, but did to Bubbly and Golden Fern!  Bubbly also bred Blagdon Gaytime, a big winner in Riding Pony classes and also the dun mares, Blagdon Folly and Blagdon Fiesta.  Anthony Adverse, one of his first crop, who although was only 14hh, won many Working Hunter Pony classes, One Day events, was 5th in the Leading Junior Show Jumper of the year 1958 and won two classes, out-jumping horses at the Royal Winter Fair in Toronto in 1958.  He also sired Catherston Moonstone. winner of the Pony Club ODE Championships 1956, Catherston Double Bubble, a big winner in WHP classes, to mention just a few.  Bubbly has stock in Germany (Catherston Red Gold) and his great grandson (Catherston Nightlife) is in Australia.  Perhaps his grandson Catherston Nightsafe, Supreme Champion NPS, Ponies of Britain, West Midlands Show and Bath and West, son of Prosperity of Catherston is the one who has carried on his line so well.  He was leased to Germany for two seasons and has bred some lovely ponies over there as well as siring Champion Hacks, Eventers, Show Hunter Ponies, Show Ponies and Dressage Ponies over here and abroad.  His influence is still carrying on with the fillies and colts which are left.

At the same time as Bubbly was so successful, the Bwlch Stud produced Bwlch Valentino.  He also sired many good show ponies and Catherston took on Bwlch Zingaree (by Valentino), who was a full brother to Bwlch Zephyr.  Bwlch Zingaree, a chestnut, was a good outcross to the Bubbly palomino and dun mares and although not as fashionable as his grey brother, did breed some notable ponies for example, Foxhill Sunny Jim. The Thoroughbred stallion, Xenocles, was bought out of training from Nora Willmot.  By Nearula, out of Desdemona by Dante, he was very well bred, but not a success on the race course.  However, this didn’t stop him becoming an advanced Eventer and Prix St Georges Dressage horse.  He won Wylye ODE, Windsor ODE and was 4th at Tidworth 3 Day Event and had a fantastic temperament.  He would always put his heart in to everything.  He sired Xenarchus, out of Jenny Grey (AA).  Xenarchus was also an advanced Dressage horse and went on to represent Great Britain when ridden by Young Riders at the European Championships.  Xenocles was also the sire of Autumn Folly an International Show Jumper, out of Spring Fever, bred and owned by Judy Crago.

In 1970, the Loriston-Clarkes were told about Triumph by a friend.  Bred by the late Mrs de Warren-Rogers by the small Thoroughbred stallion Papillon de Martin, out of Taba, an Arab/Dartmoor cross mare, he was leased by Catherston Stud. This influential stallion, when mated to Prosperity of Catherston, produced Catherston Credit, Junior Eventer in the U S A and Catherston Nightsafe.  With Desert Storm, he produced Catherston Toledo, who became a Young Riders Dressage horse in Germany.  He also produced many working hunter ponies and helped put some better limbs on to the Riding Pony.  The Champion Anglo Arab stallion, Carbrooke Surprise, owned by Mrs. Crawford, also joined the Stud for a few seasons.In the early 1970’s the 3 year old Dutch Courage was found in Holland and purchased by Mrs Steele and graded in the newly formed BWBS Stud Book. Dutch Courage went into training for two years before he was ever used as a stallion. Jennie was not sure that she would be able to control him, however the horse settled and behaved extremely well. He has really stamped his stock, not only by siring eight graded stallions, to become one of the most influential stallions this country has seen but with his progeny winning in all three disciplines.

Dutch Courage started quite slowly in competition, with few successes as a 4 year old. As a five year old he quickly came on in his training and balance, being 2nd in the National Medium Championships. At 6 years he was advanced and also started covering mares. Dutch Courage perhaps did more for British Dressage than any other horse. On winning the World Bronze Medal at Goodwood in 1978, going first in the Special, when only 9 years old, he was holding the lead until the last 3 horses went. The tension and gradual realisation that Britain could win a medal in Dressage, seemed almost impossible, but the impact on the sport was remarkable, with a dramatic increase in the membership. This was re-inforced when the Young Riders took the Silver Medal in 1986. Anne Loriston-Clarke was riding Catherston Dutch Bid, his son, when only a 7 year old. Dutch Courage himself, represented Great Britain for eight seasons, won 41 Grand Prix’s and 23 Grand Prix Specials. He missed the 1980 Moscow Olympics due to politics but was 6th in the Alternative Olympics. He was struck by a virus, therefore missing Los Angeles in 1984 and retired shortly after.

Dutch Courage and his offspring were soon to dominate Catherston Stud. Mr Bannocks purchased Dutch Gold, one of the first crop of foals from the breeder, the late Mrs Goodall, when the horse was sent to Catherston for backing. He was brought on slowly as a 4 and 5 year old, by Jennie, and he soon showed ability to jump finishing 7th in his first event. He then won at Taunton and Brockenhurst Novices and the next year won the Midland Bank Novice Championships at Locko Park. A tough horse, the next day he was on the boat to Rotterdam, where he started his International Dressage debut. Unfortunately, Mr Bannocks had to cut down his equestrian interests when the recession came, so Dutch Gold was up for sale. Luckily Jennie and Margaret Clayton were able to purchase the horse and Jennie was able to retain the ride on him. He was soon, like his sire, to represent Great Britain on the British Team. Dressage to Music became his forte. He stole the hearts of thousands with his light footed dancing, winning at the European Championships at Goodwood, and being the first foreign horse to win the World Cup in Berlin, and also winning in Brussels, S’Hertenbosch etc. Dutch Gold travelled to Toronto, Seoul and all over Europe and is the only British Bred horse to win the European Dressage League Points Championship. (Another British bred horse, Milton, also won the Show Jumper Award in the same year.)
Dutch Courage also bred many Advanced Eventers (including Dutch Treat) and Show Jumpers including Clog Dancer, the Asian High Jump record holder (7’2”) in Japan. Dutch Courage crossed with Night Auction produced Catherston Dutch Auction, a 3 Day Eventer in Germany and Catherston Dutch Bid, 1st & 2nd at the European Championships and also a member of the Young Rider Silver Medal team, when ridden by Anne and later ridden by Lizzie in Young Riders and then Internationally at Small Tour Level.

Jennie’s desire to breed the elite competition horse led to her experimenting. She crossed Dutch Courage with Thoroughbred horses to produce the likes of Dutch Gold, with heavier mares who produced Catherston Dambuster and with successful event types who produced horses like Catherston Dazzler. This gave the opportunity for mare owners of lighter horses to go to the heavier stallion and likewise the heavier mare to the lighter stallions. Catherston Stud, although moving more into horses, still had a soft spot for the Native Breeds and one who came first was Bryn-Y-Mor Comet owned by Mr John Holmes. A Welsh Section D, he was ridden in Dressage, Show Jumping, Eventing and Driving, by Anne and later by Lizzie. Mrs Harvey-Richards’ New Forest, Deeracres Franco was Champion at many Ponies of Britain and other shows, he sired Peveril Peterborough who was a very successful pony. It was in the mid 1980’s that Jennie and Twink Allen pioneered the chilling of equine semen and transporting it around the country. Mrs Gilbey on the Isle of Man was wanting to use Dutch Courage on her mares and the big blue “Equitainer” was sent via British Airways Cargo via Heathrow Terminal 4. A few years later after a meeting with Twink Allen and Martin Boyle, the collecting, chilling and freezing of semen was trialled. Catherston Stud was pioneering in what is now normal procedures, and was also the first stud in the UK to experiment in the very first mares being flushed for Embryo Transfers.

Another horse who was standing at Catherston Stud in the 1980’s was Ramiro. He was purchased in Holland by Catherston Stud and Mrs Steele. He was to be an outcross for Dutch Courage but although he was a big winner in Dressage, his stock became too big to do what was wanted and he was sold to Canada to stand there. At the same time, Rexico by Le Mexico was purchased for Claire Morrison, who trained him to Prix St Georges level. He was also a very good jumper and was sold as a Hunter Jumper to the USA.

When attending the Catherston Stud Stallion Viewing Day, Mrs Blackburn was so impressed with the attitude and way that the stallions were handled that she asked if Catherston Stud would stand her soon to be retired Thoroughbred stallion, Liboi. He had been a really honest racehorse and had won 10 races, was placed 23 times on the flat and over hurdles from 71 starts. He quickly changed, being ridden by Lizzie, then 13 years old, when he was Supreme Champion of the Ponies of Britain Show, both under saddle and In Hand. Liboi bred a considerable number of winners on the flat from the few mares covered. He also produced a number of winners show jumping, show hacks, PBA’s and riding horses. Liboi was presented at the BWBS stallion grading and was the first Thoroughbred to be graded in to the British Warmblood Stud Book. Since then, he has produced the very successful dressage stallion, Catherston Humbug and the Champion British Warmblood, Catherston Liberator. Liboi’s influence in today’s competition horses will be long remembered with Catherston being one of the most influencial sires of eventers including Xavier Faeir who was 2nd at Badminton CCI4* in 2017.

Soon after Liboi’s introduction to Catherston Stud, the Loriston-Clarke’s were approached to take on the older Thoroughbred, Sanbal, Palestine x San Christobel, owned by Her Majesty the Queen. He produced eventers, working hunters, polo ponies and show ponies.
Edison, a Dutch Warmblood owned by Mrs de Jong and other stallions who have stood for a few seasons were; Zandor, a Dutch bred Grade A show jumper who was ridden by John Whittaker for a few seasons but unfortunately not very fertile and was sold to go showjumping, Sportsnight, owned by Mrs Stevens, stood for two seasons and then went eventing and The Star of Orion, who Lizzie trained up to Prix St Georges level again stood for a couple of seasons.
Following the move to Hurstbourne Priors and considerably more land, meant space for many more horses and more experimentations!! In the following years during the early 1990’s Catherston was standing up to 16 stallions at Stud including Catherston Dance in the Dark, Dutch Dream, Catherston Zebedee, Catherston Spring Edition, Matinee, Catherston Dougal, Catherston Gold Storm, Catherston Gold Eagle, Catherston Dynasty to name but some.

In the preparation to move to Croft Farm, there had to be a great reduction in numbers and a majority were sold or leased out to spread the Catherston genes further afield.
Catherston Springsteen by Dutch Dream and Littledale Bright Star by Catherston Nightsafe were retained at Croft Farm as well as some newcomers, Caramasow & Deanes San Ciro Hit were amongst the sires to start with. Springsteen was starting his Grand Prix dressage career with Lizzie and they had great success both at home and abroad. Jennie’s experimenting continued with her putting Littledale Bright Star (12.2hh) on her much bigger mares hoping to produce the elite sports pony. This he has done and is the only Elite SPSS stallion by his progeny’s International successes. He has sired international Show Jumpers, Event horses, Catherston Bit of Gold and Prairie Star and the dressage pony Beaurepaire Frodo. When Anne returned to Catherston she brought with her the young stallion that she had bred, Opposition Bombshell, by Fleetwater Opposition out of her Dutch Courage mare Dutch Bombshell. He had injured himself as a 4 year old, but she had not gelded him, incase!! A couple of seasons later Anne put her Dutch Gold x Wellingtonia mare to Oppostition Bombshell and produced Catherston Oakley. Opposition Bombshell is proving to be an improving sire.

In the autumn 2011, Aram Gregory contacted Jennie to see if she could take on livery his young colt Timolin which he and his late wife Jane had bred as the yard that he was at could not cope with young stallions. Jennie was delighted to do so and thereby the next chapter of Catherston’s breeding began. Jennie loved him and was delighted to present him at the BEF Futurity Events where he was graded Elite as a yearling, 2 year old and 3 year old. He graded with the BWBS and was Champion Stallion at the SHB- GB Stallion Grading. Timolin, by Totilas out of the Sion mare Samira was the perfect outcross for Jennie’s mares. He was backed as a late two year old and gave the most fantastic ride and feel. He also showed a hugely scopey jump! He stood at Catherston for the first season and that autumn Aram decided he needed to sell Timolin and gave Jennie time to piece together a consortium to purchase him. Jennie, Anthony, Lizzie and ex-Catherston student Hilary Davey clubbed together and Timolin was to remain at Catherston. Eagerly awaiting his first crop of foals, hoping that they would come out like him, stamped with his lovely uphill front, light elegant movement and correct conformation. Not disappointed, his first born, out of the Breitling mare Bee Precise was a smaller version of him! He is the first stallion to have sired 1st-3rd in the foal class and yearling class in the Sport Horse Breeding Classes at the Royal Bath & West Show. Jennie, who was wanting to take a step back and a quieter life is now back in the breeding game, again producing youngsters who are able to compete with the world’s greatest sport horses.

Our Mares

The influential mares from the Catherston early days were Desert Storm and Prosperity of Catherston. Prosperity of Catherston had Catherston Safe Deposit by Bwlch Zingaree, Catherston Credit, a young rider Champion Event horse and Catherston Nightsafe, the influential pony stallion both by Triumph. Catherston Double Bubble by Bubbly, a champion 13hh WHP and Catherston Sunday Collection by Choir Boy who was a lovely 14.2hh Childrens Riding Pony. Also in the early days was Turnberry Lucky Gold, an Irish bred pony by the Thoroughbred, Trencher who was bought from the back line of the Children’s pony class at Dublin Show, trained and was champion the following year, but when mated to Carbrooke Surprise, produced Shepherds Lucky Charm who bred Catherston Lucky Bubble, and Catherston Bubbling Anne by Bubbly.  Lucky Charm also had Shepherds Night Club, Catherston Night Charm, by Catherston Nightsafe and Catherston Dark Trinket and Catherston Diamond by Catherston Dance in the Dark. Turnberry Lucky Gold also had Catherston Bronze Bubble by Bubbly who was shown in Children’s Riding Pony Classes.
Desert Storms’ first foal was Catherston Desert Star, by Xenocles.  She was sold on as a youngster but she produced the stallion Star Attraction by Fleetwater Opposition.  Desert Storm also bred Catherston Surprise Storm, by Carbrooke Surprise; Catherston Toledo by Triumph; Catherston Thunderstorm and Catherston Lonely Breeze by Xenocles.  She was a top class Small Hack and won at the Horse of the Year Show etc.  Catherston Lonely Breeze bred Catherston Desert Gold by Dutch Gold, she was a successful Dressage horse over here before being purchased by Mr. Richards of Australia, where she went with her foal by May Sherif, called Richmead Medallion, now a graded stallion and sire of dressage & show horses in Australia.  Lonely Breeze bred Catherston Loneliboi who went Eventing, Catherston Loveliboi, champion Hack at Windsor etc both by Liboi. Catherston Dancing Storm, an Advanced Eventer, Catherston Dancing Breeze and Catherston Dance in the Dark, all by Dutch Courage and Catherston Goldstorm by Dutch Gold.
In 1982, John and Dawn Rose came to learn about running a Stud.  They brought with them Cedola and an older Groningen mare, with whom they had bred Modesty and Vol de Nuit, both by French stallions.  Cedola was purchased and was covered first by Ramiro and then by Dutch Courage, more as an experiment as Dutch Courage, up to that time had only been used on Thoroughbred or near Thoroughbred mares.  This produced the stallion Catherston Dam Buster who sired ‘Torent’, Preliminary and Novice National Dressage Champion 1998.  Unfortunately, Dam Buster had to be put down after damaging his hock badly when slipping on ice.  He had just reached Prix St Georges standard.  His full sister, Catherston Doodlebug is the dam of Catherston Humbug, by Liboi XX who went up Grand Prix level and was Intermedaire Kur Champion 1998, Catherston Goldberg by Catherston Gold Eagle was a Vaulting horse for both Individual and Pairs also had Catherston Bit of Gold a 2* International Show Jumper and Eventer and Catherston Bit of a Star both by the 12.2hh pony stallion Littledale Bright Star who were both hoped to stay under the 14.2hh pony height but Bit of Gold didn’t!
Mr & Mrs Penny loaned us her mare Ferney Knapp who produced Catherston Doubtless and Catherston Dauntless by Dutch Courage. Doubtless was a Grade A show jumper and Dauntless was a winner of 19 classes show jumping with Johnnie Harris and then taken on to Advanced Level Dressage by Lizzie. When retired from competing Dauntless produced Catherston Springnut by C Springsteen, Catherston Humnut by C Humbug, Catherston Allnut by Pizaz Amadeus, Catherston Jambelaya by Junior, the Pony European Event Gold Medallist Catherston Nutsafe by the pony stallion Catherston Night Safe and Catherston Orange Grove by The Star of Orion. Catherston Humnut produced the eventer Catherston Specific by Catherston Springsteen.
Castle Keep (La Court Monique), was bought for Lizzie to bring on as a Dressage horse, together they reached Prix St Georges level before the mare was retired to stud producing Catherston Dandilion by C Dance in the Dark and Catherston Gold Rush by Dutch Gold . Thean, a Dutch bred mare on which Lizzie competed Internationally, had Catherston Dean by C Dance in the Dark and the graded stallion Catherston Dougal by Dutch Dream who showed that he had inherited his dams tremendous paces.
Wellingtonia, Intermediate Eventer with Anne produced Catherston Golden Boot by Dutch Gold, Catherston RedRock by Rock King, Catherston Opal by The Star of Orion and Catherston Deodara by Dutch Gold who went on to have The Hurstbourne Spruce by C Springsteen, the Premium Graded stallion Catherston Oakley by Opposition Bombshell, Catherston Olleander and Catherston Tupelo by Timolin.
The gift of Dutch Bombshell who was by Dutch Courage out of Carol Simpson’s lovely mare Military Song was the first competition horse that we tried Embryo Transfer with with Twink Allen MRCVS, who was pioneering this process and was looking for suitable competing mares to prove that it was firstly possible and secondly economically viable. She was covered by Catherston Liberator for the first embryo and then by Pizaz Amadeus for the second embryo and she had two lovely foals from their carrying mothers whilst she carried on competing. Dutch Bombshell then later on was put in foal by Anne to John Johnston’s stallion Fleetwater Opposition and produced the stallion Opposition Bombshell who combined the outstanding bloodlines of both Dutch Courage and Fleetwater Opposition.
Witrosia, a Hanoverian mare, was purchased from Mrs. Banks.  She bred two fillies by Dutch Courage and Dutch Gold.  Both were purchased through Heath Ryan and taken to Australia where they have been very successful brood mares and one produced an Olympic Grand Prix dressage horse. Catherston Dazzling Rose by Catherston Dazzler, the Graded Stallion Catherston Dynasty by Dutch Courage, Catherston Daybreak by Catherston Dance in the Dark (silver medal mare), Catherston Dynamite by Dutch Gold and Catherston Goldfinger by Catherston Goldstorm.
The loan of Our Spring Fancy (Saks – Spring Fever) by Judy Crago produced the eventer Catherston Gold Spring by Dutch Gold, the dressage and show jumper Catherston Double Spring by Dutch Courage, the Graded Stallion Catherston Spring Edition by Edison, the dressage horse Catherston Saxaphone by Sportsnight, Catherston O’Brian by Star of Orion & the Grand Prix Dressage Graded stallion Catherston Springsteen by Dutch Dream.
Welton Gazelle, full sister to Welton Louis, was loaned to the stud by Mr. and Mrs. Johnson, as she was a shy breeder, but with Dutch Courage this did not last long!  Catherston Dutch Sika being her first foal, Catherston Dutch Buck and Catherston Dazzler, all by Dutch Courage, Catherston Romeo by Ramiro and later Yarlands Summer Song, by Fleetwater Opposition – what a mare!
Catherston Dutch Sika who lost an eye in a field accident, became a mum early in her life having a full brother in Catherston Dazzler to promote their bloodlines, she produced Catherston Jetstream by Jashin, a show jumper and dam of Catherston Liberator by Liboi when she was 4, Catherston Dream Machine by Dutch Dream, and then later Catherston Springstream by Catherston Springsteen, and finally Catherston Chamal by Caramasow. Catherston Dream Machine was put to Walkens Dream (Hann) who produced Catherston What A Dream who competed to Prix St Georges and then sold to America and has had a lovely colt foal by Timolin called Twas A Dream. Catherston Dutch Sika also had Catherston Springbok by Sanbal, Catherston Antilope by Pizaz Amadeus, Catherston Rocking By by Rock King, Catherston Sydney by Catherston Spring Edition, Dutch Sika also produced the stallion Catherston Zulu by Zandor also a show jumper and sire of graded stock. More recently Catherston Springstream has had a lovely colt by Timolin called Catherston Touch of Spring, one to follow!
And so to 2010 when we acquired the German mare Lambada and her daughter Bee Precise by Breitling. Lambada has also produced Catherston Spring Dancer by Catherston Springsteen, Catherston Lullaby by Catherston Liberator, Catherston Tango, Catherston Temptation and Catherston Tap Dancer, all by Timolin. Her daughter Bee Precise has also had lovely foals by Timolin, Catherston Timeless a filly & Champion in hand, Catherston Ticktock a colt and again a champion in hand, then Catherston Clock by Chippendale and Catherston Timepiece again by Timolin.
The Sir Donnerhall mare Sweetheart was purchased for Lizzie to ride, but unfortunately had an injury so has retired to stud when she was competing at Prix St George level and had an ET foal whilst she was competing Catherston Tiffany, and then naturally Catherston Top Hat, both by Timolin and then Catherston Goldheart by Catherston Gold Storm from frozen semen.
It is amazing how, over the last 65 years from the small beginnings of the Welsh and Thoroughbred stallions, this renowned stud has grown to produce sound, versatile, world class competition horses by using proven mares and stallions. The Stud has produced, bred and ridden Olympic Dressage and Event horses, and with their breeding policy is still producing horses of the highest quality to compete with the best in Europe and the rest of the World.