2009 has been another fantastic year at End House Stud the young stallions have been out competing all across the country with some fabulous results. The older stallion’s progeny have also been flying the End House flag for us. HOYS 2009 produced some great results, well done to Plain Bob Doubles & Arctic Nicoin By Nico and also Aimbry Kymarra by Chester all placed top ten in their respective classes. A huge well done also to Penny Hollings’ Pendle First Light winner and Reserve Champion SHP of the Year by Roulette.

However the most heart warming win for us was Oli Berry with Greenhow Lavender Blue sired by our still sadly missed Avalon. This mare was born here and sadly orphaned at 7 weeks old when her mother had to be put down with colic, this little filly was bought by Sandra Parker of Greenhow Sports Horses and hand reared. Having had a very successful in hand career she was then sold to Oli Berry to commence a ridden career and what a fabulous end to the season a win at HOYS. Also while on the subject of The Horse Of The Year Show well done to Emma Dewhurst Chocolate’s usual jockey who rode rode Rotherwood flight Of Fancy to a win in the 148 cm show Pony Class.

During the winter months the little pony stallions, Fairley Panache and Rotherwood Signature have been broken and ridden under saddle. After a great season showing in hand they have taken to ridden work very easily. Panache had some major county wins including The Royal Welsh Show.

Rotherwood Signature made a long trip to Ingliston House Equestrian Centre above Glasgow to compete at The International Pony Of The year Show in the Scottish Sports Horse 3 year old pony Loose Jumping Championships. He was judged and assessed by two international showjumping judges who scored him 8/10 for Scope, technique and suitability. With the highest score in his section 13 hands & under he then went on to take reserve champion in the final as well as the best turned out prize – a huge bottle of champagne – you could probably hear us singing and dancing all the way home.

This season the stallions have also become models for Matchmakers advertising Masta and Caldene Rugs to be featured in their 2010 Spring/Summer/Winter catalogues. All the stallions were involved and we had great fun with Becky and the Matchmaker’s team during the summer running round the fields while photographer Nick Gill took some amazing pictures. December brought the snow fabulous just what the catalogue ordered once again we were out in the snow filming for a full day the shots were incredible – look out for them when you are buying new rugs this season. However I never realised just how hard work it is to get those fabulous pictures of rugs that you see in the adverts, many thanks to the girls for all their hard work we certainly ran a few pounds off in the run up to Christmas at one point it was all hands on deck and even the cleaning lady had to get involved I’m sure anyone driving past End House Stud that day must have thought we had all gone mad.

The stallions have been regularly used in the Bailey’s adverts, Siren’s Missile starred in the Everyday High Fibre cubes, it seemed every magazine you opened there he was walking through the woods. Chester and Raphael starred in the Baileys Outshine and Avalon is still on the Digest Plus feed tubs, I even think Loki my old dressage horse got his picture on the Paddock Lick tub. Chester achieved nation wide exposure as his portrait now features on the new Baileys Horse Feeds delivery lorries how amazing is that!.

October brought the Foal Shows, which are important, and a very useful way of show casing the young stock .We had great results including 5 wins at The National Foal Show, Imperial High Command 1st & Reserve Champion Hack, Kerranen Merlyn 1st Sports Pony 138cm (Chester), EHS Ice Road Trucker 1st & Reserve Champion Sports Horse, Bairdmore Tinka 1st Coloured Horse Colt, & 1st Large Hack Colt, (Nico) and Paddocklow Revolver 1st & Champion Hunter Pony (Roulette).

Imperial High Command or Monkey as he is known at home was Champion Light Horse 1st Hack / Riding Horse, and 1st NPS, at the NPS Area 4 Foal Show. This was a great result as he is homebred out of Full Of Grace the dam of Champion Redoubtable Grace, a beautifully bred TB mare by Lucky Wednesday. Hopes are high for him, to remain entire and follow in the footsteps of his famous sire Chester to hopefully one-day carry on the Chester dynasty, we will have to wait and see.

Last spring also brought us the first crop of young stallion Siren’s Missile foals he delivered as we had hoped stunning bay foals perfect replicas of himself carrying on in his fathers footsteps the Honeybrook Siren legacy lives on. We had aimed to produce him for the Young Event Horse Finals but after winning at Championship level as a show horse we decided not to risk injury and put the eventing career on hold for the time being. He rewarded us by winning all his stallion classes he entered. He is currently working at elementary dressage with established lateral work and changes and jumping double clears at 1.10m. One of his first progeny results is from. Kerranen Bryn 2nd Part Bred Welsh Foal (Medal show) Best of British Champions of the Future, 2nd Small Riding Horse British National Foal Show – a star in the making.

The stud super star Thursden Vallye Raphael will team up again in early January with Emma Dewhurst to be ready for the first of The Royal International Qualifiers, at the 2009 Cherif finals Emma decided to show him under sidesaddle. As they stepped into the arena is was only his fourth session carrying a rider aside, but he did so with poise to win The Best Stallion award for the third year running. His consistency is testament to his sound temperament, so important in a pony, and so vital in a breeding stallion. In the mean time he has commenced his showjumping career with Junior Team Member Lara Whiteway proving to be extremely talented over a fence. In April he will be back on the circuit with the Carswells with the aim of qualifying for the Cuddy In hand final at HOYS. Last season was another great one for him at one point he had clocked up nine major wins in as many days, he qualified for four Cuddy finals, which puts him among the elite of the show pony world. His ridden titles are too numerous to list and matched only by his SHP breeding wins in hand. At the 2009 Ponies (UK) summer championships he took the Cedarwood competition horse/pony championship for the third time. He stood supreme ridden champion at the Royal London show and a perfect trip to the NPS summer championships gave him Gold and Silver medals in the SHP classes. When anyone asks me what’s Chocolate been up to I have to say check the website as I think Tina is the only one who can reel off his individual wins in perfect order.

Redoubtable has recovered well from his broken splint bone which caused a few sleepless nights back in June caused by kicking out in excitement as he went in to the school to cover a mare. He didn’t realise that the wall was so near needless to say he continued on with the job in hand and upon returning to his stable he decided that he might have caused himself a problem. Many thanks to the wonderful vet Billie Hodge who fixed him and cared for him throughout his time in the equine hospital at Rathmell. Also thanks to Gail and Stuart Currie owners of The Northern Equine Therapy Centre who had the added attraction of having dam, sire and foal Spider all on the same yard for a week. Redoubtable has been with us since the end of 2005. He carved out a fabulous racing career for himself before coming to stud, which involved being a lead horse for 1995 Epsom Derby winner Lammtarra, a pioneer of racing in Dubai and still holding the record for the first fourteen year old to win a flat race in Britain since Be Hopeful in 1973. His stock are proving to be amazing though eldest crop only three year olds this time due to his busy racing schedule he didn’t stand at stud until 2006 they all seem to have inherited his great temperament and all have the makings of quality competition horses and ate all big winners in the show ring.

Good luck for next season to the owners of our 2009 foals. We are looking forward to our first crop of Inch Square foals to be born outside The Isle Of Man.

Also a huge thank you to Minty at Baileys Horse Feeds for their continued support. To Michael Bradley our stud vet from Dalehead Vet Group for doing such an amazing job throughout the season to Billie from Dalehead for making me laugh and always being available for the stallions even when he isn’t on call. To our show producers The Indefatigable Carswells of Paddocklow Stud and our team of riders Emma Dewhurst, Sarah Moorhouse, Lisa Marriott, Lara Whiteway, Ian Holt and Allan Birch. Their professional, motivated and driven attitude has been unwavering, and we look forward to the 2010 show season.