Dalgar parades before breeders on a lovely spring day at BrigHthill Farm
Photo: NZTM
The sun shone brightly for the two days of the NZTBA's Waikato Branch JLT Bloodstock Stallion Parade last weekend.
Up to 300 people enjoyed the gorgeous spring weather as they eyed some gorgeous horse flesh in the Waikato region. Many had travelled from outside the region and were not disappointed by what they saw.
A changed format saw the parade commence at Cambridge Stud in Cambridge at lunch time on Saturday before heading to Matamata for the afternoon, while on Sunday the tour concentrated on the south Cambridge area, moving west to finish at Highview Stud on the outskirts of Hamilton.
"The parade followed a different format this year and we would have to say it worked very well," according to the Waikato branch Secretary/Treasurer Lisa Dunbar.
"We had good numbers from the start through to the finish on both days, and they were breeders who were all looking forward to the new season."
The first stud to parade their stallions was Cambridge where their new horse, the striking chestnut Cape Blanco (IRE) (Galileo – Laurel Delight[GB]), was well received.
The second stop on day one was at Brighthill Farm in Cambridge, and their proprietor Nick King was very positive about the success of the tour.
"The different format worked extremely well. We were moved from the Sunday where we were usually first or last, so didn't always get a true reflection of the numbers.
"This time the breeders on the parade were fortunate enough to see three new stallions at their first three stops - Cape Blanco (IRE) at Cambridge Stud, Dalghar (FR) (Anabaa [USA] – Daltawa[IRE]) here and Jimmy Choux (Thornpark [AUS]-Cierzo) at Rich Hill.
"We received some very positive comments on all our stallions, not just the new horse, and he was very well received and as a result we have received quite a few bookings. It was a terrific turnout and very well organized by the Waikato branch," said King.
Rich Hill Stud's John Thompson agrees that the new format certainly made the event more successful.
"Back in the day there were about 10 to 12 studs in the Matamata region and the tour warranted a whole day here, but in the last few years it has really only been us, Waikato Stud and Ancroft showing stallions on the Saturday. As well, we always seemed to clash with the first day of the Hawkes Bay Carnival and as a consequence we always got smaller crowds than the Cambridge parades.
"We were very encouraged by the numbers who attended and the positive feedback we received. We certainly took a number of bookings on the day and in the days since the parade there has been a few more come in.
"Jimmy Choux (pictured left) was really well received. He was such a popular race horse and I think we have made him accessible to breeders at $10,000 and they are keen to bred to him. It's a very competitive market this year and I think he is well priced and is booking well as a consequence."
As the parade this year did not clash with the Hawke's Bay Carnival, Hawke's Bay/Poverty Bay branch committeeman and former NZTBA Councillor Mick Ormond gathered together a group of breeders and bussed them north for the tour and after visiting Waikato Stud and Ancroft Stud in Matamata, they enjoyed the annual Breeder of the Month dinner at Longlands along with 90 or so fellow breeders. The Waikato Branch selects a top performer for each calendar month and the breeder of that particular horse is acknowledged at the dinner
"For years I have been trying to persuade the Waikato branch to move the weekend so it doesn't clash with the Hawke's Bay races, and when they obliged the least I could do was put together a group of people to come and view the stallions.
"It was a brilliant weekend. We all came away enthused and a number of our group have made bookings. I believe that viewing stallions is the best way to get people excited and interested in this game. There is nothing more uplifting than seeing a magnificent stallion to get you excited about breeding horses, and we saw some outstanding individuals, especially Cape Blanco and Pour Moi.
"We are so lucky to have such a great influx of horses at the moment. Thank goodness for the shuttle stallions and the choice of horses we saw in the Waikato over the weekend was outstanding," he enthused.
Sunday dawned another gorgeous day and the proceedings began at 10.00 am at Chequers Stud where a nomination to Battle Paint was given away in a lucky draw to Jill Lunn of Hamilton.
Next stop was at Linwood Park where the first season sire Echoes of Heaven(AUS) (Encosta de Lago-Shanta's Choice), a half brother to Redoute's Choice (AUS), has joined the ranks.
That was followed by lunch at The Oaks, before the tour proceeded to Windsor Park where the first season sire Pour Moi (IRE) (Montjeu-Gwynn) resides.
"We had a good roll up - we had a ball it was a very good turn out and the new horse was very well received. He is an exceptional looking horse and we received a lot of bookings.
They were a great bunch of people - they were all very enthusiastic and confident about the future. You could tell that they were here because they were genuinely interested in looking at the stallions with a view to making bookings.
"As well as the group from the Hawke's Bay, there were breeders from Auckland, Taranaki, Wellington and the South Island. We received a number of bookings on the day and we have had follow-up bookings made in the days since," said Windsor Park's marketing manager Mike Moran.
Following Windsor Park the tour proceeded to Paxton Park, the new home for Duelled(AUS) and Gorky Park, before heading to Blue Gables to see Shamoline Warrior (AUS). The day concluded with a visit to Highview Stud where their new stallion Bullbars (AUS) (Elusive Quality[USA]-Accessories [GB]) was paraded alongside Sufficient.
Breeders will get the chance to view 14 Auckland-based stallions at a parade on Sunday September 9th. The parade commences at 11a.m at the New Zealand Bloodstock Sales Complex at Karaka before heading down the road to Haunui Farm and concluding at Westbury Stud.
- Michelle Saba
Up to 300 people enjoyed the gorgeous spring weather as they eyed some gorgeous horse flesh in the Waikato region. Many had travelled from outside the region and were not disappointed by what they saw.
A changed format saw the parade commence at Cambridge Stud in Cambridge at lunch time on Saturday before heading to Matamata for the afternoon, while on Sunday the tour concentrated on the south Cambridge area, moving west to finish at Highview Stud on the outskirts of Hamilton.
"The parade followed a different format this year and we would have to say it worked very well," according to the Waikato branch Secretary/Treasurer Lisa Dunbar.
"We had good numbers from the start through to the finish on both days, and they were breeders who were all looking forward to the new season."
The first stud to parade their stallions was Cambridge where their new horse, the striking chestnut Cape Blanco (IRE) (Galileo – Laurel Delight[GB]), was well received.
The second stop on day one was at Brighthill Farm in Cambridge, and their proprietor Nick King was very positive about the success of the tour.
"The different format worked extremely well. We were moved from the Sunday where we were usually first or last, so didn't always get a true reflection of the numbers.
"This time the breeders on the parade were fortunate enough to see three new stallions at their first three stops - Cape Blanco (IRE) at Cambridge Stud, Dalghar (FR) (Anabaa [USA] – Daltawa[IRE]) here and Jimmy Choux (Thornpark [AUS]-Cierzo) at Rich Hill.
"We received some very positive comments on all our stallions, not just the new horse, and he was very well received and as a result we have received quite a few bookings. It was a terrific turnout and very well organized by the Waikato branch," said King.
Rich Hill Stud's John Thompson agrees that the new format certainly made the event more successful.
"Back in the day there were about 10 to 12 studs in the Matamata region and the tour warranted a whole day here, but in the last few years it has really only been us, Waikato Stud and Ancroft showing stallions on the Saturday. As well, we always seemed to clash with the first day of the Hawkes Bay Carnival and as a consequence we always got smaller crowds than the Cambridge parades.
"We were very encouraged by the numbers who attended and the positive feedback we received. We certainly took a number of bookings on the day and in the days since the parade there has been a few more come in.
"Jimmy Choux (pictured left) was really well received. He was such a popular race horse and I think we have made him accessible to breeders at $10,000 and they are keen to bred to him. It's a very competitive market this year and I think he is well priced and is booking well as a consequence."As the parade this year did not clash with the Hawke's Bay Carnival, Hawke's Bay/Poverty Bay branch committeeman and former NZTBA Councillor Mick Ormond gathered together a group of breeders and bussed them north for the tour and after visiting Waikato Stud and Ancroft Stud in Matamata, they enjoyed the annual Breeder of the Month dinner at Longlands along with 90 or so fellow breeders. The Waikato Branch selects a top performer for each calendar month and the breeder of that particular horse is acknowledged at the dinner
"For years I have been trying to persuade the Waikato branch to move the weekend so it doesn't clash with the Hawke's Bay races, and when they obliged the least I could do was put together a group of people to come and view the stallions.
"It was a brilliant weekend. We all came away enthused and a number of our group have made bookings. I believe that viewing stallions is the best way to get people excited and interested in this game. There is nothing more uplifting than seeing a magnificent stallion to get you excited about breeding horses, and we saw some outstanding individuals, especially Cape Blanco and Pour Moi.
"We are so lucky to have such a great influx of horses at the moment. Thank goodness for the shuttle stallions and the choice of horses we saw in the Waikato over the weekend was outstanding," he enthused.
Sunday dawned another gorgeous day and the proceedings began at 10.00 am at Chequers Stud where a nomination to Battle Paint was given away in a lucky draw to Jill Lunn of Hamilton.
Next stop was at Linwood Park where the first season sire Echoes of Heaven(AUS) (Encosta de Lago-Shanta's Choice), a half brother to Redoute's Choice (AUS), has joined the ranks.
That was followed by lunch at The Oaks, before the tour proceeded to Windsor Park where the first season sire Pour Moi (IRE) (Montjeu-Gwynn) resides.
"We had a good roll up - we had a ball it was a very good turn out and the new horse was very well received. He is an exceptional looking horse and we received a lot of bookings.
They were a great bunch of people - they were all very enthusiastic and confident about the future. You could tell that they were here because they were genuinely interested in looking at the stallions with a view to making bookings.
"As well as the group from the Hawke's Bay, there were breeders from Auckland, Taranaki, Wellington and the South Island. We received a number of bookings on the day and we have had follow-up bookings made in the days since," said Windsor Park's marketing manager Mike Moran.
Following Windsor Park the tour proceeded to Paxton Park, the new home for Duelled(AUS) and Gorky Park, before heading to Blue Gables to see Shamoline Warrior (AUS). The day concluded with a visit to Highview Stud where their new stallion Bullbars (AUS) (Elusive Quality[USA]-Accessories [GB]) was paraded alongside Sufficient.
Breeders will get the chance to view 14 Auckland-based stallions at a parade on Sunday September 9th. The parade commences at 11a.m at the New Zealand Bloodstock Sales Complex at Karaka before heading down the road to Haunui Farm and concluding at Westbury Stud.
- Michelle Saba
