News 2010
-keep up to date with the news and articles-
Articles
Taraco Stud exports - some of the ponies and cobs we have sold overseas
Fiasco's story - coping with a paralysed horse
Orphan foals - rearing an orphan foal
News from last year - last years news and information
Rethink the horse tax petition! - A campaign has been launched against the proposed horse tax.
Like many breeders over the years
I have regrettably had the lows as well as the highs. I noticed a long time ago that many people seem happy to update
their websites with the good news but often not the bad news. This meant that getting practical information on specific situations
has always proved hard so I hope that by writing brief articles of some of my
more unsual problems I may share my own personal experiences with anyone facing similar difficulties.
I am not a vet, or an expert at all - but sometimes just knowing your horses helps more than any expertise, and knowing someone else has survived
the same problem helps keep your spirits up through the difficult times!
August 2010
26 August 2010 - new stallion arrives
The gorgeous chestnut section A stallion Springbourne Elmer
(Springbourne Caraway out of Springbourne Ebrill by Penual Mark) has joined Taraco Stud this week.
Despite the fact that I have cut back on the section A breeding this year I was unable to resist buying this wonderful little stallion as
stallions of this breeding and calibre so rarely come on the market and he was too good an opportunity to pass up (sorry hubby!)...
Bred in the purple and linebred to Penual Mark,
Elmer has also been very successfully shown and is a Supreme Champion, multiple Champion and a Silver medal winner in hand.
Please visit the section As page to read more about Elmer!
25 August 2010 - Taraco Amira arrives in Holland
This beautiful filly with a heart of gold has safely arrived at her new home in The Netherlands.
Amira is by the Supreme Champion Bookham Lodge Nelson (a son of Trevallion Hooch) and out of the
phenonmenal show mare Mathfred April (by Danaway Flash Jack). I would like to wish Ad and Corine
all the very best with this special filly and thank Meurig and Stina for safely delivering her.
25 August 2010 - Taraco Firecracker wins in Wales
this gorgeous colt was a winner for his new owner Alison at his last show of this season. This colt is something special and is certainly
one to watch for the future. He was very reluctantly sold this year but as he is not travelling far we look forward to seeing him out on
the English showing circuit in the coming months and years. Thank you very much to Nerys for producing and showing him this year, and good
luck to Alison with him.
15 August 2010 - Taraco Fiasco semen in the USA
the first semen from this stunning young stallion, by Danaway Flash Jack, has been exported to the USA to be used in 2011.
It is amazing to think that despite being paralysed and nearly losing his life in 2008 this gorgeous stallion now has his first mares
in foal in the UK (via both AI and natural covering) as well as frozen semen available for use throughout UK, Europe and USA.
I am extremely excited to think that 2011 will see his first foals on the ground and then hopefully for 2012 his first foals on the
ground in USA. Fiasco will be available by frozen and, subject to demand, chilled semen in 2011. He will only be availble to a
strictly limited number of mares both now and in the future. 2011 nomination forms will be available shortly, please email me
at taracostud@hotmail.com for more information.
13/14 August 2010 - Taraco Firecracker in the ribbons
After what seems like an eternity waiting for this huge colt to fill out ready to show it was wonderful to finally get him out in the ring.
He thought it was all very exciting and came in 3rd at Lampeter Summer Show, followed by a 2nd at Llanilar Summer Show,
so now it is everything crossed for his final show next week!
Thank you to Nerys for sticking with him and turning him out so beautifully, and good luck to his new owner Alison with this very special colt.
Photos to follow! Cracker is by Royal Welsh winner Danaway Tango and his full sister Taraco Florentina has been sold to USA this year.
8 August 2010 - Ysselvliedts Golden Boy sold to Australia
I am delighted to announce that this gorgeous stallion out of our mare Blanche Glisten has been sold to Australia this year.
A massive congratulations to his owner/breeder's Harold and Yvette Zoet from Holland and his new owner in Australia.
Having had the privilege of leasing Golden Boy from 2008 to 2010 we will be sorry that Golden Boy will not be returning
to Taraco Stud but I am thrilled to think that the sire of some of our 2009 and 2010 foals will be in Australia.
8 August 2010 - Taraco Fernando winner under saddle
I am delighted to announce that this young 4 year old, only recently broken to ride, was 1st in his first ridden show today.
With Fernando having been sold to Germany at only a few weeks old and then retained following an
eye injury and a long but successful battle and surgery to save his sight and his eye, Fernando has always been a firm favourite with
Simon and I. He was reluctantly sold as a 3 year old last November to Samantha Breen from Scotland and we must say a massive congratulations
to Samantha on her results with him. People often ask how I cope with selling foals and youngsters on - the simple answer is we try really hard to
ensure they go to a home that is right for them - Samantha was everything we wanted for Fernando and I am thrilled that their first excursion
under saddle was a successful one.
8 August 2010 - update
the foals are all growing on well and we are really pleased with them all. Most of the foals have been reserved for sale at weaning and a few of the
youngsters have also been sold so congratulations to the new owners of Figaro (Australia), Florentina (USA), Mourinho (USA), Riff-Raff (UK),
Colorado (UK), Firecracker (UK), Amira (Holland) and Brynaur Lowri Elen (UK). With enquiries this year from Norway, Denmark, France, Holland,
America, Australia, England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland we have been incredibly flattered by the interest in our shaggy monsters and would like
to thank everyone who has bought or enquired about our foals.
July 2010
28 July 2010 - new arrival
the gorgeous perlino section A colt foal Vennebos Pretty Pearl will be imported at the end of this year! This delightful
colt is by the promising young stallion Thistledown Blue Moon (by Royal Welsh winner Pendock Legend) and out of Nerwyn Pert
(by Royal Welsh winner Nerwyn Cadno). I have always admired Pert and her full sister Nerwyn Pannwl (both exported to Holland)
and I am really pleased to be importing a colt from these lovely bloodlines back into the UK. Pearl will be run on as
a future show colt and stud stallion. Thank you very much to Piet en Rhodé Thielen van Praat for giving me the chance to buy Pearl.
25 July 2010 - Taraco Razzmatazz does it again
This gorgeous and very special mare graduated top of the class again, this time in Belgium!
Beautifully produced by Peter and Eveline she won her class, went reserve Champion Section A and then went on to be
Reserve Supreme Show Champion as well, standing Reserve to the section A stallion on both counts. Linebred to
Springbourne Gemma this gorgeous young mare is also scanned in foal to Blanche Gwillym for 2011! Congratulations to
Peter and Eveline for yet another great result with a young mare - a prizewinner in England, Holland and now Belgium and
still only just five years old!
25 July 2010 - Royal Welsh and chaos
a wonderfully hectic week that included the first of the winter hay arriving,
a trip to the Royal Welsh to see the welsh cobs,
a visit from a great friend, Taraco Amira being sold to Holland and Trevallion Carmen settling in her
new home under saddle with Alison. The foals are all growing on well and I am hoping to have
time to get the camera out again soon as it seems a long time since I managed to sit down and take lots of
photos and they all seem to be growing up so fast!
18 July 2010 - visitors from Denmark
I am always extremely flattered when anyone wants to come and see the ponies and cobs here -
we do not show extensively, and are not a "famous" stud so it is an immense privilege when our visitors feel
our fourlegged friends are worthy of a visit alongside some truly legendary studs. It is also wonderful
to put faces to names and todays visitors from Denmark - Hanne, Puk and Ann-Louise - were very welcome.
It is one of the nicest things about breeding when you meet like minded people from all over the World.
The horses are all usually out, fat and lazy doing what welsh do best - eating - so perhaps
not looking like impressive show animals but hopefully happy welsh ponies and cobs!
A big thank you to our visitors, I hope you come back soon.
17 July 2010 - Taraco Firecracker off to join his brother
Taraco Fireblade. With Taraco Fiasco fertile and covering mares, we made the difficult decision to sell his 'nephew'
the lovely colt Firecracker. I am absolutely delighted to say that Cracker is off to join his brother Fire with
Alison in Wiltshire. He will hopefully be shown in hand and in due course brought out under saddle before hopefully
taking his place as a stud stallion for Alison's newly formed stud. We had decided to retain the Nebo Daniel daughter
Brynaur Lowri Elen (Nellie), but with Danaway Ribbon safely scanned in foal to Fiasco we were also persuaded to let Alison buy
Nellie as well. It is never easy to sell but being happy breeding and selling horses is only possible when there are truly wonderful homes out
there and I cannot ask for a nicer home for these welsh cobs.
17 July 2010 - Trevallion Carmen under saddle
this utterly gorgeous mare joined us scanned in foal in November 2009. Sadly she turned out to be not in foal
and a thorough veterinary assessment at a specialist AI centre suggests that she would be very difficult to get in foal.
We therefore took the decision
to give this lovely mare a chance of a new 'career' as a riding mare so that should she not be able to have any more foals
she will still have a future. I must thank Anne and Jane Roberts for taking up the
unusual challenge, for believing in Carmen and giving her a chance. Carmen has already proved herself to be as
dependable and genuine a mare under saddle as she is in the field. Carmen will be ridden on by Alison Roe over the coming
year at which point we will know whether she enjoys life under saddle, whether nature will decide if she is
ever to have another foal or if she would prefer to be retired in the field with the
babies. Either way Carmen is assured a secure future which every horse deserves.
10 July 2010 - Taraco Razzmatazz wins in Holland
despite soaring temperatures reaching 37°C this very special 5 year old mare
was a prizewinner and qualified for
the Dutch National Championships today. On lease to Peter and Eveline of the Vughterheide Stud she has also recently
scanned in foal to Blanche Gwillym. Congratulations to Peter and Eveline and good luck for Razzle's next show!
9 July 2010 - Danaway Ribbon scanned in foal to Taraco Fiasco
I am thrilled to announce that Danaway Ribbon is safely scanned in foal to my golden boy.
Ribbon has not always been the easiest mare to get in foal but Fiasco managed it first time!
After an uphill struggle to get him well for more than 2 long years it is absolutely amazing to have 2 mares
scanned in foal to him, frozen semen and semen being exported to USA as well.
7 July 2010 - Australian visitors
thank you very much to Megan and Gill for coming to visit us whilst over from Australia.
It was a pleasure to show you the ponies and cobs and wonderful to meet you both. I hope the rest of your
trip goes well and remains sunny!
June 2010
28 June 2010 - Vervale Gift of Gold joins the stud
I am delighted to have been able to lease this gorgeous young mare and cannot thank Barry Shepherd enough for entrusting me with such a precious pony.
Gold is by Springbourne Caraway and out of Blanche Glimmer and is a full sister to the phenomenal brothers
Royal Welsh champions and winners Vervale Gabanna and Vervale Galileo. Like her brothers she is a beautiful mover, has great bone and feather and is a real
mountain pony through and through. I am thrilled to say that after much debate we covered her with the Supreme Champion,
Royal Welsh winning superstar Heniarth Quip. She has not returned in season and I am hopeful that she has held in foal to Quip for a May 2011 foal.
A very big thank you to Barry for letting Gold join her niece Vervale RaRa and her Auntie Blanche Glisten here at Taraco Stud.
28 June 2010 - Paith Magical Rockset scanned in foal
to the wonderful young colt Trevallion Conan. This gorgeous mare had had a great colt by Danaway Flash Jack this year and I had spent
the Spring debating which stallion to cover her with. When Mourinho arrived it seemed straight forward and my weeks of Conan v. Flash Jack
debating were over. The colt was so super it seemed sensible to cover her again. However, in one of those odd quirks of fate, Flash Jack
decided that Magic was not attractive enough for him this year so the decision was made for us. I am extremely excited to have Magic in foal
to Conan, although young and unshown to date, he has an exceptional front, a perfect tail set and the characteristic Trevallion action.
I am sure that in time he will prove himself both as a sire and in the show ring.
27 June 2010 - Taraco Fiasco
now safely back home, with 42 doses of frozen semen stored for our own use.
27 June 2010 - Taraco Florentina and Taraco Mourinho reserved for the USA
I am very proud to say that we have just sold Taraco Mourinho to a fabulous home in the USA where he
will hopefully prove the versatility of the welsh cobs under saddle in the future; he will be joined on the flight by
Taraco Florentina who has also been sold to a great home in the USA. The amount of overseas interest we have had in this year's foals
is immensely flattering and I have to keep pinching myself as it does not seem real! I love each and everyone of our foals
26 June 2010 - Trevallion Carmen
We bought Carmen, scanned in foal to
Geler Llewelyn, last November but sadly she proved to be not in foal
and a thorough reproductive assessment confirmed that she has fertility issues that we are unlikely to be able to solve.
So we have taken the decision to bring her into ridden work so that she can hopefully enjoy the rest of her life. I must thank
Jane and Anne (Welsh Sport Horses) for taking up the immense challenge of backing 18 year old Trevallion Carmen
to ensure that she has a job to do now she is no longer able to be a broodmare. She is a phenomenal mare with a fanatastic
temperament and she definitely deserves to have a chance. I am certain that she will take to being ridden with consumate ease,
and she may be offered for sale this Summer. So if anyone would like the chance to own a one in a million mare for happy hacking,
veteran showing, foal nannying or anything similarly easy going please email me.
16 June 2010 - Selection of show quality foals, youngstock and mares for sale With my tendency for breeding colts unabated this year
I am able to offer a number of show quality colts for sale (both welsh section A and welsh section D) and including palomino, black,
chestnut, bay and grey. These are genuine stallion potential, but without exception, have the temperament and character to excel as ridden/
driven family friends as well. We are also offering a couple of fillies and mares for sale this year including a cremello covered by Heniarth
Quip and a chestnut mare scanned in foal to Taraco Fiasco. These are very reluctant sales all round and exceptional homes are sought.
Please contact me for further information.
16 June 2010 - 2010 foals all here and 2011 foals now on the way! The first mares have now been safely scanned and I can confim that
we are hopefully expecting four section A foals in 2011 by Heniarth Quip (Taraco Cherish), Ysseldvliedts Golden Boy (Ringstead Charming Lass
and Vervale RaRa) and Friars Golden Mark (Blanche Glisten). The first section Ds have also been scanned with mares confirmed in foal to
Danaway Flash Jack (Danaway Cherimarie and Danaway Carolina), Danaway Tango (Danaway Fantasy) and Taraco Fiasco (Brynaur Lowri Elen). Thank you as always to the stallion
owners for letting me use their lovely stallions.
15 June 2010 - Taraco Rosetta leaves for her new home in Norfolk. Having made the decision to curtail the
section A youngstock and breeding slightly this year we were very sorry to see Rosetta go. However, she has gone to a lovely new home and I
wish her new owners all the very best with her. Her brother Taraco Riff-Raff was also reserved last week and will be leaving for his new
home at weaning. It is always sad selling the youngsters or foals but wonderful when you know they are going to great and
appreciative homes. It makes the highs and lows of breeding all worthwhile.
1 June 2010 - Taraco Figaro sells to Australia I am absolutely thrilled to announce that this gorgeous colt by Danaway Flash Jack has
been sold to Australia where he will go on to become their stud and show stallion.
He has some delightful mares waiting for when he 'grows up' but in the meantime he will be shown in the UK before leaving for the somewhat sunnier
climes of Australia. I would like to congratulate his new owners on buying such a lovely colt and I hope that you are pleased with him
when he arrives.
1 June 2010 - Final foal arrives Smokey black colt foal by Royal Welsh winner Danaway Flash Jack and out of Paith Magical Rockset
who is by Royal Welsh winner Paith Magical Meredith. He is a typical colt, lazy, slow to feed but looks stunning. Sadly as he is yet
another colt he will be offered for sale at weaning. He is a smokey black which means he is a genetically black foal but also carries
the cream dilution gene and he could throw cream dilute foals (eg buckskin) in the future.
May 2010
29 May 2010 - Taraco Razzmatazz in the ribbons! at her first show in Holland with Peter and Eveline
Razzle was beautifully turned out and went very well to be placed 3rd in her class. Congratulations to Peter and Eveline - it was a good
start to the season and lovely to see Razzle looking so well.
25 May 2010 - Taraco Armani arrives! Mathfred April has a very striking and strong chestnut sabino colt
by Danaway Tango. Fantastic tail set, strong quarters, great depth, bone and feather as you would expect from this cross and half sibling to
countless top cobs including my own Taraco Florentina (a day older than her brother!!!!).... and Taraco Colorado.. I hope that
all three of these
Tango babies will go on to be as great as their sire.
24 May 2010 - Taraco Florentina arrives! Danaway Fantasy does it again - a stunning palomino
by Danaway Tango, and this time its a filly! No warning, no wax, no udder, no textbook approach to delivery but fortunately all seems well
and a smashing filly to boot!
21 May 2010 - foal number 6 arrives! Danaway Carolina finally foaled a beautifully marked bay colt
at 11.30pm on the 21st May by Danaway Tango. A very flashy colt, nicknamed Charlie, he is all you would expect from this breeding. His dam is by
Trevallion Valentino and out of a Nebo Brenin mare and his sire needs no introduction! He is half brother to some great mares and stallions
including Danaway Bags (in Australia) and Danaway Cracklin' Rose (Supreme Champion).
19 May 2010 - foal number 5 arrives! After 4 long years since her first and only foal for me, Taraco Diablo,
I am utterly delighted to say that Danaway Ribbon has just foaled a gorgeous chestnut filly foal by Gwynfaes Culhwch. Yet to unfold fully the early signs
are that she will be a nice upstanding filly with lots of presence. I must thank Culhwch's owners for having Ribbon to stay and covering her so
successfully after all this time! Having narrowly avoided Simon's first and second choice names (Delboy and Dancing Ribbon)
this lovely filly has been called Taraco Donatella (beautiful gift). Bred in the purple this filly combines some all time great bloodlines and is a
half sister to countless champions.
15 May 2010 - Nellie scanned in foal to Taraco Fiasco the first mare to be scanned in foal to our 5 year old
Royal of England stallion by Danaway Flash Jack. As many regular visitors to the site will know, Fiasco fractured his neck in a freak accident
at the start of the 2008 show season. He was paralysed and given an extremely poor prognosis (90% chance of dying withing 4 days)
which both Fiasco and I steadfastedly ignored! I never did like statistics anyway!!! It has been an incredibly difficult two years with plenty of
highs and lows, tears and laughter. Now available by frozen, chilled and fresh AI and able to cover a 15hh mare the future looks very rosy for
Fiasco and the hard work has definitely paid off. Brynaur Lowri Elen, a gorgeous 15hh daughter of Nebo Daniel, has been safely scanned in
foal to Fiasco - this will be his first foal and will be due in April 2011.
14 May 2010 - foal number 4 arrives Danaway Cherimarie foals a huge, strapping buckskin (dun) colt in
the early hours of the morning. More information and photos to follow as he unfolds. Currently sleeping off the stress of being born and quite
relaxed thank you very much!!!!!!
6 May 2010 - more visitors from overseas
4 May 2010 - section A mares off to stud with Vervale RaRa scanned in foal to Ysseldvliedts Golden Boy,
Ringstead Charming Lass hopefully in foal to Golden Boy and Blanche Glisten running out with Friars Golden Mark it was time to take
the last two section A mares off to visit Heniarth Quip. Thank you to Paul and Margarent for having the girls to stay.
3 May 2010 - Taraco Bonita in the red ribbons
April 2010
28 April 2010 - visitors from Holland
lovely day today with our friends Rhodé (Vennebos Stud) and Joost (Meladelle Stud). Thank you so much for visiting - it
was lovely to see you both and I hope you have a super time visitng studs and at Glanusk! See you soon.
15 April 2010 - Ysselvliedts Golden Boy
returns home to Holland. Many tears have been shed today as this delightful stallion
12 April 2010 - first mare scanned in foal and Taraco Stud in the press:
Vervale RaRa was covered early this year as Ysselvliedts Golden Boy is due to return to Holland this month and we were
thrilled to have her safely scanned in foal today. We were thrilled that Horse Scene Magazine (a national publication) asked us to submit two consecutive
articles that they published in their March and then April editions of the magazine. We are very proud to see Fiasco's story in the March magazine
and then Lulu's story in April and I hope their stories may help give other people hope in a similar situation. Thank you to
Horse Scene Magazine for the invitation to submit these articles and for printing them in such a great magazine.
11 April 2010 - first two mares to Fiasco
a trip to visit Fiasco and drop off his first two wives as well as collecting our coloured traditional mare Heiland Esmerelda who has returned
home from a year away being ridden and driven.
8 April 2010 - Taraco Gangster arrives
foal number 3 safely arrived. A lovely grey colt by the medal winning stallion Friars Golden Mark and out of the delightful mare
Blanche Glisten. Another relatively civilised arrival time of 9.45pm and a very strong colt who stood within 45 minutes and without
falling over once!!!!!!
5 April 2010 - Taraco Fiasco 'excellent'
post thaw semen quality! His test freezes have been highly successful with excellent post thaw motility so we are
now looking forward to freezing the first semen for distribution worldwide. After 2 long years working with Fiasco it is
nothing short of a miracle that he is still with us at all let alone covering mares, jumping a dummy mare and standing at
stud worldwide by AI! I cannot thank everyone that has supported me through this. I cannot wait to have my first mare
scanned in foal to Fiasco!
March 2010
28 March 2010 - Taraco Fiasco available by AI this April
I am pleased to say that Fiasco is now in residence at the stallion station where he will be hopefully trained
for AI collection and then, if everything goes to plan (which will make a change with Fiasco!)
I am pleased to announce that Fiasco will be available by frozen and, for a short period, chilled semen.
AI has not always a popular option for mare owners but I feel it offers an invaluable chance to use stallions without
the risk of travelling mares with young foals, or mares over a long distance. Most equine vets offer excellent insemination packages
nowadays and the techniques used have improved phenomenally offering excellent conception rates. We are pleased to be using what we
consider to be one of the most innovative, forward thinking and professional collection centres available. We have taken the decision to
freeze semen from Fiasco for our own use but having had some enquiries we are also making him available to a limited number of
outside mares. Please email me at
taracostud@hotmail.com for more information, prices and availability. Discounts available for first 10 bookings and
for multiple bookings.
20 March 2010 - Taraco Fabio first show in Denmark
8 March 2010 - second foal arrives
Ringstead Charming Lass, our now 23 year old foundation mare, has just produced a stunning
chestnut sabino filly by the medal winning stallion Friars Golden Mark. Our first foal by Mark and
probably our last out of Charming Lass this is a doubly special little girl. Named Taraco Chiquita
(meaning pretty little girl/ little one) she shows all the early signs of being a super little mountain pony.
Please visit photo gallery or foals page for more photos.
1 March 2010 - first foal arrives
February 2010
25 February 2010 - foaling season starts
Vervale RaRa has been moved into the 'maternity suite' ready for foaling. She is due to foal on 6th March but has made
a habit out of foaling several weeks early so I am taking no chances just in case! She is scanned in foal to the Blackhill Picalo
son Ysselvliedts Golden Boy for what will be her 6th foal. RaRa's foals always impress and all her foals that have shown have been prizewinners
with Taraco Rockstar sold to France, Taraco Razzmatazz leased to Holland, Taraco Renegade sold initially to Sweden and then later
on to Scotland and Taraco Rosetta retained at Taraco. Fingers crossed for a healthy first foal for 2010.
She is keeping us all waiting at the moment!
9 February 2010 - showing preparation starts for real
with Taraco Firecracker off to Nerys in Wales ready to be produced for the shows.
Thank you very much to Meurig Evans for transporting my pride and joy safely to Wales
and to Nerys for kindly agreeing to turn my hairy monster into something more impressive.
This colt is by the Royal Welsh winner and
multiple Supreme Champion Danaway Tango and out of a mare that is by the Royal Welsh winner,
Prince of Wales cup winner and multiple Supreme Champion Danaway Flash Jack; so Firecracker
has some VERY big footsteps to follow in! Watch this space to see how he does...
6 February 2010 - off out visiting
We had a lovely day today dropping a mare at Sam Barratt's for treatment and
visiting Nobby and Glynis at Watling Stud to see some lovely welsh cobs and generally had a great day out with
some super people and seeing some super welsh cobs. Thanks to Sam and mum, Nobby, Glynis and Nicolette for a lovely day.
5 February 2010 - Taraco Stud on Facebook
in trying to keep as up to date as possible (!!) the stud and ponies are all now also on Facebook
where you can join our fan club, search photo albums and see all the foal news. The website will still be updated
as regularly as ever but please
CLICK HERE for more information on our facebook page!
1 February 2010 - Taraco Bonita off to Dycott Stud
ready for the start of the 2010 show season. Thank you to Clare and Kennie who came to collect Bonita today, good team
effort everyone! Hope Bonnie settles well - we miss her lots already but I look forward to seeing her out and about in the
show ring. Bonnie is by the top stockgetter Trevallion Valentino and half sister to some top show cobs
like the Royal Welsh winner Drogeda Stormy Tempest so we are eagerly awaiting her first show.
January 2010
28 January 2010 - Lots of visitors!!
Thank you to Rhodé (Vennebos Stud) and Joost (Meladelle Stud) for coming to visit us from Holland today.
One of the greatest things about breeding Welsh mountain ponies and Welsh cobs is all the wonderful people you meet and
we are thrilled that you think my shaggy welshies are worthy of a visit! I hope you had a good trip to England
and we look forward to seeing you both again soon. It was also time for Sam Barratt (Equine Chiropractor) to come back and
see Fiasco and check a couple of the mares and youngsters. So a big thank you to Sam and her navigator 'Mum' for
making the journey down to look after my big clown of a horse again. Its great to see you both - hope you had a good
journey home this time!
19 January 2010 - Visitors from Norway
Thank you to Hilde Solberg and friends for coming to see us despite the muddy conditions! It was lovely to meet you all and I thoroughly
enjoyed showing you the ponies and cobs. I hope you had a good flight home and look forward to seeing you in the summer!
10 January 2010 - Yikes how much snow?!! Well it has been a fun 10 days or so with very heavy snow and watering, feeding and haying
every day was an all day job for me most days! It may look pretty but it isnt much fun, although the horses all seem very warm, playful and happy!
Some photos on the photos page - click on Fiasco's photo for lots more snow photos. Fiasco has been confined to barracks in all this awful weather but had a much needed
play in the snow today. In amongst all the snow it is time to start looking forward to the first foals which are about 6 weeks off!
1 January 2010 - Happy New Year! Well the New Year started with a dusting of snow as we collected Taraco Amira
from the Equine Hosiptal where she had spent a colour of days with a sore eye. However, she recovered very quickly and well and returned home after
only 3 days which was good news. The rest of the horses all look well and we are now preparing for the first foals due to arrive in March. The three
section As are due first with Rara hopefully expecting a foal on 6th March, Charm on 9th March and Glisten on 9th April. Then the welsh cobs are
all due in May. Yet again I have been privileged to use some superb **A list** stallions and for that I am truly grateful. There are some days in the
peak of covering season when we seem to be forever loading, travelling and covering mares when I wonder if we would be better having just one stallion
at home but whenever I see my foals I am so pleased we selected different stallions for each of them. I will always be eternally grateful to the stallion
owners for standing their stallions at public stud. Here's to foaling season and fingers and toes crossed for healthy foals and mares both at Taraco and
any other breeders out there.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all our friends.
I cannot believe that it is the end of 2009 already! Where do the days, weeks and months go?!!*!@!! It has been
another busy year at Taraco Stud - as usual it has been very hard work but full of memories to treasure. We have
met some lovely people as always and the year had a very cosmopolitan feel with 12 international studs visiting
and 6 horses sent overseas which was very flattering. I hope 2009 was full of treasured moments for all our friends
and wish you all the best for a happy 2010.
This year we were honoured to entertain visitors from Australia, Belgium,
France, Holland and Germany as well as from England, Wales and Scotland. It was wonderful to put some faces to the
names and make some more friends, and great to have more excuses to share good old Kentish hospitality (the pub)
with friends, old and new. Thank you to everyone who felt my shaggy welsh ponies and cobs were worthy of a visit
from near or far - it was great to meet you all. The international theme was also seen in our sales with Fabio
travelling to Denmark, Orlando, Gwyn and Beauty to Germany, Rockstar to France and Razzle on lease to Holland.
In addition Fernando and Ghazaleh were sold to Scotland, Morocco to Wales and Fireblade and Lionheart to England.
I would like to wish everyone with one of our ponies or cobs the very best of luck with them and thank you for offering them a superb home.
It is always hard selling but as always this year has seen the ponies and cobs leave for some really special homes.
It is time for my annual thank you to the great team of vets, farriers, physiotherapists, chiropractors, farmers,
friends and family for all their help and support. Every time I look at the wonderful mares and stallions
I have I am always reminded that a stud can only ever be as good as the stock they have and the stallions they can use.
I am always so grateful to those stallion owners who stand their stallions at stud and enable me to use some truly
fantastic stallions in my breeding programme – thank you this year to Matt and Jose (Danaway Stud) and Meirion (Gwynfaes Stud).
In addition a very heartfelt thank you to Harold and Yvette (Ysselvliedt’s Stud) for entrusting the lovely Ysselvliedt’s
Golden Boy to me until May 2010. I adore him and will be very sorry to see him go!
I always have to thank my mum for starting me off on horses, and I had to laugh as she helped me fill haynets
and feed horses on a sunny boxing day. I am not sure it was the most conventional way to spend the festive period and
I am certain mum was secretly wondering whether it was wise introducing
one small toddler to a little fat Shetland pony all those years ago! However, I am very glad she did so
thanks mum – both for sharing your passion for horses with me and for being the best mum a girl could ever wish for!
(Although I think there are some winter days when your son-in-law wishes you had taught me ballet or tap dancing instead…!!).
A big thank you to all my lovely ponies and cobs who make the early and cold winter’s mornings,
the dark and wet autumn evenings and the sleepless nights at foaling worth every minute and to my husband
for sharing most of those minutes with me! Thank you to all my 'horsey' friends, both home and abroad,
for sharing the highs and lows and laughter and tears that are an inevitable part of breeding welsh ponies
and cobs. And thank you to all my friends and family for accepting that I come with a rather unusual retinue
of four-legged friends! I could not do it without any of you! x
28 June 2010 - Taraco Stud joins the 21st century and facebook!
well after much encouragement from various friends Taraco Stud joined Facebook this year and
now has more than 400 fans on facebook. Thank you everyone ~ we seem to get countless messages, emails and calls
telling us how much you love our ponies and cobs and it is lovely to see how popular our hairy monsters
are worldwide! A blackberry is still something you eat as far as I am concerned.... so if we do not reply to your emails or
messages I am probably busy mucking out the aforementioned hairy monsters and I will attend to your email when I
get home! For those that have not yet found us on Facebook please click on the badge to the left and it should take
you straight there....
A limited number of doses are available for European and USA use by frozen AI
and only to selected mares. It is great to have Fiasco home, and to watch him larger than life and full of energy in the fields and
I am thrilled to have the Nebo Daniel daughter Brynaur Lowri Elen in foal to Fiasco for 2011.
we have had a lovely day today with our friends Peter and Eveline
(from the Vughteheide Stud in the Netherlands). It was great to see you both, show you the ponies and foals and go to the pub! Thank you for coming
to visit. It has been a lovely but busy week with visitors from 9 different Dutch studs including Peter and Eveline (Vughteheide Stud),
Rhodé (Vennebos Stud), Joost (Ardal and Meladelle Stud's), Henrie (Shamrock Stud) and Shorebrooks Stud. Thank you all for taking the time to come
and meet us and see the ponies. We are very flattered that our visitors were also going to studs such as Idyllic, Springbourne, Sunwillow
and Heniarth! It is always great to share the ponies and cobs with people and great to see the ponies whilst the sun was shining! Please visit
the photo gallery for some photos of the ponies.
I am thrilled to announce that Taraco Bonita went to her first show today - Home Counties Welsh Association Spring Medal Show, the weather was awful
(rain, hail, wind and occasional sun) and Bonnie was a little
overfaced by it all but settled and was given first in her class and then went on to beat the colts in the Youngstock Championship, standing
Reserve Youngstock Champion to the eventual Overall Welsh Section D Champion. I was thrilled with how Bonnie looked and we are looking
forward to her next shows. Many thanks to George and Clare for all their hard work getting Bonnie ready - given I like to wean late and
inevitably have very hairy yearlings at the start of the season they have done a great job to have her looking so fab in only a few months!
was bathed and boxed to the transporters ready
for his very early start tomorrow. Golden Boy, a son of Blanche Glisten, joined us in Autumn 2008 on lease from Harold and
Yvette Zoet's Ysselvliedts Stud in Holland. I absolutely adore this little stallion who has such a big personality, kind heart
and great pedigree and I am very sad to see him go. I genuinely cannot thank Harold enough for letting Golden Boy join us for the
past 18 months but with Vervale RaRa scanned in foal and Ringstead Charming Lass covered with him, I look forward to my 2011 foals by him.
Thank you Golden Boy for being such a great addition to the stud and such a wonderful friend.....
I was thrilled to receive photos of this wonderful colt's first show for his owner Bent Thygesen (Kildegaard's Stud).
Fabio thought it was all rather exciting and did not perform as well as he can but was 2nd and awarded a special rosette
denoting 'future stallion' potential. Photo provided by Bent Thygesen and courtesy of Kirsti Thygesen. This stunning colt is
a full brother to Taraco Fiasco and is by the multiple supreme champion stallion Danaway Flash Jack and out of one of our
foundation mares, Danaway Cherimarie. I considered him something very special from day one but with his full brother already retained
we uhmed and ahhhhed all summer about retaining him, and just as we decided to we were persuaded to let him travel to Denmark!
As we expected he is maturing into a lovely colt and I look forward to seeing updated photos as he grows up! Congrats to Bent and
all at team Kildegaards on your results at the show!
Vervale RaRa has just had a stunning chestnut sabino colt by the Blackhill Picalo
son Ysselvliedts Golden Boy. After what seems like an eternity with nothing but
heavy rain RaRa managed to hold on and deliver on the first sunny day for months!
Please visit photo gallery or foals page for more photos. He is a gorgeous strong colt with great
markings, a real 'look-at-me' attitude and a beautiful head. RaRa has produced six foals for me now,
all of which have been real crackers. I could not have asked for a better foundation mare. Thank you to
Harold for leasing me Golden Boy who was bought all the way from Holland specifically to cover RaRa, I think
I can safely say I will be repeating this cross before Golden Boy heads home overseas again in May!
Taraco Stud, Canterbury, Kent
A small stud specialising in breeding for colour without compromising on quality