So far, so good!

Good news for Alma, White Khes hasn't come back into season. Could be another little Showtyme baby cookin' in the oven. Will scan her next week. Also, heard that Rustum's Artist's Dream (Bunty), dam of the hugely successful TP Starbuck babies, Rustum's Scotch Pie and Rustum's Rembrant will be returning in time for her next season to make another TP Starbuck baby.

Bunty with Rustum's Scotch Pie

It's a boy!

Katie Walling called today to announce that Cumbria Black Bindaree gave birth to a huge, black colt last night, by It's Showtyme. He has two white socks on his hinds and a narrow star/strip. She tells us he has loads of presence and is simply stunning. This one is bred to perform, no doubt about it. Here's his first pic.

Stallion update

The boys are attracting some lovely ladies this year and some of them are going to be daddies for the first time. Incandescent Flame (iFlame) was the first to get lucky this season with a lovely tobiano mare, Piece of the Puzzle (Maddie), owned by Linda Riley. Sadly, the closest he got to getting up close and personal with her was standing near 'Floozie', our phantom mare. It was an AI order and I was on my own that day. It was also his first AI collection but he was a megastar and obliged without even having to mount 'Floozie'. It was a day of firsts all round as I had never done a ground collection either, never mind on my own! I heard from the inseminating vet last week to say Maddie was scanned in foal, first attempt. Result!

Proud dad-to-be, Incandescent Flame.







Who's a pretty boy then?

Picasso Kossack has also been busy over the weekend having his first collection too. I did have help this time and he did get to mount 'Floozie'. Once again, he was a megastar, like he had been doing it all his life. I inseminated two mares from the same ejaculate, a pure bred Arab and a coloured part bred, both owned by Shirley and Nicky Gray. Great timing guys and, from my point of view, nothing like keeping your hand in, so to speak! A week or so before, he also performed a live cover with another pure bred, Rodania Karisma, so now we are waiting to see if any of them return in season. Another AI order, for yet another pure bred, is waiting in the wings.


We are desperately waiting to hear from Fiona and Katie Walling to find out if Cumbria Black Bindaree has foaled her It's Showtyme baby. She is due imminently. We love this mare and think the foal will be an exciting and striking prospect. Showtyme has also covered a Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum bred mare, White Khes, by The Wiking, owned by Alma Darville from the Isle of Man. Khes travelled over by ferry for her nuptials and obliged by coming into season as soon as she arrived. Another week and we shall know if she has held. This covering we have on video and shows what a gentleman Showtyme is. He has also just learned how to do flying changes under saddle and is jumping 1m 20cm at home. He is a complete natural!

Not to be outdone, AKA Starbuck's Champagne Star is getting revved up for spreading his wild oats and remotely seducing Blame It On The Boogie, a homozygous, part bred Arab mare, owned by Janine Wade in Worcestershire. Just waiting to hear when she next comes into season then, he too, will be renewing his acquaintance with 'Floozie' and the little swimmers will be on their way.

Laguna Flame Jumps Out of the Picadero

Well, our boy, Laguna Flame, now 6, has some issues with tractors, stemming from his year away with a new owner on a farm. He would jump over 4' 6" metal gates as a yearling to get away from them. He has been back with us for four years without any incident whatsoever. The other day he was in the picadero and our tractor was working nearby, levelling the hardcore in the outdoor arena. He must have had a flashback because the next thing we knew he had leapt over the picadero wall and the ditch behind, landing on top of the old dung pile. He cleared it cleanly and, later, I measured the height at 5'. The ditch behind the wall is 8' deep and the spread from where he took off to the top of the dung pile where his hoofprints showed where he landed is 5' 6". He then leapt off the dung pile, a 5' drop, and galloped around the field, feeling very proud of himself. Maybe he should take up eventing but I don't think my nerves could stand it.

BSJA

Ruby Shy and Laguna Flame have now both been registered with BSJA (British Show Jumping Association). We shall be spending most of our free time now (not that we have much) on the show jumping circuit. If you see us at Rowallan, Ingliston, SNEC, Kingsbarn or Howe EC, please introduce yourself.

Outdoor Arena

At long last we are having a new surface laid on our outdoor arena. The hardcore is down and the silica sand has been delivered. Still researching suitable stabilising materials. Any personal recommendations/contacts gratefully received.

Successful Trip to Trailblazers

Ruby and Leanne had a fab time at Trailblazers. 87 horses and riders started in the 85cm class and 69 started in the 95cm class. Only clear rounds on the first day qualified to take part in the Championship Finals on the second day. Ruby and Leanne had clears in both classes and went through. Yay! Yay! Yay! They also went clear on the second day and were placed, following a thrilling jump off. Way to go, girls! They both even had to jump their first ever triple combination in the final, from both directions!