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Woodstock stud came about quite by accident. After my first efforts at getting my very flat footed TB mare Willow in foal for a couple of years - after much agistment and vet expense - I reluctantly brought her home from stud convinced that this breeding game was obviously not for me! I dutifully took her for her pregnancy test, only to be told she was pregnant to Family Ties - what a pleasant surprise!
Harry was consequently born in 2000.
Harry is now my pride and joy - a very special but precocious boy with an awesome jump capability. Now we have found out how to manage this very ‘smart’ boy our dressage has begun to improve and progress. |
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Woodstock Irish Luck (Guinness) also had a foal later that season in early 2001, a beautiful black Irish Sport Horse who made 15hh, by Woodmount Carrick who was a17hh, A Grade Showjumper.
Penny, (Woodstock Black Velvet) is probably the most bombproof horse that I have ever ridden, let alone bred! Rhonda, who now owns Penny, worships her, as she is the safest horse she has ever owned which is exactly what Rhonda was looking for when she bought Penny - she is just what the doctor ordered!
A go anywhere do anything all rounder, Penny can jump a metre with ease, execute a neat and tidy dressage test and trail ride for 30km without putting a foot wrong. |
| The following season Willow and Rap ‘Tou had a TB foal each - both dark bays, again one colt and one filly. These foals, both TB's, were later named Sukie, (Poetic Prose) and Troupa Ties. I had been advised to seek stallions that had strong links to Northern Dancer as these seemed to cross well with Star Kingdom mares - both mine had very direct links to Star Kingdom. Both Sukie and Troupa have gone on to become the future breeding stock for Woodstock.
Troupa was my second foal by Family Ties - I was later told how lucky I was to have got two when most owners who had endeavoured to have foals by him were unlucky due to his diminishing fertility. Family Ties retired infertile from stud in 2001 - the year Troupa was born. |
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Luckily for me, Troupa Ties has a temperament second to none for a TB stallion, this made it an easy decision to keep him entire and continue on the famous jumping line. I hand serve all mares - it is a testament to Troupa’s manageability that I continue to be confident to do this on my own at home.
He remains the only stallion standing at stud by Family Ties. He arguably has a calmer temperament than his sire and his offspring are continuing that tradition.
Troupa’s oldest offspring are 2005 foals - they are still to be tested under saddle but all the athleticism has been demonstrated in the paddock so watch this space for progress reports….. |
After a late excursion into racing at the age of six, Sukie had 3 successful trials. “Fast, sound and gutsy”, was how her trainer described her. We sort of ran out of funds for this expensive pursuit, so Sukie is now the main Woodstock broodmare, inheriting her dam’s role. She is due to have her first Troupa foal in October 2009. With Cox Plate winners on both sides of her pedigree - this foal should have real potential in any field.
Sukie’s sire is the impeccably pedigreed ‘Our Poetic Prince’, who ran in the 1987 and 1988 WS Cox Plates, coming second to Rubiton, the first year and winning outright in 1988, beating Horlicks and Bonecrusher. Sukie was in Poetic Prince’s last Australian crop of foals in 2001 before he was exported to Korea to continue his stud duties. In his career he won just short of $3m and won 6 group one races 1988-89. |
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