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Willowcroft Stud was established in 1976 when Anne Bailey purchased three imported riding pony mares from England. This was the culmination of years of planning and research with the view to purchasing a stallion and a nucleus of mares to start breeding English Riding Ponies in Australia. In studying the pedigrees of the famous Riding Ponies in England it was obvious that Bwlch Valentino was the progenitor of the most successful sire lines in the breeding of the British Riding Pony. The characteristic sweeping action of the modern Riding Pony can be traced to him and his sons and Bwlch Valentino will always be looked upon as the founder of a dynasty of stunningly beautiful ponies.
The "icing on the cake" however was the impressive female line. The Laird's dam, Easter Star was by the well known little thoroughbred Gay Presto out of a daughter of the famous Arab Naseel, sire of one of the greatest UK ponies of all time, Pretty Polly. This wonderful stallion died before his 22nd birthday, but his sons and grandsons continue to influence pony breeding in Australia. Champion Ridden Saddle Pony at the 2001 Adelaide, Melbourne and Canberra Royal Shows, Heldon Park Calendar Girl, by Willowcroft Explorer by The Laird and the 2001 Sydney Champion, Kirreway Explorer, out of a mare by Willowcroft Wizard, is a grandson of The Laird by Willowcroft Vagabond.
The original mares also boasted outstanding pedigrees and
included Towy Valley Hawthorn and the yearling, Heathrose Princess
Alicia. Hawthorn topped off an illustrious show career in the UK by
winning supreme champion at the Royal Welsh Show before being put in
foal to Cygnet of Spring, full brother to three times Wembley winner
and one of the most successful ponies of all time, Holly of Spring.
The result of that mating was Willowcroft Valley Mist, a champion at
the International Expo, who proved like her mother to be a fabulous
broodmare, her progeny winning POY in Victoria, Queensland, and
Sydney Royal. Two granddaughters and four great
granddaughters are retained in the Stud today. Valley
Mist is
Heathrose Princess Alicia, a granddaughter of Valentino out of the very well performed show mare, Alice in Wonderland has also made a very significant contribution as a broodmare at Willowcroft. Her daughter Willowcroft Sea Cottage, by the NZ sire Willowcroft Hill Cottage (The Laird / Snowgoose imp.) is the dam of the 2000 Sydney Royal saddle winner and Victorian Newcomer of the Year, Willowcroft Regal Ensign she is also the dam of Willowcroft Regal Secret [pictured opposite] who has won Supreme Champion Riding Pony Exhibit at the Sydney Royal Easter Show twice as well as Champion Ridden Pony at Canberra and Sydney Royals. Another imported mare, which has had a great influence of the breeding program at Willowcroft and may be of interest to NZ readers, is Snowgoose (imp. in utero) by Rosevean Eagle's Hill out of Rosevean Titter. This mare clicked very well with The Laird to produce the outstanding show mares, Willowcroft Hill Flower and Willowcroft Hill Promise as well as the lovely brown colt, Willowcroft Hill Cottage who was sent to NZ after blessing the Stud with two beautiful broodmares, Willowcroft Sea Cottage and Willowcroft Moss Cottage. Both mares have been marvellous to us crossing well to Wizard and Vagabond and now to Regal Promise. Sea Cottage, already been mentioned, is a daughter of one of the original 76 imports, Heathrose Princess Alicia. Moss Cottage is a granddaughter of Towy Valley Hawthorn and is the dam of the multi-supreme champion and Barastoc pony Willowcroft Regal Cottage by Urubula Regal Promise.
Vagabond's produced exceptional galloways (14 to 15hh) out of
thoroughbred mares. His first progeny on the ground, Willowcroft
Wizard and Willowcroft Lyric were Champion Riding Pony Mare and
Stallion at the Melbourne Royal Show as two-year-olds in 1986 and
Wizard was awarded Grand Champion Exhibit. A very rewarding result
as the judge was Mrs Davina Whiteman from the UK producer of eleven
"Pony of the Years" and as a child was the jockey of the wonderful
Pretty Polly. In the last two decades the list of "Galloway of the
Year" and Royal Show Champions and Supremes by this 12.3hh gifted
sire is endless. Vagabond's progeny have been competing successfully
in the show rings throughout Australia, and also in the dressage
fields. Willowcroft Holiday, previous Tasmanian Galloway of the Year
also competes in Grand Prix dressage, as does his full brother Willowcroft Hollywood. Willowcroft Wizard joined The Laird and Vagabond at the Stud in 1986. His first filly to be shown, Willowcroft Hill Song was presented with the Grand Champion Riding Pony Award at Melbourne Royal in 1989. Like his sire and grand-sire, Wizard's progeny have been extremely successful both in the show ring and the broodmare stakes. Kirreway Explorer (Champion Saddle Pony Sydney Royal 2001), Masterpiece of Astral (Champion Led Saddle Pony Mare Melbourne Royal 2001), Willowcroft Regal Emblem and the 2000 Melbourne Royal 13.2 -14hh Novice winner, Willowcroft Regal Magic (to name just a few) are out of Wizard mares. In Tasmania in 2001, the four-year old Willowcroft Savoy by Wizard won Newcomer, Intermediate and Open Galloway of the Year.
In 1995, Willowcroft purchased the sensational dark brown Riding
Pony Urubula Regal Promise from Helen Clift. Promise has had a huge
impact on the Stud in the last decade and is the sire of Willowcroft
Regal Emblem. "Curly", as he was affectionately known, is a superb
type, and 13.2hh, with the most magnificent front and delightful
nature, which he past on to all his foals. His pedigree is a unique
blend of the magic bloodlines of Twylands Troubadour, Rotherwood
Footlight, Catherston Night Safe and Contessa of Flawforth (full
sister to Aristocrat of
Flawforth the
first Riding Pony to be imported to Australia). His performances
include Champion Stallion at
Regal Promise's progeny are excelling in the show ring, both in hand
and under saddle. Merivale Park Whispers, NSW Pony of the Year Willowcroft
Regal Signature,
Willowcroft Garland Res. Champion
Childs Galloway/Hack Melb. Royal
06 , Willowcroft Regal Rhapsody (Adelaide Royal Champion and now in
QLD)
and Willowcroft Regal Secret (Sydney and Canberra Champion Ridden
Pony and twice Supreme Led Riding Pony Exhibit at Sydney Royal) are
just a few of his successful descendants. Regal
Newcomer stars starting off their careers include Willowcroft New York –EFA Newcomer Hack of the Year in WA,. Willowcroft Night Music Novice winner at Melbourne Royal and the delightful small galloway Willowcroft Regal Destiny who had a fabulous run at Adelaide Royal and was awarded Hygain and EFA Small Galloway of the Year. There is no doubt that Regal Promise has a reputation for producing stock of exceptional quality and movement throughout the show rings in Australia.
Urubula Regal Promise's son, Willowcroft Regal Emblem, currently the main sire at Willowcroft is a magnificent small Galloway with great refinement, elegance and outstanding conformation. This multi-supreme champion is out of Willowcroft Saphire, a stunning liver chestnut by Willowcroft Wizard from Weston Sequin. He has a beautiful head with lovely big eye, a huge length of rein and eye-catching, elevated and expressive movement. Emblem has been competing in the show rings since 2001, adding numerous Champions and Supremes to his name. Highlights include; 2003 National Champion Led Show Pony of the Year, 2003 Sydney Champion Ridden Stallion All Breeds under 14.2hh, 2003 Supreme Led Riding Pony Exhibit at Brisbane Royal 2005 Supreme Led Riding Pony Exhibit at Adelaide Royal, and 2005 National Champion Ridden Riding Pony Stallion or Colt of the Year.
Photo Willowcroft Regal Bronze taken by Sally P Coles
Willowcroft Stud has also been lucky enough to lease Oakvale
Serenade, a beautifully refined Riding Pony stallion (13hh) for four
seasons ( 2003 -06). This sensational pony is by Syon Royal Portrait
(Imp.) and out of the very successful show mare, Chippenham Pop
Music (Boy Soprano Imp./Walnut Princess Imp.). He has an
For more than 30 years, Willowcroft Stud have produced quality Riding Ponies, galloways and small hacks that have excelled in the show ring. The Stud has had the use of exceptional stallions and beautiful, well bred mares. It has developed a winning breeding program that has evolved and progressed over time. Today, Willowcroft is among the most successful Riding Pony and Show Horse studs in Australia and has exported youngstock in New Zealand and England. |
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