willowcroft riding pony stud, australia, breeding quality riding pony galloways and ponies

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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.

Now the Stud comprises more than 20 mares, ranging from 12.3 -16hh. Their pedigrees include some of the most famous lines in Riding Pony breeding in the UK, gathered together over 25 years. Many are discussed in the brief history of the stallions and a few of the first mares. Some of our other mares carry equally well known and successful lines from the UK such as, Westacre Concerto, Serendignette, Perkins of Spring, Rosslayne Blue Peter, Aristocrat of Flawforth, Rotherwood Footlight, Treharne Talisman, Carolinas Cat's Whiskers, Countessor of Flawforth and Keston Royal Occasion. Our thoroughbred mares are not so illustrious as we try to find the pretty ones that are slow, but there is a smattering of a few smart names in their breeding, such as Without Fear, Brahms, Jin Jang, Estaminet and Francis Bacon.

In 1983, the stud introduced a son of The Laird called Willowcroft Vagabond out of the imported mare Redmayne Primular. Primular's sire Lennel Strolling Minstral was by Cusop Vagabond, a grandson of Bwlch Valentino. Lennel Strolling Minstrel, a most influential sire himself, topped the sires rating in the UK for a number of years and is remembered, like Willowcroft Vagabond, for his most extravagant and correct movement.

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, Masterpiece of Astral, Willowcroft Regal Emblem, Willowcroft Regal Magic (to name just a few) are out of Wizard mares.

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 Sydney Royal, Supreme Riding Pony at Adelaide Royal, and National Riding Pony of the Year in 1999.