RATHOWEN  STUD 

RIDING PONIES,  ARABIAN RIDING PONIES,  

GALLOWAYS

STALLIONS 

Rathowen Stud did not start by breeding Riding Ponies.  It started by deciding NOT to continue breeding the Arabians with which it was already involved, and had several well-bred, suitable mares sitting around doing  nothing after the loss of Bannister (Bandom x Regina Cascade) from a twisted bowel.  We had kept and used his son, Bandolero, with success for a time on Arabians, but gelded him, and so purchased Chippenham Architect (Treharne Talisman {Imp} x Walnut Princess {Imp}) to breed over existing mares . As so often happens, we became more than casually involved with the breed.  

We have worked our way through quite a number of stallions – some of a temporary nature, some leaving a strong influence. 

Radway Right Royal (Imp) (Sandbourne Royal Ensign x Tarantella) and Small-Land Amarillo (Imp) (Small-Land Mascot x Aster ) were added to cross over the good-moving Architect fillies, and later we purchased from Mrs. Jenny Powell, U.K., the impressive dark mahogany bay colt, Courtland Boy Blue (Imp.)  (Whalton Touch  o’ the Blues x Oakley Gay Royal), popularly known as "Harry" .  This colt, foaled 1993, to mature at 13.2h. has proved not only a success in his own right, both in hand and under saddle, but as a sire.  He is an impeccably bred stallion, the last foal of the legendary Oakley Gay Royal, an outstanding mare who at 19 was still able to qualify for Wembley.  His sire is the famous Whalton Touch o' the Blues, himself an in-hand and ridden Champion and sire of the Wembley winners, Jackets Maydream and Jackets Maybe.

COURTLAND  BOY  BLUE  (IMP)       (photo Roger Fitzhardinge)

      ( Whaltons Touch o’ the Blues X  Oakley Gay Royal )

Courtland Boy Blue was Supreme Champion Youngstock Exhibit at the N.S.W. Riding Pony Show and Champion Youngstock under Saddle as well. His progeny are following in his footsteps, with in-hand championships at Sydney, Brisbane, and Melbourne Royal Shows (all different ponies), Supremes at Brisbane (twice, different ponies) and Melbourne.  His stock are out now under saddle with Considerations (Pacific Coast Champion Galloway and EFA New Star Galloway of the Year), Rathowen XL adding to his In-Hand triumphs taking the Ridden Championship at 2001 National Arabian Stud Show.  Rathowen Pensive (Q) and Rathowen Electra (N.S.W.) are both out in Open company performing very well, and V.I.P. and Sentinel (N.Z.) more than holding their own in New Zealand.

Added to these first success stories are those of Rathowen Storm Warning, Rathowen Reflective, Contemplations and Confusions of Rathowen, Rathowen Mezaire, Solitude of Rathowen, Rathowen Macnamara and little Rave On Rathowen making her first appearance (2005) with great success for Debbie Taylor Thies and her tiny rider.  Success for other breeders and owners come in the guise of LJS Heavens Above, and Saltram Centrefold and Saltram Springtime, and Christie Hall's Rathowen Vizier, all out under saddle for new owners/riders/ handlers. 

We showed Harry only as a youngster – he was twice Supreme Junior Exhibit at the N.S.W. Riding Pony State Show, and also Junior Champion under saddle.  He was also East Coast Arabian Derivative Champion, Champion at the Arabian Nationals, and Australian Champion Arabian Riding Pony.

 After this, stud work intervened, and we did not get time to exhibit him as we would have liked.  His first crop of foals was a pleasant indication of what was to come, and it was not long before they were beginning to leave their mark in the showring, so we were not concerned about not having sufficient time to show him himself. 

We purchased Langtree Fame and Fortune (Fairley Temptation (Imp.) x Brandarra Fantasy ) as a second stallion and to cross over the Harry fillies.

The delightful and classy brown colt, Kolbeach Freedom (Fairley Tempest (Imp.) x Highmead Fancy Free (Imp.)) has been installed in the stud, but at writing has not yet served.  He is half brother to the wonderfully successful LJS Heavens Above owned by Lisa Cleary, but where Heavens is by "Harry" himself, Freedom is by Fairley Tempest, so we have not moved too far from our original theme, although with Freedom carrying the same bloodline as Fame, we will be putting Fame on the market.  Because of time constraints we have not shown Freedom much yet, but he was Champion Partbred Welsh at the N.S.W. All Welsh Show at his first outing, Ch. Riding Pony Stallion or Colt at Castle Hill, second at Sydney Royal 2005 in the Riding Pony but first and Champion and Supreme Partbred Welsh Exhibit a few days later.

Kolbeach Freedom (Fairley Tempest (Imp.) x Highmead Fancy Free (Imp.))   (photo Lorelle Mercer)

In the 2004 season the well performed Rebecca of Ravenswood (Treharne Talisman {imp.} x Ravenswood Rafiqa) bred by Sally George of Queensland, produced a stunning bay colt by Harry, which was appropriately named Rathowen By George, sister to Rave On Rathowen shown so successfully by Mrs. Debbie Thies, and to Rathowen Rachael, and we have retained this colt in partnership with Julie Conti of Dreamtime Stud in Victoria.  He has had a good season with the Victorian State Title Championship to his credit as an Arabian Riding Pony, and Champion Australian Saddle Pony stallion at Melbourne Summer Royal, and Reserve champion Arabian Riding Pony Stallion also.