stories

Bred by Mrs D.C. Charles.

It all began with Humphrey (yet another story for another day!) but suffice to say
that many years ago he fired my enthusiasm for Cleveland Bays. Humph was a
Cleveland Bay x Irish Draft (Sire Forest Saga dam Blossom). In getting to the
bottom of Humphrey I did much research into his breeding and decided that to
produce horses like him I should add pure bred Clevelands to the breeding
programme Its like all things you think it through and then put it on the backburner
until the time is right.

We had gone one day to the Malvern sales as they were quite local to the stud in
Herefordshire, not to buy, just to circulate and keep our finger on the pulse like many studs do. Suddenly a horse caught my eye. There was a large crowd around him. He had gone into the ring and had failed to make his reserve and the then owner was having heated discussions with the meat men. The grand old fellow stood proud
enjoying the attention that he was receiving not realising that his fate could well be
sealed.

As you will by now have guessed, the horse was Julian. I was not knowledgeable in
those days on Cleveland bloodlines, but it was clear, that although aged he was a fine stallion and a credit to his breed. I spoke to his then owner Vivian Collins and asked if we could buy him. It was no time to be asking him why, as he was obviously a much loved horse, what he was doing with him at the sale or indeed why he was wavering with the meat men. He would not accept our offer, but did agree to take the horse home so that we could discuss the situation away from the pressures of the day.

The stallion was based less than five miles from our then home and we had no idea of his existence until that day. The following day we arranged to go and see them..
Vivian Collins runs a bull hire service from his farm. We arrived to find bulls in all
directions and of many breeds. In its own right it was an experience to see them all.

We met Andrew Collins his son and the story of Julian began to unfold. Julian had been bought from Danny Welch, as a covering stallion and also a hunter for Andrew.
Now those of you that follow the Society in the UK will know that Danny is a council member and a judge and devoted to the breed, as was his father before him.(I feel another story coming on!)

Andrews life had moved on and with the pressures of farming and the Bull hire
business, they no longer had time for Julian. Vivian felt that it was kinder to sell him to someone who would make best use of him in his twilight years. I never asked him
why he took him to a public sale if this was his aim. As you know you have no
control over who buys a horse, in that once they meet reserve they go under the
hammer to the highest bidder.

Whatever the planned sale, as you already know it had not gone according to plan and Julian through my intervention was back home. We went to the field to see him It was full of various bulls but no sign of Julian. Vivian called him,.and suddenly he appeared over the crest of the field. He came galloping to us, his mane and tail streaming in the wind. Although 16 years old he was still a fine horse. He had a kind nature and a certain dignity.

He was bred by Carol Charles a much loved member of the Society and a breeder
of wonderful Cleveland Bays. Carol had sold him on to Mr Ellis in
Breconshire and he had gone from thence to Danny Welch. He had had a wonderful life, both as a stallion and as a riding horse. By the fine old stallion Mugrave he was well known for producing good mares who have carried on his line,including our premium mare Pembridge Jewels(drat, another story!)

We had done our homework and knew what he had achieved to date and set about
to 'do a deal'. Not surprisingly Vivian Collins had now got his second wind. Away
from the sale and the pressure of the meat men, added to by his sons view on the
value of the horse, we then had battle royal over the price.We had offered more than meat money at the sale, but now that price had doubled. The fact that we had shown interest had coloured their thinking. I finally realigned their thoughts and we struck a deal and Julian came home.

This is where the real story begins .Julian was a tough horse, but his time spent with
the bulls had taken its toll. To see his pleasure when he found that he once more had a stable and TLC was a joy to see. We soon learnt that he was a kind gentle saint in the box lapping up every kindness and attention. He blossomed and the years fell off him. So much so that shortly we started riding him to give him an interest. In his younger days it turns out that he was a serious hunter and loved his cross country. At his age now that was no longer to be, but we rode him over the hills that surrounded us and gave him a new lease of life.

Not long after we saved Julian we moved from Trewyn Court to Pembridge House
our Herefordshire base. Julian was the senior stallion by age and we soon
appreciated. what a gifted stud stallion he was. He was a joy to cover with in hand, a perfect gentleman. He was equally effective as a herd stallion running with his mares.

He was so wise. I would spend time watching him work the herd, organising his
mares and controlling them. He ruled. If I opened the gate to introduce another mare he would keep all of them back while I introduced the new girl. If I wanted to take a mare out he would acknowledge them and then graciously say goodbye.

If I was in doubt with a shy mare as to whether she was in season or not I would ask Julian and he was never wrong. I always used to say that Julian ran the stud not me. I learnt so much from him about the behaviour of stud mares. I owe him a lot. Mind you he was not always a bed of roses. He loved to be ridden so I used to ride him around the farm to check the horses. We had a routine and a route. One day when Julian was about 18 I was approaching the top of the farm and I though that I saw a sheep stuck in a fence one field away. I went to turn Julian from our allotted route to investigate and lo and behold our saint said no as only a cleveland can. What a paddy. He drummed his feet in temper told me off and refused to change direction. We had a battle, and we did, but I paid for it! I might have won the battle but Julian felt that he had been insulted . He stomped back to the yard in a furious temper and sulked for days. I can honestly say though that it was the only difference of opinion that we ever had.

We have wonderful memories of a stud visit many years ago from Danny Welch and Dave Anderson. At the time in the early 90's we were standing Julian, Forest Foreman and his sire Midshipman. Danny as you know used to own Julian and he was so happy to see the stallion again, so happy in his twilight years. They brought four pure mares from Yorkshire to stud.We had a lovely day riding the stallions together for them I will always
remember it.

Those of you that avidly follow cleveland breeding will know that Julian and Midshipman were by the same sire Mulgrave, more of this another time, otherwise I will digress too far. The relevance in mentioning it here that we were holding an invaluable genetic bankwithin the stallions at the stud.As you know the clevelands are rare in the UK and I set out on a mission to trace mares of breeding age and bring them into the breedingprogramme. In the early nineties we located and purchased Ramblers Lucks All, Ramblers Empress Sutton Seaspray, Levenmouth Dawn, Amethyst and Forest Finesse.

I was filled with zeal to help the breed in that with the number of breeding mares in the pool much dwindled at the time every one brought into the genetic pool and bred from was a step nearer to raising the
numbers for the future.
As Julian was by now a very senior stallion, we focused on putting the
mares to him in the hope of getting a colt to carry him on and as many
fillies as we could before we lost him. Sadly it was not to be.We never
had a pure bred colt of his, only fillies.

We had this plan that I would take a bank of foals off the mares to
build our own breeding herd and then sell the mares in foal to others
like us to start new herds. It was one of my greatest miscalculations. I
stupidly assumed that others were as enthusiatic as we were and indeed
initially it was the case.
We sold Forest Finesse (sire Forest Forman) in foal to Julian, to a
couple who were full of zeal to begin. Sadly they changed course and
Finesse and her foal of Julian's moved on. The foal at least ended up
with a breeder, but Finesse was sold on to a dealer.
We sold Sutton Seaspray in foal to Midshipman. She had a fine colt
Pacific Swell who went on to win the Royal as a yearling and followed in
his father's footsteps and became a premium stallion. The new owners then
changed to breeding part-breds so she too was lost.
Ramblers Luck's All proved difficult to get in foal initially and then
went full term with twin colts to Julian. More sadness. We tried always
with Levenmouth Dawn for four seasons and finally admitted defeat and
sold her as a riding mare

Amethst failed to hold to Julian and to get her started we covered her
with the TB stallion Minstrel Star the resultant foal was Pembridge
Minstrel (story on site) That story has already been written. In our
efforts to conserve the Clevelands we bred a half bred that has done so
much for the breed.

Ramblers Empress was the mare that we realised held a pivotal cleveland
performance line in April Love. She produced for us a wonderful filly
Pembridge Jewels, now a premium mare. Jewells is the dam of Pembridge
Midshipman a premium stallion. We never produced a son here of Julian's
as Luck's all lost her colts, but we do have his grandson.

In our efforts to conserve his genetic bank we were approached a decade
ago by a girl in the states who owned Levenmouth Elizabeth, an own
sister to Levenmouth Dawn we went to great lengths to send semen to her,
but sadly by now Julian was a great age and his motility was not good
enough to freeze and the distance was too great for chilled. Another
blow.

Julian in his younger days, must have received a kick while on stud
duties. we were aware that he had a benign growth in one of his
testicles, which we kept a careful eye on. whatever had happened to him
it had certaily turned him into the most clever of field stallions. He
had a reputation for covering un-coverable mares. To watch him in action
in the field and his technique was incredible. He was also wonderful in
hand with nervous mares and had all the patience in the world with them.
He did the teasing for all the stallions as well as his own mares. He in
fact saved the life of many mares, where owners had 'given up'

One in particular was 'Funnyface' ( I will tell her story another
time)Funny belonged to one of our racing clients and they brought her to
stud. She had had an accident as a foal and received a head injury when
she went over backwards. She had superb breeding but they realised that
she would not be able to race They had decide that if she could not be
got in foal they would put her down.As this is a story in its own right,
no more of that here, except to say that she had a wonderful filly foal
Pembridge Juliana, who is a partbred competition horse. Julian triumphed
again.

In his last years Julian, by now on light stud duties spent much of his
time bringing up the young colts. Like all good herd stallions he would
put up with no nonsense from younsters. To keep him company out of
season, his job was to educate the younsters. He rules them and they had
so much respect for him You could watch their behaviour as he taught
them right from wrong He had them drilled like little soldiers. If I
took feed to the field he would not allow any of them to come forward
until I was ready. Although by now too old to be ridden he knew that he
still had a use Even though he must have known, as he was such a wise
horse that the sands of time were running out for him he 'worked' until
the end
One day Brigitt, who had been visiting and was talking to the stallions,
called me.
The growth that we had been monitoring in Julian had changed overnight.
He was quite happy so it was still not bothering him. Nevertheless the
change was so marked that I did not even give it a second thought I rang
the vet with a heavy heart.

While we were waiting we took Julian to see all his mares and the young
colts that he was so fond of. It was a lovely sunny day and John and I
were silent savouring our last moments with this horse of a lifetime.
Julian said godbye to us. He knew. we had taken him to his field .in the
sun. His mares were at the fence. His last act on this earth was a final
whinny. He stood there still a proud stallion and bad his mares farewell.
A shot and then silence, When his light went out part of me went with
him. It is still like yesterday. Everyhorse on the stud went silent. The
stallions then started to call and he did not answer. They too then fell
into silence. The old warrior had touched all their lives in one way and
another. It was a while before the atmosphere lifted. It was so heavy
and somber. but life must go on. He was our first Cleveland stallion and
without him we could not have achieved what we have for the breed.
He is buried in his field in Herefordshire, but for us he is buried in
our hearts.

There is so so much more that I could write of him, but he never looked
for anything in the way of glory he just was a horse who enjoyed life
and loved his duties. He carried them out professionally to the end. This
is the only accolade that he could have wanted. Julian we salute you.
back to top

Pembridge Minstrel 16.2 Bay ntr bhd	minstrel star	averof	sing sing
			Argentina
		Gallant Bid	galivanter
			Winning Bid
	pembridge amethyst	forest superman	mulgrave supreme
			forest felicity
		princess fairfax	chapman
			gerrick fairy maid

When Josie Verkerk and I decided to bring Minstrel Star to England it had been decided to bring him in the autumn of 1991, to settle him ready for the spring. He was standing on a dressage yard in Belgium, covering both race and performance mares. As his lease was due to expire Josie got him released back to her early, as any late mares who turned could be served by AI as all his race mares were in foal.

Minstrel Star therefore came to us at the close of the 1991 season. By then we had got all our home mares in foal, barring Pembridge Amethyst who had re absorbed..

It was decided to cover her with Minstrel Star. We had planned to cover her with him the following year, so it seemed like fate. Of all the Cleveland mares here Amethyst was a real performer. She was a superb Hunter and had proved herself as a showjumper and hunter trial horse She had been selected for the breeding programme for her ability under saddle.

Minstrel was born 20th June 1992 and proved to be everything that we expected. Minstrel Star had many quality foals born in Europe that season but this one was British Bred by a British Bred Stallion and Mare.The photo is of Minstrel the day he was born with his Dam Pembridge Amethyst Pembridge Minstrel at Four weeks.jpg

(Minstrel at 4 weeks)

We had brought Pembridge Minnie over from Belgium as a yearling, with Minstrel Star. He was a quality colt out of an Epigoon/Amor mare.The plan was to have him as a flagship for his sire to get him started in the UK. With the birth of Minstrel we then had two shinning examples for clients to see.

Minstrel from a foal always had this star quality, He also had what we look for in a potential eventer, that far seeing eye. He was often deep in thought and quite serious as a yearling. Everything he learnt he took seriously as well, not one to be rushed he could be quite exasperating , we often wondered if his insistence, typical of the CB, of a thorough explanation of every step of a new task would continue throughout his life. Pembridge Minstrelas yearling.jpg

Minstrel pictured here as a woolly yearling! He has never lost his look at me even in the depth of winter. He emerged from his yearling year already beginning to show what a future star he could well become. He, despite his deep serious nature always seemed to be the ring leader winding the other colts to a pitch and then innocently saying 'It wasn't me!' Although a year younger, he was particularly friendly with Pembridge Mischief who was very aptly named!

Minstrel now two and still serious! In the end his sense of adventure got him into difficulties and he injured his off hind fooling in the field. He bears the scar from this episode to this day. We knew then that he was an iron hard colt. He never went lame on it and it healed quickly. Nevertheless we shipped him to a small farm in Wales, as a store where there was less mischief he could get into. He came back in the spring of his three year old year a superb specimen and we started to do his pre work. His natural technique over a jump was immediately apparent. He was no respecter of boundaries. It was impossible to use the jumping lane in the menage because he did not stop at the end!. Having established that he had a fearless scopy jump we left well alone until he was under saddle.

His pre work now well under way we had a call from a good friend who had a good friend (you know how it is!) looking for a good horse. He duly came and the one who caught his eye was Minstrel. Pembridge Minbstrel at 3.jpg

Rob Lumb still dines out on it today. 'I knew he was a good horse when he cleared the gate at the end of the school!' Rob bought Minstrel as a personal competition horse for himself. Due to circumstances he was unable to have him on the yard where he worked and so therefore he was left with us to break, and bring on as a working livery. When four, rising five, the time then came for him to start his eventing career and so we recommended that he left us and moved to a yard that could take him forward. Rob had bought him on condition that he stayed on livery here and it was a big decision for him to move him. We are delighted, because what has ensued is the perfect situation for the stallion. We had recommended Margaret Spencer and it is through Margaret and Ian Wills and the input from Rob that the outstanding results have been obtained.

Breeding a good horse is only part of it that horse then has to be brought on in the right way 'til of competing age and then it is the combination of a dedicated team to get a good horse to the top. The breeder, the owner the trainer and the rider all play their part. With Minstrel the team is second to non. All are working together and the results show. Minstrel, just 8 in June is already the leading Eventing sire in the BHD rankings for stallions under 10 as well as figuring high in the senior rankings, He is also lying 5th in the HT rankings as of September 4th,pre his 6th place at Blenheim. Those of us that support him were justifiably proud of him that day

Already FEI, having represented GB at Breda in June, when he came second, this young stallion has it all before him. He not only flies the flag for the Cleveland Bays He flies the flag for all that is best of British Breeding. His sire and dam were a credit to their respective breeds and were both British bred. In Minstrel they have a wonderful legacy to take British Breeding one step further back up the ladder, where we will once more be in the forefront and lead the world.

Jean Ann Campbell Vallange. Born Dec. 20 1935. Died June. 2. 2006 Married Sept 7 1961. Emigrated immediately after marriage. to East coast Tasmania. Swansea. 8 years and three children later moved to Oatlands (central Tasmania) Secretary to my medical practice with children at school. Spent afternoons (while I was doing rounds on a widespread practice) on a property where the owners ran the local pony stud and stood a successful thoroughbred stallion. Renewed her interest in horses. She had learned to ride on school ponies in the late 1940's. We moved to Neika on the slopes of Mt. Wellington as I had decided to move into specialist practice. We had 200 steep and heavily wooded acres. She was left an inheritance that gave her the option to travel to U.K. and buy Three 'Welshies' Sydenham Hawfinch and two mares. He was a Welsh cob and they were Section 'C's. She had a good eye and their offspring were very successful. Syd remained Sire rating champion for Welsh cobs for three years after his decease, Then his son Neika Hawfinch took over. I lost touch with Welsh cobs after that, but it was due to them that we got interested in Clevelands. We travelled to New Zealand to view a noted cob stallion 'Hywydd Daffyd'. While there, just talking ,we saw a magnificent bay horse. A Cleveland Bay. Neither of us had ever heard of the breed previously. The owners gave us a pretty full run down on the breed and their origins etc. We duly noted it, but purely 'en passant' Years later we had moved to the North West of Tasmania and had a 250acre dairy property and a daughter who was being very successful as an event rider, that I mentioned, casually, during a quiet lunch, preceding an operating session that I said to her why don't we breed her a real horse to ride ? not just a cob cross, and added, do you remember that horse we saw in New Zealand. That put the spark to the touch paper. By the time I had arrived home from my session she had researched Clevelands, found that the best in the Southern Hemisphere were in New Zealand and had booked her passage. She was offered a choice of Lord Byron or Barry Crump. From her videos I thought that she had picked the wrong horse but time proved that she was right . Jan and Peter Price told us that in their view he was the best Cleveland they had seen in Australia, and we have had no regrets on the stock that he has produced for us.

I spent last week with his present owners and I am happy that he is in the right hands. They adore him, and he has three mares with him currently. We had got to he stage where we could not cope with big horses, Jean was unwell and I was into my eighties.
We were visited during the year by Les Bingley. He may be able to give you further details of our current position. We have a solitary Welsh Section C mare. She produced 17 foals. Most of them prize winners. She is now a lawn mower and a horse for one of my granddaughters to feed groom and cosset. I have given her a course of riding lessons for her 10th. birthday.
Jean was always an efficient secretary and took on the organisation of many community activities. She also had a phenomenal retentive memory and could quote the bloodlines of all of the important bloodlines of Clevelands and Cobs in Australia without having to go to the records to look them up .Both societies have suffered a great historical loss with her death.

Roy Goldfinch Tasmania 2006

A CELEBRATION OF JEAN GOLDFINCH’S LIFE as written in the Bay Bulletin by Jeanette Wilton

When I was asked to write something for the Bay Bulletin on the passing of Jean Goldfinch, I asked myself what would Jean like.? The answer, a celebration of her life. So began my search through old CBHSA magazines (of which I have plenty) to seek out Jean’s own words as over many years, she wore many hats. For the society, Secretary, Newsletter Editor, Registrar, Committee Member and for Neika Stud, stud mistress. So in Jean’s honour, settle down with a good bottle of wine (red or white) and read the following excerpts which showcase her wit, wisdom and love of the Cleveland Bay breed.

A brief background on Jean and Roy of Neika Stud and their introduction to the CB world written in 2001.

“But, where did Neika Stud originate? We were living at Fern Tree, halfway up Mt. Wellington in Hobart ( next area down the road was called Neika) and in 1975 decided to breed, originally, APSB ponies, then Welsh Mountain ponies, and eventually in 1978 imported a filly from Wales, followed shortly by a Welsh cob stallion from the UK. A chance meeting while visiting NZ with a 2year old Cleveland Bay colt, (Harrington Matchmaker) newly arrived from the U.K. and residing at the same stud as a Welsh Cob stallion, we thought he was magnificent, as indeed he was, and this was our first sight of any Cleveland Bay Horses.

This memory was revived over the dinner table in 1985, when a chance remark made over a glass of wine that started the ball rolling. We had just read an article, in the Horse Magazine about Cleveland Bay horses and our older daughter was particularly interested in Dressage, Showjumping and Three Day Eventing we felt that possibly we should consider breeding bigger and possibly more suitable horses for these pursuits than the Welsh Cob/Thoroughbreds that we had produced up to that time. An enquiry with the society secretary, informed us that there was nothing available in Australia but gave us the telephone number of Ron Chapman in NZ.

A few telephone calls were made to Ron Chapman, who told us that he had two available colts. This resulted in a week’s visit to Ron and Rona by Jean and the consequent purchase of Wetherby Barry Crump, at that time a yearling.

Having left as a flourishing, well conditioned yearling in New Zealand, it was not impressive to welcome the bedraggled, poor, tucked up colt that arrived off the truck having been held up for 3 weeks in Melbourne by a shipping strike. Yes, we are sure he was fed but not the type of feed he had been accustomed to in New Zealand. However, Clevelands being as they are, it took no time for him to recover and return to his former self.

Jean’s wit….

On the occasion of Jean and Roy touring Australia in 1998 visiting CB studs Jean wrote…..

“On our visit to Celia and David Gregory’s on Saturday prior to sailing home, we decided to look at their horses, but on the way I slipped in the mud and ended up in hospital with a broken right leg! You should have seen your new Secretary (David) wheeling the President’s wife (Jean) in a wheelbarrow back to the Motor Home. I am sure it was an amusing spectacle but one that I could well have done without!”

Jean informed the newsletter editor that she had received a fax from her daughter (Sue) who was on holidays in Samoa and due to arrive home in 2 days time.

“What a nice surprise” said Jean, “but how many other mother’s receive a request from so far away to try and organise for her CB Sporthorse to be shod the day before daughter returned home.! Particularly when the organization had to be made from 400 kms away”. (Such were Jean’s talents).

On the birth of daughter Sue’s daughter Petra, Jean wrote

“ Neika Maestro (CBS) has been having a holiday as his owner/rider Sue has taken time off to produce her first baby, Petra. Bets are being taken as to whether Petra will be given a surf board (father’s passion) or a pony (mother’s passion) as her 1st birthday present.”

Her wisdom and love for the Cleveland Bay Breed….

“We all know the versatility of the part bred Cleveland Bay but our argument is, that in order to have part bred horses, you must have pure bred horses, and hence our reason for breeding them. It is well know that the Cleveland Bay breed is one of the endangered species is throughout the world and it is essential that the present gene pools are as well protected as possible and widened as far as is reasonable. One of the most important advances of Veterinary Science is the availability of frozen semen from one country to another and if we allow ourselves to be part of this scheme our bloodlines should become more accessible than previously.”

“Crumpy has always been an amenable easy stallion, mainly handled by Roy, to whom he belongs, and an example of his temperament was demonstrated when he was found in the middle of the night, having escaped to the opposite neighbour, sharing a bag of horse feed with a Welsh Cob/Tb gelding, both thoroughly enjoying themselves.”

Farewell Crumpy - an article written by Jean on the sale of Crumpy to Elena and Andrei Swegen.

“Parting with him was sorrowful but simple. We took him away from his female companion, across a bridge and up a hill to the truck into which he loaded with no hesitation. In his 18 years with us this was probably only the 4th or 5th time that he had travelled. Crumpy is well worth it and our loss of a friend is your gain”.

After reading all of the above, I hope I have brought to you just a little glimpse of Jean Goldfinch. She was a bright light that shone through for us all and in particular for her family, Roy, Jo, David, Sue, Chris, Hamish, Iona and Petra.

In closing some final words from Jean

“Becoming involved with Cleveland Bay horses and Crumpy in particular has been a delight to us. We have met so many interesting and enthusiastic owners and breeders, here and in the U.K. We own a great breed of horse and must continue to promote them as much as possible –as versatile performance horses in all equine spheres.”

So if you have now finished your bottle, go out and look at your Cleveland Bay and rejoice in how lucky you are.

…Cheers Jeanette Wilton.

Tynedale St Julian	Pembridge Minstrel FEI	Tributes to Jean Goldfinch