Welcome to our first blog of 2023!

Hope everyone managed to survive the winter and is looking forward to Spring.  We haven’t had a too bad winter considering we are very high up here in Burnley, living under a wind farm!  We are forecast heavy snowfall next week but managing to remain positive as it is still light out on the yard at 6pm now.

– Rhos Extravagance and Menedh Mary Rose in snowy Burnley

We have 2 foals due this year at the end of March, so we have our cameras up and keeping a close eye on them already.  All being well, one of our 2023 will be our first “horse size” Linsop foal!  This one will be out of Dallamires White Lilly “Lily”, a lovely mare we purchased last year after she retired from her ridden career.  She is by Up With the Lark and out of Bankswood Sophistication (SOD Comberton Cadet).  Lily is in foal to Alonby Artisan who has some lovely stock out there, we are very excited for this foal.  He/she should make a small ISRT/hack.

We also have Whalton Emerald due at the same time. “Emmy” is a pony mare by Whalton Highwayman out of Whalton Circe (SOD Yealand Nemesis). Emmy is a maiden mare but we were very lucky as she took straight away to Alonby Chardonnier. Having already had a colt by this stallion we know he passes his wonderful and gentle temperament onto his foals. Emmy has a lovely nature, plenty of bone and is very correct so we are really looking forward to this combination to hopefully make a 148cm SP.

Two of our 2022 foals were sold to lovely family homes, but we retained Linsop Take On Me, now a yearling colt out of Rhos Extravagance (Derwent Rainbow Bandit X Rhos Eloquence SOD Walstead Composer) and by the Cochran family’s Jackets Shades of Blue. We are hoping “Peter” will make a full up 138cm, with his sire’s limb and substance, and potentially run on as a colt with us. We showed him twice at the end of last year as a foal without his dam, and he was Champion Foal at NCPA Lancs, and also Champion Foal, followed by Supreme of Show at the Midlands Youngstock Show! A very proud moment and it was lovely to see how many people were genuinely happy for us. We have been so lucky to meet some wonderful and knowledgeable people through British Riding Ponies who have helped and encouraged us so much in our journey.

– Linsop Take On Me Supreme Champion at the Midlands Foal and Youngstock Show.

When we were younger and had show ponies, their young jockeys would take them to do pony club games, hunt them, jump them, generally have them as all round ponies. The British Riding Pony is such a versatile and talented breed. Our mission as breeders was always not just to breed beautiful animals but ones that could do a job for their young riders and were true children’s ponies. We are really looking forward to sharing our youngster’s new owner’s plans with their new additions, as well as this year’s breeding plans in an upcoming blog.

It was lovely to see everyone at the NPS AGM and ball last month, we really enjoyed talking Riding Ponies with as many people as we could! Linds was absolutely thrilled to be accepted onto the NPS Council as a Trustee and is really looking forward to getting started serving the membership and of course promoting our amazing breed.

Thank you for reading, and the very best of luck for the 2023 show season! We are always looking to meet and connect with other breeders as we progress with our journey, so feel free to add us as friends or follow our page on Facebook:

Linsop Stud & Show Team

Lindsey Hewitt

Sophie Clohessy

– Linsop Count On Me at home