Berwick,  East Sussex. BN26 6TF  Tel:-  0044 international (0)1323 870657 - Directions to Cranford

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Cranford Hector, 39" Cream/chestnut dun stallion b. 1999

In 1997, I acquired with the help and recommendation of Mrs Roweena Provan, the then 6 year old stallion Earnbrig Reynard (Red). I'd asked her to find me what in her opinion was the best chestnut stallion in Scotland, to be broken to drive by Kevin to compliment the superb 'Transy vehicle' we'd purchased at the autumn Reading sale.
'Red' was broken to drive by Kevin and was shown with a deal of success in hand whilst here. He stood at stud to a few visiting mares, (at that time we only had minis) but when Kevin eventually decided the roads were too dangerous here to drive, potentially he would have been wasted. At that time we owned a BIG 37" cream dun mare by Firth Glencova, recognised as one of the best Firth stallions ever, who'd been broken to drive here at Cranford previously for the then owner. She was such a sound good moving mare that I'd asked if we could buy her.
We covered the cream dun mare with 'Red' prior to him returning to Scotland  bought by Mrs Provan and Mr Strang to become the senior stallion at the Waulkmill stud. Red has gone onto sire some fantastic ponies including the fillies, Waulkmill Good Gracious, Waulkmill Jubilea (Owned by Cranford stud and all but unbeaten in the show ring). Since returning to Scotland he has wiped the board at the NPS Malvern championships, including best M&M stallion and reserve Kilmannon. With whip, Richard Lanni, he was placed 3rd at the BDS driving finals at Burleigh 2005.  

Earnbrig Reynard 41.5"  

+ Misclova of Amwilla 37"   

=  Cranford Hector 39"

CRANFORD HECTOR
Pedigree

FIVE weeks early the following year, was born not the strapping great foal we anticipated, but nature knowing best decided that an early birth was preferable to a whopper getting jammed on the due date, Misclova gave birth to the leggiest, poorest, large  'mini' I'd ever seen. I must say he was no beauty, a long narrow face and floppy ears attracted the nickname 'Gonzo' and like all the wrong names, it sticks to this day. However he never looked back and grew like 'Topsy'. An engaging temperament, raising him as the only standard colt here to stallion status was a trial. With no other colts his size to run with, he pestered the mini stallions until their patience was exhausted, he got beaten up, skulked in a corner for 10 minutes, then started all over again! So he spent his junior years mostly on his own, which as you know takes up a field and is real work. He was licensed in the Autumn of his 3rd year and was sent to Debbie Barr to be broken to ride, a job which he took to like a duck to water, concentrating like mad on the rider's instructions.
I was not fazed at the prospect of cutting him, should his progeny be no good, he obviously had a future as a ridden pony irrespective.
I acquired a 6 year old maiden mare from Mrs Jean Joyce, mainly Drum and Wells breeding, a 7 year old Isle of Mona mare, mainly Harviestoun blood, and an old grey mare going back to Transy. I got her with Parlington Lawrence (She was his dam) whom I'd purchased for Debbie Barr, and she'd only had four foals in her life and was laminitic if not in foal. To be sure Gonzo could make a contribution to the breed, and not just use him or keep him entire because we'd bred him, our  mare selection covered the 3 oldest bloodlines in the stud book and would be a good test as to  his worthiness as a stallion if he could produce good stock of the type I wanted from all three. Small heads, flat bone, sound expansive movement and size. Colour a bonus but not necessary. his first two, born in 2004 filled the criteria, and his four in 2005 are again bang on. We eagerly await his third crop and hope for some fillies! We retained the grey filly from the old mare, she is a delight. She enjoyed a successful show season albeit she was only shown 5 times. Gonzo is scheduled to appear under saddle in January 2006 with Isabel Barr on board, and Samantha Grange will take the ride for the HOYS & Olympia qualifiers.