Wednesday 1st April

                                                 Cathedral takes in some North Yorkshire Moors air….

We had a really full house riding out today…as well as our experienced team at home we had Jockeys coming in to ride –  Gary Whillans, Joey Haynes, Peter Sword & Brian Twomey  as well as Adam, Hugo and Ross who are attached to the yard. Lauren Sissons has also been riding out the past week, fresh from the USA Sunshine tour on her showjumping horse, Super Haribo. Back down to earth in chilly Middleham, Lauren is pictured below riding out ‘just broken in’ Agglestone Rock’s 3 year old sister, Roma. Unnamed properly yet, she is for sale to stay on the yard and is a full sister to recent Wetherby 2nd, Lowcarr Motion. her dam Royalty is due to foal today to our 7 time winner, ‘Andorn’….we have everything crossed all goes well for her Owners Mick and Pete Helm who also own Andorn, leased out presently to the Lesmore Stud in Aberdeen.

The two year olds had a spin up the grass today, and the gelded ‘Splash of Verve’ accompanied them, nearest camera. It was sunny but blowing a gale again today at Middleham, ten times windier up on the gallops of course, its so open. This makes the fresh ones even fresher, and none is sharper at present than Call it On who is back in work after an injury sustained on his comeback after a year off! There is nothing more fragile than racehorses.

Stormy Morning went back to Middleham today after doing his roadwork at Castleton. He is back for his fourth year with us and is nicely handicapped if re-capturing his spark, he certainly seems full of himself at home. It was his Birthday last week and he received his usual large box of carrots and apples off his devoted Scottish Lady owners, and a card which was pinned to his door. Don’t worry Betty and Joyce, they made their way to Castleton…and into Stormy’s feed bucket.

The yearlings ‘Enlighten Me’ and ‘Midget Gem’ had a great play in our rather muddy small paddock today, we are saving the bigger fields while they have gone wet again, hopefully we will get some good grass for the youngsters, mares and foals this summer.

                                     Also at home Dibble Bridge was posing for the camera as usual…

And I now have a photo of Helen Wood’s filly foal – a lovely dark brown filly by Sulamani, just like her dam. Isn’t she gorgeous!

Phil tells me he schooled Woodpole Academy today who went well for him, he has been frustrating but is hopefully back on track to run very soon. It won’t be long before we see the debut of ‘Arco’ the Flemensfirth filly who came from Ireland as a foal, she is four now, as is Eastview Thoroughbreds gelding by Iktibas, also about ready to make his bumper debut.

More photos from Castleton..we have a very scenic yard here with every animal possible! Here is just a small selection….