A liitle piece on our owner breeders

Mick Easterby is often credited with the quote which goes along the lines of ...' if you dislike anyone, give them a present of a broodmare, and if you really dislike them, give 'em two.....'. I'm sure Mick would have used a few adjectives for added colour.

Yet, the pleasure derived from owning your broodmare, selecting a sire, and nurturing the mare and progeny through several years until (hopefully) the youngsters are ready to race, is immense. All that is required is a bit of patience.....and sufficient funds.....and a bit of luck......and nerves of steel.....and....

Donald and local Hawick man Allan Gilchrist have bred from their own broodmares, with the progeny being trained at Dodlands Steading.
Donald has been involved in breeding for over three decades, initially with his own mare Peak Princess with progeny such as handicap chasers Peter & Barney Rubble winning 8 races between them in the 90s. Most recently, Nodda High Kid, a bumper winning son of Lindajane, has thrilled the Whillans family on the racecourse.
Allan is a very successful breeder with a couple of broodmares that he owned. Youandi has bred 3 winners plus a couple of bumper placed ones too - the best of which has been Harry Flashman. Still running for the stable is Tomahawk Wood, who Allan bred from the sadly deceased Meda's Song.

Bringing the story up to the present - there are 3 groups of current owners at Dodlands Steading who own broodmares. And we thought we'd take the opportunity to write a little bit about how they were getting on.

Ron & Eileen Smith
It's just last season (2015-16) that Ron & Eileen's mare Ellistrin Belle was in training at Dodlands, and the mare was retired to the paddocks in March having been placed in a bumper and winning 2 hurdle races in a 4 season career.
'Belle' was sent down to Pitchall Farm with the intention of visiting Midnight Legend, but unfortunately that grand old sire passed away during the summer. However, 'Belle' has been confirmed in foal to Passing Glance, who has sired good quality horses like Side Glance and Attaglance, and is due around May / June in 2017.

During the summer, 'Belle' is 'at grass' but come the winter months, she'll be stabled at Chuck's small yard under the watchful care of Garry.

Ellistrin Belle

Potassium Partnership II/ Rory Bannerman
Of course, right up there at the top of Dodlands Steading owner breeders are the Potassium Partnership with 3 individual winners to their credit. King Kalium, the aforementioned Ellistrin Belle and useful 6yr old hurdler Shades of Midnight are the successful trio, all from broodmare Hannah Park . They make the game look easy!
About a year ago, Rory Bannerman bought the bumper and Point placed mare Xpectations (then a 7yr old) and with a few friends now runs a syndicate for the second career of this mare. She is also in foal to Passing Glance.

She has been paired up with Ellistrin Belle, under the care of Garry.

The best of the lot - Shades of Midnight

Al Duncan
Well Disguised raced for Al and 'Lucky' Dave Leslie when trained here at Dodlands, winning 4 times over hurdles and being placed umpteen times as well.
Injury curtailed her career but Al kept her and she has been producing progeny since 2012, with four 'live' foals thus far.
Her Sulamani filly (b 2013) is in training at Dodlands, and there is a colt foal by Midnight Legend to look out for in years to come.

She is in foal to Blue Bresil, due (fingers crossed) in March 2017, and has a home at the Imray's Eildon Hill Stables .

Well Disguised and her 2015 filly foal by Yeats