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The Cleveland Bay in Australia "a horse that has much to offer for any serious breeder of performance horses, and any rider with real ambition..." Although Cleveland Bays were brought to Australia at the turn of the -century, it was not until the Schneider family imported the stallion, Eaglescliffe Emperor, that the breed was really used as a saddle horse. Probably Emperor came a little early as it was not until much later that the word 'Warmblood' became known and fashionable. The Cleveland Bay is the only purebred Warmblood left in the world, which makes it a unique breed. It can boast having absolutely no cold blood - draught, in its ancestry. Until recently we had only one imported, classified Cleveland Bay stallion. He is the well known Gillshaw Caliph, who is a grandson of Mulgrave Supreme. Caliph is standing in South Australia, but many of his progeny have been sent to most states of Australia. He covered mainly Thoroughbred mares, although if the quality is there, other breeds are accepted. There are however three other Australian registered Stallions currently standing. In Queensland there is Emperor Pioneer and Emperor Oberon both of whom were born in Australia of purebred imported parents. Standing in Tasmania is Wetherby Barry Crump - born in New Zealand of pure-bred imported parents, and registered in New Zealand as well as Australia. The big news for the Cleveland Bay breed has been the arrival this year of the first PREMIUM stallion to come from the U.K. - Forest Field Day- who will stand at the Braelea Park Stud in Victoria. There are more Cleveland Bays in South australia than in the other states, as the now deceased Eaglescliffe Emperor stood stud there for most his life. He sired a good many event horses and hunters, and of course, the well known Barbarosa - the Anglo/Cleveland dressage horse owned by Marian Malecki. The new Gillshaw Caliph bloodline progeny are now four years old, but apart from breed classes they have not yet appeared on the scene under saddle. Many well known riders have one 'tucked away in the paddock' waiting for it to grow up. The Cleveland Bay in its pure state does not mature until it is seven years old, unlike the Thoroughbred which matures at five. This extends the breed's working life far beyond that of the Thoroughbred for example. This applies to the part-breds as well - with many horses well into their twenties continuing to hunt regularly in England. 1987
Cleveland Bay Magazine - No.20 |