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My Travels in Cleveland Country I visited the U.K. in September and October of 1985 with the intention of purchasing pure-bred Cleveland Bays and exporting them to Australia to add to my collection of five part-breds. In Australia we have next to no documentation and very scant knowledge of the Cleveland Bay. Armed only with the Stud Book and copies of the '82, '83 and '84 magazines and a short list of prospective vendors, kindly supplied by James Stephenson. I started in the south of England and slowly worked my way north, visiting members and inspecting horses. I soon found that much of my information was out of date and when I reached Murton, I was delighted to find a relative abundance of up to date information. I attended the Society's Annual General Meeting and Dinner and the next day the Society's Wetherby Sale and found it was a marvelous opportunity to meet a large number of members gathered in the one place. The preconceptions I had previously built-up in the remote land of Oz were soon shattered and I found the Cleveland Bay scene and the horses themselves quite different to what I had expected. After seeing as much as I could in the short time available I decided not to rush this venture and to return when I had more time. I returned in December and January, far better organised and with up to date information gleaned from my previous trip. My intent was to see as many Cleveland Bays and talk to as many members as possible. I based myself at my parents' home near Cambridge and headed north to Yorkshire straight away. I was extremely fortunate with the weather throughout (except for catching a dose of English flu), although] was almost snowed in on the moors until I was sent packing by John Mark Lees to escape the incoming snow and scurried south. Although not the best time of year to travel, the traffic was light and bed and breakfast accommodation easy to find. In the three short weeks at my disposal I drove more than 3,500 miles, inspected over thirty stallions and many mares and talked to as many people as possible. Winter was probably the worst time of the year to see Cleveland Bays with the great majority of them wintering out in their woolly coats. Seeing Cleveland Bays wintering out on the moors was like stepping back in time. The view could quite easily have been 1886 or even 1786 with very little stretch of the imagination. After a while I found myself in the unexpected position of being asked by many about what different individual horses were like. I came to realise that apart from a few people who travel to view the horses, such as your stallion inspectors, not many people have recent up to date knowledge and a broad view of the many horses scattered all over the country. Of course, most of the knowledge of the Cleveland Bay resides in people's heads and it was interesting and refreshing to hear tales of Cleveland Bays going back over the years. It made me realise that we're not so very far removed from the days when horses were used for more than just sport and pleasure. I finally found the horse I was looking for in Forest Field Day and after a flurry of inspections, vet checks and discussions with Bert and Wendy Haskell, decided to purchase him. By the time this is in print, Field Day will probably be settled in his new home. I will keep you posted on his progress down under. The introduction of another pure-bred stallion will no doubt prove of great benefit and provide a great boost in morale for our Society in Australia. I would like to thank all the many members of the Society I have met and count as friends for the many kindnesses, sound and unstinting advice and generous hospitality extended to me during my visits. I extend a special thank you to the following: Stephenson, Eleanor, Lees, Kitching, Price, Haskell, Pickersgill, Welch, Abram, Medforth, Roberts, Nixey, Joiner, Edmunds, Raickes-May, Purdie, Gates, McCarthy, Roges, Evans, Gibbs, Keenleyside, Liz and Carol and Friends. I wish you all the very best for the future and extend an invitation to visit my wife and I if you ever come to Australia. David
Gregory, Braelea Park Stud, EXTRACT FROM THE DIAMOND CREEK CHRONICLE!? FOR SALE: 1 x well used AA touring map of Great Britain. Complete and up to date with geographic locations of majority of Cleveland Bay horses annotated with remarks as to age, height, bloodlines and owners details including names, addresses and phone numbers. Condition - fair to worn, slight foxing at the edges, occasional pencilled in remarks, graffiti and expletives in remote dialect -probably Australian. Unique opportunity to acquire this limited edition work first published in 1986. Only known copy in existence. P.O.A. D. Gregory 1986
Cleveland Bay Magazine No. 19 |