Corrigarth Rhidorroch 73/79
1979-2005
S – Highland Chief
D – Ruth of Knocknagael
‘Red’ as he was known to his pals, was a striking 14hh yellow dun stallion who I had the good fortune to own in his later years and who was the foundation stallion of my Talisker stud.
Red was bred by Sheila Brooks on her farm estate in Ross-shire in 1977. His sire Highland Chief was the grand old grey stallion that finished his days at the Queens Balmoral estate. Sheila bought Reds dam Ruth of Knocknagael from the famous Department of Agricultures ‘Beechwood’ stud near Inverness. All of Sheila Ednam House ponies trace directly back to Red, including Jena of Ednam house an Olympia qualifier and Jed of Ednam House who qualified for HOYS.
Red was a fortunate pony, he was loved by four women, his breeder Sheila, Audrey Baron, Linda Impey and Myself. Sheila kept him as her Corrigarth stud stallion until he was 10 years old. She had him through his younger years and brought him up very well. Teaching him ‘ladies first’, this stood him in good stead, as his manners were impeccable.
The time came that Sheila had so many Red daughters that he had to move on and so in 1987 he went to Audrey Barrons Kincardine stud. While there in 1990 Red was male champion and reserve overall at the highland pony society breed show.
In 1995 Red travelled down from Scotland to Linda Impeys Oak Croft stud in Essex. Linda thought it a shame that Red had never been broken and so sent him, at 18 to Michael Sharpley to break in, Red took to being ridden like a duck to water and it only took Michael two weeks to get him going nicely. Red left Linda 9 foals, 8 of which were colts and one a lovely yellow dun filly ‘Oak Croft Elishader’ who Linda has had great success with in the show ring.
In 2002 after several years on gentle persuasion, Linda passed Red on to us, we had 3 wonderful years with Red and I could not have asked for a better foundation stallion. I will be forever indebted to Linda for this.
Red bred us 3 beautiful fillies (Druimfearna, Blaven and Rhidorroch) and 2 colts (Greadhaich and A’Bhaisteir). Druimfearna, Blaven, Rhiddorroch and Greadhaich have all had extremely successful careers in the show ring with Greadhaich winning the Glyn Greenwood championship at Ponies UK as a 3 yr old. A’Bhaisteir moved to California where his owners are hoping to keep him entire to carry on his line. In 2007 Druimfearna bred us our first Red granddaughter (Glamaig), a real credit to her grandsire.
Sadly on Good Friday in 2005 after leaving us with some wonderful foals we lost red to a heart attack at the age of 29, we always knew red wasn’t the sort of pony to go down hill and when Red passed away he was one of the oldest working stallions in the country. Red was a pony in a million, considerate to the end, he is truly missed.
Catriona Carnegie (Talisker Stud).
|
