Stormhill Stud
                                     is a small stud in Devon, situated near Tiverton.

 We specialize in breeding top-class event-horses.   For the last few years we have been very successful, particularly with the offspring of Kremlin. It is amazing to think that a small Devon stud has produced horses that are currently  representing Australia  and Italy  in World-class 3-day events.
For 2011 we’re standing a young thoroughbred stallion, Spirit Land (Ire) at stud, after the loss of our old Latvian , Kremlin.

Some of the stallions I have bred and sold on are also doing very  well, if you go to the Stallions Page you can read more about them. Stormhill Miller, a thoroughbred, in Ireland and Stormhill Mink, now an Elite Stallion, in England, are the two who are having the most impact. Kremlin, our own Latvian stallion, who  served very few mares indeed,  quietly made a name for himself.
 All this is really quite amazing as I have only bred horses on a  very small scale for many years. It has never been a big operation although when we lived in France and later, Spain for some years after the Foot and Mouth outbreak in England in 2001, the horses did, of course, come with us.
 When you think of the word stud-farm you see in your mind’s eye miles of white railings , smart boxes, busy grooms leading shining horses about, stallions with glossy coats wearing coloured  paddock-sheets with their names on them.

Well, Stormhill Stud is not quite like that... We do have a smart paddock sheet from our racing days but, somehow it is never used any more.   Our visitors are probably a little disappointed when they arrive and see nothing but three muddy broodmares and their offspring, who are also muddy. These are tended by a muddy, middle-aged woman, with occasional help from her at times, slightly reluctant, but very patient, husband. 

These are the two International horses we have bred,  Stormhill Michael, seen here competing at Badminton 2009, under Paul Tapner, for Australia. The grey horse is Stormhill Kossack, ridden by Giovanni Ugolotti for Italy, at Knaptoft in 2009.

STORMHILL STUD

Anne Ratcliff

33 John Street, Tiverton, EX16 5JP

Tel: 01884 257503 or 07971 620416

E-mail: anne@stormhillstud.com
This site tells the story of a small horse-breeder, the problems, disappointments and occasional successes. Updated 08.02.12

The Staff:
We have one important  our team: His name is is Wolfie, a black German Shepherd. His proper name is Eastcheldon Black as Coal. He is now three years old. He is a very outgoing dog and writes his own column, Wolfie’s Voice on www.countrytalk.co uk.

I got Wolfie as our nice Ifor Williams trailer was stolen and then we had another break-in attempt. Obviously, isolated country places with no house are vulnerable to crime. Since we have had Wolfie I have felt much happier. I have also learnt a lot about how to train German Shepherds.. Their enthusiasm knows no bounds but they are very tough dogs, not at all like the Border Collies we always had when we were farming, or like the Spaniel we had in Spain.
Wolfie is available at stud, should anyone want to bred a black German Shepherd, he would love to have a girl-friend!

Welcome to Stormhill Stud, a one-woman operation in mid Devon. This is the home-page, which is  fairly stationary, whilst Latest News is frequently updated.The year starts off rather badly.  See   Latest News.   

On the left here, we can see what Spirit Land, the young stallion,has produced, his very first foal.  A very nice bay colt!
Spirit Land  has really matured and got stronger.
A very nice horse now!  We have also found that he has close relations doing very well in the Southern Hemisphere.

  Go to Latest News for an update on this foal.
He is a bright  bay colt, out of Stormhill Expedition, who is a Kremlin mare. Foal pictures will follow, as long as all goes well in the first few days, so crucial for foals.