DIARY ENTRY
A trip to Tweenhills Stud
Frances de haan
The mighty Kameko ‘The fastest 2000 Guineas winner in history’ their magnificent Kitten’s Joy stallion ©Sarah Farnsworth
Recently we were fortunate enough to be part of an exclusive visit at Tweenhills Stud where guests enjoyed an intimate parade of elite stallions, top-quality yearlings and foals.
Set over 800 acres of prime stock rearing grassland in the heart of the rolling Gloucestershire countryside, Tweenhills is home to some of the worlds top bloodstock, from stallions, yearlings to mares and foals. Tweenhills boasts an impressive roster of stallions, including Zoustar, Kameko and Lightening Spear. We were privileged to get up close to two of these horses. First on parade was the Champion older miler Lightening Spear, a Group One winning son of Pivotal. On the track most notably he was a Winner of the Sussex Stakes, Gr.1 and dual winner of the Celebration Mile, Gr.2. As a stallion he has produced 75% winners to runners from his first crop. He certainly caught the eye as he walked around the parade ring.
Kameko striding out in the sunshine ©Sarah Farnsworth
Just some of the stunning views on the farm ©Sarah Farnsworth
Inhales of breath were heard as the long-awaited Kameko stepped out onto the parade ring floor. He held a real presence, his deep dark bay coat rippling in the August sunshine as he strode out confidently in front of us. Witnessing first hand his power and athleticism it was more than evident why he was coined the “ultimate dude” by Andrew Balding who trained him. Standing his third season, he is fast becoming one of the most talked-about young sires in Britain. A Group One winner at two (Futurity Trophy) and a record-breaking 2000 Guineas winner at three (the fastest ever), he combines raw speed with the ability to stay a mile, a seriously impressive profile. In his first season alone with runners
The beautiful stallion Lightening Spear a Gr1 winning son of Pivotal ©Sarah Farnsworth
©Sarah Farnsworth
We then moved on to an impressive parade of yearlings destined for the Arqana August and Goffs UK Premier sales. The quality was high and showed all the hallmarks of professional preparation. A particular highlight included an eye catching Siyouni colt with plenty of presence and a great walk who was heading to the Arqana sales this month!
We finished with a viewing of some gorgeous mares with foals at foot, including foals by Frankel, Kingman, and Kameko. While it’s still early days for them, the physical quality and their class already shone through. They were impeccably turned out and all behaved so well, which is clearly down to the top-quality care and prep they receive from the Tweenhills staff. It will be exciting to see where this next generation end up over the next couple of years.
©Sarah Farnsworth
©Sarah Farnsworth
A huge thank you to the teams at Tweenhills, David Redvers the Owner and Managing Director, for a brilliantly organised and informative morning.
We rounded off the day with a delicious lunch at the local pub where we discussed the wonderful bloodstock we had just seen, accompanied with stunning views overlooking the Malvern Hills. A truly special occasion and a privilege from start to finish! If you have not been on this visit which is new to our Highclere roster of trips, I would highly recommend putting your name down for the next one.
Interesting fact: Tweenhills also rear and produce their own Aberdeen Angus herd of cattle. There are sold to various clients including Cheltenham Racecourse and Gloucester Rugby Club! ©Sarah Farnsworth