Kapeta New Forest and Performance Pony Stud

One day in 1986 Katy was at the Pony Judging day at the Royal Melbourne Show when she saw a stallion which impressed her very much. It had been an ambition of hers since she was a child to own a “stud book pony” and at the time she had a part-bred Riding Pony which she had rescued from a paddock in Heathcote .  She was so impressed by the stallion, Forestway Royal Ascot during the judging, she made enquiries about him with thoughts of putting , her pony, Possum, to him.  We already had Possum assessed as a Riding Pony but preferred the bone and conformation of New Forest. She discovered that Ascot was a pure bred New Forest Pony and had been imported into Australia from U.K.in utero and  now had a very good reputation as a sire.  We went to the Woodend property of the owner, Jan Blackburn, to speak about using him, when Katy spied a lovely 2 year old filly which had recently been broken in.  We bought Pahake Monaco from Jan and she was the loveliest , sweetest tempered pony in the world.  Well, that was it, from then on we were devoted to the New Forest breed.  We ended up putting Possum to Wendy James’ Jarosite Pick Pocket and the resulting foal, our first as breeders was the Australian New Forest Appendix mare, Kapeta Debut.  So we were on our way.  Monaco, or Monnie as we called her was not used for breeding until much later and became our show pony, mount for Katy, was leased to Elysia Baker with great success when Katy was pregnant, ‘schoolmaster’ of Thomas and Ellen and eventually a broodmare and always a great favorite of us all.

 Merrie Milkmaid (Imp)

Our first  New Forest broodmare who was purchased from Jan in 1987, was Merrie Milkmaid. Jan had imported her from U.K. in 1979.  She was a typey New Forest with excellent breeding and she loved lining her handler's feet up for stepping onto!  Especially out in the judging line-up!  She had three foals for us -  Kapeta Merrie Maestro (1988), Merrie Merlin (1990) and Merrie Mascot.(1991) all by Forestway Royal Ascot (Imp) She developed health problems which prevented her from foaling and  went to a lovely retirement paddock in Goornong, where she often was ridden by children and died many years later.

 Merrie Milkmaid (Imp UK)                     Katy with Milkmaid and Kapeta Merrie Merlin

                                                                at the APSB Stud Pony Show

  Pahake Roulette

Shortly after buying Milkmaid we purchased Roulette  from Jan in 1987. She was a wonderful broodmare and produced many fantastic foals for us.  At the time we bought her she had Pahake Rio at foot and was in foal to Pahake Mr Pickwick and produced Kapeta Keno.  Apart from that pairing we always put her to Forestway Royal Ascot (Imp) as the combination really clicked.

Kapeta Keno (by Pahake Mr Pickwick)

Kapeta Lady Luck – 1989

Kapeta Faro 1991 (who was kept as our stallion)

Kapeta Jackpot 1992

Kapeta Raffles 1993

Kapeta Cabaret 1995

Kapeta Kip 1996 – the famous superstar!

Roulette suffered from a predilection to founder all her life and had to be put down soon after retirement due to chronic founder. She is buried in the paddock under the gum trees at Katy’s home at Euroa. with many of her descendants around her.

Pahake Roulette                                       Roulette with just born Kapeta Lady Luck

 Darsirla Purity

We saw a Darsirla pony advertised for sale by Shirley Smith at Hahndorf in the Adelaide Hills. It attracted us because she was no relation and we could therefore put her to our stallion Kapeta Faro.  After driving to Adelaide with the horse float and inspecting the mare and being disappointed with her we saw another one looking out over the stable door.  We asked Shirley if she was for sale and she took her out and showed her to us properly and that is how we got Purity.  She has almost always been put to Faro, except twice when she went to Merrie Meon (Imp) and Furzley Brocaide (Imp)

She is not a ‘people pony’ but when she decides she can trust you she is very co-operative even if she doesn’t wear her heart on her sleeve. She is now retired and lives at Gisborne where her weight  is watched constantly in case of the dreaded founder striking!  She seems to miss Polly very much and hopefully will soon have another companion to boss around.

Kapeta Charity – 1994

Kapeta Faith – 1996

Kapeta Hope – 1997 (by Merrie Meon (Imp)

Kapeta Verity – 2000

Kapeta Felicity – 2000

Kapeta Loyalty – 2001

Kapeta Honesty – 2002

Kapeta Chivalry – 2004

Kapeta Divinity – 2005

Kapeta Destiny – 2006

Kapeta Harmony – 2007 (by Furzley Brocaide (Imp)

Darsirla Purity                                             Purity with Kapeta Faith

Pahake Monaco

Not that long after Roulette died, Monnie also became a victim of chronic founder and once again we had to make the terrible decison.   She is next to her mother under the trees at Euroa

Kapeta Brockenhurst – 1991 (by Timberley Crest)

Pahake Hinchelsea – 1998 (by Rambler’s Pick Another (Imp)

Kapeta Lyndhurst – 1999 (by Wings Moon Shadow)

Kapeta Wilverley – 2002 (by Merrie Meon (Imp)

Pahake Monaco                                     Ellen on Monnie at Pony Club break-up

Foxmoor Premonition

We bought Polly from Cheryl Ellis in 1991.  See article about Polly for details. 

Foxmoor Premonition  (Polly)        9-11-84   -  3-2-09

 We came to a heartbreaking decision on 3^rd February, 2009, when we had our dear, old broodmare, Polly, put down.  Many tears were shed as we said goodbye to our funny, old friend.

 We bought Polly in 1991 and during the years she was one of our family, she produced 8 foals, 5 fillies and 3 colts including one set of twins, one of which survived (Prodigy).  She mostly lived at Dorothy’s property in New Gisborne with her very best friend, Darsirla Purity. She was not a pretty pony but a very “typey” New Forrest.

 Polly was rather an aloof pony, and you had to earn her friendship.  To some people who didn’t know her well enough, she was nick-named ‘Piggy Polly’, but once she accepted you she was very affectionate and co-operative – except for worming which she hated with a passion and she always put up a bit of a struggle until she finally gave in.  She was quite high-maintenance to look after as she had a predilection to founder (laminitis) and consequently she always thought she was being starved and no matter how many times she had it explained to her didn’t agree with the fact that she was always hungry.  Even so, she foundered several times.  She was always so hungry that it was no trouble to get her to eat some chaff with the Bute (inflammatory pain relief) powders in  - in fact she would lick the bowl!

 Purity always ruled the roost, and Polly was quite O.K. with that.  I always had to separate them to feed as Purity would  look at Polly with her ears back and Polly would  just go away.  She liked it best when she was near foaling and also after she foaled as she knew she would be FED!!  Her very favorite food was apple and when I called she would rush up from wherever she was to get it.  Some people who didn’t know her said she was hard to catch and would get quite annoyed after chasing her around the paddock, but for me she would always come when called.  She loved a pat and a rub particularly near foaling, the closer she got the sookier she would be.  She foaled easily and was a good mother and only foal proud for the first couple of days then she would relax and be quite casual about it all. 

 We retired Polly from breeding after Prestige was born and she failed to get into foal for the next two years and so she spent her time talking to Purity and being spoilt by me.  One day in February 2008, when I was checking her fly veil I noticed a lump on the side of her head at the base of her ear.  I watched it for a couple of days hoping it was a knock or a bite, but when it didn’t go the vet took a biopsy and we discovered that she had carcinoma of the cartilage .  We decided  not to put her through an operation which could not guarantee that it would not re-grow. So we decided to let her live out her life as long as she had quality time. We promised her and eachother that under no circumstances would we let her suffer.  She showed no symptoms and ran around the paddock like a young horse with not a care in the world. 

 Almost a year later a few days  at the end of January 2009 were very hot, four days of over 40 degrees and I was distressed to go into the paddock one morning to find her lying down and not able to get up.  I rang the vet and was told to give her three Bute powders which she managed to eat while still on the ground.  As she was out in the full sun, my husband and I decided to put the big sun umbrella up to give her some shade.  As he was putting up the umbrella she got such a fright she managed to stagger to her feet (you never know when those nasty umbrellas will get you!)  It took me over 20 minutes to walk her to a nice little shady yard nearby as her feet were so painful;,  For the next few days she had 3 powders night and morning just to be able to move around..  I knew she couldn’t go on like that, so the dreadful decision was made. It was ironic that she was suffering from terminal cancer but it was founder that ended her life.

 She is still in the paddock with her best friend, Purity, lying under a shady tree.  I still miss her dreadfully, my dear old Polly. 

 Dorothy Horne.

Polly (brown mare) and her very best friend, Purity (bay)

Foxmoor Preminition 

         Sire-  Erinskay Salisbury    

         Dam – Pahake Brittania

 Foals (all by Kapeta Faro)

Kapeta Prophecy   16-10-92 

Kapeta  Presage 7-11-94 – Won Foal Futurity APSB  1997

Kapeta Prediction 6/11/96 – Won Foal Futurity APSB  1999,

Supreme Champion New Forest Pony APSB Show  2002

Supreme Champion Mountain & Moorland Pony APSB 2002

Kapeta Prodigy 11-1-00   (twins filly died)

Kapeta Prelude 14.1.01

Kapeta Prospect 9-1-02 – Won Foal Futurity APSB 2005

          We are keeping Jazz as a brood mare to carry on  Polly’s bloodline

Kapeta Promise 18-10-04

Kapeta Prestige 9-1-07

        Kapeta Prophecy                            Kapeta Presage -just born                    

         Kapeta Prediction                           Kapeta Prodigy (surviving twin)

        Kapeta Prelude                                 Kapeta Prospect

        Kapeta Promise                                Kapeta Prestige -  day one