‘A Legend in her own Lifetime’

Stats

Name: Dyfed Willa Rose
Born: 10/05/13
Sex: Mare
Height: est. 18.2hh
Sire: Dyfed JR
Dam: Metheringham Upton Pansy

Willa Rose’s Story

Willa Rose is a special girl and a wonderful example of her breed.

Born on the farm in 2013, she has good genes! Her father JR now struts his stuff for the Sultan of Oman whilst her uncle Celt reigned supreme in London and everywhere he went for the Household Cavalry during his 13 years of service from 2008-2021.

But she hasn’t let their success go to her head. Instead, she has matured into a strong but gentle soul who regularly undertakes the horse and carriage ride for our visitors and is adored by everyone who meets her.

In 2018, she gave us her first foal, Morgana. Things didn’t go to plan as both fell very ill after the birth. With excellent veterinary support, both mother and daughter survived to welcome our Royal visitors Charles and Camilla to the farm only a week later!

Destiny Calls

In May 2021, a day after her 8th birthday, family, friends gave an emotional farewell as our girl left us for London in front of the TV cameras, to join her Uncle Celt and her old friend Ed, as a trainee Drum Horse in the Household Cavalry!

She is doing well and has already shown the boys in London who’s in charge! She has made excellent progress, not putting a hoof out of place.

Having taken part in the Major General’s Review of the 2023 Trooping the Colour, she is soon to be formally named by HM Queen Camilla and we’re excited to hear what her official name shall be!

On naming, Willa Rose will break the equine glass ceiling by becoming the first female Drum Horse in Cavalry history! Watch this space for updates!

‘Her Own Boss’

Stats

Name: Dyfed St Helena
Born: 04/07/08
Sex: Mare
Height: 16.2 hh
Sire: Clarach Aristocrat Lad
Dam: Dyfed Countess

Santes‘ Story

A ‘little sister’ to Dyfed Grey Celt now serving as ‘Major Mercury’ Drum Horse in the Household Cavalry and to Dyfed JR now stationed in Oman, Dyfed St Helena was born in 2008 to one of our bloodline matriarchs Dyfed Countess.

She was named after the island in the Atlantic which the farm owners had called home for a period of time. But her day-to-day name quickly reverted to ‘Santes’ – the feminine Welsh translation for the word ‘Saint’.

Although a relatively small shire standing at 16.2hh, don’t be fooled! Santes is a real character with more attitude than a battalion of soldiers!

A regular with the horse and wagon ride, she has performed immaculately in a number of weddings – typical, as she loves being the centre of attention!

She has struggled of late and underwent surgery on one of her hooves to remove a nasty abscess, but we’re pleased to report that she has recovered well.

In 2020 she gave birth to her first foal. Fittingly with her big brother’s Royal connections in London, Santes’ first born was named Guinevere by none other than Celt’s Boss – Her Majesty the Queen! How? Because Guinevere and Her Majesty share the same birthday – 21st April!

‘Our Miracle Girl’

Stats

Name: Dyfed Morgana Le Fay
Born: 27/06/2018
Sex: Filly
Height: est 18.1hh
Sire: Metheringham Upton Sidney
Dam: Dyfed Willa Rose

Morgana’s Story

Our beautiful Morgana is the first 5th generation Dyfed shire born on the farm.

Born 2 weeks premature and arriving unexpectedly, she was the first born to our Dyfed Willa Rose. They both became very ill within days and only a plasma boost and excellent veterinary care saved young Morgana’s life.

Showing signs of recovery, she and Mami Willa Rose left the stable for the paddock for the first time at 6 days old. A day later, she was ready to meet our special visitors HRH the Prince of Wales and HRH Duchess of Cornwall when they arrived for their Royal visit!

Now maturing into a fabulous young 2 year old filly with a wonderful temperament, she is very much the future for our Dyfed bloodline.

‘Our Boy About Town’

Stats

Name: Dyfed Merlin
Born: 21/05/2018
Sex: Colt
Height: 18hh (est adult height)
Sire: Acle Timelord
Dam: Middlemeadow Beauty

Merlin’s Story

We had previously purchased his beautiful mother Middlemeadow Beauty from John Harrison near Merthyr in south Wales and she foaled with us in May 2018 to this young chap!

In July during a Royal Visit, HRH the Duchess of Cornwall officially named him ‘Dyfed Merlin’ having chosen the name from a shortlist offered to her.

He has grown into a fabulous, gentle and quiet young stallion and is a testament to his mother Beauty who passed away suddenly at Xmas 2018 when young Merlin was only 7 months old.

Our History Maker

In 2020 he was chosen by the Shire Horse Society as one of its ‘Premium Stallions’! He was one of only 12 Shire Horses in the 2 year old category to have been given the accolade and one of only 38 throughout all of the UK in all age categories.

In our long history of breeding, he is the first stallion carrying our Dyfed prefix to have been granted this distinction whilst still in residence on the homestead here in Eglwyswrw.

Anyone who has met Merlin knows that he is a special young man!

“Our best ever mistake!”

Ed’s Story

Ed (short for Edmund, definitely not Edward!) came to us in the autumn of 2015 aged 18 months.

Named Sedgemoor Pride on birth, the name ‘Bosley’ was added to his registration a year later in memory of the 4 lives lost in the Wood Flour Mills explosion in Bosley, Cheshire in July 2015.

Known by his day-to-day name ‘Ed’, he was bought in Uttoxeter by mistake – we had gone to the sale without a horsebox and had no intention of buying a horse the day – but Ed had other ideas!

As unintentional purchases go, Ed’s was the best! He settled in well with us and quickly became a farm favourite! By age 4, Ed began to help with the horse and carriage ride and like Celt before him, his quiet and laid back demeanour made everyone who met him fall head over heels!

That same year, Ed was centre of attention when HRH the Prince of Wales and HRH the Duchess of Cornwall were welcomed to the farm. Ed took Camilla around in the horse and carriage and she even had a go driving him and did a good job!

Destiny Beckons

Ed continued his great work on the farm in 2019 when the Household Cavalry came calling. Knowing that he would be well looked after and would have his very own ‘big brother’ Celt from our farm to look after him, it was time to let Ed fly.

Ed left us for London in the autumn and would undertake his Drum Horse training throughout the Covid pandemic era.

In the meantime, Celt’s niece Dyfed Willa Rose joined him and Ed in London in the May of 2021 – Willa Rose and Ed had been on the farm together for 4 years, so a comforting new face for both on her arrival!

Celt, our ‘Major Mercury’, sadly passed away shortly after Willa Rose’s arrival, in the August of 2021 but Ed would continue his training.

Ed was formally named Apollo by HM The Queen in the spring of 2022, when he debuted for the Household Cavalry at the Royal Windsor Show.

Apollo would make his Trooping the Colour debut in the Platinum Jubilee special that same summer. Poignantly but proudly, he followed that up as the sole Drum Horse on parade at the state funeral for HM The Queen in September 2022 – the drums were draped as the solemn occasion dictated that no music would be played on that procession.

Apollo would continue to grow into his new role and was giving a starring role in HM King Charles III’s Coronation Procession on Saturday 6th May 2023 – not a hoof was out of place and he did his King, his country and his Pembrokeshire home, proud.

We look forward to watching Major Apollo, our Ed, continue to grow into a role which seems to have been made for him and to continue with the legacy of our Dyfed Grey Celt.

‘The Matriarch’

Stats

Name: Cotebrook Dark Lady
Born: 04/04/02
Sex: Mare
Height: 17.2 hh
Sire: Rookhills Black Knight
Dam: Sparkland Laura

Bonus’s Story

Cotebrook Dark Lady, known to us on the farm as ‘Bonus’ was for many years the oldest shire here on the farm. Born in Cotebrook Cheshire in 2002, Bonus came to us as a yearling.

An expert gate-kicker, Bonus was every inch the matriarch of the heard. But, she was a sweet natured mare at heart and secretly loved the fuss and attention she got from our visitors.

A mother to General, Epona and the sadly missed Taurus and Liberation, Bonus had seen horses come and horses go despite her own health challenges over the years.

At Rest

Bonus passed away peacefully in November 2021, just short of her 20th birthday.

She has been laid to rest in the shadow of the Preseli Hills that she made her home, in the same paddock as Dyfed Countess, Duke, Macs and Dyfed Grey Celt.

We will keep her profile here on our website in her memory and with incredible fondness for a mare that gave us so much, over 18 years on our Eglwyswrw farm.

‘The Boss’

Stats

Name: Ladysmith Alpha
Born: 01/05/2016
Sex: Gelding
Height: 18.2hh (est. adult height)
Sire: Moorfield Manor Mac
Dam: Middlemeadow Amey

Alfie’s Story

Alfie was born 1st May 2016 on a dairy farm in the Forest of Dean.

We purchased him in July 2017 when he was a yearling – we sold our Coldplay concert tickets in Cardiff to help pay for him! He was collected between the Little Mix concert at Chepstow Racecourse and Coldplay in Cardiff to avoid being caught up in traffic!

He has excellent breeding and has a quiet nature. He has now been broken into ride and drive to take over from Ed in the horse and carriage.

He may still be young but with Ed’s departure back in late 2019 for the bright lights of London, Alfie has already become the senior living male shire on the farm – so he thinks he’s now in charge!

Whether you call him ‘Alfie’ or ‘Alpha’, he’s already become a big farmyard favourite and has the potential to be a proper worker for the future!