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The Holltess stud is a small, private, family run stud breeding hacks, riding horses and show ponies. The stud has been responsible for breeding numerous in hand and ridden champions including 2 Royal International Horse Show Champions, 2 Royal Show Supreme Champions, The overall Supreme Champion at the BSPS Championships and Ponies UK, Eight Horse of the Year Show Supreme Inhand finalists as well as winning the Supreme in hand pony of the year in 1996 at the Horse of the Year show.

Photo courtesy of Real time photography

The Roper-Caldbeck family have been involved with horses and ponies for over 50 years from Polo ponies to show jumpers to event horses. Auriol Roper-Caldbeck, was tutored by Dick Stilwall and Donald Owen, and showjumped as a child, in later years she progressed into eventing. Auriol competed at Badminton and was responsible for Wayfarer, Richard Meade’s Olympic reserve event horse.

In 1993 we moved to Gloucestershire in order to concentrate on the stud and a year later purchased our resident hack stallion Fairlyn Fanfare (see stallion and progeny pages). Frankie was shown by us as a youngster with considerable success qualifying for the “Templeton Supreme” in hand final at the Horse of the Year show, as well as being champion at all the major county shows including The Bath & West, The Royal, Ponies Uk, Devon County and Supreme Champion at the National Arab show.

Due to our increasing old age Frankie does not stand at public stud, and only covers a handful of mares a year, despite this his success has been outstanding (see progeny page). The stud over the years has purchased a number of outstanding broodmares, all of which are proven champions, these include:- Broadstone Dee, Madam Victoria, Crime of Passion, Chancley Vesper , Rustling Silk.

The stud is set in over 100 acres of pastureland and woodland about 15 miles from the Regency spa town of Cheltenham. The stud had good facilities with stabling for 30 horses, post and rail paddocks, an indoor school and an outdoor turnout arena.

Mark & Auriol Roper-Caldbeck - Corse Hill Farm - Corse Lawn - Gloucestershire - GL19 4NT - Tel/Fax: 01452-840 503