Colt foal for Ballaseyr Royal

Ballaseyr Royale, the Danish mare who partnered H&H columnist Richard Davison to team bronze at the 2003 European Dressage Championships, gave birth to a bright bay colt at 2am on Monday morning.

“She was due on 29 May and the vet Gil Riley and Louise Morton of Lingbourne Stud did more pulling than Royale did pushing,” said Richard.

The colt’s sire is double World Cup runner-up Lingh (by Flemmingh), who is partnered in competition by Anky van Grunsven’s pupil Edward Gal. The pair will represent the Netherlands at the World Equestrian Games in August.

“Royale talks to the colt all the time and is a very proud mum,” added Richard of the 16-year-old mare by Picandt out of Matadie, owned by American Gwendolyn Meyer.

Although the colt has not even yet been named, Richard is already aiming him for the British team at the 2016 Olympics.

“Even if I’m a skeleton by that point, I will be there,” he quipped.

This news story was first published in Horse & Hound (15 June 06)

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