Super-sire Kilvington Scoundrel was put down yesterday (Sunday 9 October) at the age of 25 after an attack of colic.
Jo MacInnes, who bought the part-bred Arab stallion as a yearling and stood him at her Whalton Stud, said: “I gave him his feed at 9pm on Saturday — he always had a nine o’clock feed — and he was absolutely fine. But when I looked in on him in the morning, he had colic. Not violent colic, but I called the vet, who did some tests and there was nothing to be done.”
When Jo saw Scoundrel, he was a lanky yearling who had hardly been handled, so much so that she asked his breeder, Yvonne Broadwith, to turn him out into a field so she could see him move.
“He was larking about so much I couldn’t see if he moved straight,” recalled Jo. “And then he just floated away across the field.”
Although she didn’t want another stallion at the time, she couldn’t get the 14.2hh out of her head, so bought him and sent him to Tom Best and David Blair of the renowned Waxing Stud in Fife.
“All those years ago Tom said to me, ‘This is one that will go into the history books’,” said Jo.
(Image credit: creditUnknown)
How prescient that would prove to be: Scoundrel sired some superb show horses and ponies, including the multi-garlanded hack Pearly King, former Royal International and HOYS supreme The Philanderer (pictured above) and RIHS supreme pony Dance All Night, as well as dressage and event horses.
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Scoundrel featured in H&H recently as a Horse Hero (8 September issue) and had been the Kellythorpe Stud sire of the year at HOYS since its inception in 2012.
But most importantly, he was a much-loved horse whose loss will be much mourned, not just by Jo, but by the horseworld in general.
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Former chief sub, point-to-point and showing editor
Nicola was one of H&H’s longest serving staff members and knows her Section Ds from her Section As. Over the years she has written six horse books and articles on topics as diverse as legendary showing producers and the best hipflask tipples. Nicola is our chief sub editor, point-to-point and showing editor. Nicola left Horse & Hound for pastures news in 2014.
