Billy and Joanne Moran’s prolific broodmare and two-time Cuddy in-hand finalist Tiger Lily IV has been put down aged 23 after a bout of severe colic.
As well as being a Horse of the Year Show (HOYS), Royal International (RIHS) and Olympia finalist herself, Lily — who was by The Outlaw and out of a Louella Gandolpho mare called Java — produced several leading performance horses, including the Catherston Stud’s current top stallion Tiger Attack.
Billy and Joanne bought Lily as a foal from the Louella Stud. Billy credits Lily for putting them “on the map” as breeders.
“As soon as we saw Lily, Joanne said ‘no matter what happens today, that one is coming home with us’,” said Billy. “All the way through her career judges would comment on what a swagger of a walk she had, and she had this presence as soon as she stepped out of the stable with her mum. All I thought was that if this mare moved like she walked, we were onto a good thing. And thankfully, she did.”
Lily’s incredible in-hand tally included championships at the Great Yorkshire, Royal Highland, Hambleton and the National Hunter Show. She was also supreme at Ponies (UK) championships and stood reserve champion in the in-hand breeding championship at the RHIS.
Billy remembers the day she won her first Cuddy in-hand ticket at Midland Counties:
“We had five horses, including Lily, her foal and two more of her progeny, through to the Cuddy supreme that day,” said Billy. “We were rallying around for handlers and told anyone who would volunteer to take their pick of the lot!”
As well as Tiger Attack, also a Cuddy finalist as a youngster, Lily’s progeny included Look North, who qualified for the Cuddy as a two- and three-year-old. Lily’s grandson, Tiger Cub, won the horse section of the Cuddy final in 2019 and stood reserve overall champion.
“She first bred at four and we’re so thankful for the foals she produced since,” said Billy. “For the past four seasons she was retired to the paddocks, playing nanny to the youngsters and living a merry life. We have her daughter, Tiger Trap, at home so we can continue the breeding line. Lily is buried in the paddock at home.
“She was the perfect mare to breed from. She loved to show, but most of all she adored being a mother; if she didn’t have a foal one year you could tell she wasn’t the same. She had the most beautiful attitude, which has been passed onto her offspring. I thought a lot of her and she’ll be greatly missed.”
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