Location

Durris Stud is situated in the North East of Scotland near the city of Aberdeen.

The Durris stud is conveniently situated five miles from Aberdeen Airport on the A947. Visitors are welcome, but please do contact us first.

History

Pat spent her youth running amok in  Cheshire, Devon and North Wales. She inherited her parental grandmother's love of horses and from a youngster right through to her late teens, was never happier than when messing around with ponies. Although she never owned a pony herself, she had at her disposal, two Welsh Cobs due to their owner sustaining serious injuries in an accident.

Horses were put on hold in her twenties, whilst she pursued a career in American Tax in England and the USA. However, in 1988 she married her boss and was forced to retire. Poor George, a real townie from Edinburgh's Morningside District, didn't know what had hit him. Having gone from never touched a horse when he first met Pat, by the end of their first year of marriage, they owned three Cobs! All three horses were competed locally with some success, in particular Ashridge Action Man who regrettably had to retire from driving some years ago due to injuries he sustained in a driving accident. In 1991, Pat and George decided to buy two fillies, the yearling Badentoy Lyndie from Dr Mary Alud and the foal, Scole Starlight from Gladys Dale, to put together at a future date as a pair or tandem. That winter Lyndie appeared to put on weight whist living on apparent fresh air. by February they were very suspicious and on Friday 13 March 1992, at the age of 21 months, Lyndie gave birth to a part-bred filly foal and the Durris Stud was born.

From these humble and unplanned beginning the Stud has quickly grown in a very short time.

The Support Team

Durris Stud has a number of people currently working for it, performing a wide range of activities.

Stacy is the twenty year old Head Girl who is responsible for the running and upkeep of the yard and organizing the staff. I have known Stacy since she was a young teenager who drove Shetland ponies and raced them at Olympia. When she out grew the Shetlands, she came to help me exercise the Cobs and has been here since. She owns two Cobs, the now gelded Kingdown Jethro who she has competed on with success at dressage, show jumping and in  the Show Ring and his five year old daughter, Durris Ruth's Chance ( out of Gwrthafarn Ruth). Stacy is slowly bringing on Chance under the tutelage of Donald Kear, the well know Dressage Judge and Instructor. To date Stacy's happiest moment with the Cobs was probably on the day of her eighteenth birthday when she won the Ridden Supreme Championship at the Aberdeen and District Welsh Pony and Cob Show. Her birthday celebrations that night were highly enjoyable!!!!

Kathleen is Stacy's right hand girl. She has been working here for just over a year but was at livery for a short while before that. Like Stacy, she has been a real grafter, but an absolute nutcase. She keeps up our humor and makes us laugh, even when she's not at her best. Kathleen owns a Highland, which she drives and rides for pleasure. For her birthday in January, she was give a three year old Welsh Cob, Durris Dixiland Express (Synod Ranger x Waxwing Rowena) which she had hoped to show in hand this year. Dixi will be broken this winter and brought on slowly over the next couple of years.

Susie is Stacy's younger sister who keeps her Fell pony, Lunesdale Rosie Lee, at livery with us. Susie had her final year showing and racing Shetlands last year, before retiring at the top, i.e. having raced and won at Olympia 2000. Susie also helps exercise the Cobs and will hopefully move on to showing and competing them in the near future. In the meantime, she hopes to do M&M. WHP. with Rosie. She has also to concentrate on her exams over the next two years.

Melissa exercises Derwen Richard. She has competed on him regularly in dressage, show jumping and in the Show ring but has recently decided to retire him from competition because arthritis is beginning to settle in his hocks and he is no longer as agile as he once was. Next year we hope to break Richard's part bred son to ride and it will be up to Melissa to bring him on. In the meantime, as I am incapacitated at the moment, I am hoping Melissa will take over schooling and competing of my Show Cob, Elliot Ness. Melissa is another very lively and happy person to have around and she often mucks in just to help the rest of us out. She currently works for a graphic design company (she is a very talented artist) but will shortly be leaving to retain as a veterinary nurse.

Len works part time and only in the better weather . Why? He's eighty- nine years old. He comes in to do any lightweight repairs or grass cutting. He occasionally forgets to put his teeth in. When we go out for a meal, he eats more than the rest of us. But we all adore him and enjoy having him around.

Lou and Graham are both self employed but come in to do the mucking out, repairs and painting. Lou has been here for four and a half years and has stood by me through thick and thin, her friendship never wavering. When I was ill with pneumonia a couple of years ago, she took over and took charge without even being asked.

Then there's my close friend Wendy and her daughter, Josie, who always help look after ponies when we're away. Poor Wendy is my sounding board and the person off whom I throw ideas. She has to put up with an awful lot!!!!!

Last, but not least, there is my ever supportive , long suffering husband George. He put up with me dragging him out at four in the morning at weekends to various shows. He travels with me around the U.K. looking at horses and going to sales although, I suspect that this has more to do with if he goes, Wendy doesn't, and ends up being less expensive on his pocket.

A Special Thanks

We would not have been able to succeed so quickly, without the help of the Waxwing Stud whose encouragement, instruction, and inspiration have never failed us. Tom Best and David Blair have supported us and have influenced us to try to achieve even higher standards and for this and their friendship, we thank them.

Telephone: +44 (0)1651 862370