Other Yorkshire Studs

Other Yorkshire Studs - W

West Hall Stud
Longfield Farm, Middleton Tyas, Richmond, North Yorks
Owner: Mr. and Mrs.A.Scott-Harden (when a stud)
Acreage: 41
Type: Private
Notes: This stud was formed in 1979 primarily with the aim of buying foals and selling them on as yearlings. This they did with some success with the best horse sold out of the stud being Dubian (Premio Lydia Tesio G1, 3rd.Oaks G1, 3rd.Irish Oaks G1). Other good horses pin-hooked by the Scott-Harden's included Belle Joie (won 2 listed races in Italy) and Catherines Well (Won 7 races including Northumberland Sprint Trophy). Indeed between 1980 and 1986 the stud sold 15 fillies, 14 of whom ran and they were the winners of 25 races and placed 45 times, winning more than £200,000. Many of the foals were bought by West Hall Young Stock plc. a company, with outside shareholders, founded to undertake the pinhooking. However the stud was sold in 1993 and, as far as I know, has not been used for breeding thoroughbreds since.

West Moor Stud
Raskelf, York, YO6 3LR
Owner: Larry & Liz Sigsworth
Acreage: 40
Type:Private
Notes: Mrs.Sigsworth used to go to school at Topcliffe with Lynda Ramsden, so when that trainer and her husband returned from the Isle of Man to set up a training stables near Thirsk it was natural that the Sigsworth's would become owners, having previously had horses with David Chapman, David Barron and Mick Easterby. The first horse they achieved success with was Travelling Light, winner of the Chester Cup in 1990 and third in the Tote Cesarewitch the same year.
However it was to be with their breeding activities that the Sigsworth's achieved their most notable successes. The foundation mare was Bias (Royal Prerogative - Brie) who had won six races. Liz inherited this horse from her father (Brian Driffield of Brafferton Manor, Helperby) in the early eighties, and he had bought her dam as a yearling, primarily because she was by Meldrum, whom he had bred himself out of the mare Rufina, who was a present from Lord Bolton. Bias was to produce 5 winners for the stud, most notably: Casteddu (by Efisio, who won 5 inc.Beeswing S G3, 3rd.Coventry S G3 and Criterion S G3), Barbaroja (by Efisio won 4 inc.Silver Tankard S L, 2nd.Zetland S L), Northern Influence (by Sayf El Arab, won 5 inc.Centurion Trophy L) and Vintage Only (won 21, 2nd.Gimcrack S G2, 3rd.Flying Childers S G2, Cornwallis S G3). All these horses raced for other owners (with the exception of Northern Influence who was put into training with the Ramsden's and won at two, but achieved his best results later in Hong Kong). The fillies however were usually retained and included Prejudice (by Young Generation) who made a good start at stud with her first four foals all winners and Prejudice's daughter Discrimination (by Efisio) who won a claimer at Newmarket. Bias' unraced daughter Preference (by Efiso) was the dam of a number of winners including Ice Planet (2001 by Polar Falcon) who won £92,189 with David Nicholls and Ruth Carr including the 2005 Great St Wilfrid Handicap, having been sold as a foal for 22,000gns. Preference's daughter Augusta Ada (2011 by Byron) has produced three winners including most notably Quandary (2020 by Intello) who, retained with Ed Bethell, has won nearly £60,000 to date including the 2025 £23,193 AWC Fillies & Mares Trial Handicap.
A family that has more recently entered the stud derives from the mare Fairy Flax (Dancing Brave - Fairy Tern) who is a half-sister to Hoy from the family of Elegant Air and Nemesia. Again her first two foals were both winners - but this time they were both fillies and both retained to go into training with the Ramsden's. The first, Fairywings (1993 by Kris) won 3 races and £20,476 and the second, Caution (1994 by Warnning) won 4 races and £36,416. Fairywings' 2001 colt by Hector Protector, Trojan Flight, won 6 times in.... 68 starts ! Recent sales success include the daughter of Fairy Flax and Halling, who fetched 58,000gns at the 1999 October Sales, but as long ago as 1992 they receieved 50,000gns for the yearling later to become Barbaroja.
An even newer mare is minor winner Azhar (2013 by Exceed And Excel) and she has produced the retained Fluorescene (2022 f by Twlight Son) who has won 5 races and over £100,000 to date including the 2026 Arran Scottish Sprint EBF Fillies' Stakes L at Ayr with Ed Bethell.
In more recent times the best sales result has come from Blue Point, winner of the King's Stand Stakes G1 (twice), Diamond Jubilee Stakes G1 and Al Quoz Sprint G1 he was pinhooked for 110,000gns in 2014 by Ebor Bloodstock (Matt Sigsworth, who works for Cheveley Park and Kate Sigsworth who works at Dalham Hall) and sold from West Moor the following year for 200,000gns, this Shamardal colt has also won the Gimcrack Stakes G2, Pavilion Stakes G3 and Bengough Stakes G3. The Sigsworth's have also, in the past, had horses in training (homebred and otherwise) with Ollie Pears, Tim Walford and Bryan Smart, although Ed Bethell seems to be the current choice. At the Tattersalls December Foal Sale in 2025 they consigned the top lot on the last day with a Havana Grey colt belonging to Simon Chappell fetching 170,000gns.

Westow Hall Stud
Westow Hall, Whitwell, North Yorkshire
Owner: Lord Grimthorpe
Acreage; 120
Notes: Westow Hall is best known as the breeder of Mrs.McArdy (Tribal Chief - Hanina) who won the 1,000 Guineas G1 in 1977 when trained by Mick Easterby. The dam, Hanina, was bred by the Theakston Stud. Westow also bred Minho who won the Northern Free Handicap. Lord Grimthorpe usually kept around a dozen mares on the property, which he had re-established as a stud in 1965. By 1975 funds were low and Lord Grimthorpe decided to stop breeding, this precipitated the sale of Westow's eleven mares, foals and yearlings en bloc to Mick Easterby (Lord Grimthorpe retained one yearling, the subsequent Ripon winner Tin Miner), and Hanina, in typical Mick Easterby style, was subsequently sold twice within 48 hours of the original deal ! Mrs McArdy was one of the parcel and was sold on to Bill and Edith Kettlewell for 1,200gns. Despite the closure of the stud Lord Grimthorpe remained an Easterby owner up to his death in 2003. His father (who amongst other things designed the Westminster Clock) owned the Grand National winner Fortina and trainer Ralph Beckett is a nephew. Lord Grimthorpe's eldest son, Teddy Beckett (formerly with the BBA) is racing manager to Prince Khalid Abdullah. Furthermore Lord Grimthorpe was brother in law to fellow Jockey Club member the Earl of Scarbrough.

Westwood Farm (now Lane Side Farm)
Bramham, Wetherby, West Yorks LS23 6LG
Owner: Mrs Muriel Hills
Acreage:
Type:Private
Notes: You won't see Westwood (or Lane Side) on many lists of stud farms, Yorkshire or otherwise. It was however the home of one of Yorkshires best loved equine celebrities. Mrs.Hills bought Mild Wind (Porto Bello - Mile Cross), a poor performer on the flat and over hurdles to be her first racing mare, ironically the seller was her brother, trainer David Chapman. Sent to the cheap (£350) stallion Most Secret (then standing at Easthorpe Hall Stud) she produced the amazing Soba, 'The Queen Of The North'. This filly was sent to Chapman and the initial omens were not good. As a two-year-old her best effort in nine outings was third off bottom weight in a small race at Musselburgh. However the following year she won 11 races including the Stewards Cup L, Scarbrough S L, Great St.Wilfrid H and the Gosforth Park Cup as well as being second in the Diadem S G3. She progressed further at four and was unfortunate to come up against Habibti, one of the greatest sprinters of the post war era, against whom she was second four times. However that year she did win the King George S G3 and Scarbrough S L and was second in the Prix de l'Abbaye G1, July Cup G1, Kings Stand S G1, Vernons Sprint Cup G2, Wm Hill Sprint Champioship G2 (disqualified for interference) and third in the Diadem S G3. In all she won 13 races and £153,680.
Retired to Westwood (where a smart new stable block has been built), Soba has to date bred 9 winners from 11 racing age offspring, perhaps the most successful on the racecourse being the 1993 Ayr Silver Cup winner Sobering Thoughts. Initially she was bred on foal shares to expensive Coolmore stallions such as Golden Fleece, Sadler's Wells , Caerleon and Be My Guest. Unfortunately, although lucrative, this meant that the offspring were sold out of the family. However Mrs.Hills did retain one of the earlier daughters - Soba Up (by Persian Heights) who won 7 races and £46,828 when trained by Tim Etherington as well as gaining valuable black type by finishing third in the Chester Rated S L. Soba Up's best progeny to date is Saint Alebe (1999 gelding by Bishop Of Cashel) who was sold by the Hills for 8,000gns to David Elsworth, who trained him to win two races including the 2003 Ebor Handicap at York. Soba Up's daughter Cedar Jeneva (98 by Muhtarram) was re-purchased by the Hills' for the bargain price of 650 gns at the 2001 Ascot Sales, and has now joined the broodmare band, producing a Rambling Bear foal in March 2007. Soba Up died March 2007 whilst foaling, the Mark of Esteem foal survived.
In addition to Soba Up Mrs.Hills later bought back another daughter of Soba - Water Well at the 1996 December Sales for 13,500gns, having sold her as a yearling for 70,000gns to Bill Gredley. Water Well bred Soaked for Mr.Gredley who was trained, appropriately enough, by David 'Dandy' Nicholls, who rode Soba in all her races. Under his guidance Soaked won 9 flat handicaps in 1998 - equalling the 20th Century record for this type of race, he was still going strong in 2003 winning the £10,082 Easibet.net Handicap at Musselburgh. Her daughter Gotya (2000 f by Gothenberg) was retained by the Hills and put in training with John Weymes before being sold in Feb 2006, having produced a single foal for the stud.
The other significant daughter of Soba is Oh So Well (like Water Well a daughter of Sadler's Wells) who is based at the Manor House Stud. She has produced Dances With Dreams (Winner, 2nd.Prix Saraca L, 3rd.Golden Daffodil S L, 4th.Poule d'Essai des Pouliches G1) and Dark Moondancer (Prix Ganey G1, Gran Premio di Milano G1, Prix d'Harcourt G2, American H G2, St.Simon S G3 etc.). So given that prior to 1995 the only 'black type' on Soba's three generation pedigree was herself this is certainly a family on the upgrade! Mild Wind eventually became the dam of a total of 4 winners and the stud also owned Soba's 1/2 sisters La Thuile (by Statoblest) and Sizzling Sista (by Sizzling Melody), although the later was sold in 2004.
Soba's daughter French Gift (actually her highest rated offspring following her fourth in the Houghton Stakes of 1993) is also responsible for leading sprint handicapper Whistler, although he was not bred by the Hills'.
After a grand 'innings' Soba died aged 25 in September 2004. At the following years December Sales however the Hills' spent 1,000gns on one of Soba's last daughters, the barren five year old mare Otylia, who was placed multiple times without winning, they had sold the filly at Doncaster for 25,000gns four years earlier. The primary reason for buying Otylia was actually her sweet nature and that, as a result, she was a family favourite. However she has confounded expectations by being tested in foal to Mark Johnston's former charge Lucky Story and produced a foal in March 2007. The property, confusingly, is sometimes also known as Lane Side Farm. Mrs. Hills has had a couple of homebred fillies in training each year with Paul Midgley since 2006.

Whalton Stud
Park House Farm, Spofforth, Harrogate, HG3 1BY
Owner: Mr and Mrs. J.F.MacInnes
Acreage: 40
Type:Public
Stallions: Java Tiger
Previous Stallions: Doc Marten, Meadowbrook
Notes:The MacInnes' moved down to Harrogate from Cumbia in 1983 and have stood a number of stallion since then. They take boarding mares, as well as having some of their own, and have bred a number of winners. However as you can see from their website the focus is mainly on competition horses. There is also an article on the stud here.

Wilderbrook Stud
Winksley, Ripon, N Yorkshire
Owner: Mrs Jacqueline E Morton
A relatively new thoroughbred stud, close to Ripon where they also run a kennels. Their best horses are the siblings Heathyards Sheik (by Alnasr Alwasheek), Dim Ofan (by Petong) and First Steps (by Brief Truce) who all won three races and are out of Wilsonic (Damister - Cape Chestnut) who was bred by Lady Halifax of Garrowby Stud and is a half sister to Moogie. Their other main family revolves around Five Islands, a winner over five furlongs, who is dam of winner Miss Ceylon (by Brief Truce). Mrs.Morton has had horses in training with Lynda Ramsden, Bryan Smart and Bryn Palling (who trained the retained Dim Ofan).

Wold Newton Stud
The Grange, Wold Newton, Driffield, East Yorkshire
Owner: Mrs. Roland H. Mason
Acreage: Part of a 250 acre farm
Type:Private
Notes: Wold Newton Stud was founded in 1976, which was the same year that their most prolific mare Songs Jest (Song - Lady Jester) was foaled. Although she never made it to the track her dam Lady Jester won 7 seven times including the Hilary Needler Trophy L and was a half sister to the dams of Fayruz and Jester, both of whom were by Song. Songs Jest made a good start at stud as her second foal was Reesh by Easthorpe Hall Stud resident Lochnager. Reesh won the Temple Stakes G3, Greenlands Stakes G3, Palace House Stakes G3 and the Abernant Stakes L and was second in the King George Stakes G3 and third in the Flying Childers G2. Her next offspring was another daughter of Lochnager - Imperial Jade - who won 4 races and was second in the Lowther Stakes G2 and third in the Palace House Stakes G3, Harry Roseberry Trophy L and St.Hugh's Stakes L. Imperial Jade later produced for her new owners the decent Averti (King George Stakes G3, 2nd.Prix de l'Abbaye G1, 3rd.Nunthorpe Stakes G1 etc), who was leading first crop sire of 2002. Another black-type performer out of Songs Jest is the Persian Bold filly Wakayi who won 2 races and was fourth in the Queen Mary S G3 (this filly was later owned for a while by the Garrowby Stud). Wakayi has recently produced stakes winner Royal Storm. The most recent top class performer from Song's Jest is the likeable Tadwin, who was sold to Sheikh Hamdan al Maktoum. A 1987 filly by Never So Bold she won the Hopeful Stakes L, and the Northumberland Sprint Trophy (in record time) and was second in the Phoenix Flying Five G3, and third in the Diomed Stakes G3 and the St.Hughs Stakes L. She has bred for Sheikh Hamdan the good filly Nadwah (Queen Mary S G3).
Of Song's Jest's daughters the Mason's retained Song's Best who, as a daugher of Never So Bold, is an own sister to Tadwin. Song's Best has already produced 3 winners for Wold Newton including the useful three-time winner and black-type performer Lennox Lewis. Mr.Mason also owns the unraced Nevita (bought privately from Fawley Stud), again by Never So Bold, she is from a different branch of the 'Lady Jester' family (her dam is a Song unraced sister to Jester). Such is the fondness for this family that in 2003 they purchased a filly foal by Vettori out of Iltimas for 4,000gns. In addition to the horses mentioned above the stud has also bred Prelko (Won 11 races) and Indiana Pencil (2nd in a G3 race). The stud has achieved a number of good results at the sales, as well as at the racecourse including the 36,000gns for a filly by Mind Games - Song's Best at the 1999 Doncaster St.Leger Sale, with their best price achieved being 84,000gns. In 1984 Mr.Mason was the winner of the prestigious Langham Cup at the T.B.A. awards, presented to a smaller breeder of special merit. Mr.Mason died in March 2003, but his wife is continuing the stud. He left £5.2m in his will (source Times September 2004).

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