Five Minutes With... Gentle Giant - Cathcart Lofty

Clydesdale devotee, Samantha Weir of Goulburn NSW, is four year old Clydesdale stallion Cathcart Lofty's adored human and together they have some big plans for 2011!  They first met when Samantha and Lofty were both attending the prestigious Gatton Heavy Horse Field Day, Lofty being shown in the led arena and Samantha judging in the harness section.  Samantha saw Lofty across the crowded show ring and knew he was going to be her next great gelding; however, it wasn't until eight months later that Lofty's breeders, Graham and Teresa McCoombes of Cathcart Clydesdales (based in Prenzlau, near Gatton) agreed to sell him.

Once Lofty made the move south, it was obvious to Samantha that he was such a well behaved and perfectly put together colt he should be allowed to remain entire for a while longer.  So now instead of having a great gelding, Samantha has a super stallion!

Cathcart Lofty bears the unmistakeable characteristics of generations of top bloodlines; correct conformation, superb action, sound legs and feet plus the amazing temperament, trainability and manners that Clydesdales are famous for.  With numerous led champions and supremes to his credit, Lofty drives, jumps, musters stock and rides side saddle - a truly versatile horse, who will produce royal quality purebred Clydesdales and athletic, competitive sport horses. The gentle giant is such a character, he even has his own Facebook page and it looks like he has quite a year ahead of him! 

Horsezone caught up with Lofty and Samantha to find out more about what 2011 has in store for them...

 

Lofty, it looks like there’s a huge year planned for you, however, right now you've been kind enough to offer a service to the Horsezone Flood Auction - what prompted this generous donation?

Well, Gatton is virtually my home town after all and the whole area around where I was born and raised was badly affected by the floods. I felt terrible about all this devastation and decided donating a service was the right thing to do, to help raise funds so that horses and people could rebuild their lives.

What sort of mares cross best with you?

Good looking ones! I’m pretty easy really, I don’t even mind fillies with hairy legs!!  No, seriously, Clydesdales cross well with almost any breed depending on what the mare owner is looking for in a foal.  Numerous Olympic and world champion Clydesdale crosses have been produced in the UK and Australia over the last 100 years.  Some famous Australian Clydesdale crosses include Mulga Bill who was Charlie Moffat’s world famous grand prix show jumper who competed at the world equestrian games at Hague in 1994 and Avoca Black Saint who competed to grand prix level dressage with great success.  Clydesdale cross well with breeds such as Thoroughbreds, Warmbloods, Arabians, Saddlebreds, Paints, Standardbreds and Quarter horses to mention just a few.

 

Samantha, you've always worked with Clydesdales, even before Lofty came on the scene - tell us a little bit about that?

My family always had Clydesdales and I grew up with them on the farm.  I love their versatility and superior temperament. At eight years of age I was riding a purebred Clydesdale Allimuir Anthony at Pony Club.  “Tony” also went on to win the Australian Allbreeds led draft championship and numerous other awards at Royal shows. 

After I finished school I was offered a position working for George and Ruth Skinner at Strathorn Farm Stables a Clydesdale Stud in Aberdeenshire, Scotland - the home of Clydesdales - so I jumped at the chance and spent two fantastic years there. 

During my time in Scotland I worked with Clydesdales driving four horse hitches, as well as riding them astride and side saddle. We also formed an all Clydesdale ridden drill team and performed at agricultural shows and county fairs. I also helped with riding and driving for the disabled.  I was awarded the Clydesdale Horse Society Young Stockman of the Year in 2003, the first non UK competitor to ever win this prestigious event.

I've also worked for three summers in the USA on Mackinac Island, Michigan for Mackinac Island Carriage Tours.  There is no motorised transport, only horse power (500 horses to be exact) on the Island!  I managed a barn of 80 heavy horses who were employed as the island's taxis, freight and mail delivery service and even used for garbage collection.

 

Then while you were in Scotland you managed to create quite a stir at the Royal Highland Show 2003 in Edinburgh?

You could say that! They didn't have a Clydesdale Under Saddle class and riding a Clydesdale was very much frowned upon by the older horsemen.  I decided to register my Clydesdale “Sir Lancelot of Strathorn” (Jake) as a Hunter and my friend Lisa Lamb registered her Clyde “Something About Ben” as a CHAPS (Coloured Horse and Ponies) and we entered the Heavy Weight Hunter and CHAPS Horse Under Saddle classes respectively.  I had a badly broken leg at the time which was still in a cast, so I showed in a side saddle and ended up winning the Best Turned Out Heavy Weight Hunter, whilst Lisa and Ben won her CHAPS class and even qualified for the HOYS show!  Both of us were riding purebred Clydesdales.  Following the ridden hunter class, Jake and I went on to place 3^rd out of 18 in the single horse lorry and 3^rd with Jake as the lead horse in the Unicorn hitch competing against professional teams with a Canadian judge.  I was the only female driver that year and the youngest team driver. 

Shortly after, I received a letter from the Highland Show Society.  They congratulated me on my success in the ridden class which inspired their horse committee to put forward an open sidesaddle class and a ridden Clydesdale class for all future Royal shows.

 

Lofty, I read in the details of your stallion service on the Flood Auction that you are going into quarantine in August - why is that?

Samantha and I are very excited to be travelling to the World Clydesdale Show, which is being held in Madison, Wisconsin USA, in October this year! The show was held in 2007 and was the first World Clydesdale Show to be held in the US in over 100 years!  Samantha attended this show and worked with a Canadian team, Wismer Clydesdales as well as doing educational seminars, side saddle demonstration and presentations on how to correctly plait Clydesdale horses - she is thrilled to be returning there this year with me! This show is known as the "Olympics" of the Clydesdale breed and the event is now planned to occur every four years.

For young and old alike, the World Clydesdale Show offers edge-of-the seat entertainment with wall-to-wall Clydesdale action. It gives everyone a chance to see our magnificent breed up close and personal in the barns, and then experience the thunderous roar of an eight-horse Clydesdale hitch coming down the runway and into the arena! Seminars, vendors, and other exciting entertainment & exhibitions will also be part of what plans to be the biggest event the Clydesdale breed has ever seen! Over 600 Clydesdales from around the world will converge on Madison and the earth will literally shake!

I will be competing in the following classes:

• Led stallion 5-6yr old
• Clydesdale ridden(english)- Samantha is going to ride sidesaddle in this class
• Clydesdale ridden (western)
• Stallion Cart class
• Ladies Cart class
• Homebred Pride Exhibit (led class with a horse representing state (usa/canada) or country (UK, Australia)

There is talk of dressage and showjumping/hunter style classes but these are not confirmed yet.  I am also hoping to take part in the pairs in harness if I can find a
partner in America.

 

So, Lofty, what's on the agenda following the World Show?

I will definitely be coming home to Australia.  Some of the French and English competitors are planning to sell their horses in the US. However, Samantha is very keen for me to return here and is doing everything possible to raise the funds for my return trip, including selling gear and other horses.  She may have to steal me back off the Budweiser team, who are sure to be impressed by a fine Aussie Clydesdale like me, but I will be coming home with Samantha!

Samantha, what are the plans for you and Lofty after you return home from the US?

It will take some time to settle back into life at the farm after an amazing adventure like going to America. However, Lofty and I will take a short break over Christmas and then get ready for upcoming competitions.

 

Thank you Samantha and Lofty for your time and for donating a service to the stallion auction - we wish you all the best for your US adventure and in competitions at the world show - we're sure you will do us proud!

 

CLICK HERE if you would like to bid on the handsome and versatile Cathcart Lofty in the stallion auction and HERE if you would like to view all the horses in the auction.  There are two of Lofty's Clydesdale mates also on offer in the auction: Kuldene Walter (who is by the same sire as Lofty) and Evensands Benaraby Laird.

If you're keen to bid on Lofty or any of the other stallions but don't have a mare, CLICK HERE to view the 100s of breeding mares listed on Horsezone.