Gaylord Cleveland Bays
Our History
Gaylord Cleveland Bays was started in 2010 with the purchase of one purebred Cleveland Bay mare, Earlswood First Edition (Felicity) who was in foal to the Cleveland Bay Stallion, Ramblers Richard Lionheart. In 2011 a second broodmare prospect was added to the growing herd, a 2 year old purebred filly, Belladonna Xtravagance, (By Knaresborough Fusilier out of Penrhyn Extravagant) These two mares are the foundation mares for the Gaylord Cleveland Bays that are still on the farm today.
Our Commitment
At Gaylord Cleveland Bays, a lot of thought and research goes into our breeding program. We strive to maintain the characteristics and adhere to the breed standards of the Cleveland Bay Horse and produce quality horses with diverse bloodlines. Our goal is to promote the breed and bring awareness of the versatility, calmness and dependable character of this endangered breed.
Our Goals
To increase the numbers of this critically endangered breed.
We do this by maintaining a herd of quality mares and fillies. Currently we own two purebred mares of breeding age, two partbred Cleveland Bay/Thoroughbred mares and two young purebred fillies. The aim is to produce at least one purebred foal every year.
To strengthen the Cleveland Bay breed by increasing its genetic diversity.
We have a policy of not mating any one mare to the same stallion more than twice so no more than two of her foals will be full brothers or sisters. We use live cover by home bred and other local stallions, as well as chilled semen delivered overnight and frozen semen from more distant stallions.
We always follow the advice of SPARKS, a software program that promotes the genetic health of the global Cleveland Bay horse population by increasing its genetic diversity in a scientifically sound manner.
Our two purebred mares, Gaylord Princess Charlotte and Cornish Pride are totally unrelated. Charlotte is a third generation homebred whose granddam was imported from Wales. Pride, a mare with top quality bloodlines, came to Virginia from New Hampshire.
To improve the quality of the Cleveland Bay horse.
Peter Cook has ridden for 70 years and his wife Gillian is also a lifelong horse person. When we choose a stallion, we use our experience to balance what we consider weaknesses in a mare with corresponding strengths in the stallion, hoping to produce a foal with the best characteristics from both sides of her pedigree.
Our reward has been that in both 2016 and 2023 a Gaylord Cleveland Bay was the Champion Purebred Cleveland Bay In-hand at the Upperville Colt & Horse Show, which has held Cleveland Bay classes since its founding in 1853.