Expansion is the name of the game at Tully Cross Farm, a full-service stallion station with comprehensive breeding services located in Westminster, Maryland. Owners Susan and Charles Yates are extending Tully Cross’ business to provide complete reproductive services to horses of all breeds. Their goal is to provide an all-inclusive breeding facility open to the equine community, offering a variety of breeding services at a reasonable price. At the same time, the Yates will maintain their own focus on Irish Draughts and Irish Draught Sport Horses. “We have always been a breeding farm,” says Susan Yates, “but we are broadening our focus now.” In addition to offering breeding services, Tully Cross will continue to sell high quality Irish Draught and Irish Sport Horse weanlings, yearlings, and under saddle horses.

Along with Tully Cross’ principal breeding stallion, It’s the Luck of the Irish RID, the 2010 breeding season will feature a prominent guest stallion, The Pride of Gloster RID. The Pride of Gloster is owned by Lisa and Jack Gerdon of Diamond J Ranch in Monroe, North Carolina. Standing The Pride of Gloster is an exciting addition to the farm’s breeding program. At a 2008 dressage clinic, Olympian Michael Poulin remarked of The Pride of Gloster, “This is a great stallion! What a temperament!”

The Pride Of Gloster is the only RID approved stallion in North America of the legendary show jumper sire, Clover Hill. The Pride of Gloster was imported from Ireland four years ago, where he had been actively competing in show jumping while serving as a breeding stallion. He has produced many eventers, show jumpers and foxhunters in Ireland; in his four years of breeding in the United States, he has produced offspring for dressage, eventing, foxhunting, combined driving, hunters and show jumping. “I don’t think there’s anything he doesn’t have a foal doing,” comments Lisa Parent. This diversity showcases the temperament and versatility that is the hallmark of the Irish Draught.

 The Pride of Gloster has also been crossed successfully with other breeds such as Thoroughbred and hunter ponies to produce spectacular Irish Sport Horses, which Parent explains, are becoming increasingly popular in the hunter ring. Yates also notes that another cross which is gaining popularity is the Irish Draught with a Thoroughbred/Hanoverian. The Irish Draughts’ ability to pass on good temperament, intelligence, bone and feet make them good candidates for crossbreeding. “The Irish Draught will cross on almost any breed and improve it,” remarks Susan Yates.

Foals by The Pride of Gloster have enjoyed a phenomenal 100% pass rate at Irish Draught Horse Society inspections. In addition, “The 2000 ‘Genetic Evaluation of Showjumping Horses in Ireland’ gave Gloster a 110% rating, which is not only the highest reported rating of any RID stallion in North America, but also places him in the top 10% of stallions of all breeds in Ireland,” notes Lisa. “Gloster is the perfect sire for mare owners looking for size, scope, talent and temperament that is consistently reproduced in his offspring.”

The breeding services at Tully Cross offered to clients with stallions and mares of all breeds includes live cover, artificial insemination, semen collection, fresh cooled semen, mare care, foaling out, and foal handling. Clients may of course also breed to one of the Irish Draught stallions standing at Tully Cross. The staff is highly experienced with stallions, mares and foals, and has successfully delivered more than fifty foals. The veterinarians at Animal Medical Hospital of Glenwood, Maryland assists in all areas and is experienced in equine reproductive health and breeding.

Serious care and consideration goes into the wellbeing of each horse. The facility is uniquely suited as a breeding operation and features a covered breeding shed, teasing wall, and mount. The stables are equipped to house stallions in 12’x14’ stalls lined with Comfort Stall® floors. Stallions are turned out on large grass paddocks with sheds. Each paddock is double-fenced with a 12’ aisle. The farm has twelve foaling stalls on camera, so mares can be watched without being disturbed. In the event of good weather, mares that are more comfortable can foal outside in lit grass paddocks.

In addition to the Yates, the Tully Cross team consists of barn manager and stallion handler Blaine Orris and Nicki Mohr, assistant and mare manager. Tully Cross will be represented by Blaine in Florida this winter, where he will be focusing on training and competing in eventing and show jumping with Tully Cross sales prospects.

The Yates have been breeding Irish Draughts for some years and have been involved with the breed for much longer. The couple’s commitment to the breed is strong: Charles is Vice-President of the Irish Draught Horse Society of North America. “They have an incredible ability to size up a situation and make it work,” says Susan. “You give an Irish Draught to a beginner, and they’ll pack the rider around; you give them to an expert, and they will rise to that level.” Susan goes on to explain that the Irish have been looking to the United States to import back to Ireland some of the Irish Draught bloodlines they are losing.

Tully Cross is conveniently located west of Baltimore on the Pennsylvania/Maryland border with easy access off all major highways. Check out Tully Cross’ new developments at tullycrossfarm.com. The Pride of Gloster can be seen at prideofgloster.com.