When Relationships Count 14th April 2010

Showing her Heavyweight Cob, Cappuccino is a dream come true for Pembrokeshire-based Kay Sinclair-James.  Here we find out more about their winning partnership both in and out of the show ring and the close bond they have developed over the years.

Kay takes up the story:

“I have always had horses, they are my passion and give you so much fun.  When I started to look for another horse it wasn’t originally my intention to look for a show horse.

I really wanted an all rounder that I could have fun on and simply enjoy.  I saw Cappu as she is known as home, on the internet but as she was then stabled in County Donegal I decided it was too far to travel and bought her from watching a video.

Cappu arrived in 2002 when she was a four-year-old and we have never looked back, she is very special to me.

My original plan was to do a bit of everything with her and we have progressed together, she is very giving and just a star.

As the flatwork developed I decided we were ready to go to a few shows and after competing at a few local shows we planned in to go to Pembrokeshire County.

We couldn’t believe it when we went Supreme Champion Cob it was amazing, we were so pleased and suddenly realised we had our own little star on our hands.

Wins followed at the National Championships in the home produced cob and we were well placed at the Royal International in the Amateur Cob class so we couldn’t have asked for any more.

She just wants to please and gives the judge a great ride, she always moves up the line after the ride.

Cappu is a very good doer so we have to be careful with her weight.  She even winters out and always looks so well.  She is fed on TopSpec AntiLam and TopChop Lite and I couldn’t ask for her to look any better.

Her coat gleams and the judges always comment on how well she looks.

After a few years competing we decided to put her in foal, she always appeared intrigued by youngsters and we thought the time was right to let her be a mum.

At shows she would turn and stare whickering softly at them, so eventually I agreed to let her have the pleasure of a foal as she had given me more enjoyment than I can ever begin to tell you.

After a lot of research we decided to put her to Roma Diamond Skip an Irish Draught Stallion who stands at Kilpeck stud run by Martin and Jane Manning in Herefordshire.  It was hard leaving her at the stud but Jane was so kind and wanted to know her likes and dislikes so she was obviously in good hands.

She was covered by AI and after one cycle we had the exciting news that Cappu was in foal after all the relevant scans.

She was due to foal on April 12, 2008 and like a nervous first time mother I had cameras set up in the stable and hired a foal alarm to make sure we did not miss the birth, I  joined the Foaling Bank, some friends even set up home in a caravan down the yard to be on hand too.

April 12 came and went, Cappu flourished and seemed to love her new role in life, mother in waiting.

In the early hours of April 20 I was sat up in bed at 1.45am watching her on the TV screen when she started to get up and down looking agitated and at 2am the foaling alarm went off and we rushed down to the stable.  

At 2.30am Cappu gave birth to a gorgeous strong filly foal who was looking for milk before she could stand, Cappu was a natural mother and even lifted her hind leg to show the foal where the milk was stored!

Thanks to the nutritionists at TopSpec who advised me what to feed she had loads of milk, we had followed their expert feeding advice to the letter!

The next day the sun was shining so they went out into the field, Cappu looked just amazing but was horrified that this baby wanted to explore the world without her, she rushed around behind her trying to keep her in check but from day one this baby had a strong sense of adventure!

Now what do we call her? Well she had already changed colour twice in the first week so we just called her Beanie as she was Cappuccinos little coffee bean then as her dad is Roma Diamond Skip we decided on ‘Skip the Coffee.’

Beanie continued growing into a very strong and healthy yearling and is now a two-year-old with a great frame loads of bone, a wonderful coat, good hard feet and a happy go lucky outlook on life. She is a great character and again looks fantastic having been fed TopSpec Stud Feed Balancer.

After weaning Cappuccino returned to work looking better than ever, she was shown eight times last season and had six Supremes.

To get back in the show ring after a couple of years off and to return to out winning ways was brilliant

I feed all my horses on the TopSpec range I cannot afford not to! They all look so well and are much admired.