Northern stars

WHILE Scotland is known for its beautiful landscapes and as the home of golf and, of course, the Shetland pony, should we be adding sport horse breeding hotspot to its accolades? With several studs having grown from small family farms in the heart of Scotland to breeders of top international horses, it seems the country has made a significant mark on the breeding map.

Nestled in Aberdeenshire on the northeast coast is Caroline and Gordon Ironside’s Moray Firth Stud (MFS), breeders of eventers, showjumpers and dressage horses. Caroline says they launched the stud, which was established in 1996, as “hobby breeders”.

“We had just a couple of horses back in the day, and — knowing what I do now — the quality we had then was really riding club types,” says Caroline. “In 1999 we went