.......Having been lunged and long reined JR was sent to spend Christmas with Jamie Baldwin where she took to ridden work like a duck to water!  When she came back to us for Rebecca to school on with a view to being sold, it soon became obvious to one and all that she would not be leaving Nantwood and so here she remains now owned by us.  The spring of 2005 saw Tessa at Lampeter and Glanusk Stallion shows and then in the Summer to the Royal Welsh, although she didn't set the world on fire she managed to finish half-way down the field in each case. 

In August our secondfoal (and first ever filly) was born, Nantwood Dwynwen, she has always been full of attitude but underneath all the fire and bluster is an excellent temperament, coupled with a head and eyes to die for.  She possess that look at me quality, coupled with superb conformation that means she is sure to well in the show ring when she has caught up due to being a late foal.

It was about this time that we had our first major set-back, while bathing her in preparation for Pembroke County Show Tessa slipped on the floor of the barn and fractured her growth-plate in her hind leg, despite all our efforts nothing could be done and she had to be put to sleep.  It was a heartbreaking decision  and I still get a lump in my throat thinking about her.  This obviously put us backward in our breeding programme and the rest of the showing season lost much of it's sparkle for both of us.

It soon became obvious that we were over-stocked so a decision had to be made and we decided that Ellen was being wasted with us, she was a really nice cob and went superbly well under saddle, and although she had bred us a nice foal the year before we felt she had more to offer than simply being a brood-mare and Rebecca didn't have the time to ride both her and JR, so she was put on the market.  We were delighted when our friends Cath and Denver Sutcliffe (Ashstone Stud in Todmorden) said they wanted her.  She now lives a life of luxury back in Yorkshire where we know she is being afforded every luxury.

At the September Clwyd sale we went determined not to buy anything but still returned with a two year old filly Penfridd Sali that Rebecca just couldn't resist.  She is full of substance with a head to die for and a very nice temperament to match.

It was too much to expect us to go to the sales with the money from the sale of Ellen without being tempted and of course we were.  We saw Caellyn Chantelle (Sian) in the catalogue and she was by Gwynfaes Culhwch and out of a Horeb Euros mare.  She didn't look very big and her price was not too big and so she came to Nantwood, what a bargain she has proved to be.  With that breeding it was odds on that she could move (and she can, just like her 3/4 sister JR) so we took the gamble.  She went to a couple of the foal shows in November where due to her size she didn't win any red ribbons but we liked what we saw and that for us was the important bit.

There were a couple of other show successes that year, notably Bliss was Reserve In Hand Champion at Cynghordy show and Best Individual Animal at the West Wales Horse and Pony Association Progeny competition.