Welcome to my first newsletter! I will try to produce one every month from now on so that our friends, self-catering guests, heavy horse experience guests, readers of our Katy's Exmoor books and everyone who loves Exmoor can keep in touch. For more information about the farm, please see www.westilkerton.co.uk and for the books see www.tortoise-publishing.co.uk

I am writing this on July 6th, which is Winaway's first birthday (Winaway is my mare Rosie's foal, and her sire is Hot Rumour). Her first year of life has not been without incident (ie. vet's bills) starting on her first day with a plasma drip, hotly followed by a hoof infection, and then an eye infection. It really is true that "fools breed horses for wise men to buy", but she's given this old fool a great deal of pleasure.

Today is also significant because it's Sarah's last day at school. In September she'll be going to Bicton Agricultural College to study for a ND in Countryside and Wildlife Management.

George will be going back to Sparsholt College to finish his ND in Gamekeeping and Wildlife Management in September. At present he is working at Holkham Hall in Norfolk.
With two children into wildlife management, the wildlife at West Ilkerton had better watch out!

We have several new boys at the farm: Sam the sheepdog, Whitefield Millennium ("Mike") the bull, and Acreswild Zeitgeist ("Ziggy") the Exmoor stallion.

Sam belonged to some friends who farmed in Brendon. They sold their farm in the spring and moved to Ireland, so we gave Sam a home. He was a pretty good sheepdog in his day but, like Chris and me, he's a bit slow and creaky now; he still has all the moves, but they're performed at a snail's pace!

Anyway, he's settled down well, loves sunbathing in the yard and adores Chris. His worse point is he bites the back wheels of moving cars, but we're curing him slowly with the help of a well-aimed supersoaker water pistol.

Mike is a very well-bred fellow. For Devon Cattle enthusiasts, his sire was Kerrs Rupert and his dam was Whitefield Orange 123rd. We bought him from Mike Wright (hence the nickname) who breeds and shows Devon cattle. He is very good-looking with a lovely temperament (Mike the bull, that is!) and we're hoping for great things next year when the calves are born.

One of Ziggy's claims to fame is he's the newborn foal on Rackenford Moor who stars in the recently released film Discovering Exmoor Ponies. Now he is two years old and a registered Exmoor stallion. He is the stallion I've been looking for for ages: good breeding ( a very rare bloodline from the founder mare Just Jennifer 75/1 on his dam's side), a lovely head, beautiful movement, well-proportioned body, sweet nature and a golden dun colour. This photo doesn't do him justice, but I'll put it in until I take a better one.

We've had five foals this year: three fillies and two colts. Their sire was Orange Juice, so I suppose they'll have to be called something like Fanta, Sunny Delight, Oasis, Bucks Fizz and Jaffa. Any suggestions gratefully received.

It was so hot last week that we gave the Shire horses a week off. They were dripping with sweat just standing in the stables, and the horse flies outside were particularly vicious. Now, thank goodness, the weather is cooler and wetter. We'll need a good spell of sunshine before long, though, because we want to make hay. Perhaps we'll wait until the Willerton family are staying - they always bring good weather with them and end up helping with haymaking rather than relaxing on the beach!

Chris and Victoria (Tortie) Eveleigh

West Ilkerton Farm, Lynton, Exmoor EX35 6QA Tel: (01598) 752310
www.westilkerton.co.uk

www.tortoise-publishing.co.uk