Blackington Stud

Blackington Stud is based on part of the Walker family's arable and dairy farm in Oxfordshire. 

We started breeding ponies in 2006 after putting our FEI dressage pony mare, Naturell, in foal to Hilken's Black Delight. Francesca developed an interest in pony breeding and German pony bloodlines - which has since developed into a passion - after buying Naturell late in 2001 and researching her pedigree and German competition record.

We aim to breed top quality German riding ponies for both sport and breeding, selecting for conformation, temperament, rideability and movement. These ponies should have the necessary quality to contest German stallion licensings and mare gradings, so that this then offers British breeding improved benchmarking. Our dream to contest the Bundeschampionate was granted in 2013 when a pony stallion bred by us and sold as a foal, BKS White Light, contested the 3 year old stallions and again in 2015 when he competed as a 5 year old and was placed in the consolation final.   Ultimately our goal for our ponies is to breed a potential FEI European Team pony, and again, we have achieved this with BKS Grand Design.  The next step is to have bred a European Team Pony.  These ponies must also be suitable to be ridden by children. We believe that a pony with correct conformation and a solid temperament will be much easier for a child to ride successfully - the purpose for which the German riding pony was bred.

The mare is a template upon which to build, and we carefully select the most suitable stallion to complement her strengths and improve any weaknesses. In this way, by breeding from the highest quality mares and selecting the best stallions for them, we aim to produce ponies of a consistently high standard.

We regularly visit studs in Germany and have established some wonderful contacts over the past few years. We try to make a yearly trip to the Bundeschampionate to see Germany's newest youngsters competing, in order to see for ourselves what different bloodlines have produced, and we try to take in a few stallion shows in the early spring.

This attention to detail, coupled with our knowledge of the FEI scene and the competitive national dressage scene, allows us to be exceptionally well placed to advise and help any would-be sports pony owner, whether hobby rider, small adult, competitive child or ambitious parent!

In addition to breeding and producing our own youngsters, we are now able to offer a search service for breeders or riders wishing to source a good quality pony broodmare, ridden pony or foal from Germany. We are also able to offer limited places for ponies for dressage schooling, competing or sale on behalf of the owners. Ponies placed in livery with us receive professional, experienced care, from fully insured staff.

We have now branched out into breeding superb quality horses from our own broodmares, all proven ridden horses with great temperaments  and scope.

If you would like more information about any of our services, or would simply like an informal chat about how we may be able to help you, please don't hesitate to contact us.

After some difficult years we have ceased breeding ponies and horses for personal reasons.  We have had incredible success and have established that our breeding programme is without compare in the UK, and is on a  par with the the best breeding in Germany and continental Europe.  We now want to ensure that our remaining youngsters and older horses and ponies go to great homes where they will be as loved and appreciated by their new owners as they have been by us.