Suffolk Punch is one of the most critically endangered species but Britain’s oldest draught breed has received a boost with the birth of a prized filly. The Suffolk, who has been named Dawley Flossie of Foy, was born at Thorpeley Stud and is by Bruce Langley-McKim’s stallion Craikhow Hall Jensen out of Dawley Freya Of Foy. In order for the breed to survive, around 40 foals need to be born each year, but in 2018 just 26 were registered.
This year, numbers are already up with 34 foals on the ground, evenly split between 17 colts and 17 fillies. “We’re desperately short of fillies, so the more born the better,” said Bruce, to whom was donated the mare and her daughter Dawley Duchess Of Foy to use for breeding by Mr. and Mrs. Parker from Hereford. “Freya foaled out in the field as she’s a big mare, with me up watching all night,” added Bruce.
“The foal was already sold 10 months ago and I already have two buyers lined up for foals next year.” Bruce said his stallion had become “a bit of an international playboy” since hitting H&H and the national press when he took him out hunting last year — an unusual occupation for such a heavy draught breed. The impulsive purchase of the imposing 10-year-old has propelled Bruce, who already had an interest in native draughts, into the world of Suffolk breeding.
“When I spotted him, what I saw was a big man’s hunter,” he said. “If you were breeding with a bog-standard Suffolk, you wouldn’t know if they can jump, but he can do the job, which makes him attractive.‘We should not let down our grandchildren’s children and allow the breeds to become extinct. We are responsible’. We are really happy about the positive data about Suffolk Punch increase in population and hopefully, it will soon get out of the critically endangered group of species.
