Welcome to Kelston Stud
Kelston Stud is a small private business based in the heart of Hampshire.
It is run and managed by Francis and Wendy Keeling. Francis has been involved in breeding Irish Draught horses since 1989. A farrier by trade of some 30 years now, he was the backbone of the former partnership "The Blue Gray Stud Farm" which dissolved in 1995.
The Kelston Stud then emerged in 1996 set up with part of the stock he had bred and brought in from the former partnership.
That foundation stock consisted of one homebred purebred stallion; a son of "Rakish Paddy" RID, one homebred half-bred stallion; a grandson of "Blue Henry" RID, four pure-bred RID mares; two by Blue Henry, one by Enniskeane Prince RID, one by Colman RID, two thoroughbred mares and a small number of young stock.
Year 2000 saw the return of his former stallion "Blue Henry" and a Snowford Benson RID mare into the fold. Blue Henry renown for his wonderful dressage paces, has been very influential to the breed by producing many successful offspring competing in all disciplines, and today his bloodlines are very sought after.
Sadly though we recently lost him at the age of 23 years and although we miss him terribly, we have his purebred son Blue Max who passed inspection in 2007 and now has RID status, to carry on his line, and hopefully live up to the reputation his great sire had earned, a tall order indeed.
His other colt Last Orders, a superb little chap, has been sold to a lady in South Carolina USA, to breed competition horses, we are thrilled about this, it is just what we wanted for him and she is delighted with him. read more >>