| My grandfather got me into horses at a VERY young age and I have never been without at least one pony or a horse throughout my entire life. Being interested in Horses, Art, Photography, Design, I went through Art College, majoring in Photography, and was doing most of my projects on my favourite subject - horses! This did not overly please my lecturers, but I wouldnt back down! I started freelancing as a photographer at a fairly young age doing Weddings, Portraiture, Equine Photography (including Shows), as well as doing some Design work and Pencil Portraits, which I have sent all over the world. I worked at the Whyalla News in SA for a while as a photographer, and darkroom operator, before starting at a photographic shop as a manager, which I really enjoyed for quite some time. Eventually, I had enough artwork and photographs together for a 'collection' and had my first Solo Exhibition, named Images of Equus at the Middleback Theatre in Whyalla. After moving a few times, I ended up back in Whyalla again, and horses, as usual, were my focus. I got involved with Riding For the Disabled, and was helping out there as a volunteer for some time, as well as leasing one of their horses who was a bit harder to place with a leasee as he was fairly strong willed (though on the lead was an ideal RDA mount). I have been involved with Pony Club all my life, and have been instructing kids for many years at Pony Club. |
| Our aim was to breed Cleveland Bay, Warmblood and Coloured Sporthorses with a view to providing sane, sensible horses at a realistic price for our clients. So far, we have managed to acheive that quite well. The lifestyle is just what we needed. I get too stressed out in large crowds of people and can't cope, so the very quiet life suits me best! I have Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (Yellow Wiggles Disease is what we call it - it's what the Yellow Wiggle had and had to leave the kids entertainment group from), as well as the associated Fibromyalgic pain, Bi Polar Disorder and Anxiety and Stress issues. The horses are great 'therapy' even though I can't physically do anything with them these days - It's been ages since I have even been ON a horse for more than 5 minutes, let alone actually try to ride properly... But just knowing they are in the paddock is all the therapy I need! It's most frustrating because I have to do everything from a sitting position, and if I try to do anything standing, I end up passing out - NOT good when you are around horses! I have gotten back into driving, and have a wonderful harness pony, Beau, a lovely little Palouse, who takes good care of me when we are out in the cart! Whilst Craig and I have gone our separate waysm my dream of breeding quality Cleveland Bays & Sporthorses has not wained. I was planning on continuing with the CM Sporthorses name - however have decided that I will leave the website up for all the horses who are out there with that prefix - something I am VERY proud of - and am starting again as Reigate Cleveland Bay & Sporthorse Stud - I feel that a change will help identify the horses that I am producing as being bred by me, and that there will be no having to explain that it used to be a partnership but is now just me! The Reigate prefix comes from the name of the property at Minnipa - which is what my Grandparents had called it, and is where my Great Grandfather was born in the UK. With the Cleveland Bays being English horses, it is very fitting. I am aiming at breeding my Cleveland Bay Sporthorses, and eventually trying to 'breed up' - I love the Cleveland build, temperament and everything that comes along with them! Initially I was hoping to retain my Grandparents property - which has been in the family for 54 years now (including the time we have had it), however it is increasingly difficult for me to do the driving between Adelaide and here, my health is not up to it, and the horse shows and events that I want to get my horses out to are down that way. |
| I had some pretty severe health problems, which are ongoing and haven't been sorted out completely as yet, and more issues that have popped up since. It is most frustrating to say the least. I haven't been able to get back into the regular workforce since. VERY annoying, not only for me, but for everyone around me, but thankfully the horses managed to drag me out of the hole I was in to a certain degree and I managed to 'function' again as long as I didnt get stressed! |
| I discovered Norwegian Fjord Horses and fell in love with one gelding named Raalta Joshua (pictured above). At right are my first two ponies - Pandamonium Jo (JoJo), and Libra Lass (Libby). Libby is the pony in the photos up near the top of the page with me as a kid, and in harness with my grandfather. |
| Over the years I had a number of horses who were all really lovely, and taught me a lot. I had fallen in love with a friends Cleveland Bay Sporthorse stallion, Sandgate Reznor - who I now have semen available for sale from, and found a gorgeous mare (below with me on her) to breed to him - and this is where my love of Cleveland Bays began. |
| At left you can see my precious baby who was the first foal I bred - CM Astra's Ariella. At right you can see her at her third show as a 9 month old in hand. My dear old boy, Jojo had his 25th birthday party with the kids I used to teach to ride - you can see them all with him at right. He was my 'baby' for so many years, and I have him to thank for a lot of the experiences I have had with horses. Below left, the photograph of me on the big bay clydie cross, is the first ride on the last horse my grandfather bred, as I was breaking him in. I had been involved with an American Internet Forum that was horse related, and had made friends with a number of people on the board, one of them being a man who I later married and CM Sporthorses was born! (click the link above for 'our story'!) We had a fabulous wedding on horseback - which was completely 'us' - you can see the photos and story from the day by clicking on this link: Our Wedding On Horseback I had moved to NSW and Craig and I managed a Thoroughbred Stud in the Upper Hunter Valley at Baerami Creek. During our time there, when the boss had failed racehorses, we did some work with them and we sold them on to new homes so that they could have a second career! The collection of Cleveland Bay Sporthorses grew, and we bought a purebred Cleveland Bay Stallion - Clareborough Bounty (pictured below with me) - though unfortunately only had him for a short time. We moved to South Australia when we bought my Grandparents property when they moved into a nursing home. I had grown up here in the area - at Wudinna and Minnipa, and had always loved my Grandparents place and dreamed of owning it one day. I honestly didn't think it would become a reality! We had a grand total of 38 acres broken down into 19 or so paddocks which allowed us to rotate the horses around, give paddocks a bit of a spell, sow some of them, cut hay off a couple at times and effectively manage the space quite well. |
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| Reigate Cleveland Bay & Sporthorse Stud is run by myself, Shell (Michelle) Williams, and am now located at Aldinga, just south of Adelaide in South Australia. I am very passionate about my horses and am dedicated to producing horses of Quality and Class, with a lot of thought and consideration going into each mating and foal produced. |
| Aldinga is my new home, and the new home of Reigate Cleveland Bay & Sporthorse Stud! The view of the Willunga Hills you can see at left is just gorgeous, and this is from the paddock next to the house! Just 5 minutes away is the lovely Silver Sands Beach! The move was made a couple of days after Christmas 2011 with the help from some wonderful friends and family, without their assistance, I would still be trying to pack and get moved! I am eternally grateful for their friendship and support! |
