HORSES are in our blood. My grandfather hobby-bred them, my father followed suit, and I was barely old enough to sit in the saddle before I was being led around on horseback. After heading off to college at 17, life took over, but horses were never far away. In my early 30s, I was back in the saddle and once my daughter Joanne had her own horse, Pony Club, Riding Club and the show circuit all followed.

In 2016, we purchased a livery yard across the road, which became Willowsway Stud. That same year, the purchase of a six-month-old colt, Freckleton Royal Affair, affectionately known as Ronnie, became our foundation stallion for the coloured sport horses we dreamed of breeding. The rest is history, and it reached a landmark moment in Cavan.

1. Congratulations, you bred Willowsway Kind Of Magic, a Stage 1 stallion passed at Cavan. Tell us more about him?

Maybe not everyone’s cup of tea as a foal, but he was very much ours. From day one, ‘Murdoch’ had presence and his movement just blew us away. He’s a real stamp of his sire, which we have always loved.

Named after a Queen song, as are all his siblings, as we enjoy picking themes for each mare. That one suited him perfectly! His sire is our Anglo-European foundation stallion Ronnie (Freckleton Royal Affair), by Copilot (KWPN), whose dam Freckleton Moneypenny carries a long line of talented dressage and eventing bloodlines.

His dam, Barronsdown Cracker, came to us quite by accident. We were dropping Ronnie off for production when we were asked if we would take her. She had been loaned out as a companion and had come back in such poor condition that she was to be put to sleep. We didn’t hesitate.

She gave us three exceptional full-siblings: Willowsway Killer Queen (retained as a broodmare), ‘Murdoch’ himself (2020) and Willowsway One Vision, before retiring with her breeder.

We were lucky enough to show him as a yearling for his owners, and it has been incredibly special to watch his journey since. We’re enormously proud of what Murdoch has achieved and excited to follow what comes next.

2. Proudest breeder moment?

Until Cavan! Our proudest moment was when Willowsway Mr Brightside claimed reserve champion in the Price Family Championship at the Horse of the Year Show in 2024, the first coloured horse to achieve such a high placing. His dam, Freckleton She’s All That, was purchased from Freckleton Stud at six months old and is Ronnie’s sister, making her Murdoch’s aunt. A real family affair.

That said, there are so many quieter moments that make you just as proud, seeing them thrive, succeed, and go on to the right homes. That’s what really stays with you.

3. Favourite bloodlines?

It’s always been the Freckleton lines. Freckleton Royal Affair has been hugely influential for us. His sire Copilot is a stallion we admire greatly and appears in the pedigree of so many outstanding coloured horses. Those lines have been a big part of shaping our breeding programme.

Alongside that, we’re great believers in strong, proven damlines. That’s where you tend to get your consistency, and the balance between the two is key.

4. Willowsway is yours, thoughts on prefixes?

I’d always wanted to name my daughter Willow, but him having conceded on our son’s name, I had to give way to my husband’s choice of Joanna! Instead, we gave the name to our home-bred horses and the stud. No marketing strategy, just heartfelt.

To us, a prefix is your legacy. It’s a thread that runs through everything you breed and something that should stay with the horse throughout its life. We’ve only ever had one request to change a registered name.

A prefix is recognised not only in the UK but more widely. It signifies the careful breeding behind each horse. It tells you where they started, and we think that should always be recognised. We would never allow the prefix to be removed.

Stable names are entirely the owner’s choice and, while we give every foal a name, we appreciate those will often change.

Hilary and Glyn Waterhouse

5. That famous horse you’d like to have bred?

As coloured horse lovers, we would have to say Solaris Buenno. We were lucky enough to own him in his later years, which was very special in itself, but to have bred him would have been something else entirely.

6. Social media, your views?

Social media is a fantastic tool. It has opened up huge opportunities for breeders to promote their horses and connect with people all over the world. It can be hugely educational. You can learn a lot, share knowledge, and keep up with what is happening across the industry. Used well, it’s a real asset.

It does have its darker side. There is always opinion and, at times, genuinely unpleasant behaviour within the horse world online.

Our approach is simple: we promote our stud and horses, and people can make their own minds up. We do not engage with negativity.

7. It takes a team, who’s on yours?

We’re a small and dedicated mother-and-daughter team now, a big change after years of a larger operation. Over the years, we’ve had a fantastic team who played a huge part in the stud. They nurtured the foals, cared for the breeding horses, held the fort when we were away at shows, and contributed to the meticulous preparation and perfect turnout. Those people are a big part of our story.

We must also mention our producers and show handlers, who work so closely alongside us to present our horses at their very best in the ring. And then there’s the owners. People like the Kennedys, who have the commitment and skill to take a carefully-bred horse and achieve real results, flying the flag for the stud. Owners are invaluable, and we’re so grateful to them.

8. Biggest challenges facing UK breeders?

Costs are an obvious challenge. Everything from feed to fuel has risen significantly. But more than that, there is a real issue with people not always recognising the true value of horses. The cost of getting a foal on the ground, let alone raising and producing it to four, is substantial. Yet expectations on price have not always kept pace with that reality, which can be very frustrating for breeders trying to do things properly.

It’s difficult to compete when horses can be purchased cheaply at auction but those bargains often come with hidden costs: vet bills, skeletal and joint issues, and heartbreak.

9. Breeding horses, would you do it all over again?

Yes, without question. We’ve loved every aspect of it. There’s nothing quite like seeing something you have bred go on to succeed or find the perfect home. It makes all the hard work worthwhile.

Breeding horses brings heartbreaking challenges that you could never fully prepare for, and there are always things you would do differently. But the joy this journey has brought us far outweighs even the hardest moments.

All we ever hope for our stock is that they find the best homes where they’re loved and cared for well.

10. The feeling that a foal might be something special?

It’s hard to put into words, but it’s their poise. They either have it or they don’t. The special ones are bold and brave, with a presence that immediately draws you in and makes you think they might have real stallion or broodmare potential.

Perhaps that’s the magic of breeding - that moment when you see something that stops you in your tracks. You never tire of it. It’s pure exhilaration.