A popular Welsh section D who was successfully shown and used as a breeding sire has died after being caught in a barn fire at the yard where he was kept.
Sarah Butterworth’s 10-year-old stallion Danaway Cheyenne was kept at the yard in Lancashire when the stables caught light in the middle of the day. Eleven other horses managed to be retrieved unharmed. A fundraising page has been set up in aid of those who lost their equipment in the blaze.
Bred by the Attrell family, Cheyenne was sired by the prolific stallion Danaway Tango out of Danaway Roseanna.
In 2016, Sarah got him on lease from the Charman family of the Coppathorne Stud.
“I saw him advertised to go through the cob sales the year before, but I never dreamed I would eventually own him,” said Sarah.
“I could not believe my luck when I enquired about him and found out he was available.I couldn’t believe I had been trusted with such a special stallion.”
Sarah spent the next few months gaining Cheyenne’s trust and getting him into show condition. One of their first outings together was Glanusk stallion show, where he stood eighth in a strong open stallion class.
“It was at this point I realised we had something very special together,” added Sarah. “We grew from strength to strength, winning many titles along the way. In 2017, he gained his bronze medal at Royal Lancashire.
“He was a true showman. The minute the ramp was dropped on the box he knew his job and gave it his all.”
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Sarah explained: “Our proudest moment by a country mile was when I took him to the Royal Welsh last year. To show him in front of one of the biggest crowds you will ever find at any horse show was amazing. The support we got round that ring was incredible.
“His attitude to life at home always had me smiling and laughing; he was a real attention-seeker and he knew when I arrived on the yard and would always greet me. My partner, David Hallam, also had a strong bond with him and they would play for hours together.
“Stallions like him don’t come around often so I bought Cheyenne in 2017 as I knew he was the stallion for me and he would never be sold on. In the three short years we had together I loved every moment and there’s nothing I would change. He’s the type that will never be replaced.”
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