BOUNCY FOAL ARRIVES AT 
WEALD & DOWNLAND OPEN AIR MUSEUM

A big strong bouncy foal is the latest addition to the working horse family at the Weald & Downland Open Air Museum, Singleton, West Sussex.

Shire mare, Rosie, gave birth to her fifth healthy foal at 5.00am today (Saturday, 9 June). A magnificent dark iron grey with a white blaze, he is destined to be a delight to visitors at the award-winning museum of historic buildings and rural life, one of the most popular tourist attractions in south east England. The foal has been named Duke, a traditional draught horse name, and particularly appropriate following the previous evening’s racing at Goodwood, owned by the Duke of Richmond & Gordon, which included the annual Weald & Downland Open Air Museum Maiden Stakes.

Rosie is one of four working Shire horses at the Museum, set on a beautiful 50-acre site in the South Downs. The horses work regularly on a variety of tasks which would have been familiar to our forebears in the 19^th and early 20^th centuries - harrowing and rolling the grassland, mowing for hay, ploughing and carting. The horses are cared for by Museum horseman Rob Dash, livestock assistant Pete Betsworth and a team of dedicated volunteers. Heavy horses have a large following today and are used on small farms, in forestry and for leisure. Courses in heavy horse work are run regularly as part of the Museum’s lifelong learning programme.

The foal’s father is a handsome British Percheron stallion called Trojan, owned by Robert and Barbara Sampson of Harbridge Percherons, near Ringwood in Hampshire. Trojan was a recent visitor to the Museum for the annual Heavy Horse Spectacular, just a week too early to see his new offspring. The Sampson family are long-standing breeders of Percherons, a breed of draught horse which hails from France, and work their horses regularly on their farm and at special events throughout the South.

The Shire foal and his mother can be seen at the Museum daily from 10.30am-6.00pm. Admission prices: £7.00 (adults), £6.50 (over 60s), £4.00 (children and students) and £17.00 (family). Further information on the heavy horse experience courses can be obtained from the Museum - recorded information line: 01243 811348, Museum office: 01243 811363. Visit the Museum’s website on www.wealddown.co.uk.

Ends

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

The award-winning Weald & Downland Open Air Museum has over 45 historic building exhibits from town and country. It was recently Designated by the Government for the outstanding importance of its collections. Visitors can discover the medieval farmstead, the working watermill producing stoneground flour, the 16^th century market hall, a delightful pair of 19^th century whitewashed cottages, the fascinating hands-on exhibition about traditional building techniques, historic gardens and farm livestock.

In addition to the buildings the Museum takes a special interest in nurturing rural skills and countryside crafts, growing thatching straw, producing hazel spars for thatching, milling flour, maintaining coppice woodland and marketing underwood products.

Delicious food is provided by the café next to the millpond and there is a well-stocked museum shop where you can browse books on countryside and buildings themes. Find out more about the Museum by visiting our website on www.wealddown.co.uk.

The Museum is open daily from 10.30am - 6.00pm. Admission charges are £7 for adults and £4 for children with discounts for families, groups and over 60's.

NOTE TO EDITORS

Reporters and photographers are welcome at the Museum. Further information: contact Operations Director Gail Kittle
Tel: 01243 811363
Fax: 01243 811475
Email: marketing@wealddown.co.uk.

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