Pedigree profile of Saffron House Tao, approved SAWHS

Tao was bred by a good friend. She must have sustained an injury as a youngster, which resulted in a chronic irregularity and she could not be produced as a riding horse. Hence, she came to the stud as a broodmare, to continue with the lines of her sire, M.o.T Diaghilev.

M.o.T Diaghilev, a dark bay stallion by Highwell Flambard out of Holme Grove Dynasty, was the stud’s first resident stallion. He was bought as a breeding and riding stallion and was produced successfully up to elementary dressage level, before becoming a schoolmaster at the stud. As his son Dickens, was an improvement to him, it was decided to geld him. Like this, using one of his daughters in the stud, his legend can live on.

Flambard’s sire is the legendary stallion Kir Royal. Kir Royal won or placed each time out with 14 year old rider in Open and B S C Classes. In his dressage career he has Advanced and placed in Prix St Georg in 1997.
Kir Royal’s sire, Elite stallion Itaxerxes, was champion of his grading and of his 100 Day Performance Test and was awarded Elite status 1995. He won many showjumping competitions including 13 in one year and is now competing successfully at Advanced Dressage.

Holme Grove Solomon was a fully performance tested stallion who was competed in Dressage as a five year old gaining 161 points in one season, qualifying for the National Championships at Elementary level and winning at Medium level in his one and only competition in the March as a six year old. HG Solomon was retired to stud early due to serious illness of his rider/breeder’s husband. Although after a three year break he spent some winter months training up to Advanced level, he had already shown considerable talent for Piaffe and Passage as a five year old, which he showed during ridden displays in recent years. He is a remarkable stallion who at only 14 years old has already had tremendous successes as a sire.

Taxa xx, a thoroughbred mare, was herself successful at local and national level as a three day event horse. She was very rideable, honest and with three good paces. Her daughter Kilshane Cashel, was sold for a considerable amount of money to a top SA event rider.