Ann has always had a
passion for animals and strived for education in her
chosen fields.
Successfully Completing the following courses:
# Open
College of Equine Studies.
# BHS
Stage1, BHS Stage 2.
# Canine
Behaviour Dog Study Course.
# Jan
Fennell Foundation Course in Canine Communication.
Two fact
finding trips in 2005 and again in 2006 to the Top
Miniature Donkey shows in the USA enabled Ann to see for
herself the very best show stock in America helping her
to see what sort of Donkey was needed to reach her goals
at a time when the breed was very much in its infancy in
this Country.
See our
Showing in America page for more.
Ann has
now almost completed her DBS Trainee Judges Course which
was delayed the year she lost Johnny Paycheck.
She sees
judging very much as a challenge to find the best Donkey
ON the day.
Not
being interested in who owns the Donkey or what it has
previously won.
Please
read on...
Sunley Raynes Farmhouse
Over the years we have built up a very Select Herd of Miniature Donkeys. Including Multi Champions
and Donkey Breed Society Inhand show Champions, the Top award available in
this Country. Winning in very strong competition against all breeds of Donkeys in both sexes.
From 2004 we imported
the best stock available, during what I personally
consider what was the "hayday" for purchasing the very
best from America and Canada, when one was really spoilt
for choice and the £ was extremely strong against the $.
Nowadays having built my Herd
we are breeding our own Champion winning stock not only for us but for others.
I practise a strict
Jennets first policy and no longer breed my
girls until they reach at least four years of age.
Adhering to
Donkey
Breed Society rules who undertook veterinary studies which proved
conclusively that Miniature
Donkeys both internally and mentally are no more ready to breed from earlier
than their larger cousins. Having studied both equine and canine
behaviour over many years myself I can see that far too many three year old
mares are simply not mentally ready for motherhood.
**To date we are the only Miniature stud to
practise this sound proven advice and welcome other
responsible Studs to join us.
We now OWN
our second Arranbrook Generation of Show Donkeys again the Only stud to have
done this as far as we are aware as we have not seen any
in the showring to date.
Ann
taking the Blue Ribbon in the matched pairs class NMDA Nationals Tennessee,
Blue not red is the winning ribbon in America!
The Donkeys were
Country Music's Neal McCoy and Loretta Lynn.
Should you decide to pay us
a visit we have many lovely local Hotels and B&B's a very short drive from
us along with many tourist attractions.
I would be pleased to collect
visitors from our local airport Leeds / Bradford or York
railway station.
If you are interested in
purchasing, breeding or just learning about the Breed please call for an
appointment and we will be pleased to meet you.
Our foundation bloodlines include some of the most desirable names in the breed including;
Circle C's Corona, Red Lightening, Little Motown,
& Legend.
FL Tumbleweed, Tex-Ass, WH Bugle Boy. Capstone, Country Music's
George Jones & Garth Brooks, Pope Farms Teaspoon,
LN Sonfire, LN Red Glo, LCR Valentino 75th, Old West, Berry Ridge, FL Chisholm, Stock Markets Cash Dividend, Windcrest and PMF Charlie Bandito.
We can now
occasionally offer Quality foals from these lines, please see our FOALS Page.
Ann showing in Tennessee USA
Where Ann's love of Donkeys began many years ago on Whitby beach in North Yorkshire.
God bless Flashlight!
Ann & John are dedicated to producing the very best Miniature Donkeys available.
Always Breeding for Conformation and Temperament.
Our aim is to breed beautiful, refined Miniature
Donkeys, with beautiful heads and eyes along with
correct conformation & movement and wonderful temperaments
adhering to the National Miniature Donkey Association Breed Standard.
We
believe the only way to achieve this is to have only the very best
jennets to make up the pedigrees with Quality on both sides. This
is why most of our jennets have been purchased over many years, all
individually hand picked as weanling / yearlings as we required excellent
conformation and movement. It has always been impossible to buy numbers of jennets in one or two purchases
or from the same source of the type we required. We find the patience waiting for these jennets to mature
has paid off time after time!
After all who is seriously going to sell their very best brood jennets?
As we only concentrate on breeding Miniature Donkeys, choosing not to breed other species of animals, we feel our Donkeys receive the best in individual care and attention at all times. All our Donkeys are handled
and loved many times daily. Clean fresh water is always available, with warm water offered throughout the day during colder months. Mineral licks are available in the paddocks, barn and stables. All our Donkeys have regular farriery visits and a strict worming program. Our Foals are
well handled and come running and braying when they see us. They will be halter trained, well mannered, wormed and vaccinated before they leave us. As well as being Registered,
chipped and have a passport as required by law.
Ann's
passions for Thoroughbred horses, hunters, Foxhounds and the dog
showing World for 30 years means she has developed an eye for a correct, well balanced animal. Conformation,
movement and bloodlines being second nature to her.
She particularly enjoys researching Miniature Donkey bloodlines and breeders of quality stock worldwide.
Nowadays she spends many hours studying her own Donkeys, watching
them interact and in particular move. She believes a good
breeder MUST study their own stock and be honest in their
evaluation, all will not and cannot be Champions! A good
breeder will acknowledge when their breeding program has not worked
or could be improved and will be willing to change.
A trip to the USA in 2005 and again in 2006 for the NMDA Nationals, where Ann was fortunate enough to show Donkeys each time at Shelbyville, Tennessee ( thank you Joyce) and had the privilege of meeting some of the top breeders of Miniature Donkeys
from all over America. As well as this she got to see what she considers some of the very best Miniature Donkeys in the world!
It has to be said the English Donkeys left a lot to be desired when
she attended her first show after returning home!
Capstone Blue Moon June NMDA
Champion Jennet at only 10 months of age,
my own Arranbrook Darcy Bussel
reminds me so much of this stunning filly
These trips have been wonderful
experiences and more importantly, added a massive input of knowledge
in deciding our present breeding program particularly as these trips
were taken before the recessions when classes where numerically very
strong not to mention full of unrivalled quality.
Ann with two sweethearts at the NMDA
Nationals, Shelbyville Tennessee USA!
Arranbrook Donkeys reside in the wonderful location of North Yorkshire, truly Gods own Country!
The world famous Author and Vet, James Herriot wrote his books about his life in this part of the world. A museum built at the original surgery is dedicated to him only a few miles from us.
Besides being close to the stunning North Yorkshire moors and it's famous horse racing training centre of Middleham.We are almost next door to Ripon Cathedraland Fountains Abbey
which is set in the beautiful Deer park of Studley Royal.
Visitors to Arranbrook Donkeys are always welcome. A prior phone call for directions and so we can make your visit more enjoyable is advised.
Telephone (+44) 01765 603149
Member's of the American Donkey & Mule Society, The National Miniature Donkey Association (USA), The Donkey Breed Society and The MMDA.
All photos on this site are of our own Donkeys unless otherwise stated. No parts of this site may be reproduced without permission.
