HARK, THE HERALD ANGEL SINGS

Anton Procter
(Photo : Summerhill Stud) 

“ANTON PROCTER - SUMMERHILL OLD BOY”

Among the many congratulatory notes we’ve received recently, was one from ex-Summerhill GM, Anton Procter, a highly successful breeder in his own right in more recent times.  His note and our response tells it all, and reminds us of where we’ve come from, what we stand for and were we’re hoping to go to.

Note from Anton :

Dear Mick and the team,

I know this is a bit belated but just to say well done again on being the best breeders in South Africa.

Your other great achievement is to have Northern Guest as the champ broodmare sire. Not bad for a stud that had to sell firewood to pay the wages in the early days.

Proud to be a Summerhill old boy,

Best Wishes.
Anton Procter

Our response :

Proc, many thanks for your congratulatory note.  It’s especially welcome, coming from you and Judy, and many thanks for the reminder about the firewood. 

You were here throughout the formative years of Northern Guest’s career, and you will no doubt recall us tuning in to the BBC (for which you had the only signal in the district!) to listen to El Gran Senor’s Dewhurst and Derby runs.

His achievement of 8 Broodmare Sires titles (7 in a row) is apparently without precedent (according to Ada vd Bent) and I have little doubt that a good deal of the success we’ve enjoyed of late, is attributable to the foundations we laid together in those days, and the very considerable luck that came our way in the form of Northern Guest.

As always, our warmest regards,
Mick