Ross Millin and Andre
Maskell set up 
in
September 1997. As an avid Saddle Horse enthusiast
it was Ross's dream to own a Saddle Horse Stud. In September 1995 he bought a
mare, Miss Tinkerbelle from Mr Jack Schoeman of Phillipolis. The horse that
Ross really wanted was a colt called Yoko's Tornado, owned by Fanie Hauman, a
horse that he watched since he was 18 months. Unfortunately Tornado was not for
sale at that time (before he started his showing career) and Ross knew the
moment that he would start his showing career, his price would be out of reach.
He indeed went on to win his first SA Championship at Bloemfontein in 1995 as
the Fine Harness Champion two-year-old. The next year he was Fine Harness
three-year-old and in 1997 was the Fine Harness four-year-old as well as the SA
Grand Champion Fine Harness Saddle Horse. All the championships were won under
the guidance of his trainer Andre Maskell. This was also the year when he was
bought by the wellknown Joan Hamilton from Kalarama Farm, Springfield,
Kentucky, and exported to the USA.
Andre Maskell initially trained
Miss Tinkerbelle. It was however clear that sooner or later Yoko's Tornado
would be exported and because Ross wanted a colt by him, he bred him to Miss
Tinkerbelle and so she became the foundation mare of the stud. Tornado's Heirloom was then born - a colt by Yoko’sTornado.
A stallion in America whose
career Ross watched with interest was Kalarama Farm's Harlem Globetrotter. The
same people who own him bought Yoko's Tornado. It was coincidental that the two
horses that he admired the most would be in the same stables. In August 1997 he
went to America, firstly to see Yoko's Tornado again (his name was subsequently
changed to just Tornaado) and attend the World Champion Horse Show. It was an
opportunity to meet Joan Hamilton and see Harlem Globetrotter.
Unfortunately Tornado did
not show at the World Champion Horse Show, but another South African horse
Zoovoorbij Commander in Chief was shown and won the World Champion Five Gaited
title. (Commander in Chief's dam, Cameo's Rosa Lee, also appears in Miss Tinkerbelle's pedigree. Cameo's Rosa Lee is the
dam of Day of Thunder, the sire of Miss Tinkerbelle. )
Harlem Globetrotter was
even more impressive than in photographs. It would be an asset to own a
Globetrotter colt but because of the R/$ exchange rate it is almost impossible
to import any decent Saddle Horses to South Africa like in the old days. It was
also obvious that no true breeder would sell his proven best horses. The best
would be to import frozen semen from top Saddle Horse sires in America. Two
sires were identified - Harlem Globetrotter and Supreme Heir. Unfortunately
Supreme Heir had no frozen semen available and Globetrotter's semen did not
fulfill the South African requirements.
In the meantime a young
stallion Yoko Lomo (x Cantherius) was used. A very nice filly, called Perfect Pearl was born.
Andre Maskell left the stud
and from June 1999, Ross Millin is the sole owner. The horses have been
relocated to Oudtshoorn and Tornado's Heirloom is with Kevin Eltringham in Paarl. Unfortunately, Heirloom had an undescended testis, and had to be castrated in November 1999.
In March 2000, Ross bought the full share in the young untrained Tornado stud colt, Tornado’s Perfect Timing. (Newline only had a half share in him after Andre left). Perfect Timing’s first show was the 2001 S.A. National Championship show at Bloemfontein where he was shown by Kevin Eltringham in the Two Year Old Fine Harness Championship. This he won in grand style and was the talk of the show. Three broodmares, to compliment Perfect Timing’s genetic pool, were bought, namely – Sultan’s Charming Lady (x Supreme O’ Lee), Sugini (x Quaker Town) and Tango's Pearl (x Scandal's Last Tango). The first foals are due in October 2002. Perfect Timing is destined to rewrite Saddle Horse breeding history in South Africa. How true this will be, only time will tell.