Ben and Tanya Davie – first timers

Under the B T Equine brand, Clinton couple Ben and Tanya Davie will make their first foray into harness racing’s yearling sales with their first yearling consignment at the NZB Standardbred sale in Christchurch.

Ben is the son of Julie Davie, sister of the late Father Dan Cummings of Tuapeka Lodge fame.

After Dan died Julie and her brother Peter decided to reconfigure the stud.

“We were lucky to have the opportunity to buy two broodmares which carried the bloodlines that Uncle Danny had developed over the years. Sakuntala and Maureen’s Dream were the two successful lines. We took Bettastar (Better’s Delight – Petra’s Star) who is a young mare and Tuapeka Maddy (Christian Cullen – Letatalk) who was a proven mare,” Tanya said.

“We’re pretty fortunate to get a couple of mares out of Tuapeka Lodge and that’s thanks to Mum, Uncle Peter and Danny,” Ben added.

Twelve years ago the Davie family moved from the Taieri where they were sharemilking, to Clydevale.

“At the moment I’m overseeing two thousand cows on two properties, and we also own our own support farm over in Clydevale,” Ben said.

As kids Ben and Tanya rode show ponies.

“Ben and I rode together on the show circuit. It’s been in our blood from the beginning,” Tanya said.

The couple who have four children aged between nine and sixteen also breed show jumping horses under the “Glenbrooke” brand and generally develop them until they’re four before selling them.

They’ve bred many top showjumpers which originate back to Dozen Roses who Tanya competed to Grand Prix on when she was a teenager. The Roses line has been a successful family and keeps on producing good horses.

The yearling colt the Davie’s are offering at the Sales in February is a good looking son of boom sire Captaintreacherous.

Lot 326: B T Captivate – Captaintreacherous – Tuapeka Maddy (Christian Cullen) Bay colt

This is Tuapeka Maddy’s ninth foal. Of the eight foals of racing age, six have been winners, the best being Tuapeka Jessie (Bettor’s Delight) which won once for Father Dan Cummings before being exported to America where she’s won fourteen races and has paced a mile in 1-51.1.

Other winners out of Tuapeka Maddy are Culpeka (Mach Three) ten wins, Sugar Street (Bettor’s Delight) ten wins and a third in the G1 WA Derby, Tuapeka Light (Bettor’s Delight) eleven wins, Dance Step (A Rocknroll Dance) two wins and Tuapeka Lou (Sweet Lou) one win.

“His name (B T Captivate) is very fitting to him. He’s a very impressive looking horse. Super type, very correct and a great mover. He’s been stunning from day one and we’ve always thought a lot of him. We took him in the float today to get the video done and he was an absolute pro,” Tanya said.

Ben and Tanya’s BT Captivate photos and videos can be viewed on the NZB Standardbred website by clicking here or viewed in the flesh on the SBSR tour on Monday 12^th and Tuesday 13^th February.

by Bruce Stewart, for Harnesslink