Monday, August 3, 1998

The Cleveland Bay is royalty on the hoof and, for a Waldoboro woman, a breed apart

By Susan Rayfield

Liia Becker bought horses and trained them, but she never planned to get into the breeding business until she saw the Cleveland Bay.

She could barely make out the sight of the colt four years ago in a misty field in Wales. She maneuvered under the barbed wire for a closer look. Runswick Sultan had the stature of a great horse.

"I really liked the little guy,'' Becker said so much that she paid $1,200 for him, a deal considering that Cleveland Bay foals in the United States go for $25,000 and stallions can fetch as much as $70,000. Now, without a single ad, inquiries are coming in to Becker from around the country, as well as from Canada, Australia and Japan, from horse owners who want to breed their mares with Becker's stallion.

Much of the allure of the Cleveland Bay is in its rarity. Fewer than 500 of the dark brown horses with black legs, mane and tail exist worldwide. While there are about 60 in the United States, Becker owns the only stallion in Maine.

The breed is named for the Cleveland District of Yorkshire, England. Queen Elizabeth owns 58 of them. Most of the royal ceremonial horses that pull coaches at weddings and coronations are Cleveland Bays.

The horse is so rare it is listed as critical on British and American endangered livestock lists.

Over the centuries, Cleveland Bays have been bred with other horses to produce a tall, elegant carriage horse. Purebreds became uncommon.

During World War I, they were used as carriage horses by the British Army. When oats became scarce during the war Yorkshire farmers had other priorities than breeding the Cleveland Bay. By 1962, there were just four stallions left.

At that point, Queen Elizabeth took an interest, encouraging their revival. Her grandfather, King George V, owned a stable of Cleveland Bays.

Becker is undergoing the arduous process of licensing Runswick Sultan with the Cleveland Bay Horse Society in England. The process includes an hours-long exam by a veterinarian and a session with a team of British and U.S. inspectors. In keeping with tradition, the fees are payable in English pound sterling only.

This year, Becker took the stallion to Massachusetts, where the inspectors observed him trotting, backing up and making tight circles. They videotaped him, took still photos and then huddled in a group, whispering and pointing. "It was like being in a beauty pageant," Becker said. "But they don't announce the results.''

She will hear later this month whether her stallion passed. If he passes, his offspring can be registered as Cleveland Bays, or part Cleveland ã increasing his value as a sire.

Cleveland Bays are in demand by people who own thoroughbreds. Offspring of the two combine the throughbred's speed with a superior strength, stamina and calm temperament. They make good show horses for jumping, dressage, eventing, and as competitive carriage horses.

Runswick Sultan's first foal, Jewel, born two months ago, is the product of a cross with a thoroughbred. "She's my dream horse,'' said the thoroughbred mare's owner Shelly Wagstaff, about her new foal.

Thoroughbreds are "hot'' horses, difficult to manage. "I love my mare, but she's up in the air half the time,'' said Wagstaff. "I want a horse with no hassles.''

As she spoke, Runswick Sultan lowered his head over his stall and gently snorted at the youngster, asserting his power. Jewel stood her ground, stretching her muzzle toward his.

The combination of boldness and quietude will come in handy five years from now, when Wagstaff, who lives in Waldoboro, starts riding Jewel in Northeast horse shows.

Becker, is a keen competitor herself. She grew up in Georgetown and started riding at 7. As a teen-ager, she named, opened and managed the family eatery, the Osprey. But riding was always her focus. By the age of 17, Becker, who was born in Canada, had her own horse farm in Nova Scotia, and was a top event rider in the Maritime Provinces.

Eventing is the equivalent of the ironman triathalon. For three days, horses and riders race across the countryside, jumping obstacles, splashing through water, and struggling up and down hilly terrain to win.

In 1980, Becker worked with the Olympic talent squad on the road to joining the Canadian equestrian team, until her horse broke down. She returned to Maine in 1986 and bought Tide's End Farm in Waldoboro, where she teaches riding and trains horses. Despite a bad back, damaged inner ear (a broken arm and ribs have healed), Becker plans to continue riding in event competitions. Next year, she'll be riding Runswick Sultan for the first time.

"He's young but shows great promise over fences,'' she said.