Flower Power! Welcome Bloomhill Stud To The August 2yo Sale!

There’s a brand new name in the 2022 BSA August 2yo Sale catalogue!

Located in the picturesque surrounds of Wartburg, north east of the KZN capital city Pietermaritzburg, the magnificent Bloomhill Stud is home to the Trethewey family – and of course, to the legendary racemare Rouge Allure!

Mum Sandra is the ‘Minister Of Finance’ in the Trethewey household and exudes an infectious enthusiasm as she tells how the long road to their exciting first sale in a fortnight from now started many years ago when family friends Piet and Protea Taljaard arrived from the Free State to visit.

“It was holidays and they arrived with two ponies in tow. Twaksak and Togolosh started my almost lifelong love affair with the horse,” tells the daughter of a cattle farmer and cattle judge.

Asked about her background, the articulate Sandra tells that she grew up in Hluhluwe.

“My brother and I are fourth generation farmers.  I went to The Wykeham Collegiate and studied at the Technikon Natal. I then returned to Hluhluwe to develop family game lodge in Hluhluwe. It’s called Falaza Game Park & Spa  – www.falaza.co.za. That was a great foundation learning experience for me,” she adds.

Sandra married Lance Trethewey 18 years ago and the family is resident on Bloomhill with daughter Taylor-Paige (14) and son Cullum (11).

Lance is the current South African off-road car champion driver in his class. Sandra explains that her children also love the adrenaline of the racing car.

“We go racing as a family and the kids, and I are his support crew. Both our children want to race with their Dad. I’m not sure my nerves will handle that. I fondly refer to the three of them as my ‘petrol heads’.  We are all a sporty bunch; we love the outdoors and spend our days in summer at the dam water-skiing. The bush and beach are our best holidays.”

This week’s SPRINT cover star Rouge Allure will soon take up residence at Bloomhill Stud – please click here to read the latest SPRINT:

Beyond the passion for horses and cars, they also farm cattle and flowers and Lance has an earthmoving business.

On the flower front, scented  garden roses are their speciality and they also grow lisianthus and various other seasonal blooms.

“Our market is for the local wedding and events industry but we have also exported for weddings on a few occasions. Then our whole family is very involved in the horse stud. In our first season I had to ‘pinky promise’ that I would wake my kids to be at each foaling – and they were! We all have our favourite horses, and the children have their own riding horses, but also have their favourite broodmare and the foals are theirs!”

The Bloomhill dream started a few years ago when Sandra heard about the Summerhill Dispersal sale and decided she needed to get herself a riding horse.

“I contacted Amorette Kramer and she invited me to the beautiful farm to look at the babysitters, as I was looking for a gelding. We accompanied Amorette while she was showing buyers the horses. After viewing the weanlings and yearlings, we looked at the broodmares. As I walked into the camp with the other buyers and my daughter, a chestnut mare walked up to me and wouldn’t leave me alone. This mare we now own – her name is Wysiwyg! This got me thinking and well, we bought six mares on that sale – and I still don’t have a horse to ride!” she laughs as she points out Lot 159 in the catalogue for the month end sale.

“He is a lovely son of Act Of War,” adds Sandra proudly.

Visit the www.bloomhill.co.za website 

Sandra is a hands-on boss and coach of ‘a small phenomenal team’.

“We plan to remain a small boutique stud, breeding with top bloodlines and mares with great confirmation. When deciding to breed, we made a conscious decision and commitment to best prepare our horses for their next step in their journey. By remaining small and select, I believe we have achieved that and will continue to do so,” she says with a steely determination.

We asked what Women’s month means to her.

“I am very fortunate to have come from a family where women have always been leaders and businesswomen. Both my great grandmother and my grandmother were farmers, and my mother is a dynamic businesswoman too. My business partner is my husband Lance, who values my opinion and encourages every aspect of my independence and leadership, and I have a father that has been one of my greatest supporters.”

Her open demeanour clearly suggests a love of working with people.

“The flower farm only employs women, whom we have upskilled, and it’s been a pleasure to see them grow. My right hand at the stud farm is a dynamic lady named Beauty Ndlovu. She has taught me so much and together we are sharing our knowledge with other younger interested women, but I couldn’t do without the men that hold very important positions in our team. It’s all about balance and surrounding yourself with the right mix of people that work together as a team, to creative a collective success,” she adds sincerely.

Sandra is a proponent of the philosophy of team strength.

“We are all about celebrating our strengths and acknowledging what we are good at and not so great at. Our approach is very real.  We are all blessed with gifts and talents, and there is no greater gift than sharing those and offering a hand to uplift those around you. I believe that supporting another person’s success will never ruin yours. I found a lovely quote a few years ago – “And when you get to where you’re going, turn around and help her too. For there was a time, not long ago when she was you.”

Sandra is an open book on first contact. “I love real raw people, people with passion and a zest for life. I love people that can laugh as that’s always infectious. I have a lot of respect for people that are happy to share their knowledge and pay it forward. Honesty, integrity and kindness are at the heart of who I am.  I hate dishonesty, entitlement and backstabbers. My family are what I hold closest to my heart – they’re a beautiful bunch, who make me very proud,” she beams.

And with the August 2yo Sale just over two weeks away, what is the mood in the Bloomhill camp?

“To say I have mixed emotions is an understatement. I am excited about the sales, and I look forward to seeing how our horses will be received. I just pray that they all go to great homes/yards. I look forward to seeing how they grow and seeing how their careers as racehorses will unfold. It’s very exciting!”

• Find the Bloomhill August 2yo Sale draft in stables D8-D13.

Sandra’s notes on the Bloomhill Sextet: (pics by Candiese Lenferna)

LOT 159 Wyze Act: Son of Act of War (3 Gr1 performers from his first crop) from one of the nations elite mares (Dam of Cape Flying Championship Gr1 Hero, BOHICA and Gr1 Golden Horse Sprint runner up, BARTHOLDI)

 

LOT 195 JET SPEED: son of multiple Gr1 winner, RABADA, brother to black type runner, WAKA WAKA and Flying Dream (3 wins and R289 000.) Late foal.

 

LOT 117 MIDNIGHT RUBY: daughter of South Africa’s highest rated Juvenile of his generation, RABADA; sister to Black type performer FLASHING STAR and Mighty Valdie (R206, 900 in stakes)

 

LOT 57 PERFECTLY PICKED:  by the sire of RAINBOW BRIDGE, SMART CALL, SAMURAI WARRIOR and VISTULA from a sister to Gr 1 hero, PICK SIX & Saucy Savannah family of unbeaten champion Juvenile, BRIDAL PATHS.

 

LOT 227 ELEGANT ACT: daughter of the sire of 3 Gr1 performers (WAR OF ATHENA, BATTLE FORCE and BARTHOLDI) with his first crop, from the group winning dam of 2 Black type performers. Family of GLAMOUR BOY, ELEGANT BUCK, GAULTIER and KOLKATA.

 

LOT 43 GOLD AGENT: daughter of Drakenstein’s front running first crop sire, GOLD STANDARD, ex Group winning OOCHEE AGENT from the family of HOT GIRL, HARRY’S LADY, SOVIET RISING etc.