The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Iron Horse imports boost hope for Clydesdale breed
Clydesdale breed enthusiasts are excited by the news this spring that semen from the world-renowned stallion, Iron Horse MM Steele, is available for use in the UK.
This is believed to be the first time that imported Clydesdale semen has been brought into the country.
John Anderson of Redcastle Clydesdales, Arbroath, is the man behind the importation which is a huge milestone and has involved a lot of hard work and determination, complying with animal and customs requirements.
The six-year-old stallion’s show record is second to none in modern times.
Most recently, 2017 saw Steele stand supreme all-Canadian champion, supreme all-American champion, and grand supreme champion at Toronto’s Royal Winter Fair.
Bred in Illinois, USA, by Linda Harmon, he has been owned by Gerald, Richard and Ronald Wismer of Ontario, Canada, since 2014.
Steele’s pedigree is multi-national, being a son of May Marquis of Iron Horse.
The breeding comes back to Scotland, being by Millisle Explorer, a son of Millisle Perfection.
May Marquis’s dam is the Englishbred mare, Hillmoor Anna May, who was a daughter of Greendykes Lucky Shot, out of the Irish mare, Downhill Anna May.
The dam side brings a whole host of new breeding to the UK. Steele’s dam, Sami of Iron Horse is descended from the likes of Armageddon’s Lord Elijah and Thistle Ridge Argyll .
The news came shortly after the Clydesdale Horse Society amended their rules to mean that semen could continue to be used after a stallion’s death.
While Iron Horse MM Steele is very much alive and active, that will give reassurance that his semen and indeed those from any other Clydesdale stallions could be preserved to ensure the future of the breed.