Sarah has been involved with breeding horses all her life, growing up on a Stud breeding Thoroughbreds, Warmbloods and Stock horses. She was handling the stud stock from the time she was eight.
At ten Sarah was riding for the famous Welsh Pony Stud, Viewbank and breaking in small ponies at home. Recognized for unprecedented talent she was offered jobs riding and training for some of the major horse studs in Australia.
Her showing career consisted of many wins at the Royals from Turnouts and Riding classes to Rider over obstacles. Taking pony club horses and turning them into some of the best show horses available. At fourteen she turned her efforts to Eventing and Showjumping. By the time she was twenty she had represented Australia successfully on two occasions.
At twenty Sarah gave serious riding away to focus on an IT career contracting around Sydney, Canberra and Melbourne. During this period she purchased a cutting horse renowned for failing in the ring. Sole handedly she took this horse on to place at the Victorian Championship amongst the best cutting horses in the Country. Sarah had also purchased a yearling warmblood filly from the Holsteiner stud, Snowview.
As she returned to Melbourne with both the cutting horse and warmblood with no plans in particular. Sarah was spotted riding this cutting horse and encouraged to take up dressage on a serious basis. She then made the trip to Belcam Queensland with the plans to breed the Holsteiner.
With the purchase of a 5yo warmblood gelding she then went on to win her first dressage start by 20 points was the beginning of a new era in Sarah’s equestrian life.
Belcam Aamber was then purchased as a future riding horse with the idea of her producing a foal before commencing a competition career. Traveling around Queensland and New South Wales she saw the lovely Don Ramiro. On her return booked in at least two mares to Don Ramiro, one of them being Belcam Aamber.
With two foals born in 1996 Woodleigh International has grown into the stud it is today. Woodleigh Aria (Champion Mare at the Royal Melbourne show) and Woodleigh Don Juan (Futurity Winner and World Cup Showjumper). A great start to an even greater future!
Since the start of Woodleigh International, Sarah has ridden successfully at FEI with great compliments and respect from International Judges and Riders.
Sarah's focas is now on Woodleigh International being one of the most prominent studs in Australia.
WOODLEIGH INTERNATIONAL
Sarah Bray founded Woodleigh International in 1995 with the aim is to provide the best possible performance horses on the market today. Bloodlines at Woodleigh are of the utmost importance, they must be solid performers having Grand Prix status
We believe the abilities for Grand Prix are inherited from parents. Therefore, the stallions must have inherited proven parentage.
Horses at Woodleigh International need to have an easy and expressive canter as 60 percent of a Grand Prix test is in canter. The ability to sit and collect is also important as nearly 38 per cent is in Piaff and Passage.
With this in mind we are aim to breed for the FEI rider a horse with a short back, balanced uphill paces, an outstanding canter and trainable temperament.
Some of the best Grand Prix horses show no trot in their earlier years. This is taken into account when selecting breeding stock at Woodleigh.
To ensure our horses remain athletic, we like to keep introducing the jumping bloodlines that have proven themselves in the dressage arena to obtain the strength from behind needed to perform the collected movements.
We also aim to provide you with the best possible equine companion
WOODLEIGH INTERNATIONAL woodleighinternational@winning.com PH +61 404 05 7272
Mornington Peninsula VICTORIA AUSTRALIA
