About the Farm
Meet Catherine York
I first became interested in Dales Ponies when my health no longer allowed me to manage a large warmblood gelding that I owned. I knew I'd either stop riding or had to find a pony that was smaller and docile. I did months of research and tested out various breeds but I always felt awkward on their smaller structures. I happened upon the Dales Pony on an online search, found a breeder, Zana Jackson, that came from the UK and lived only 45 minutes from where I resided. She offered me a tour of the farm and to see the Dales ponies she brought from England. I went there and rode Sowermire Carol and her stallion Malhamdale Apocolypto for 10 days straight. In an unexpected torrential rain storm, Sowermire Carol got me back safe with lighting and loud cracks of thunder all around us she never missed a step. I was hooked. Her sure footedness, level headedness and calm disposition made me fall head over heels in love with this breed. It was the perfect breed to age with, the steady safe ride I longed for.
Months later I got a call from Zana and she was moving back to the UK, and offered me Carol as my very own. I immediately said yes. There was a catch. She was pregnant with a foal from Ziggy (Envoy De Kingmaker), Zana's bay roan stallion from France. I hadn't planned on breeding, but with Carol pregnant, I decided to give it a try, and the rest is history.
Breeding the Dales Pony
Floridadales Blue Envoy Maverick was my first foal, he was the first blue roan Dales born and bred in the US. He was a smart, beautiful colt that grew up on the farm, and became my stallion. Carol had two more colts, Sidney and Cyrus. I then imported 2 more mares, Earnwell Unique and Griseburn Lady Jane. Unique was pregnant with Rosebarr Monarch. I became an import quarantine facility to manage their CEM testing on my farm. Unique had Floridadales Callalily that summer. She's also had Floridadales Nigel, and Floridadales Laurel and Floridadales Jumpin Jack Flash with Maverick. Lady Jane was my riding pony for years and when she was put in foal she produced Pemberton, and Melody, both from Maverick.
Maverick has bred with Dales mares from Washington, Illinois, and Florida producing lovely offspring in bay, black, & blue roan. He was trained to drive by Thorsten Zarambowicz, and dressage by Allison Zarambowicz in Florida. He remains on the farm, standing at stud, and continues to produce amazing offspring that are ambassadors for the breed.
The Great All Rounder
The Dales Pony is known for being a Great All Rounder, and I have done multiple disciplines with my ponies to demonstrate that versatility. We've done Hunter Pace, Dressage, Trick Training, Mounted Trooper Training, parades, Live Oak International breed showcase, many Ocala horse events, obstacle training and competitions, working equitation, trail riding at many of the amazing trails throughout Ocala. We've partnered with the CEP to bring knowledge about the Dales to the public eye, and were honored to participate in radio, online and TV interviews and even a live Podcast with the Horse Talk Show fromMalham England where I visited and showed off our two mares in their native land.
It's been a wonderful journey, and it continues to be as I ramp up to open my new farm. Both mares are in foal one to Apollo and one to Maverick for late Spring 2026. I can't wait to see what the future brings.
We'll be back to giving farm tours, farm stays, educational talks on the breed, and summer kids camps introducing them to the breed and the importance of preserving our critically endangered breed.
