HORSES FOR COURSES CASE STUDY
TELLING TAILS
David Spurdens was saddled with the responsibility of filming the world’s most valuable stallions
WORDS ADAM DUCKWORTH
H orse racing is often called the sport of Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum of Dubai, through his Darley and Godolphin racing and breeding operation. This international syndicate has bases globally and helps to breed the incredible horses you see on a day at the races. When there is a mare that is to be bred from, the search begins for a stallion that the owner hopes will bring them a winning racehorse, and Darley has some of the world’s best at its stud farms. These stallions can command massive fees to sire speedy offspring. In the case of world-famous ex- racehorse Dubawi, the price is £350,000, making him the most expensive stud in the world for breeding this year. kings, and in this case it’s all about royal blood. Some of the world’s most valuable stallions are owned by His Highness Sheikh
When choosing a stallion to breed from, owners look at previous form and use their intuition. But it’s such big business they also carefully study the stallion’s musculature and bone structure. These former racehorses are increasingly thickset and much more muscular than in their racing days – when they were young, fast and lean. That’s where action sports filmmaker David Spurdens comes in, as he films these incredible beasts charging across their vast paddocks. “It’s a display of power that has to be seen in person to be truly appreciated,” he explains. “Once released, these stallions do what they want. They display to the other stallions in nearby paddocks that they are a force to be reckoned with, much as they would in the wild. “You never know which direction they will run. Despite being groomed for the shoot, sometimes
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