I don't buy too many mares from outside studs, as I tend to keep the best fillies I breed to increase the numbers of mares at the stud. But Tara was an exception. Bred by Bev Morrissey of Taralea Stud, Tara was a mare I watched grow up after I saw, and fell in love with, her at a few weeks of age. She was beautiful then and matured into a very graceful mare. She was all curves and substance, but it was her movement that you remembered her for. Tara loved to show off, all visitors were treated to a display of her very elevated extended trot, and the greater the number in the audience, the better the display!

Tara was only shown a few times when Bev owned her, but she won an A class led Championship and was placed National Top Five Champion Mare. I would have liked to continue with her showing career, and get her out under saddle - her trot was amazing to ride it was so powerful - but it wasn't meant to be. On May 25, 2003 Tara died of toxic shock resulting from a twist in her small intestine. It happened incredibly fast; she was fine in the morning, then 4 hours later she was dead. She was only with us for such a short time, but she was the loveliest mare to have around; her grace and gentle temperament will always be missed. Luckily the one foal Tara gave me was a filly, a liver chestnut copy of herself foaled in 2001; Rosewood Ishtar, who in 2007 started her performance career with her new owner in the North Island.