EA Equestrian:

There have been horses on this site almost as far back as there have been people. Indeed, a local census in 1754 listed a collection of buildings on the current site of the yard as a stud, well respected in the area for breeding fine hunters for the Earl on the other side of the moor. Sadly, the orginal stables were razed to the ground in a terrible fire in the late 1930s' and the stables of today bear no comparison to their previous counterparts. The yard was rebuilt in the fifties and subsequently has been altered and extended as the years went on. Currently we have stabling for twenty horses and enough grazing for almost double that, although we are hoping to lease another few acres to rotate from the local landowner.

The surrounding area has always been famous for its history, with archaelogical digs on nearby Hollowcroft Moor and Dúneachann Hill turning up a wealth of ancient artefacts; including some fine examples of beautifully carved stone and pottery. These can be viewed, along with some Neolithic finds and tools, at the local museum in Hollowcroft village.

Probably most well known however, is the castle in one of our fields - Dúneachann.

 It's one of those rare sites that no one is entirely sure about. Historians cannot conclusively claim when exactly it was built, as there always seems to be some record of it being there no matter how far back you look!  The current theory is that it is medieval, but on a prehistoric site. Although in ruins, it still remains a popular tourist attraction and we welcome anyone wanting to take a look at it as long as they respect the land and the site itself of course. (Shutting gates and leaving the land as you find it) 

 Another famous landmark is Hollowcroft House; a vast Georgian estate that lies to the west of Hollowcroft in the apty named 'Hollowwood'. Originally owned by the Earl of Dúneachann, the house and its lands are now owned by a local trust who have restored it and opened it to the public. It is a grand building and at the time was one of the largest, most expensive estates in the country! Now however, its large ornamental gardens and opulant rooms are a major tourist attraction and draw visitors from across the globe.  

  Lying to the south west of the village is Hollowcroft Loch. A beautiful and picturesque place, the loch has been the inspiration for many a writer and artist and some of the resulting works now hang on the walls of the local museum. We often organise day trips there in the summer and it is nearly always a huge success. The horses love to go for a swim in the cool waters and we think the riders enjoy it just as much! 

  This fine painting of one of the Earl of Duneachann's favourite horses Prince of Hollowcroft, still hangs in the grand dining room of the 'big house'. Painted by a reasonably well known local artist, Prince was bred at the Earl's stud where EA Equestrian is now located. He was a valuable stallion at the time and many of his offspring had very sucessful racing careers. It is a strange twist of fate that Abigail's TB stallion 'Joker's Gambit' is a direct decendent of Prince of Hollowcroft, even though she bought him from the south of England without checking his papers.  

You may be wondering about the significance of the 'EA' in EA Equestrian. Well, we can confirm that it harks back to the ancient standing stones which stand on the highest point of Hollowcroft Moor.                                        Archeologists have worked out that it was once part of a much larger henge that was carefully positioned to align with the sun and moon at different times of the year - most notably at the equinoxes - possibly for rituals or special ceremonies. When the yard first came into being it was simply known as the Hollowcroft Stud, but after the great fire, the owners decided a fresh start was in order and decided upon 'Equinox Acres', taking into account the stones and the ample acreage that they had at the time. When we took over, we decided that Equinox Acres was a little vague so we changed it to EA Equestrian which makes a lot more sense!