Starting Mount St John, rethinking breeding and more with Emma Blundell
I’ve followed Mount St John’s story forever, and it’s a real joy to be joined by founder Emma Blundell, the founder of Mount St John on the podcast.
Emma wasn’t from a horse family but, from a very young age, was crazy about all animals. At seven, she started riding which then progressed into competing in showing classes, and as they say the rest is history!
The art of breeding
Emma is a complete wealth on knowledge on everything to do with horse breeding and we talk about linear scoring in stallions and how she uses this as an analysis tool to support her breeding decisions and pairings between mares and stallions. That said, her depth of knowledge also plays a huge part in the choices she makes. It’s also possible to do linear scoring on mares, and although Emma has done this on some, she’s now been involved in breeding for so long that it’s almost hardwired. She talks about how she assesses strengths and weaknesses and what needs to be improved from the mare side, and then looks at the stallion’s traits to see if they complement the mare, and also the heritability factor. This is the chance of the stallion or mare passing on a trait to its offspring.
Where the idea for Mount St John began
Emma’s knowledge in this specific area started at university where she studied it and then, through her dissertation, saw the possibility to make this into a business. Emma had a mare she was trying to do embryo transfer with and then started to look at the possibility to really niche in on that, because there was no one in the market doing this. Breeding was traditionally connected to older people and also stallions rather than mares.
One of the interesting points that Emma zeroed in on what that with an embryo transfer system in place, the mares at Mount St John could continue their competitive careers without taking a year off for traditional breeding.
Making Mount St John commercial
Emma discussed the commercial aspect of her approach, highlighting the importance of efficiency in the breeding process. By starting the embryo transfer once the mares reach a productive age, she optimises the breeding cycle and maintains a steady flow of potential superstars. This not only streamlines the process but also contributes to the commercial success of Mount St John.
Navigating the Lows
Every business has its share of challenges, and Emma was open about the lows she has faced. From financial setbacks to the heart-wrenching loss of horses, she acknowledged the difficulties that come with the territory. One particular low was the traumatic experience of losing a mare and foal during a difficult birth. Emma stressed the importance of learning from such experiences and maintaining a positive outlook.
Strategies for Success
Emma shared her optimistic perspective on business, pointing out that setbacks are part of the learning curve, and as long as one learns from them and seeks improvement, success is attainable. Having a supportive team of experts, including vets and farriers, has been crucial for analysing challenges and implementing effective solutions.
But there have been many highs
As any equestrian fan will know, Mount St John has had some incredible highs from winning national titles to achieving impressive scores in debut Grand Prix performances, and Emma expressed the joy that comes with seeing homebred horses succeed. Emma stressed the importance of relishing these victories, especially during challenging times.
What would Emma advise for others looking to grow an equestrian business?
Emma shares plenty of valuable advice in the podcast, sharing the importance of gaining hands-on experience, learning from others, and seeking mentorship. Having a reliable team and being open to making necessary changes were also crucial aspects she highlighted.
Mount St John has changed the face of horse breeding and I can’t wait to watch the stud, and its horses, go from strength to strength.
To find out more about Mount St John, see the website here.
