By Alayna Cullen Birkett
Nestled in idyllic Gloucestershire countryside, Overbury Stud has long been established as one of the most professional dual-purpose organisations in the industry. Run by Simon Sweeting, the stud has at the head of its diverse roster the nine-time British champion National Hunt sire Kayf Tara (GB) (Sadler's Wells). The team is made up of seven stallions in total and has recently welcomed the French-bred Le Brivido (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}).
“We've got some proven sires and we've got plenty of young sires coming on, so there's excitement for the future,” said Sweeting during the recent TBA Stallion Parade at Tattersalls during the February Sale. “Kayf Tara, obviously, is still with us, but he's 26 now, so he's not going to be around for much longer, but we're lucky to have had him.”
The parade offered an opportunity for breeders and breeding enthusiasts to see Sweeting's new stallion. Le Brivido was a high-class performer at two and three, earning an official rating of 121 for his efforts. Trained for his first two seasons by Andre Fabre in Chantilly, he spent his 4-year-old season with Aidan O'Brien at Ballydoyle.
“He's the highest-rated winner of the Jersey S. and he also was second, beaten just a nostril, in the [G1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains]. That was the only race he was beaten in at two and three so he was a very good, very precocious young horse,” said Sweeting of Le Brivido's racing career.
In fact, it was those performances that caught Sweeting's attention, along with the record of Le Brivido's sire.
“He's from the first crop of Siyouni, one of the first to go to stud and with the Pivotal-Siyouni line, historically those two stallions started at inexpensive prices and they've gone on to really great things as stallions.”
Le Brivido's grandsire, Pivotal (GB), is the stalwart of Cheveley Park Stud's roster and, as champion broodmare sire, his daughters are now hot commodities. But in Siyouni he has sired a son that started his stud career at a modest price and is now commanding a fee of €100,000, a similar hope Sweeting has for his new charge.
“Siyouni is one of the most exciting young stallions in Europe now. He started at €7,000 and we're hoping that we can do something similar to that.”
He added, “He's a good-looking horse. He's a nice size, correct and he's a beautiful-moving horse. He's got a lovely, intelligent head and a fabulous temperament, which I think is really important, and if his babies can come out with an attitude like him, laid back but willing, it's going to be a great advantage for them.”
Le Brivido will stand his first year at stud for £7,000 with hopes high at Overbury that he can replicate the feats of his sire and grandsire.
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