Brighthill Farm is located in the lush pastures of the Waikato. Owner-managers, Nick and Anne-Marie King have a passion for breeding and raising quality thoroughbreds.

Nick and Anne-Marie bred and sold New Zealand's highest rated two-year-old male AL STRADA (by Perfectly Ready) in the 2012-13 racing season. They foaled and raised South African's 2011-12 highest rated two-year-old filly RUMYA (by Red Ransom) dual Group 1 winner and raising star MOOZOON (by Perfectly Ready), Group 3 winning three-year-old filly for His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Maktoum.

Current darling of the race track is a 3YO daughter of Dalghar who has just won her second stakes race, and heads to the Group 1 1000 Guineas next month. She was born and raised at Brighthill Farm.

Brighthill Farm currently stand PERFECTLY READY and DALGHAR at stud, and for the 2013 season were highly privileged to have stood European Champion racehorse and proven sire the Late AZAMOUR at stud on behalf of The Aga Khan Stud, Ireland.

Brighthill Farm Article - Bluebloods Magazine 2014

Brighthill Farm Article - Bluebloods Magazine 2012

BACKGROUND

NICK KING, born in Co. Tipperary, Ireland, has always been a keen horseman. He reached National level eventing before becoming an Assistant Manager at Coolmore Stud, Ireland for five years.

He spent a further 6 months at Cambridge Stud for the Southern Hemisphere season. He then went to Glen Oaks Stud, Cambridge NZ for 4 years as Stallion and Yearling Manager - Western Symphony / Take Your Partner / Phizam.

Nick was then invited to Japan by LEX STUD, in Hokkaido to join their top stallion station team where he remained from 1993 to 1996.

Nick was the President of the Waikato branch of the NZ Thoroughbred Breeders Association for several years, and currently on the New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders' Council.

ANNE-MARIE, also a keen horsewoman, was born into an English Cotswold farming family and qualified in Business and Farm Administration at Usk Agricultural College. She spent a valuable year in Canada as Veterinary Assistant to one of their leading equine veterinarians, Dr. Colin Peace MRCVS, before working with UK-based Australian Olympic showjumping Captain, Jeff McVean. Anne-Marie then spent 3 years as Overseas Buyer for Lex Stud in Japan when she accompanied her husband there in 1993.

NICK and ANNE-MARIE met on a horse flight to Sydney in 1988. Nick was escorting a Coolmore Stallion and Anne-Marie was accompanying Jeff McVean's legendary Olympic showjumper, Whisper Grey.

They met up again and were married while at Glen Oaks Stud. Anne-Marie and their first child Benjamin accompanied Nick to Japan in 1993 where their second son Harry was born. Sophie and Charlie were born in New Zealand.

BRIGHTHILL FARM was set up in 1996 with their foundation sire, Australian Horse of the Year, BEAU ZAM. He was the first horse to break 2 million dollars earnings, and won 5 Group 1 races, beaten by a nose by Lord Rheims which would have given him his 6th Group 1. He produced over 100 individual winners and stood at stud until he was 15.

Beau Zam
Four Seasons (GB)
Monolith (AUS)
St. Petersburg (AUS)
Ustinov (AUS)
Eagle Mountain (IRE)
Patapan (USA)
Azamour (GB)

In 2007 PERFECTLY READY, Australian Group 1 winning son of Champion Sire, More Than Ready joined the stallion ranks at Brighthill.

Perfectly Ready's first crop of weanlings went through the National Weanling Sale in 2009, where they were extremely well received, leading first season sire, sold on average, with highest priced weanling sold on the first day of $57,500. Perfectly Ready went on to be Leading First Season Sire the 2010 Premier Karaka Yearling Sale, and subsquently NZ's Leading First Season Sire of 2YOs for the season ending 2010/11.

The stud is very much a family run, hands on business with Nick managing the farm with the back up of a great team of dedicated experienced horse stud grooms. Anne-Marie keeps the office and farm promotion going all year around, as well as gardening and lawn mowing!

Benji (24) worked for Vinery Stud, Australia for 6 years, with trips back to assist with the Annual Karaka Yearling Sales. He attended the Irish National Stud Thoroughbred Course in 2013 which he had won through a Victorian Breeders' scholarship. In 2014 Benji then went on to apply for the Sunline Education Trust International Management Scholarship which he again won and has spent time with Cheveley Stud UK, Coolmore Stud Ireland and Taylor Made Farm in Kentucky. Benji is currently stallion and broodmare manager here at Brighthill.

Harry (22) has spend the last two seasons working on the farm, with stints at the Australian Yearling Sales for Vinery Stud and Ascot Farm. He is currently working in Ireland on a stud farm, and attending their national Yearling and Foal Sales. He returns to Brighthill in December to help with our annual yearling preparations.

Sophie (20) 'multi-tasker' buzzes all over the place, assists in the Farm Office and is one of our main yearling and weanling sales' leaders. She is currently working in the UK and Ireland and will be back in January for the Karaka Yearling Sales.

Charlie (17) still has one year left at school! A keen Rep rugby player and will have a 'compulsory' stud groom position here at the farm for the forthcoming summer holidays!

October 2016