Twemlows Stud Farm, one of the UK’s leading reproductive centres, is once again supporting elite British breeding with the prestigious Burghley Scholarship for 2025. The generous award will be presented to the highest-placed British domiciled mare to finish in the top 20 at this year’s Defender Burghley Horse Trials.

The Twemlows Burghley Scholarship consists of two embryo transfers at Twemlows, home to an expert reproductive veterinary team and state-of-the-art facilities. This valuable prize enables owners to breed from their elite competition mares whilst maintaining their competitive careers.

“Embryo transfer has opened the door to breeding from elite mares while they are still in their competitive prime,” explains Twemlows Stud Farm manager, Edward Matson. “At Twemlows, we have a large herd of recipient mares who we carefully match to the donor mare, and we take care of every stage of the process, from synchronisation and insemination to foaling and foal care. Our vets are highly skilled, and we have great success rates with our embryo transfer programme.”

Supporting Elite Breeding for 17 Years

This year marks the 17th year that Twemlows have been providing the Burghley Scholarship, demonstrating their long-term commitment to British equestrian breeding. Previous winners include notable names such as Mary King, Piggy Frenche, Jonelle Price, and Harry Meade’s mare Cavalier Crystal, who has won the award for the past two years.

“We are delighted to be sponsoring the Defender Burghley Horse Trials once again, and we are very proud of the role we play in promoting these incredible mares’ bloodlines,” adds Edward Matson. “There are some fantastic mares competing this yea,r and we are excited to see who the Twemlows scholarship will be awarded to.”

Embryo transfer, a form of equine surrogacy, involves the donor mare being inseminated and the embryo being transferred to a recipient mare who carries the foal to term. This innovative technique allows competing mares to be bred from without pausing their competitive schedule or putting them at risk, whilst also enabling breeding from mares who cannot safely carry foals themselves.

Based in Shropshire, Twemlows Stud Farm is a family business run by Edward Matson. As one of the UK’s leading Artificial Insemination and Embryo Transfer centres, they handle over 300 mares annually using more than 130 different stallions each year. They offer a comprehensive range of reproductive services, including artificial insemination, embryo transfer, OPU & ICSI, alongside a large herd of recipient mares and a comprehensive foaling unit.

The stud is also passionate about education, running various courses for both veterinarians and horse owners throughout the year. The scholarship represents Twemlows’ ongoing commitment to supporting British breeding and ensuring that elite competition mares can contribute to future generations whilst remaining at the peak of their competitive careers.

The Defender Burghley Horse Trials takes place from 4-7 September 2025 at Burghley House, Stamford, Lincolnshire.