Elwick Stud is one of the North East's leading thoroughbred nurseries, set across more than 200 acres of beautiful County Durham countryside at Sheraton Farm. It is home to over 130 horses at every stage of life — from newborn foals to broodmares in foal, yearlings being prepped for the sales, and horses resting between racing campaigns.
Founded in 1998 by Geoff Turnbull MBE, the stud has grown into a serious breeding operation with a band of around 35 broodmares, while never losing the family feel it started with. Its goal is a simple but demanding one: to breed the very best equine athletes.
It's where our own horses begin their story — including our Almanzor filly, bred and raised here before her sale, and our Almanzor × Queen of Camelot colt, with shares available now.
Geoff Turnbull's love of horses was handed down from his father, who was head horse keeper at Horden Colliery and led the pit ponies out of the mine for the final time in April 1971. As a boy, Geoff would tell his father he would own racehorses one day — earning the affectionate nickname “Walter Mitty, the dreamer.” His father taught him a lesson that still guides the stud today: “If you have the love and respect for a horse, you have a friend for life.”
That dream took shape in 1998, when Geoff bought his wife Sandra a horse for Christmas. Nicknamed “Tinsel,” the mare La Sylphide raced from 2000 to 2004 before retiring to become the very first broodmare of Elwick Stud. From those beginnings at the family's Elwick home — stables, foaling boxes, paddocks and a horse walker all on the doorstep — the operation moved to its current base at Sheraton Farm in 2014.
Today, Geoff's son Nick Turnbull fully oversees the stud, which is run day to day by stud manager Gary Moore. Having spent 12 years at Coolmore — the world's most powerful breeding operation — and been around horses since the age of two, Gary brings a renowned eye for a mare, carrying the family's values forward with the same care and ambition. He works alongside his wife Louisa Moore and a dedicated team including yard leader Jamie Knight and stud hands who care for every horse, day in and day out.
Every horse is looked after by a team with experience gained at some of the top studs in the world — with the highest level of care and attention at each stage of life.
Broodmares are selected and matched to stallions with the aim of breeding genuine racehorses — sound, well-made and bred to compete.
Foals are born and raised on the farm, watched closely through their first, most formative weeks and turned out to grow up naturally across the Durham paddocks.
Young stock are handled daily, developing the manners, condition and confidence that set them up for a life in training.
Yearlings are brought on either for the sales or prepared to go straight into racing, presented in peak condition.
Horses out of training come home to the stud to rest, recover and freshen up between campaigns.
Everything is done as locally as possible — feed and straw still come from the same suppliers used since 1998, supporting the local economy.
Elwick Hall is now home to a purpose-built stallion standing facility, established for the retirement to stud of Group-winning miler Mondialiste — a horse who carried the Turnbull colours to victory on the biggest stages.
Geoff also strengthened the stud's future with some outstanding broodmares, including Stream Song, a beautifully bred half-sister to British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes winner Journey, secured for 440,000gns. It is bloodlines like these that give Elwick — and the horses that begin their journey here — a genuine chance at the top level.
The horses we offer shares in begin their lives in the care of studs like Elwick. Come and be part of the journey from the foaling barn to the winner's enclosure.
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