Tullis Matson (Founder and Managing Director)
Tullis began his career with horses working in racing stables where he spent two years as Assistant Trainer to Philip Hobbs. In 1990 he came home to run his father’s non thoroughbred stud at Twemlows Hall.
In 1993 he left for a study tour of New Zealand where he visited 17 studs and racing stables. Whilst travelling around New Zealand he completed a course on the Artificial Insemination (AI) of horses. At this point he returned home and Twemlows Hall Stud Farm began practising AI for the first time.
In 1996 the stud had grown on such a large scale that at this point Tullis started his own business Stallion AI Services Ltd, a Stallion Semen Collection Centre running from Twemlows Hall. From the outset he had a contract with Genus to carry out their collecting of semen prior to freezing. This soon developed into taking stallions in for freezing, chilling and fresh insemination. In 1997 he undertook further training at the University of Utrecht in Holland.
During the 16 years that stallion AI Services has been running Tullis has frozen semen from some of the world greatest stallions. He has frozen semen from more than 700 stallions and carried out over 10,000 collections.
In 2008, Tullis set up Equine Reproduction Supplies which is now the UK’s largest distributor of equine artificial insemination equipment and in 2010 was given the exclusive rights to distribute the world renowned “minitube” products in the UK.
In 2011 Tullis Matson received the Marsh Christian Award for Conservation in Genetic Bio-Diversity. He has been given the award for the technological advances he has brought to the field of equine semen freezing which has enabled some rare breeds to be collected from and frozen successfully for the first time. The award, run in conjunction with the Rare Breeds Survival Trust, recognises significant technical, scientific and practical contributions to the field of genetic bio-diversity. The Prince of Wales is among the award’s previous winners.
In his spare time Tullis loves nothing more than throwing himself out of planes, having done over 1600 skydives!!!!
Kate Ashmore (Stud Manager)
Kate has now been with Stallion AI Services since August 2010 and has survived her first season, just!! Kate is responsible for the day to day running of the centre and most importantly keeping Tullis and all the girls happy. She makes sure that all our stallions and their owners receive a first class service and go home happy, and is always at the end of the phone to answer any questions you may have.
In 2005 she completed her BSc in Equine Science with Honours at Rodbaston College in Staffordshire and over the next two years worked at the college as the Assistant Manager. Then in 2008 an email to Edward Matson resulted in Kate going to work as an AI Technician at Twemlows Hall where she gained invaluable stud experience and became the Assistant Manager.
After a season at Twemlows Hall Kate was offered the opportunity to manage an Arabian Stud Farm in Shropshire where she worked for two years until moving back to Twemlows Hall to work for the other brother at Stallion AI Services.
Kate got married this summer and when she’s not at work (which isn’t often) she enjoys spending her time off with her family and little dog.
Charlotte Stokes (Stud Groom)
Charlotte is one of our longest standing members of staff having worked at Stallion AI Services for over 5 years. In 2010 charlotte completed an NVQ Level 2 in Horse Care and is a fully qualified DEFRA approved Artificial Insemination Technician. Charlotte also has an NPTC in the Safe Use of Veterinary Medicine.
Charlotte is responsible for the day to day care of the resident stallions at the centre and her love of horses and caring nature ensures that they all get plenty of attention. In the years she has worked here she has developed strong relationships with our two teaser mares, Charity and Sheila and makes sure they both get the love they deserve. As our ‘Chief Semen Collector’ Charlotte is an invaluable member of the team.
In her spare time Charlotte is a bit of a party animal and loves to go out with her friends. Charlotte is most importantly responsible for organising our staff parties!!!
Pamela Leach (Stud Groom)
Pam has just worked her first season at Stallion AI Services and has proved to be skilled at many tasks from looking after the stallions to processing semen in the laboratory. Pam also spends allot of her time in the office, so it may be her jolly voice you hear at the other end of the phone!
Previously Pam worked as the Yard manager at Weighbridge Equestrian Centre in Surrey for 11 years. In 2000 Pam completed a National Certificate in Equine Studies at Merrist Wood College in Guildford.
Pam’s spare time is spent with her own horse, a Welsh Sec D Cob, leaving sometime for her fiancé. Pam is planning on getting married next summer and hopefully we’ll all get an invite!
Samantha Canning (Stud Groom)
It’s been Sam’s first season at Stallion AI Services and she’s our youngest member of staff. Sam is responsible for the day to day care of the stallions at the centre and her role has developed into handling the stallions during semen collections.
Sam is also responsible for making us laugh and there’s never a dull moment when she’s around! Sam enjoys her riding and has competed in unaffiliated eventing with her own horse. However, she now settles for keeping Tullis’s own horses fit and is our resident jockey!
After completing her National Diploma in Horse Care and Management at Rodbaston College, Sam worked as an event groom in Staffordshire. Prior to this she worked for one season as a Stud Groom for Newcombe and East Veterinary Practice in Brownhills.
Astrid Bebbington (Stud Groom)
Astrid currently works part time at Stallion AI Services, but has been full time in the past and in total has worked for us for over 5 years. Astrid knows the running of the centre and our resident stallions inside out and comes to the rescue whenever we need extra help on the yard.
Previously Astrid has worked as a groom on both Hunting and Eventing yards and has completed an NVQ Level 2 in Horse Care. Astrid is a fully qualified DEFRA approved Artificial Insemination Technician.
Astrid is particularly interested in sport horse breeding and has begun to breed and produce herself on a small scale. Her spare time is now spent caring for this year’s Cheeky foals and preparing for next year’s crop!
Linda Savage (Stud Secretary)
Linda has been with Stallion AI Services for 5 years and works as our Stud Secretary, she is an essential part of the daily running of the centre. Linda is always on hand to sort out any problems we have and most importantly she pays our wages!
Linda, despite her allergy of horses, is a dedicated member of the team and endeavours to answer any questions you may have, even if it is sometimes with a sneeze! In her spare time, Linda likes to relax with her family and dogs, far away from any horses.
Charity (Head Teaser Mare)
Charity is the most senior member of the Stallion AI Services team. She has been with us for 12 years now and over the years has really seen it all!
Charity is responsible for the smooth running of the collections in the mornings, and is excellent at showing young stallions how it’s all done. She is a kind, sweet natured, placid mare and will stand for the most inexperienced of stallions.
It’s extremely important that Charity is looked after to the highest standards and kept happy, happy Charity = happy stallions = happy staff.
At night charity demands to be taken to her 5* stable where she receives her evening banquet!!!!!!
Sheila (Apprentice Teaser)
Sheila is Charity’s No 2, she has been with us for 3 years now and is currently in her final year of studies. Charity brings Sheila with her to collections every morning to continue with her training.
Before coming to Stallion AI Services Sheila was a ridden mare but decided she would like a change in career. She wasn’t here long before she got the hang of things and now is on her way to being Charity’s Deputy.
Sheila is a lovely mare and has beautiful temperament, there’s not many stallions that can resist her black and white bum!
