Norfolk: New Arrival at Banham Zoo

23 May 2012, 09:30 | Updated: 23 May 2012, 10:54

The Heavy Horse team at Banham Zoo say they are absolutely delighted with the birth of a Suffolk Punch colt foal born on Thursday 17th May 2012.

The new foal named ‘Bazoo York’ was born to ‘Bazoo Roxanne’ who was also born at Banham in 2005. This is Roxanne’s second foal and both mother and foal are doing well.

Each year just 40 – 50 Suffolk foals are born, and the new arrival is the 12^th male to be born this year and is believed to be the first registered in Norfolk in 2012.

Roxanne and York are enjoying their privacy for now but they will both be back on show in the zoo from the middle of June.

The Suffolk horse is the oldest breed of heavy horse in Great Britain. The breed dates back to the sixteenth century and all trace their male lines back to one stallion, a horse called Crisp's Horse of Ufford, who was foaled in 1768.

There were once thousands of the Suffolk heavy horse, and were a common sight on farms throughout East Anglia. They are now the most rare of our native equine breeds and designated category ‘A’ Rare Breed by the Rare Breed Survival Trust. There are currently just 480 pure bred Suffolks registered with the Suffolk Horse Society which manages the stud book for the breed.