The man behind bringing Her Royal Highness Princess Anne to open a brand-new horse fertility facility in Whitchurch has said his father would be proud of their success.

Tullis Matson, who owns Stallion AI in Ash Lane, Whitchurch, was joined by The Princess Royal to open the state-of-the-art Chapel Field Stud facility on Monday.

But he found time in his busy day to remember his father Richard, who died in 2015, as he set both Tullis and brother Edward – owner of Twemlows Stud Farm – on the road to their success.

“As an old Whitchurch family, it’s great to bring Princess Anne here to open this,” said Tullis. “My father opened a farm here back in the early 1960s which was decimated by foot and mouth.

“He picked himself back up again with cows and pigs and then diversified into horses about 30 years ago.

“It was a bit of a gamble and hopefully it’s paid off. He’s not with us any more but he would be looking down with the biggest smile on his face at Princess Anne coming today.”

Princess Anne was joined by a number of VIP guests, including Whitchurch mayor Councillor Tony Neville and Shropshire Council chairman Cllr Ann Hartley, who both greeted her on arrival.

She later went on a tour of the horse semen-collecting facility.

A number of guests included many of the stallions’ owners plus experts from within the sports breeding industry, and Tullis was delighted to share the opening of the 30-acre site with them all.

He added: “It’s a project that’s been going on for around five years and the people we invited are the ones who put us on the map and got us here in the first place.

“The stallion owners have made this what it is so today is about thanking them. Behind that, it’s about our team, our 25 members of staff who are dedicated to the cause.

“We’re doing a lot with the Rare Breeds Survival Trust with three Suffolk stallions and a lot of our work is to do genetic banking to save these rare animals.

“There’s only 72 females left in the country – they will become extinct if we don’t do anything.

“If we can help a little bit, then brilliant. We can use our technology – the latest that’s out there – to aid these endangered animals.”