CHARLIE WATTS

Charlie Watts was born on June 2, 1941, in a very different London than we know. He is the last of the band to join the Rolling Stones. The fame will reach him in 1965 with the song Satisfaction when the band definitively took over the world music scene. The drummer develops a passion for music thanks to his great friend Dave Green, an English jazz musician and his teenage neighbour. Initially, Watts made his bones in the London blues environment, only later he became passionate about the sound of DJ Fontana, Elvis's drummer. Charlie Watts is probably one of the most experienced drummers who ever lived and one of those who most influenced the world of music. The magic of him lies in that he was and always considered himself mainly as a jazz drummer. Analyzing the Rolling Stones drummer's way of playing, Australian music historian Alan Howe comments that Charlie Watts "had a curious way of playing". Watts' power lay in the fact that he "has always played like a jazz drummer because he has always perceived himself as a jazz drummer". In a rock 'n roll world of excess, Charlie Watts has always been an anomalous rock star. He was a reserved person and known by all for his elegance. His impeccable way of dressing earned him two quotes. The British newspaper The Daily Telegraph named him as World's Best Dressed Men. And, in 2006, the Vanity Fair newspaper cited him on the International Best Dressed List. A single great love accompanied him throughout his life for his wife Shirley Ann Shepherd, a London painter. Their love story began before the drummer met the Rolling Stones and continued until the last day. After their marriage in 1964, they had a daughter, Seraphina, born in March 1968. Watts was never a person who liked to flaunt his wealth and his fortune. So much so that while his bandmates collected luxury cars, he never even got a driver's license. He considered cars to be objects that were simply beautiful to watch. The English artist has always felt a relationship of love and hate for touring. During an interview in 2003, he stated that, while he loved playing with the band, on the other hand, he had never been interested in "becoming a pop idol always surrounded by screaming girls". Preferable to harrowing sound checks and dressing room fug, however, was the peace and fresh air of his and Shirley's manor farm at Dolton in Devon. Hunting, fishing and shooting never sounded appealing to the vegetarian couple, but outbuildings included the stables of Halsdon Arabians that Shirley will continue to run. Superlative quality care and pragmatic intuitive husbandry have always been at the central core of the Halsdon management philosophy. This hands-on practical approach to the daily life and routine of equine residents has served Halsdon well over the past three decades, as it has grown from a small collection of riding horses to a universally esteemed breeding powerhouse of over 250 horses. At the epicentre of the Halsdon approach to all horse, husbandry is the tried and true philosophy and practical approach to the State Studs of Poland. Perhaps, nowhere in the world is the social nature of the equine more appreciated and nurtured than in the stables and paddocks of Janów Podlaski, Michalów and Białka With so many mares and stallions of Polish origin comprising the Halsdon herd, the Watts were astute enough to understand the needs of their horses and were quick to adopt many of the housing styles and daily routines of the Arabian horse in Poland. The Polish-influenced stables design is most evident at Elder Park and Sunridge Farm, two of the busiest properties falling under Halsdon jurisdiction. New and converted stables got built according to the 'open stable' concept, which is the cornerstone of mare and foal in Poland. The couple has always admitted to greatly admiring the concept and the social interaction it inherently provides for all the horses. For them, it was only logical that Halsdon should duplicate this successful approach in the UK. "The open barns are great for sociability," Shirley once explained. Except for the stallions, all horses are housed full-time or part-time for daily turn-out in a socially intensive herd environment. As they grow, young fillies and colts continue to live in the open stables that maximize the health and well-being of the horses housed within. While the well-being of the horses was the primary consideration in designing the open stable concept at Halsdon, the sights and sounds of horses living in these stables have continued to be immensely rewarding. The sounds of munching hay, limbs rustling through the straw, the rhythmic swishing of tails, the soft nicker to a foal or a friend - this is the music of the stables. At Halsdon, horses know where they belong, their place in the herd. There is understanding and a sense of peacefulness. As in Poland, stallions are housed close to each other by interactive access afforded via the open bars surrounding the upper half of each box stall on three sides. Sniffing, nuzzling, licking and generally, rambunctious stallion behaviour is allowed and encouraged, the result of which is a collection of exceptionally content and socially well-mannered stallions. The stallion stables at Halsdon are surprisingly quiet and peaceful, given the machismo and testosterone levels present in many world-famous residents. The first stallion to captivate Shirley was Piechur (1979) (Banat x Pierzeja by Bandos), who lived on Halsdon for more than 22 years. Another stallion that has always taken her breath away is Simeon Sadik (1989) (Asfour x Simeon Safanad). As for the current stallion roster, Shirley talks about three of them with a particular fondness. Preferans, his sire HS Etiquette, and the newest addition WN Star of Antigua, a son of Monogramm on lease from Al Shaqab Stud, Qatar, residing in the stable of honour nearest the stud office and client room. Mares, the symbol of Halsdon excellence worldwide, comprise the bulk of the equine herd. Over 120 breeding aged mares reside on the 800 lush acres of Halsdon Stud, most of which get housed in paddocks equipped with shelters year-round. Gestating mares are brought into the open stables in the final months of pregnancy to receive additional rations. Once mares foal, they remain stabled with their foals in the open- barns until weaning, usually five to seven months later. Albula (1994) (Fawor x Algeria) was Charlie's favourite mare as well as her two daughters: HS Albertina (2014) and HS Altesse (2005). At the Pride of Poland Sale in 2009, he paid the highest price for a lot, taking home the Polish mare Pinta (2005) (Ekstern x Pilar) for the amount of €500,000 ($ US 707,000). Ten years later, at the Pride of Poland Auction 2015, Charlie made another crucial step for his breeding program, acquiring the stunning Janów Podlaski mare Altamira (2005) (Ekstern x Altona) at the price of € 250.000. When asked what they most enjoyed about horses and the wonderful life they have lived alongside them, The Watts once affirmed without hesitation: "Just being among them. We love to feel the heat of their bodies, to listen to the rhythmic cadence of their breathing, to relish in the quiet satisfaction of belonging. They make us feel like we belong. Charlie used to enjoy the company of those extraordinary creatures more than humans. Once he said: "Not that I loathe my species, but they'd find me a miserable little man after a while." Shortly before his death, media reported that he had undergone surgery and that Steve Jordan would be taking his place on the Stones' No Filter Tour of the US. To the news of his death, everyone bowed down before paying homage to him. Even the ex-Beatles Paul McCartney, who on Twitter remembered him as "a lovely boy" and "a fantastic drummer" who was "steady as a rock". Ringo Starr wrote, " Rest in peace, Charlie Watts.