Thursday, June 4, 2015

Breeding and Foaling Updates

We now have four foals on the ground and the fifth is imminent!  

Knockout SSF (Eye Catcher x Bon Bravour) is a chestnut colt with an outrageous propensity for passage already.  I'm not convinced he's as modern a type as the KWPN selects, but we he's pretty close to Scot's ideal type:  muscular, supple, balanced, and charismatic.  He's a keeper.

Kiarites SSF (Fairytale x Donatelli) is a fancy black filly.  She's the first of two fillies born so far that we would have been happy to keep for our program, but, alas, that's not how it has played out.  This fancy little girl was prepurchased, so keeping her isn't an option. Our longtime friend, Jenn Tousignant is excited to add this filly to her program. We will, however, breed her mom right back to Fairytale.

Kanadian SSF (UB-40 x Sir Sinclair).  It's a tall order to be the fourth full brother in a line of super fancy colts, including Godot SSF, high score adult dressage horse in North America last year, but this colt more than holds his own.  Color and marking-wise, he looks just like Godot, light chestnut with a big white star--type and movement-wise, he's even fancier.  If this colt hadn't been prepurchased, I would have put a price tag of $25,000 or $30,000 on him.  He's that nice.  As it is, I'm equally as happy that he's going to Grand Prix rider, Eiren Crawford.

Karmites (UB-40 x Freestyle) makes three chestnuts out of four foals born so far.  Karma is a super pretty filly who looks so much like her grandmother, Orchis.  I was really excited because the prepurchase on this breeding was for a colt, so I thought this little Orchis clone was going to be added to our broodmare band...not the case.  Connie Cartesio is buying this filly as a future dressage partner for Jackie Cartesio.  She's going to be a super star.

All and all, we're amassing an impressive foal collection so far this year (knock on wood)--four more to go! The next two foals are also pre sold if I decide to sell them.  There's a colt option on the Governor x ZaVita foal, and a pinto option on the Governor x Samber.  It's possible that we only have one more foal to sell this year, our UB-40 x Vincent. If that one is a filly, however, she's probably not going anywhere!

On the breeding front, we have two pregnancies to report and some more breedings.  In foal for 2016:

Eliscia SSF to Governor
Honorites SSF to Florianus II

Bred in the last few days:

Felicites SSF to Florianus II
Hyacintia to Chagall D and R

Unfortunately, it doesn't look as if Gazania is pregnant from the first dose of Bordeaux.  Expensive bummer.  I love it when frozen semen works well; when it doesn't, it hurts.  It looks as if we'll be breeding Gazania with our second dose of Bordeaux this weekend, as well as LaVita to someone.  LaVita is an old girl now, and she's not cycling the way she used to.  I'm not sure if she'll get pregnant or not.  We'll just have to play it by ear and see if I have time to order semen, or if I need to dig into the tank.

Below is a picture of Felicites SSF (Rousseau x Jazz x Roemer) after her daily workout.  She's developed really nicely, but was having some training issues.  Thanks to Phil Shipman, it looks as if those are well on the way to being resolved, and we're gearing up for re-presenting her at this year's keuring.