Sunday, October 9, 2016

October 9, 2016

Whenever I start getting emails and texts from people asking if I'm OK or prompting me to get my ass in gear and write a new journal entry, I know it's been way too long.  Sorry about that.  I have no excuses other than the life itself.

As many of you know, my dad died this summer.  He was almost 98.  He lived alone in his own home until about two months before he died. He lived a long and full life. Although I don't have any unresolved issues or unspoken conversations with him, his death has left me diving into some unexplored, and unexpected, existential depths. It's not really an angst in the traditional sense of the word, but I'm unsettled.  My mom died three years ago, and my only full brother died in 1989.  I'm all that's left of my nuclear birth family.  Of course, life has been kind to me and I am surrounded by boatloads of love and a strong, capable family who buoys me even on my worst of days--so please don't infer any self pity in this statement. I'm just in unchartered territory, as it were; hence, you haven't seen a lot of writing from me as of late.

In the horse world, we've hit some milestones this year.  One, we achieved our Platinum Status with the KWPN-NA.  I haven't filled out or submitted the paperwork yet, but we have the points. Two, we bred the number one foal in North America for the second year in a row--out of different marelines and both out of SSF-bred mares, I might add.  Three, this number one foal, LeLiscia SSF (Govenor x Eliscia SSF x UB-40) is the closest is type and movement to the ideal of what we've been breeding for for almost three decades.  Is she had a little more expression in her trot, I would say we had hit perfection and needed to stop breeding.  Four, as it is, after 25 foal crops, I think we're just hitting our stride with our breeding program.  The next two generations are going to blow people away.

Not including poor Last Child SSF (LaVita's colt who was struck by lightning), out of six foals, we're keeping the Governor filly and have sold four others.  We only have one boy left for sale, Liberto SSF (Sir Sinclair x Werites SSF x Freestyle).  We owe many thanks to our friends, repeat customers, and SSF fans out there who believe enough in our program to snatch up these babies before they're even weaned, year after year.  Thank you.

Next year could be a record year for us (hopefully, Carol isn't reading this post...); I can see us keeping half a dozen babies from the 2017 crop.  Colt or filly, we most likely won't sell the Uno Don Diego out of Galearites SSF, the Totilas out of BoWendy, the Governor out of Gazania, or the Roven xx out of Orchis.  Add to these four a Governor filly from ZaVita SSF and a Vitalis filly from either D'Orites SSF or Werites SSF, and we're up to enough horses to need an addition on the barn next year.  Then, if by some miracle, Nemels is pregnant to Donatelli and gives us a pinto filly, we're completely screwed.

Next year's sales are already looking good. We have three people interested the Governor x Contango if it's a colt, one person interested in the Netto x UB-40, and one person interested in the Vitalis x Donatelli--plus, a number of people asking about foals we don't intend to sell.

As you can imagine, I'm already scheming and planning about my 2017 breeding picks.  I've actually already purchased three doses of a new stallion!  All I'm going to tell you is we're going to have to use him on my non-Jazz mares.  I'm going to hold off buying anymore frozen until after the Stallion Show in February.  I'm resigned to the fact that we have almost no option but to go with all frozen semen again next year.  Knock on wood we have a similar success rate to this year.

Again, sorry for the long dry spell.  Don't hesitate to give me a shout via email, FB messenger, or text if you're getting desperate for a journal entry or have something in particular you want me to write about. I appreciate how many of you have followed my thoughts over the years.