DBNA Lives On

Breeding is not for someone who can't have a little patience.  For those of you who don't know or remember DBNA (Dutch Breeders of North America), which morphed into WBNA (Warmblood Breeders of North America), about 13 years ago, I had an idea to bring better bloodlines to the continent by creating a stallion co-op that leased interesting stallions, imported them, and stood them to the general public/greater breeding community.  I forget now just how many people were involved, but we sold close to 100 memberships, some people buying multiple memberships because they had multiple mares on which to use the free breeding that came with each membership.  The idea was that members could continue to breed for free as long as they each sold a breeding in a given year, so we would continue to generate income to pay for the lease fees and the upkeep on the three stallions we imported, Freestyle, Iroko, and Hierarch.  And, it worked for a while.  In the end, a few of us ended up with the bulk of the expenses because members got their one or two free breedings and stopped participating.  Although it was a costly venture for us, it also introduced me to some incredible people, with whom I'm still really close.

Related to where I'm going with this entry, in 1996, we bought a filly at the Borculo auction to replace our foundation mare, who died of a prolapsed uterus two days after foaling.  That filly, Oladaula, went on to be the high point dressage mare at the New England keuring and one of our top producers.

Still related to where I'm going, when DBNA closed shop, Jennifer Arnoldt asked me to act as broker/negotiator between her and the Nijhofs to buy Freestyle.  A couple years later, when she was starting to improve the quality of her mare band, she asked me to send her a couple of mares that were good crosses for Freestyle.  I sent her Oladaula and her sister, Pioendaula.

Now to my point, the recent overall winner of the 70 Days Test is Fabian DSF (Freestyle x Oladaula x Hierarch).  Now do you see the connection?  It's been 18 years since we imported that filly; 13 years since we imported Freestyle; and 8 years since we sent her to Dreamscape Farm--it can take a hell of a long time for your selection decisions to make much of an impact in the breeding world, but the overall effects of DBNA are going to be long-lasting.

Of course, along the way, there have been multiple keuring winners and site champions, top tens and top fives, a Gert Van der Veen winner, young jumper champions, a silver medal in the Young Riders, and even some HOY awards as recently as this year, not to mention the positive influence on literally hundreds of breeding programs--all because of DBNA.

It could happen again.  Given the right people and, most importantly, the right selection.  It could happen again...