As each season passes, more stallions horses are retired to join the ranks of breeders. With so many quality studs now, even former greats might have a hard time getting any reservations at all, let alone fill their book.
Closer to home, trying to keep a lid on the number of Otsego stallions is becoming more difficult with each passing year.
When I started breeding, the initial choice were obvious. Nightwing, my first star racer was installed as the Otsego Farms resident stud. When War Machine burst on to the scene, it was a forgone conclusion that he would stay on as a breeder when he retired. Those were two easy decisions. There have been other, more difficult, decisions that were made with an eye on stable size and available stalls.
Predator was a successful racer who had several key attributes that I felt could make him a viable stud, but I just did not have room for him. He was regretfully sold to Zippy Chippy. He did produce an Otsego colt, Sabretooth (out of Monsoon) who will race as a 2yo in 2011.
Heavens Hall was another solid racer who may have made a nice breeding stallion. Again, lack of space forced a sale, again to our friends at Zippy Chippy.
These horses were both solid citizens with earnings over $2,000,000 each, but they cannot attract mares due to the glut of good stallions.
I purchased Big Easy to race his final season at Otsego Farms. He did very well, but the plan was to retire him to stud thereafter. Big Easy was an absolute monster while racing and has one of the best AR's you can imagine; not a single weak area. There was really no demand at all for his services. Not counting our filly Huntress (out of Shadowcat), he produced just two foals in his initial breeding season, one for Bally Doyle, and another for Oak Tree. I'm sure both Amanda and Karen would have paid the $30,000 fee, but since he attracted no other attention, I provided Big Easy free of charge. This year, even though I advertised him again on the blog, there has not been a single inquiry.
Now I've got two more stallions to consider. Union Jack and Doomsday will both most likely retire at the end of 2010. Out of sheer loyalty for their exemplary service, I'd like to keep them both as studs. The problem is stall space and economic feasibility. Fact are facts.... there is simply not enough demand for stud services to warrant keeping Nightwing, War Machine, Big Easy, Union Jack, and Doomsday. Especially since the problem will continue to grow each time I retire a successful stallion.
I'm thinking that three studs will be the maximum that I can maintain here at Otsego Farms. In reality, two is probably the best number. That will mean that some very difficult decisions will have to be made very soon.
Closer to home, trying to keep a lid on the number of Otsego stallions is becoming more difficult with each passing year.
When I started breeding, the initial choice were obvious. Nightwing, my first star racer was installed as the Otsego Farms resident stud. When War Machine burst on to the scene, it was a forgone conclusion that he would stay on as a breeder when he retired. Those were two easy decisions. There have been other, more difficult, decisions that were made with an eye on stable size and available stalls.
Predator was a successful racer who had several key attributes that I felt could make him a viable stud, but I just did not have room for him. He was regretfully sold to Zippy Chippy. He did produce an Otsego colt, Sabretooth (out of Monsoon) who will race as a 2yo in 2011.
Heavens Hall was another solid racer who may have made a nice breeding stallion. Again, lack of space forced a sale, again to our friends at Zippy Chippy.
These horses were both solid citizens with earnings over $2,000,000 each, but they cannot attract mares due to the glut of good stallions.
I purchased Big Easy to race his final season at Otsego Farms. He did very well, but the plan was to retire him to stud thereafter. Big Easy was an absolute monster while racing and has one of the best AR's you can imagine; not a single weak area. There was really no demand at all for his services. Not counting our filly Huntress (out of Shadowcat), he produced just two foals in his initial breeding season, one for Bally Doyle, and another for Oak Tree. I'm sure both Amanda and Karen would have paid the $30,000 fee, but since he attracted no other attention, I provided Big Easy free of charge. This year, even though I advertised him again on the blog, there has not been a single inquiry.
Now I've got two more stallions to consider. Union Jack and Doomsday will both most likely retire at the end of 2010. Out of sheer loyalty for their exemplary service, I'd like to keep them both as studs. The problem is stall space and economic feasibility. Fact are facts.... there is simply not enough demand for stud services to warrant keeping Nightwing, War Machine, Big Easy, Union Jack, and Doomsday. Especially since the problem will continue to grow each time I retire a successful stallion.
I'm thinking that three studs will be the maximum that I can maintain here at Otsego Farms. In reality, two is probably the best number. That will mean that some very difficult decisions will have to be made very soon.
7 comments:
I agree there Jim if u dont have 1 of the top earning stallions u will find it hard to get many mares .. I honestly think UJ will make 1 hell of a stallion pity i dont have any more space to get another 1 :( ... u watch em come running for a spot when his foals are 3 .. The other u mention except WM will find it hard as u said to get a spot with any mare because there is so many stallions avaliable and no1 wants to use sprinting - miler stallions
P.S u have me down for WM till 2015 ;) .. ill see about getting another 1 to UJ next season after i figure out who i have for breeding etc
Foxie
Because I want to maintain my stable size, just adding stalls so I can keep all of my stallions is not the answer. Plus, as we agree, it makes no sense to keep all of them anyway if they don't get used.
So, I'm gonna keep three tops. Which means that Doomsday will definitely go. That's a shame because I think he'll be a great sire.
War Machine stays and I personally like sprinters and milers so I want to keep Big Easy. That means that either Nightwing or Union Jack will have to go and I really don't want to make that choice.
I don't know what I'm gonna do.
Jim maybe we can work summin out with the stallion situation .. email me and ill tell u my idea that way u can still have Nightwing and UJ ;)
Foxie
Is the author of this piece the same guy who dissed me a week or so ago for letting Forest Dancer go for $30k? No hard feelings, pal. Take my hand, and I'll help you into the same boat.
I'm down from 4 stallions to just 1 this season....
I feel your pain, Jim.
OK Stoney...you got me. I have no defense or retort.
Down to one Lise? Impossible!
I have spoken to a couple people and I think I've got a plan in mind.
I am keeping three for the next few seasons. All are versatile and all are especially strong on turf. Two are very fast and one is very long and very fast. Purple Passer was our foundation horse so even if his youngsters, who are just now hitting the tracks in numbers, don't win, he will have a stall here till Laurie kills him 10 seasons from now. Jim will call me a softie, but there it is.
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