Cierra is 10 and isn't getting any younger. It is no secret that Brad has always hoped to carry on Cierra's wonderful disposition & lineage. We have had casual conversations in the past with his trainer and Cierra's breeder. Questions like, what type of stud would they match her up with? Hard to answer, with differing opinions on improving the good things she has along with so many variables. Brad has also talked to our vet for his valued experience about things like age, timing etc.
For whatever it's worth and since it seems everyone's head goes there, let's just be clear we have zero intention of getting into the breeding business. I understand why others do, and am thankful for good breeders who sell offspring!!
As far as our related experience, Brad grew up on a dairy farm and knows livestock (including horses). Me, not so much. He also knows a fair amount about lineage, but I do not. It is sweet he wants me to be involved in the process and decisions. In order to be of any value, I wanted to educate myself a bit. I know most only go back two or three levels of lineage, but I wanted to learn some history and traits. Altho traits vary a lot.
The first thing I needed to know was, what is Brad hoping to get out of breeding Cierra? In a nutshell, he wants to raise his own homebred Ranch show horse that can compete at the AQHA level.
I searched online, and read some QH articles. Posted at bottom, if interested. We get the AQHA magazine, and I also tried learning from a Facebook QH pedigree group. That page leaves me confused with so many conflicting opinions.
To begin our stud search, Brad sent me these registries to look at Performance Stallions. I was a little stunned that he is setting the bar so high, but I get it under the circumstances:
https://www.qstallions.com/
https://stallionregisterdirectory.com/performance-stallions/
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Based on what I saw & read I found my favorite potential match, Whizkey-n-Diamonds:
https://stallionregisterdirectory.com/listing/whizkey-n-diamonds/
He has nice looking off-spring, many have accomplishments:
http://www.rhodesriverranch.com/whizkey_foals.php
Whizkey-n-Diamonds Dam (goes back to TwoEyed Jack, but also has Impressive):
https://www.allbreedpedigree.com/princess+in+diamonds
Whizkey-n-Diamonds Sire: https://www.allbreedpedigree.com/top+sail+whiz
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Brads favorite match for Cierra is One Fine Vintage: https://www.qstallions.com/StallionDet?id=141&sort=Performance/Ranch
I didn't do any research on him, but Brad did. He ran both of the studs past his trainer, and she did her own research. She thought One Fine Vintage may be too hot and didn't add other contenders. She really likes Whizkey-n-Diamonds and thinks he would be a good match.
We will keep doing research. This Fall he will make a decision on a potential stud, and plans to apply for 2021 breeding (via artificial insemination, luckily our vet specializes in it) to see if Cierra is accepted. We hope so! In her five years of being shown, she has accomplished a few achievements. Qualifying for Worlds Show(s) and 1st place Performance Register of Merit as well as her show record points for five years.
I look forward to this future life goal experience, with guidance from quality advisors. Including you guys. I will be watching for valued input as things transpire. Feel free to share if you have resources, words of wisdom or anything to add to the above.
We haven't had a baby horse in our lives since 2010:
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| the moment I knew Cierra was his girl |
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| telling secrets |
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| checking each other out |
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| Cierra (her Dam on right) |
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| Cierra |
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If interested, the better articles I read:
https://www.aqha.com/-/2019-top-5-ranch-horse-sires
This article is the type of preliminary information I was looking for:
https://westernhorseman.com/culture/flashbacks/the-top-10-ranch-horse-bloodlines/
To me, disposition is the most important trait. According to the above Western Horseman article, I would hands-down be looking for a TwoEye Jack descendent. But then, after reading another article https://westernhorseman.com/culture/flashbacks/two-eyed-jack/# it says TwoEye Jack was intensely inbred. Makes me unsure about his line. I read a thread on some site about "what lines people dislike most". The author said TwoEyed Jack was the most disliked line, altho he never said never said why. Plenty of others responded with owning a descendent of his, that was/is the best horse they ever had. Lineage is just like every other horse thing, subjective & confusing...
