"Sire Lines"

Patuxet · Posted: Thu May 03, 2012 2:15 pm Post subject: "Sire Lines"

"Sire Lines" by Abram S. Hewitt is one of my favorite books. The author knowingly writes about some 90 significant stallions which are shown in clear conformation photographs accompanied by 5-generation pedigrees.

I love to pick this book up and graze in it. If you enjoy the Charles Hatton profiles you'll probably also like these well-written ones as well.

The Blood-Horse is having a sale and selling this hard-cover edition for only $10, IMO a real steal.

http://www.exclusivelyequine.com/ViewProduct.aspx?productID=B11-1113(BHP)&parentCategory=Clearance&category=Clearance&categoryName=Clearance(BHP)
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"He is pure air and fire and the dull elements of earth and water never appear in him; he is indeed a horse ..." Wm. Shakespeare - Henry V

Affirmed1 · Posted: Thu May 03, 2012 2:52 pm Post subject: ordered this- thanks for posting!

Shipping came to $4.95. I will spend hours of enjoyable study! Smile

Barcaldine · Posted: Thu May 03, 2012 4:59 pm Post subject:

A great book written by a great man. I had the privilege of joining him for a private lunch 31 years ago at the TB Club near Keeneland and have never forgotten it and the wisdom he shared. Mr Hewitt was a worldly man of considerable means and was responsible for breeding and importing some of the finest horses to America over the course of many decades. He brought *TEDDY, *CHALLENGER ii, *KSAR, and many other well-known stallions here in the 20's and 30's. In the 70's he imported the Italian champion SIRLAD (sired by US Champion 2yo BOLD LAD) and proceeded to win several Grade One stakes here. He bred the Blue Hen mare PLANETOID (3 x 2 Sweep) who founded the elite GREY FLIGHT family (Misty Morn, Bold Lad, What a Pleasure, etc) . And as a friend of many industry giants he was privy to information not readily available to journalists and historians. It was Hewitt who imbued in me my fascination, and belief in, utilizing inbreeding to produce hybrid vigor.

Unlike today's pretenders who would endorse any man's horse for a price, Hewitt was a true horseman whose opinions were based on merit not babble. This book was among Hewitt's best; I never cease to enjoy it.

ak1 · Posted: Thu May 03, 2012 8:15 pm Post subject:

Thank you for sharing this link....long been a book I've wanted to add to my collection. And so I did along with Gold Rush, Etched in Stone and Best of the Widener Collection. Great prices! $37 total for the four which includes shipping.

Mahubah · Posted: Sat May 05, 2012 12:24 pm Post subject:

Well, I'm flattered that you picked up Gold Rush. Hope you enjoy it.

P. S. Sire Lines is an excellent choice for the library of any student of the Thoroughbred. I have a copy myself -- well worth it.
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"A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher...You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse." C. S. Lewis

ak1 · Posted: Sat May 05, 2012 3:43 pm Post subject:

Lisann · Posted: Mon May 07, 2012 11:13 am Post subject:

Thanks for the heads up on this! I ordered 7 books. I got Gold Rush, too.

ak1 · Posted: Mon May 07, 2012 8:29 pm Post subject:

My books arrived today...that was quick! I just paid for standard shipping...happy reading time for me this week Very Happy

Bohemia · Posted: Tue May 08, 2012 7:47 pm Post subject:

Both Gold Rush and Sire Lines have a prominent place on my bookshelf. My 17-year-old daughter loved Gold Rush, too ... love that the younger generation has taken an interest in racing/breeding!

Mahubah · Posted: Thu May 10, 2012 5:07 pm Post subject:

Thanks for the feedback, I do appreciate it!

In a lot of ways, Gold Rush (about Mr. Prospector) was tougher to write than The Kingmaker (Northern Dancer) -- Mr. Prospector was a remarkable horse in his way but just seemed to lack that extra spark of personality that made Northern Dancer so compelling. Maybe those who were acquainted with both horses would feel differently, but that's how they impressed me at secondhand.
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"A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher...You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse." C. S. Lewis

Barcaldine · Posted: Thu May 10, 2012 6:27 pm Post subject:

Mahubah,

I havent read Gold Rush but imagine it will be as good as your other work.

You may appreciate this little anecdote: In 1971, as a senior in high school, I was invited by some adult friends to accompany them to the July Select Sale at Keeneland. They wanted my pedigree input into their buying process and I was all too happy to oblige!! It was a magical trip for me, one I always remember when old John Denver's "Country Roads" hits the airwaves.

Anyway...we looked at a lot of yearlings, and even though I knew a fair amount about pedigrees I was still a neophyte when it came to conformation evaluation beyond the obvious. However, I didnt recognize that simple truth. So, when watching the Spendthrift yearlings parade before us (and in plain earshot of Leslie Combs) I boldly announced that the star yearling colt "would never stand training. Look at those front legs!" Of course I was sure the world was taking note of my carefully chosen words, but all I received was a snide look from Mr. Combs.

When that colt later topped the sale at $225,000 I LOL!! If only the unwitting buyer had tapped into my vast experience in selecting yearlings.

I think you know the end of this story. Needless to say I try to remember the lesson I ultimately learned from that youthful jaunt into adult territory every time I want to make a loud judgment call in public.

Barcaldine · Posted: Thu May 10, 2012 6:39 pm Post subject:

Mahubah,

I havent read Gold Rush but imagine it will be as good as your other work.

You may appreciate this little anecdote: In 1971, as a senior in high school, I was invited by some adult friends to accompany them to the July Select Sale at Keeneland. They wanted my pedigree input into their buying process and I was all too happy to oblige!! It was a magical trip for me, one I always remember when old John Denver's "Country Roads" hits the airwaves.

Anyway...we looked at a lot of yearlings, and even though I knew a fair amount about pedigrees I was still a neophyte when it came to conformation evaluation beyond the obvious. However, I didnt recognize that simple truth. So, when watching the Spendthrift yearlings parade before us (and in plain earshot of Leslie Combs) I boldly announced that the star yearling colt "would never stand training. Look at those front legs!" Of course I was sure the world was taking note of my carefully chosen words, but all I received was a snide look from Mr. Combs.

When that colt later topped the sale at $225,000 I LOL!! If only the unwitting buyer had tapped into my vast experience in selecting yearlings.

I think you know the end of this story. Needless to say I try to remember the lesson I ultimately learned from that youthful jaunt into adult territory every time I want to make a loud judgment call in public.

Mahubah · Posted: Sat May 12, 2012 5:54 pm Post subject:

LOL! That's definitely one for the "blush hour" column!

I never saw Mr. Prospector in person, but I can give you two candidates for the worst set of forelegs I ever saw on a horse. One was Red Bullet, who could obviously run. Having seen him move at a stallion show, I believe that his redeeming grace was that he used his hind end exceptionally well; he brought his hocks well up under himself and probably ran off them in the manner of Round Table, with tremendous impulsion and a smooth way of going. The other was a horse named The Kaiser, a Tasso horse who just about had his toes pointing to different quarters of the compass. But he was sound enough to make 47 starts and was a listed stakes winner. Go figure.
_________________
"A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher...You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse." C. S. Lewis

Barcaldine · Posted: Sat May 12, 2012 6:19 pm Post subject:

You're so right. I'm embarassed just remembering that event 41 years ago.

I do recall, and old photos have verified for me, that MR. P had a lovely head as a yearling. He was very athletic and photogenic. As an older horse he muted into a different type altogether. His head became very much like his damsire's (NASHUA), which was basically big and plain. He had the same straight hind leg that so many good stallions have, but he didnt carry the massive body of his sire, RAISE A NATIVE, who was built like DASH FOR CASH---with a hip from me to you.

Back when I started looking closely at stallions (late 70's) it was amazing how many crooked legged big name horses were at stud. I dont see that as often now, probably due as much to early surgical procedures as any conscious attempt to breed more marketable types. One of the present-day dilemmas facing breeders is that their "correct" mares and stallions still produce "crooked" babies----which, IMO, can be at least partially attributed to the corrective surgeries which mask, but dont genetically alter, crookedness.

Mahubah · Posted: Sun May 13, 2012 3:18 pm Post subject:

I think you hit on something when you mentioned that Mr. Prospector was not nearly so heavy-bodied as his sire. Many times, a horse that is not too heavy up top can run through less than ideal foreleg conformation that will stop a beefier type -- the lighter-made animals do not put so much pressure on their legs with each stride and so are less prone to breakdown. Simple physics there. Also, an athletic type that uses itself well will fare better than the beast with a heavy, pounding action; I suspect that's one reason why experienced horsemen put so much stock in watching a horse walk when making the physical assessment as the walk yields clues as to how the horse will move at the gallop. BTW, I have heard (but cannot verify from my own experience) that a horse whose "correct" appearance comes from surgery will often give itself away at the walk; may depend on how much correction was done and how young.
_________________
"A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher...You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse." C. S. Lewis