What was the problem with Bull Lea?

[Linda_d]

As I've been lurking and occaisionally posting on this forum, I've looked at a lot of TB pedigrees, and the one thing I've noticed is that the famous Calumet Farm sire, Bull Lea, that was a leading American sire time and again in the 1940s and 1950s, appears in the pedigrees of very few current top-class TBs. Alydar is the only one I've found with prominent Bull Lea blood, having 2 crosses.

Now, I know that despite siring such great runners as Citation and Coaltown, none of Bull Lea's sons were much good as sires, but BL also sired some great fillies, too, and relatively few of them were great producers. One might say that he lived too long ago to show up prominently in modern pedigrees, but the fact is that two of his contemporaries, Mahmoud and War Admiral, are repeatedly found in the pedigrees of top TBs. Heck, if you follow the lines back, you find the leading sires of the early 20th century like Broomstick, Peter Pan, and Fair Play, like golden threads, in the lines of many of today's top horses. The same can't be said about Bull Lea.

So, why did such a dominant stallion of a half century ago so fail to continue either his male or female lines? Am I missing something? Many of his runners ran a lot of races, so they had to have considerable soundness. Were his race winners the result of "outbreeding" as opposed to "inbreeding", and so they were less likely to produce runners like themselves?

I know that for years before Alydar came on the scene, Calumet suffered hard times in that their horses just weren't competitive. Any ideas on the whys of this?

[Mahubah]

Actually, Bull Lea was a great broodmare sire, leading that list four times, but his sons were nealy uniform failures as stallions. Bull Page was probably the most influential, as he was the broodmare sire of Nijinsky II and the second damsire of The Minstrel. Probably some sex-imprinted genetics going on.

You'll also find Bull Lea through the family of Citation's daughter Silver Spoon.

[francesca]

My mare has Bull Lea through her dam's side. Commodore M. a son of Bull Lea was crossed with a daughter of Whirlaway. Quite a while ago, but fun. I do not think that Commodore M. was a well known son of Bull Lea. He evidently stood his whole career at Calumet.

[smilton]

Our stallion has him 6 back on the bottom but he has relatively old lines that are more popular for sport horses. No Norther Dancer, No Native Dancer, No RAN, No Mr.P.
Heres his pedigree-
http://www.pedigreequery.com/hismajestyscolors

[francesca]

Look at the pedigree of Bold Forbes.

http://www.pedigreequery.com/bold+forbes

This is also through Commodore M.

[BJ]

[habitat]

Bull Lea himself was a great sire, just not a sire of sires.

[Patuxet]

Bull Lea still appears in lots of pedigrees as the bottom-line grand-dam of Roberto.

[Maven]

Our stallion has him 6 back on the bottom but he has relatively old lines that are more popular for sport horses. No Norther Dancer, No Native Dancer, No RAN, No Mr.P.
Heres his pedigree-
http://www.pedigreequery.com/hismajestyscolors

My favorite broodmare is a His Majesty. What a sweetheart. http://www.pedigreequery.com/joy+of+ireland How's the temperment on your guy?

[smilton]

Hismajestyscolors has a decent temperment. Someone was very rough with him on the track so he anticipates being yanked on and smacked around. If you are quiet with him he is a sweetheart to deal with but if you get physical with him he gets physical back. I move him from stall to pasture with just a regular lead. He may rear and make a scene but he never pulls on the lead. He just likes to show off a little.

[Patuxet]

Maven:

If Joy Of Ireland is your favorite broodmare what was she doing in the Ocala January sale where she failed to bring a bid? I ask because she was on my "look at" list. Alas, one of life's realities intruded and I wasn't able to get over to the sale -- perhaps to your advantage.

To whom are you breeding her this year?

Archer

[Maven]

Actually, I picked her up about a month and a half ago after the sale took place.

She's my favorite because you've never been around a nicer horse. She's a big puppy.

With her pedigree and race record, I thought i'd give her a try. She's the only one of my mares going to a Florida stallion. I just couldnt justify sending her to Kentucky.

She went to West Acre this year. Here's hoping she's infoal on first try. Love the match up.

[Patuxet]

Maven:

I thought she'd make an interesting fit with Twilight Agenda which stands in LA.

Best of luck with her.

Archer

[Jorge]

When I think about Bull Lea I am amazed that his broodmare influence produced the great track record setter Gate Dancer (1981).

[Louise]

A friend just added the pedigree for Police Blotter, a horse owned by another friend, who knew his registered name, but not his pedigree. There, way back on the mare line, too far removed to be any influence, is Bull Lea.