For those of you who share my obsession with looking at pedigrees, got a question for you -- how did you get started on this weird and wonderful business of digging through books, magazines, old stallion registers, etc., hoping to come up with a few more facts to help you understand where good horses come from?
The reason for my question is my editor at Market Watch -- he'd like me to put together an article for his readers on "how to" get started in learning about pedigrees and thought a good place to start would be to ask people already interested in this area how they got started in this rather odd branch of study.
Myself, I got bitten by the bug when I was about fifteen, reading anything horse-related I could find and got my hands on a copy of Sir Charles Leicester's Bloodstock Breeding -- rapidly started filling up spiral notebooks with notes afterwards. Nothing much has changed, except now I keep most of my notes on the computer, which at least takes up less space.
The pedigree bug -- how'd YOU get started?
Moderators: Roguelet, hpkingjr, WaveMaster
The pedigree bug -- how'd YOU get started?
"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
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yukidragon
- Starters Handicap
- Posts: 616
- Joined: Sun Oct 31, 2004 11:29 pm
- Location: Oregon
Started as a handicapping tool and interest grew from there.
One of my first days at my new job, my boss made me do a couple five-generation pedigrees (with breeders) by using only the old American Stud books.
Yes it could be done easier on-line now, but when you do it with the old books you appreciate it more. It's like a puzzle that slowly comes together.
One of my first days at my new job, my boss made me do a couple five-generation pedigrees (with breeders) by using only the old American Stud books.
Yes it could be done easier on-line now, but when you do it with the old books you appreciate it more. It's like a puzzle that slowly comes together.
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Bill from WA
- Breeder's Cup Contender
- Posts: 1936
- Joined: Thu Sep 16, 2004 11:20 am
- Location: Mountlake Terrace, WA
I started by using it as a handicapping tool, with only a vague understanding of what I was looking at. When I purchased my first thoroughbred at auction in 1967, I corresponded with Leon Rasmussen in an effort to learn more about this filly and her lineage. I found it all very fascinating and I haven't stopped since. I love old books and devour anything I can get my hands on that has been written on the subject. An all encompassing pursuit.
Bill
Bill
Hold fast to dreams, for if dreams die, life is like a broken winged bird that cannot fly.
Langston Hughes
Langston Hughes
I started getting interested in pedigrees when I was young.
Hi,
I got interested in pedigrees when looking at sales catalogues as a kid and I had an older friend named Alvin Lowery who had the American Produce records and as a kid I did research looking through stud books, microfiche, the old American Produce records and old racing forms. I even sold pedigree reports I wrote up as a kid. I was born in El Paso and my parents raced horses at Sunland Park and when I was two I moved with my parents to Shenandoah Downs and Charles Town in West Virginia. I grew up on the track cooling horses out and eventually ponying horses. I also grew up in 4-H raising livestock and showing my Quarter Horse who was also my pony horse. I met my wife while I was in 4-H and I met her at National 4-H Congress in Chicago and she was from Maine. My mom was a horse trainer and my dad a farrier. I also got to work a couple of sales at Timmonium for Tyson Gilpin. Last year I finally got into breeding Thoroughbreds and I bought Lady Wrong Song who is by El Prado-Wrong Song by Jeblar and she was in foal to Tri Line. Last
December I bought my filly White Wedding who is by Siphon-Miss Diana A by Cormorant. She broke her maiden in a Maiden Special Weight at Aqueduct and she is only four. My wife loves the Appaloosas and I love the Thoroughbreds and I have always liked handicapping the races. I have always had a great interest in pedigree research.
Keith
I got interested in pedigrees when looking at sales catalogues as a kid and I had an older friend named Alvin Lowery who had the American Produce records and as a kid I did research looking through stud books, microfiche, the old American Produce records and old racing forms. I even sold pedigree reports I wrote up as a kid. I was born in El Paso and my parents raced horses at Sunland Park and when I was two I moved with my parents to Shenandoah Downs and Charles Town in West Virginia. I grew up on the track cooling horses out and eventually ponying horses. I also grew up in 4-H raising livestock and showing my Quarter Horse who was also my pony horse. I met my wife while I was in 4-H and I met her at National 4-H Congress in Chicago and she was from Maine. My mom was a horse trainer and my dad a farrier. I also got to work a couple of sales at Timmonium for Tyson Gilpin. Last year I finally got into breeding Thoroughbreds and I bought Lady Wrong Song who is by El Prado-Wrong Song by Jeblar and she was in foal to Tri Line. Last
December I bought my filly White Wedding who is by Siphon-Miss Diana A by Cormorant. She broke her maiden in a Maiden Special Weight at Aqueduct and she is only four. My wife loves the Appaloosas and I love the Thoroughbreds and I have always liked handicapping the races. I have always had a great interest in pedigree research.
Keith
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louis finochio
- Darley line
- Posts: 9181
- Joined: Wed Sep 22, 2004 5:21 am
- Location: Alhambra-Calif.
- Contact:
My father took me with him to the races when I was 6 years old. I would pick up the DRF and started reading all the articles when I was starting to learn about bloodlines.
When I was 11 years old I became a racing pigeon fancier, the poor mans race horses.
When I was in my teens I would look up the produce records of the maiden races and I was on my way, as I found a way to uncover the class TB from the medicore ones.
In 1973 I started researching TB nicking patterns, in 1978 I published my first book titled TB Nicking Patterns.
Researching pedigrees is a great way to take away the stress level of the fast lane, more people should try it.
When I was 11 years old I became a racing pigeon fancier, the poor mans race horses.
When I was in my teens I would look up the produce records of the maiden races and I was on my way, as I found a way to uncover the class TB from the medicore ones.
In 1973 I started researching TB nicking patterns, in 1978 I published my first book titled TB Nicking Patterns.
Researching pedigrees is a great way to take away the stress level of the fast lane, more people should try it.
Those without sin cast the first stone.
Louis Finochio
Louis Finochio
A lifelong general love of horses aside, I really think the thing that most inspired me to get interested in thoroughbreds and thoroughbred pedigrees was watching the Kentucky Derby.every year in the '50s and -60's when I was growing up in Houston, Texas. It was nationally televised and viewed by many more people then - the annual Run For The Roses and the Triple Crown Trail were national scale sporting events for a time after WW II. I recall the "buzz" over the Derby and T/C races as being on a par with the Pennant race and the World Series in baseball or the Indy 500 (which took hours to watch back then the cars were so much slower than today!).
The Derby was something that my "yankee" family with it's roots in Michigan and upper state New York - racing and parimutual friendly country as compared to Texas in the '50s - would make a ritual out of watching. The morning of the Derby - or perhaps even a day or two beforehand while reading the sports section, Dad and Mom would begin 'talking' and teasing one another about who their pick would be to win. My mother = the horsewoman in my family - often argued her choice's pedigree superiority over the other's in explaining her choice. Back then names like Big Red were well known in the national consciousness as a reference to the greatest thoroughbred ever: Man O'War but other names I remember hearing were Silky Sullivan, John Henry, Stymie, Whirlaway, Needles, Nashua, Dr. Fager and Citation.
As a family we would traditionally each place a two dollar bet in an ashtray on the coffeetable for our 'choices', having drawn straws to determine the order of choosing. Dad always explained that the point of the 'bet' was "just to make it interesting" and it did - after all it was winner take all and at the time the take of $8.00 seemed a veritable fortune to me! We'd sing My Ol' Kentucky HOme out loud with the crowd as the Post Parade went by and we'd yell our hearts out for those faraway equines streaking around the historic oval of Churchhill Downs on our small B&W set with the rabbit ears atop. It was a family event to watch the Kentucky Derby - and to try and guess who the winner might be.
I sooo remember the sad Saturday in May when my mother took the Derby as an opportunity to get some much needed grocery shopping done, leaving the house and two fully charged up kids anticipating a great day "at the races" in my Dad's care....only to come home to find two hysterical and unconsolable daughters and a totally frustrated husband and father because one of the horses had broken down during the race and been euthanized. In an unwise bit of reality TV this sad event was witnessed by a national audience when the unfortunate horse was shotgunned live on TV as was then the tradition for euthanasia. Talk about a public outcry! That evening's "news" coverage on TV and Sunday's papers throughout the nation were full of nothing but gigantic headlines and opinion pieces about the insensitivity of shooting the horse on national TV. Frankly, I think that was the beginning of the demise of horse racing as a nationally popular past time and the beginning of a national mentality that how animals were treated really mattered. Horseracing was not seen as 'family fit' entertainment after that fiasco and many vowed never to watch a horse race again as a result. I know it cost the particular broadcasting firm, either ABC or NBC - I can no longer remember - that at that time had exclusive rights to cover the Derby their coverage of that event going forward.
However, my family - my sister and I having come to terms of sorts with the harsh reality of horse racing in that it does result in breakdowns and career ending injuries - continued to watch it every year, continuing our family tradition of the betting pool until both my parents had died (which was in the last 10years).
That is where my initial interest in thoroughbred pedigrees began. Looking back like this I just recalled that one of the last things I "did" with my mother, on one of her visit's to Houston after she and Dad moved to Flat Rock, N.C., was to go 'tour' the brand new horse track they'd built on the northside of town the weekend before it opened. WE both marveled at thjat shiney new facility AND at the fact that parimutual wagering had ever been approved by Texas voters!
Growing up we also had a wonderful book by C.W. Anderson titled 'Deep Through The Heart' that recounted the tales of some amazing thoroughbreds and in doing so, with Mr. Anderson's beautiful drawings as illustrations, brought to life legends like Kelso, and Black Gold for me. There was the "Black Stallion" series which made me a voracious reader of any and all horse books that the Bookmobile could manage to bring, and eventually reading almost anything in print including Margeret O'Henry's books, especially the one on Black Gold.
I tell you, I was hooked on horses early on and the thoroughbred in particular though it would be another 25 years before I ever went to a horse race! and another 10 years after that before I bought my first - and only - thoroughbred broodmare: Noon Time Dora'87.
I bought her in partnership as a 'test' of the market in Texas for thoroughbred breeding in 1996. I did this with my boyfriend-partner who knew nothing of horses - except that they supposedly cost a lot. However, he had observed me 'rescue' a starved Saddlebred and after returning her to health make a nice litlle profit while finding a new home for her and a few other horse trades that had turned out well so had some faith in my "eye" for a horse and an ability to judge an investment in one - to the extent one can. He also had a friend, an older gentleman, "Mr. P.", who was into the thoroughbreds at a much higher level and had a young racehorse out of his mare Marshua's Echelon - Echelon's IceMan - that he was choosing to retire to stud in Texas. So we had something of a "mentor" in Mr. P., an entree to this prospective sire that didn't look too bad a prospect for the Texas market at the time - a colt by Icecapade that was had black type and made over $100K on the track, was out of a mare who had won over $240K winning the Davona Dale stakes and at the time was the highest earning "Texas Bred" mare on record. Marshua's Echelon was still actively being bred for the classics and had yet to produce her G-1 SW Run Man Run so there was some upside there as well that might make this stallion even more attractive than he appeared to be. Seemed like we had a chance.
However, what I realize now is that we didn't go about this right at all to ensure success so never had a chance, in reality. In any event we chose to spend very little ($1400 as it turned out.). For $3000 or less - our initial purchase budget - I focused on finding locally a well conformed TB filly or mare who was under 10years old, had not been bred or had only one foal (and that one still too young to have been raced) - but a mare who had raced herself for more than just a few years/outs and hopefully had managed to win at least a few times and whose pedigree was not a complete msytery to me. Pretty loosey goosey wasn't it? What was it Pogo used to say in that artifact of 1950's cartoons: "I have met the enemy and he are us."?? Something like that or "A little bit of knowlege is a dangerous thing." would apply here.
So that was our idea - or business model - to take this physically attractive individual who as yet didn't have any 'negative' information as to her broodmare potential and offer her in foal to this unproven but promising stallion and then sell her in-foal at the Annual Breeding Stock auction in the fall at the Polo Club and see how we did. We were expecting to lose a little or possibally break even, with a profit considered highly unlikely but a large loss not really a possibility either - IF we followed through with the plan and sold the mare in-foal. I saw the biggest downside as being the possibility that she might not take or slip the foal before the sale. The idea was to sort of gingerly test' the market and find out more about the breeding business - and whether we enjoyed it - in the process without making a huge investment. I made my partner swear he wouldn't begin thinking we might have the next Kentucky Derby winner in utero and decide to keep her and foal her out. I just knew that once I saw that foal there'd be no selling her from my end and that he'd want to race that foal! Famous last words.
After inspecting some 45+ locally advertised thoroughbred fillies and mares - most of whom didn't have a recognizeable name other than RAN in their pedigree in the first four geneartions - I found "Dora"....(of course I wouldn't have recognized many of the names anyway at that point!) In fact I didn't know very much about her pedigree at all but I did "recognize" more of the names than I had with the others I'd looked at and she had met and exceeded my mental model of an attractive individual physically. She'd won a few times and raced from age 2 - age 6, with another year or so competing in match racing on the S. La. bush league tracks - sometimes besting quarterhorses in "hook races" so I knew she had some speed and some durability. I also knew when I looked at her papers that I had seen the names Ambiorix and Tourbillion very often in some of the better horses' peds at auctions I'd attended so considered it an indication of her having some back class. I'd heard of Rattle Dancer and of course Native Dancer and was glad to not see too much Northern Dancer, Native Dancer and no Raise A Native. That's about all I knew of her pedigree at the time of purchase. (Clearly I didn't have a clue that having class - any class - that far back was a non starter for the sale barn and I was absolutely clueless as to the importance of female family production history).
Along the way of deciding to purchse her, breed her and waiting for that Fall Auction I became intrigued with her uncommon sireline, other elements of her pedigree and began a habit of reading the Stakes pages of The Bloodhorse, every book I could find on the subject AND I also found this Board. I have been studying and continuing to come here ever since.
We bought "Dora" in 1996 bred her to Echelon's Ice Man for a 1997 colt and here we are 8 years later, still owning the mare, having bred her five times for five foals, and having raced two with one "Maiden" winner and one yearling yet to race. Obviously we deserted our "business model" early on. We've enjoyed some wonderful and exciting times and have experienced some real difficult and sad times, some big disappointments. Still I enjoy most that I have learned so much and continue to learn so much from this endeavor and the generous and interesting people I've met along the way...including those on this Board. That and watching horses at play on the farm where we board - mine or anyone else's are my chief joys of this sport.
The pedigree enthusiasts who contribute to this Board - of all interests and degrees of knowlege, experience and involvement - are the best and I have learned volumes here. With volumes more yet to learn, I might add.
The Derby was something that my "yankee" family with it's roots in Michigan and upper state New York - racing and parimutual friendly country as compared to Texas in the '50s - would make a ritual out of watching. The morning of the Derby - or perhaps even a day or two beforehand while reading the sports section, Dad and Mom would begin 'talking' and teasing one another about who their pick would be to win. My mother = the horsewoman in my family - often argued her choice's pedigree superiority over the other's in explaining her choice. Back then names like Big Red were well known in the national consciousness as a reference to the greatest thoroughbred ever: Man O'War but other names I remember hearing were Silky Sullivan, John Henry, Stymie, Whirlaway, Needles, Nashua, Dr. Fager and Citation.
As a family we would traditionally each place a two dollar bet in an ashtray on the coffeetable for our 'choices', having drawn straws to determine the order of choosing. Dad always explained that the point of the 'bet' was "just to make it interesting" and it did - after all it was winner take all and at the time the take of $8.00 seemed a veritable fortune to me! We'd sing My Ol' Kentucky HOme out loud with the crowd as the Post Parade went by and we'd yell our hearts out for those faraway equines streaking around the historic oval of Churchhill Downs on our small B&W set with the rabbit ears atop. It was a family event to watch the Kentucky Derby - and to try and guess who the winner might be.
I sooo remember the sad Saturday in May when my mother took the Derby as an opportunity to get some much needed grocery shopping done, leaving the house and two fully charged up kids anticipating a great day "at the races" in my Dad's care....only to come home to find two hysterical and unconsolable daughters and a totally frustrated husband and father because one of the horses had broken down during the race and been euthanized. In an unwise bit of reality TV this sad event was witnessed by a national audience when the unfortunate horse was shotgunned live on TV as was then the tradition for euthanasia. Talk about a public outcry! That evening's "news" coverage on TV and Sunday's papers throughout the nation were full of nothing but gigantic headlines and opinion pieces about the insensitivity of shooting the horse on national TV. Frankly, I think that was the beginning of the demise of horse racing as a nationally popular past time and the beginning of a national mentality that how animals were treated really mattered. Horseracing was not seen as 'family fit' entertainment after that fiasco and many vowed never to watch a horse race again as a result. I know it cost the particular broadcasting firm, either ABC or NBC - I can no longer remember - that at that time had exclusive rights to cover the Derby their coverage of that event going forward.
However, my family - my sister and I having come to terms of sorts with the harsh reality of horse racing in that it does result in breakdowns and career ending injuries - continued to watch it every year, continuing our family tradition of the betting pool until both my parents had died (which was in the last 10years).
That is where my initial interest in thoroughbred pedigrees began. Looking back like this I just recalled that one of the last things I "did" with my mother, on one of her visit's to Houston after she and Dad moved to Flat Rock, N.C., was to go 'tour' the brand new horse track they'd built on the northside of town the weekend before it opened. WE both marveled at thjat shiney new facility AND at the fact that parimutual wagering had ever been approved by Texas voters!
Growing up we also had a wonderful book by C.W. Anderson titled 'Deep Through The Heart' that recounted the tales of some amazing thoroughbreds and in doing so, with Mr. Anderson's beautiful drawings as illustrations, brought to life legends like Kelso, and Black Gold for me. There was the "Black Stallion" series which made me a voracious reader of any and all horse books that the Bookmobile could manage to bring, and eventually reading almost anything in print including Margeret O'Henry's books, especially the one on Black Gold.
I tell you, I was hooked on horses early on and the thoroughbred in particular though it would be another 25 years before I ever went to a horse race! and another 10 years after that before I bought my first - and only - thoroughbred broodmare: Noon Time Dora'87.
I bought her in partnership as a 'test' of the market in Texas for thoroughbred breeding in 1996. I did this with my boyfriend-partner who knew nothing of horses - except that they supposedly cost a lot. However, he had observed me 'rescue' a starved Saddlebred and after returning her to health make a nice litlle profit while finding a new home for her and a few other horse trades that had turned out well so had some faith in my "eye" for a horse and an ability to judge an investment in one - to the extent one can. He also had a friend, an older gentleman, "Mr. P.", who was into the thoroughbreds at a much higher level and had a young racehorse out of his mare Marshua's Echelon - Echelon's IceMan - that he was choosing to retire to stud in Texas. So we had something of a "mentor" in Mr. P., an entree to this prospective sire that didn't look too bad a prospect for the Texas market at the time - a colt by Icecapade that was had black type and made over $100K on the track, was out of a mare who had won over $240K winning the Davona Dale stakes and at the time was the highest earning "Texas Bred" mare on record. Marshua's Echelon was still actively being bred for the classics and had yet to produce her G-1 SW Run Man Run so there was some upside there as well that might make this stallion even more attractive than he appeared to be. Seemed like we had a chance.
However, what I realize now is that we didn't go about this right at all to ensure success so never had a chance, in reality. In any event we chose to spend very little ($1400 as it turned out.). For $3000 or less - our initial purchase budget - I focused on finding locally a well conformed TB filly or mare who was under 10years old, had not been bred or had only one foal (and that one still too young to have been raced) - but a mare who had raced herself for more than just a few years/outs and hopefully had managed to win at least a few times and whose pedigree was not a complete msytery to me. Pretty loosey goosey wasn't it? What was it Pogo used to say in that artifact of 1950's cartoons: "I have met the enemy and he are us."?? Something like that or "A little bit of knowlege is a dangerous thing." would apply here.
So that was our idea - or business model - to take this physically attractive individual who as yet didn't have any 'negative' information as to her broodmare potential and offer her in foal to this unproven but promising stallion and then sell her in-foal at the Annual Breeding Stock auction in the fall at the Polo Club and see how we did. We were expecting to lose a little or possibally break even, with a profit considered highly unlikely but a large loss not really a possibility either - IF we followed through with the plan and sold the mare in-foal. I saw the biggest downside as being the possibility that she might not take or slip the foal before the sale. The idea was to sort of gingerly test' the market and find out more about the breeding business - and whether we enjoyed it - in the process without making a huge investment. I made my partner swear he wouldn't begin thinking we might have the next Kentucky Derby winner in utero and decide to keep her and foal her out. I just knew that once I saw that foal there'd be no selling her from my end and that he'd want to race that foal! Famous last words.
After inspecting some 45+ locally advertised thoroughbred fillies and mares - most of whom didn't have a recognizeable name other than RAN in their pedigree in the first four geneartions - I found "Dora"....(of course I wouldn't have recognized many of the names anyway at that point!) In fact I didn't know very much about her pedigree at all but I did "recognize" more of the names than I had with the others I'd looked at and she had met and exceeded my mental model of an attractive individual physically. She'd won a few times and raced from age 2 - age 6, with another year or so competing in match racing on the S. La. bush league tracks - sometimes besting quarterhorses in "hook races" so I knew she had some speed and some durability. I also knew when I looked at her papers that I had seen the names Ambiorix and Tourbillion very often in some of the better horses' peds at auctions I'd attended so considered it an indication of her having some back class. I'd heard of Rattle Dancer and of course Native Dancer and was glad to not see too much Northern Dancer, Native Dancer and no Raise A Native. That's about all I knew of her pedigree at the time of purchase. (Clearly I didn't have a clue that having class - any class - that far back was a non starter for the sale barn and I was absolutely clueless as to the importance of female family production history).
Along the way of deciding to purchse her, breed her and waiting for that Fall Auction I became intrigued with her uncommon sireline, other elements of her pedigree and began a habit of reading the Stakes pages of The Bloodhorse, every book I could find on the subject AND I also found this Board. I have been studying and continuing to come here ever since.
We bought "Dora" in 1996 bred her to Echelon's Ice Man for a 1997 colt and here we are 8 years later, still owning the mare, having bred her five times for five foals, and having raced two with one "Maiden" winner and one yearling yet to race. Obviously we deserted our "business model" early on. We've enjoyed some wonderful and exciting times and have experienced some real difficult and sad times, some big disappointments. Still I enjoy most that I have learned so much and continue to learn so much from this endeavor and the generous and interesting people I've met along the way...including those on this Board. That and watching horses at play on the farm where we board - mine or anyone else's are my chief joys of this sport.
The pedigree enthusiasts who contribute to this Board - of all interests and degrees of knowlege, experience and involvement - are the best and I have learned volumes here. With volumes more yet to learn, I might add.
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nferro9925
- Grade III Winner
- Posts: 1244
- Joined: Sat Sep 18, 2004 12:59 am
I was always hooked on horses, but after Riva Ridge and Secretariat, I focused on thoroughbreds. After Ruffian broke down and i actually spent the $1.00 for a racing form, a whole new world opened to me!
Then i moved to Saratoga and got into the Racing Hall of Fame's library - Oh MAN! did I have a good time!!!!
I bought a few books (ok - aLOT of books) from Lyrical Ballad bookstore, including Bobinski's Tables, The Thoroughbred Mares' Record 1850-1928, and most of the American Stud books, and just went to town.
On line is easy, but nothing beats going through the old books and discovering that THAT horse is realted to THIS horse.
Then i moved to Saratoga and got into the Racing Hall of Fame's library - Oh MAN! did I have a good time!!!!
I bought a few books (ok - aLOT of books) from Lyrical Ballad bookstore, including Bobinski's Tables, The Thoroughbred Mares' Record 1850-1928, and most of the American Stud books, and just went to town.
On line is easy, but nothing beats going through the old books and discovering that THAT horse is realted to THIS horse.
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fastappy
- Starters Handicap
- Posts: 587
- Joined: Thu Sep 16, 2004 12:49 pm
- Location: Northern California
Pedigree Beginnings
I got started with the American Quarter horse. My initial interests were with the Western Pleasure, Cutting, Halter, and then racing. I was fascinated by the 3 Thoroughbreds who significantly influenced the modern day American Quarter Horse; Three Bars, Top Deck, & Depth Charge and why they were so influential in racing quarter horses (all having Domino via Commando in their pedigrees). Three Bars producing the Doc Bar line of cutting horses via his son Lightning Bar and numerous sires of racing quarters and his daughter Lena Bar who produced one of the most influential race horses and sires, the great Easy Jet.
Behind those came Raise A Native, who also made signifcant contributions through son's & daughters and a grand son named, Special Effort (via Raise Your Glass) who looked like no other Quarter horse. He was long, lean, muscular, and looked fast while he was standing still. His speed was awesome!
From racing quarters I went to racing appys which were influenced by both Quarters & Thoroughbreds. And the past few years, solely to the Thoroughbreds, where I'll be plying my "emerging breed" experience, and try to breed a graded stakes horse (my goal).
Behind those came Raise A Native, who also made signifcant contributions through son's & daughters and a grand son named, Special Effort (via Raise Your Glass) who looked like no other Quarter horse. He was long, lean, muscular, and looked fast while he was standing still. His speed was awesome!
From racing quarters I went to racing appys which were influenced by both Quarters & Thoroughbreds. And the past few years, solely to the Thoroughbreds, where I'll be plying my "emerging breed" experience, and try to breed a graded stakes horse (my goal).
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Alibhai's Alibar
- Yearling
- Posts: 55
- Joined: Thu Sep 23, 2004 3:45 pm
- Location: Rutherford, NJ
- Contact:
I don't have any ties to the TB industry other than being a racing fan.
As a kid, I always loved to read racing books and I remember loving the beginning of King Of The Wind when it starts out with the Man O'War vignette. Pedigrees became one of my favorite elements of racing at a pretty early age. I always loved when a beautifully-bred horse won the big races
And it is so much fun to keep track of the horses out there with unique crosses and from the big female families.
When I got my own horse, I enthusiastically researched his pedigree- he is part TB so I had a lot of fun finding old magazines and contacting pedigree folks online. Now I have stacks and stacks of magazines, shelves of books, and printouts all over the place. I love the fact that the more I learn about pedigrees, the more there is to know. And some of the nicest folks out there are those who have helped me with my research- between racing libraries, websites, and message boards, I've met some really wonderful folks.
As a kid, I always loved to read racing books and I remember loving the beginning of King Of The Wind when it starts out with the Man O'War vignette. Pedigrees became one of my favorite elements of racing at a pretty early age. I always loved when a beautifully-bred horse won the big races
And it is so much fun to keep track of the horses out there with unique crosses and from the big female families.
When I got my own horse, I enthusiastically researched his pedigree- he is part TB so I had a lot of fun finding old magazines and contacting pedigree folks online. Now I have stacks and stacks of magazines, shelves of books, and printouts all over the place. I love the fact that the more I learn about pedigrees, the more there is to know. And some of the nicest folks out there are those who have helped me with my research- between racing libraries, websites, and message boards, I've met some really wonderful folks.
I got started when after breeding ponies for quite some time and competing show jumping, etc. my dad was interested in buying a yearling for me to have when I was older to ride as my first 'horse' My grandfather and dad were both racing fanatics but mainly just watching and betting- We bought the filly whose grandsire turned out to be a Derby winner (yes I was so happy my fillies grandsire was the derby winner!) And basically from there I spent less and less time on the horses and more and more time looking through catalogues reading old magazines,
I eventually about a year and a bit later sold off all the ponies and bought around 10 mares infoal at the sales, which was great - figured out my filly wasn't actually that well bred -
- 
and sold her- she went on to win some races. And basically it has gone from there.
I eventually about a year and a bit later sold off all the ponies and bought around 10 mares infoal at the sales, which was great - figured out my filly wasn't actually that well bred -
- and sold her- she went on to win some races. And basically it has gone from there.
[quote="henthorn"]I've always loved logic puzzles and can spend inordinate hours working on them. I started looking into pedigrees when I was researching my mares to aid in breeding choices. Now I spend inordinate hours searching family affinities. [/quote
hi henthorn and mahubah,
what made Fredrick the great get on 6 white stallions in one battle.
that did it,
Regard's Siiegy,
[/quote
hi henthorn and mahubah,
what made Fredrick the great get on 6 white stallions in one battle.
that did it,
Regard's Siiegy,
Flora is beginning of biology, chemistry is master.
Last fall, I was looking at OTTBs on the CANTER NE site. I clicked the "Free Pedigree" button at the bottom to look up one horse out of curiosity (which brought me here), and VOILA! I saw names I recognized... so I started comparing pedigrees... convinced myself that we could find a nice OTTB broodmare prospect and my obsession began! Of course, I'm still in the infancy stage compared to all of you! 
I, too, love good "brain fodder"... according to an IQ/personality test I took for fun once, I have an affinity for discerning and recognizing patterns, so it's probably why I enjoy it so much! I like research & analyzing. God bless my husband for putting up with me... I sometimes drive him crazy with it all! Oftentimes, I have to sneak in my computer time & studying, or I get accused of loving the horses more than him!
Well...
I, too, love good "brain fodder"... according to an IQ/personality test I took for fun once, I have an affinity for discerning and recognizing patterns, so it's probably why I enjoy it so much! I like research & analyzing. God bless my husband for putting up with me... I sometimes drive him crazy with it all! Oftentimes, I have to sneak in my computer time & studying, or I get accused of loving the horses more than him!
Well...