Dibbles

Burgundy never stood in the Sth Island, think you mean Highly Recommended.

Westbury still operating. From what I understand some studs are looking more to digital marketing and choose not to advertise in the stallion register. I like the stallion register and always use it as a point of reference but also use the Arion website for current statistics, starters and information.

It helps if the photos are recent not in a case like the mare we brought the photos where taken at least 6mths earlier (we found out after) and did not give a true reflection of the mares condition! But in saying that another mare we brought was in excellent condition from another vendor.

Like War Front (Claiborne Farm always seem to have nice stallions), also liked Sweet Orange but he did not seem get support while he was here.

We thought it was interesting marketing and some will take the opportunity but when you add up the costs until weaning it is not cheap! Maybe we should have not done the exercise as we now know where all our money goes :-) Also if you own the mare and the resulting foal lands up in China it is not helping her pedigree page.

Sorry you are wrong re Mr Myers, it is a known fact that he sells all his weanlings (good or bad) at this sale and does not take anything through to the yearling sales. There was a good article written about this a couple of years back. Yes some of the other vendors/breeders who do not want to take yearlings to Book 3 put their lower quality weanlings through this sale, and I agree with you that this does not mean there is not something worth a taking a chance on. Sally McKay picked up a gem a couple of years ago!

Broodmare numbers in the sale were down on pervious years and this part of the sale was helped with the China Horse Club buying 18 odd mares.

Another nice mare who was with an owner/breeder who had a lot of fun breeding and racing all her progeny herself. Sophie Ro (High Ice x Kinkajou) 4 win mare, 5 foals/4 winners Lautenschlager (Forensic Evidence) - 13 wins Listed winner Schockemohle (Senor Pete) - 6 wins Group placed Bechtolsheimer (Remind) - 7 wins Cup winner Schmeckenbecher (Senor Pete) - 5 wins

Many Sth Island breeders ship their mares and foals up to Waikato & Auckland studs every season without issues.

I can think of worse jobs out there. I have enjoyed my time in the industry and I know the wages I got for the hours were pretty bad at times but I have never looked back and wished I had taken a different path when I left school.

Maybe if the NZTR, NZTBA & NZTM got together and promoted the industry within the high schools and with the career advisors it could help. We have struggled to put this across; we have seen the lack of information there is available to students re the industry, whereas other industries have posters and brochures with point of contact but not this industry. Our daughter is lucky as we know the contacts, but if a student had parents who know nothing about the industry the schools would not be able to help. I have even suggested they have a site at the likes of the Equi days promoting the industry (jobs and racing), many potential young people there and dragging their parents along who may have never thought about joining a syndicate. But these are only my thoughts!

Brought a mare with foal at foot (in one of the first auctions), mare arrived in very poor condition and when I questioned the photo in the ad had been taken at least 6 months earlier before she foaled. Very disappointed and suggested that they make sure the photos are taken within a set time range as they do for the x-rays for the sales.

We have been in the same position as well over the years and cannot afford up our choice of stallions. As we all know nice horses can come from anywhere if they are given the right opportunities. The thing I find hard is that sometimes you look at some of the yearlings in other books and their prices do not stack up pedigree wise due conformation issues, but they are still allowed into that sale. When there may be an absolute stunner of a yearling without that upper edge pedigree with a smaller consigner or individual who does not get that opportunity to be stepped up in book. The way we see it is that you are better to be in the higher end of a book and stand out, than being in the lower end with lots of others.

We have sent mares to Linwood Park, Cambridge the last three seasons. Though from what I understand the stud is in receivership so not sure what is happening to the stallions and unfortunately the stallion returns have not been filed.

We have used Norwegian Park, 81 Norwegian Road, Cambridge - Sue & Pete Westend with good results. Smaller operation than some and good people to deal with.

Another Danehill free stallion is Verdi (Zabeel x Miss Opera), he is a lovely type.

Since the Zabeel/Danehill cross seems to work well how about Verdi (Zabeel x Miss Opera), Danehill free? Yes I know the answer but he stands in the Sth Island (the other end of the world) but think about it, Sth Islanders have been sending their mares to Nth Island studs and yearlings to the sales for years! Agistment costs in the Sth are normally very reasonable as well. :-)

I do not think he was syndicated at Berkley (going by NZ Racing he was owned by Edwina Morris & Alan Jones not at partnership or syndicate), there were breeders who had brought breeding shares in him when he first went to stud who I am sure would be able to still use them in the future.

I got mine (Canterbury) Thursday morning. Though a little disappointed in the errors in the Yearling Special on the last pages off the Karaka 2018 catalogue breakdown, I think they may have been pushed for time and did not get time to poof the information or layout – different information in Book 1 and Book 2 list, Book 1 does not included all the mares names or the sire of the yearlings where Book 2 list does, information of Book 3 yearlings mixed in with Book 1 & Book 2 and the ones listed in Book 3 are from last year’s sale. Probably better not having this information if not done correctly!

The dam of Unusual Suspect was bred in Canterbury by Tony Cook.

Jess use the Arion website - Stallion Roster page. Has the information of all the stallions standing in NZ, with their up to date stats and runners. https://www.arion.co.nz/StallionsRoster/StallionsRosterList.aspx

Also in the Sth Island there is Highly Recommended, Raise The Flag, Gallant Guru, Coats Choice, Verdi, Ghibellines and Remind all standing for $5k or less and Sth Island is not the end of the world.

Totally agree with the above comment, also a foal spends the first 5-6 months with their dam and that must have a influence on their temperament as well.

Great to see the Sth Island stallions having a good run - Raise The Flag, Gallant Guru, Coats Choice, Highly Recommended, Remind and Zacinto all preforming well. Just to point out some had limited numbers (going by the stud book) but some others like Highly Recommended served over 100 mares each season so there should be plenty more to hit the tracks.

It would be a good idea but if it was going to happen to be fair it would have to be offered to all registered stallions which I can not see happening. When they first started offering the videoing of the yearlings for the sales, it was not available to the South Island vendors. I am not sure if this has changed over the last few years as we have not asked about it since.