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“When you buy


an American-bred, what you see is what you get.”


great organizations that help place these horses looking for a second career,” she says. “I’ve heard comments from horsemen over the years about how they are reluctant to take on a horse that was previously race-trained, but with the right management, training and time, these horses can make great mounts whether it be from the competition arena to the backyard horsemen’s trail ride. Some elements to success can be as simple as becoming educated and informed, not making hasty decisions, and seeking help from professionals when you have reached the limit of your expertise.” Kimberly Clark says that Star’s success in the contest plays


an exciting role on shedding light on OTTBs who need new homes. “By making it this far in the contest, Star is representing the under-utilized talent of Thoroughbreds. She is helping solve the all-too-frequent problem of the lack of support from the racing industry to find OTTBs new lives. Maryland, home of the Preakness, has no retirement program for their retiring racehorses. One small underfunded organization can’t save them all. What a shame the other ‘Stars’ in Maryland aren’t afforded this chance—this contest is helping to shed some light on this fact.” Where Warmbloods are concerned, Rebecca Galbraith thinks


that American breeders are producing super young horses. “We have high quality mares and more and more high quality stallions,” she says, “and breeders are now able to import semen from almost anywhere, so we can produce horses with great pedigrees. We also are able to raise our young horses with lots of turn-out and focus on the individual, which helps make healthy and strong athletes when they mature.” The reasons for promoting American-bred horses are


different for different customers, explains Kc Branscomb Kelley. “For the amateur rider-buyer, I honestly think we produce a better value product. When you buy an American-bred, what you see is what you get. You can evaluate the dam, know the conditions under which that youngster was born, raised, and trained and the veterinary care they received. There are no ‘hidden’ surprises.” Kc continues, “We tend to take more time with our horses when they are younger, which keeps them sounder longer in their careers, and we tend to breed and train for a slightly more gentle, lighter, often female rider. For the top of the sport, I don’t think we North Americans even really get to see the best quality youngsters of Europe for sale until they are well developed and well beyond the price range of even our more affluent buyers. There is nationalism all around the world, and if we don’t produce our own, we will have to continue to try to buy the best of theirs. If we have to buy our way to our Olympic medals at that level of expense, who really gets the last laugh?” Nicole Orens had previously imported her hunter from


Germany about ten years ago, but says she was not thrilled with the process and notes that this time around she could not afford


Warmbloods Today 15


to look in Europe anyway. “I like the transparency you get with an American breeder—after all, it is in the breeder’s best interest to sell you a sound, great horse on which you can win,” she says. “I think this is a tremendous opportunity on behalf of the


Maddens and Callie Schott and I am so thankful for it,” Nicole continues. “They are generously sharing resources that a person such as myself normally would not have access to. Not often in our current horse industry does anyone say, ‘Let me help make your horse better—for free!’ And the way I see it, the benefit does not stop with me and my horse, but continues on to the breeder. I would imagine the contest will shine some light on the talented horses American breeders are producing, and the breeders will become the true beneficiaries with increased support from American riders to continue to produce these horses on this side of the Atlantic.” As Beezie Madden comments online, “You just never know


where your next Olympic horse will come from. John and I believe in the greatness of the American Thoroughbred and the breeders here in North America, which is why we launched this contest. Our winners came from opposite coasts, very different bloodlines and programs. But for a rider looking for talent, I think it shows there is a variety available here without a trip overseas.” As we go to press, we learned that the two horses to win


this year’s contest are the Thoroughbred Constant Star and the Holsteiner Welcome BF. Congratulations to both the owners and their talented horses!


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