THE HORSE GAZETTE By Ingrid Edisen mares ‘r us


jokingly like to think of our operation as a super top quality Warmblood ‘Mares R Us,’ since working only with mares and foals is what we do,” said Tricia Veley of First Flight Farm in Boerne. In reality, however, she is quite serious about her breeding operation. Her farm produces Dutch Warmbloods, Oldenburgs, Brandenburgs, Holsteiners and Hanoverians. She has been in business for the last six years and has learned how to keep costs down by doing much of the breeding work herself with the assistance of her three full time employees, two of which possess equine science degrees specializing in breeding, the third with years of hands-on experience.


tank she has the frozen semen of well over a dozen stellar


In her liquid nitrogen “I sometimes warmbloods


top warmblood stallions from Europe. “The technology is so fool proof that it now possible to retain the frozen semen of a stallion that may have died twenty years ago yet still get a host mare pregnant,” she explained.


farm,” she pointed out. But what she aims for is top qual i ty everything. For example, she waited until she could afford to purchase elite proven broodmares and some top bred young fillies before she officially started out. “It costs the same for the semen, and the mare maintenance, so as a breeder,


sense to work with mediocre mares. You could have semen from Totilas (one of the world’s top most stallions) but if your mares are mediocre, you just won’t get the same quality foal.


it makes no “We are a small


Five or six of my mares came from Judy Yancey (of Ocala, FL).” [Yancey is a long-time friend and is well known as one of the top warmblood breeders and semen brokers in the U.S.] Tricia went on to say that “sixty percent of your breeding is actually in the mare. Yes, of course one could say that it’s more a fifty-fifty proposition but it is the mare who raises that baby and imparts a good attitude. I don’t want mares that make ugly faces at the humans and other horses. I look for fabulous bloodlines and excellent movement along with a sound mind and a great attitude. So far each season my foals are getting better and better.”


competitive rider herself and then after having raise three kids of her own, she


Once a


now starts her young horses under saddle, then relegates the training and competing part to talented riders Eva Oldenbroek for her dressage prospects and Joshua Tabor for the hunter/jumpers at Oldenbroek Tabor Sporthorses in Medina, Texas. Both Eva and Joshua compete at the Grand Prix levels of their sports.


horses have done very well in the show ring. From the first foal crop in 2009 (the first to enter the show ring), Wellington


Photo Above: First Flight Farm


owner, Tricia Veley with her mare, V.Pr.St. Tirana (French Kiss-DeNire) at her 2013 GOV Mare Per- formance Test. She was the Champion, winning both the under Saddle and Jumping Phases of test.


the


Photo Left: Tricia’s dressage


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(Wynton x Preference ISF) was #3 USDF 2012 Materiale Horse of the Year after competing in only three shows. In 2012, Wynston (Wynton x V.Pr.St. Olivia) earned his qualifying scores after only his first three shows for both the Region 9 GAIG/USDF and SWDC Championship shows. In 2013 competing against the rest of the nation, Wynston was #28 in the Markel/USEF National 4-year- old Young Horse Dressage Final Ranking List and also qualified for the USDF US Dressage Finals Championship show in Lexington, KY. In 2012 as a 3-year-old, Sp.Pr. Ca. Saraya (Sarkozy x V.Pr. St. Donnabelle) won the GOV (German Oldenburg Verband) Mare Performance Test earning her top GOV Mare ranking, then went on to earn scores in the 80’s when she debuted in the show ring in her Materiale classes. She only competed in a few shows before she was given time off to have her first foal, a beautiful black colt by French Kiss. 2013 KWPN (Dutch Warmblood ) First Premium filly, Izarra (Ampere x Preference ISF) was the 2013 #3 KWPN Top Dressage Foal in North America. First Flight Farm mares and foals have always earned top honors at the Mare Performance Tests


and Foal Inspections/Approval events they have entered. Having her horse


progeny in the show ring serves as part of Tricia’s marketing strategy. She also advertises in a variety of warmblood magazines and sends out videos and lists on a variety of websites such as WarmbloodsForSale. com. Word of mouth helps too. Current l y, she


trainer and show rider, Eva Oldenbroek with Wel- lington (Wynton x Prefer- ence ISF)


maintains 28 horses of which 12 are broodmares. The rest are her foals or yearlings, her recipient mares or show horses. In 2014 she expects at least six pregnancies to come to term. Because some of her mares commonly double ovulate each cycle, rather than “pinch” the twins, she will attempt an embryo transfer with one of her top mares in 2014, so those “extra embryos” will be put into other recipient mares. If the embryo transfer is successful, the hope is all will go to full term. Tricia admitted that


during foaling out season she and her staff do not sleep much. Beginning in 2012, after many calls with requests from concerned area mare owners and consulting with local vets and realizing a real need for such services, First Flight Farm began accepting a limited number of client


Breed Association


alamo quarter horse breeders association celebrates 53 years


Horse Breeders Association is one of the oldest AQHA affil- iates in continuous operation. It was formed on May 4, 1961 in San Antonio to promote the American Quarter Horse. This purpose has never changed throughout the years and is continually evolving to remain current and relevant in the in- dustry.


their first meeting on April 18, 1961 with many local ranchers and businessmen in attendance. The Board of Directors consist- ed of President D.C. Weinert, Vice-President Perry Shankle, J. Daylor James, S. Brown, Joe N. Sayer, John Buchman, N.L. Wilson, J.D. Ruchman, John Dublin, Jr., Michael L. Stoner, W.R. Knight, Carl Vickers, Jess Hankins, B.A. Skipper, B.F. Phillips, Jr., King Fisher, Byron Matthews and Charles Coates. Hilda Lyons was the Executive Secretary from the


Page 8 The association held The Alamo Quarter


association’s inception and continued for 36 years. The AQHBA has


always had some of the most prominent Horsemen of the in- dustry either leading or partic- ipating in the association, such notables as Noble Taylor, Will F. Whitehead, Sparks Rust, S.A. Baxter and Matlock Rose are just a few of the many who have supported the association. In 1983, the AQHBA


celebrated their 2th year of horse racing at the Val Verde Fair Grounds in Del Rio. The races were moved to Del Rio after the Alamo city race facil- ity burned down in 1962. For many years the shows were held at the Joe & Harry Free- man Coliseum until moving to the San Antonio Rose Palace in 1986, where the shows have continued.


will celebrate their 53rd


the current Board of Directors are as follows: Pete Hunt-Pres- ident, Terry Anderson-Vice


President, Gwen Norris-Sec- retary with Directors: Sladen Summers, Joyce Easley, Jim Watts, Jerry Henry, Tim Brady, JD Folbre III, Mary Marcyes, Thelma Thomson. Emeritus Board members: T.J. Corgill, Danny Moore, S.A. Baxter, Gayle Harris, Patti Salge, H.M. Northington, Tim and Lee Czapla, Ike Burnette, Bobby Hawkins, Ronnie Greaves and Faith Newton.


are May 10-11 and July 26-27. The Board is implementing new classes and have intro- duced “all breed” classes to encourage more participation, as well as “added money” to some of the classes. They are looking to add some additional new classes and putting on some clinics in 2014. For more informa-


In 2014 the AQHBA year and


tion or to get involved with AQHBA, visit www.alamo- quarterhorsebreedersassoci- ation.com or find AQHBA on Facebook.


Visit us at: www.HorseGazette.com Show dates for 2014


mares (any breeds) for foaling and breeding services and offers mare/foal boarding and foal training. Mares do much better in a quiet peaceful atmosphere. Sturdy stocks, good lighting, 24-hour staffing and large foaling stalls are a must have. Foal-safe fencing and several other mares and foals living on the premises provides ideal socialization for the mares and foals. Most private stables, boarding stables and vet clinics are unable to provide this, nor are they equipped to safely accommodate mares and foals. Tricia works closely with Board-certified repro specialist vet, Dr. Benjamin Espy, DVM DACT, who performs all of the breeding procedures on the client mares, assisted by Tricia and her staff. Tricia and her experienced staff live on site. Staff members, Maurissa Love, Ali Mills Davis and Cody Echols, handle the foaling out of the client mares, calling Dr. Espy after the delivery for the check up on the mare and the foal.


Flight Farm, email tricia@ firstflightfarm.com or call (210) 355-3500. Stay tuned for part two next month featuring Tricia’s breeding tips.


To reach Fi rst First Flight Farm


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