stem sink down into the spinal column, causing pressure. “When she was first correctly diagnosed, it was scary,” says
Janet. “There was a possibility, from the doctor’s perspective, that this condition could prevent Taylor from being able to ride in the future. He was concerned about that because he’d come to know Taylor well and he was concerned she’d be upset because he knew how much the horses meant to her.” “Dr. Ruge explained that I would not be able to ride for a
year, but that the surgery would take away most of my symp- toms and I could lead a safer, less-painful existence. Hearing this made all of my dreams come crashing down on me. I was a spoiled 15-year-old who didn’t want to miss a year of riding and showing,” Taylor recalls. Ultimately Taylor had to undergo two surgeries over a
one-year period. The first one was a “decompression surgery” to fix the malformation and the second was to repair a leak in her spinal cord. A staphylococcus infection caused further complications and so she spent much time on bed rest. Just before Taylor was diagnosed, her former children’s
jumper La Vie En Rose delivered a foal by Popeye K. La Vie En Rose had suffered a career-ending injury and the Flurys had decided to try breeding her the year before. The resulting filly was named Circus Circus ABF and the Flury family kept her as a broodmare. With the birth of the filly and all of the time on her hands during her recovery, Taylor developed a keen interest in breeding horses. Friends and experienced breed- ers, Nancy Whitehead and Nancy Maloney, spent countless hours discussing breeding and bloodlines with her. By the time she was back in the saddle, her course as both a rider and breeder was set.
The Genesis of AliBoo Farm Taylor operates AliBoo Farm with her family in Minooka, Illi- nois, which is an hour southwest of downtown Chicago. “The farm is still very much a family operation and we have a wonderful team here,” she notes. “My sister rides as an amateur and has several other interests as well. My mom is very much an entrepreneur and businessperson. She is very much the nurse when we have pregnant mares. She will tell you she has a special ability to pick out a champion when she meets them! My dad, John, hauls the horses wherever they need to go. My brother Jordan works in the barn on the weekends and helps with any maintenance projects we need.” “The key to having a successful horse operation is under- standing that it is a business and approaching it as such,” she continues. “My mom helps to bring this element to the table. The company she began over 20 years ago, Safety Check Inc., is now a nationally recognized and acclaimed safety company. She has mentored me since I was young to understand it is not enough to ride horses well or breed nice horses. She has helped me create a business plan and she keeps me focused.” “AliBoo Farm was named after my sister Alison and my
nickname, which is Boo because I was born on Halloween. We started AliBoo Farm as a family farm because my sister
22 January/February 2018
and I both showed. While my sister imme- diately loved showing, I never became serious about showing until I was 13 or so. I got my start in the jumper ring and I loved it from the start. Occasionally I will show a hunter, but my passion is the jumpers. We have been at our current farm in Minooka since I was nine years old,” explains Taylor. By 2009, just nine
years ago, AliBoo Farm, which is owned by Janet and husband John Bali, started on the path toward the modern breeding and show operation it is today. The farm offers these services: stal- lion and mare breeding management; frozen semen and frozen embryo storage and marketing; young horse development from early foal handling to preparation for shows and inspections; consultation services; and riding and showing. In total there are 34 horses at AliBoo, including stallions,
The whole family works at their AliBoo Farm. Pictured at top from left to right is her father John Bali, her sister Alison, Taylor, mother Janet Bali and brother Jordan.
mares, young stock, show horses and retirees. They currently stand three fully-approved breeding stallions, two who are actively breeding, Carrasca Z and Mandus (Coupe De Coeur x Darco), and the third Calano Z whow they co-own with MDM Equestrian (Michael and Michelle Dettelbach) and with
Short Horse Studios
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