Interesting read regarding the importance of broodmares

casey

Remember when people were all complaining that Zenny should be raced instead of retired, because now she was "just a broodmare". Well, this article is 5 years old, but extremely important. So, here's to "Just a Broodmare"....

http://pedigreepost.net/new_articles/broodmare_power_in_pedigrees.html

slewpy

Good read. Never doubted the superiority of the dam.

KathyR

Thanks for the article. Agree with Slewpy!

cathy

Loved the article, agrees with what I did for over 30yrs, 95% of our horses were mares(the other 5% were geldings), our foals had a very high resale value, because we controlled who our mares were bred to, you know that old adage breed the best to the best and hope for the best. In order to do that you need to own the mare, not the stallion, because the owners of the stallion will breed to anyone who comes up with the stud fee.

myrna

When I go to the races one of the most important things I look at in choosing my horses is the mare and her pedigree. Not that I bet, I don't, but I pick. I am quite good at picking winners. Not unusual for me to pick all three top spots in each race throughout the day. I never come up with zip.

The one thing that concerns me about broodmares is when they are done breeding. These great mares who had very important jobs suddenly have no importance. I have a wonderful friend, Jeanne Mirabito, who runs Our Mims Haven. This is a place where former broodmares who no longer serve a purpose can go and live out their lives. It is a wonderful place where they feel loved and wanted. I honestly don't know how she does it because she really loves every mare that comes to live at her haven and with each passing I know it takes it's toll on her. But she serves such an important roll for these mares. So many of them become neglected and at Jeanne's they come to live out the rest of their lives in peace and comfort and can die with dignity, knowing they were loved to the end. Thank god for people like Jeanne.

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Joanna_TX

I sort of hopped on the Zenyatta 'fanwagon' late in her racing career so never quite understood the uproar when she retired. I stated more than once that she was going on to fulfill her (hopefully) best role in life as a broodmare. My background is one of show dogs, Beagles and Afghan Hounds; my family was into this for 35 years. We had some really good ones. Researching pedigrees and making breeding, selling, keeping decisions are nothing new. Z's human family and support team are absolutely to be cheered on as they go forward with her, her get and their other horses too.
The article on broodmares was wonderful! Let's hear it for girl power!

janstein87

Thanks for the article. Very informative.
@ Joanna. Have you shown your dogs at the Houston Dog Shows.

Joanna_TX

@janstein87...Yes about the Houston shows but it was a long time ago, like sometime between 1975-78. Family kennel name was Starcrest, from Los Gatos CA. I was living in Ft.Worth at this particular time in my life and was showing a cutie named Oakridge Ruffian (named for the famous filly) but I don't know if I showed her there. My parents were visiting me and going to the Houston shows.

janstein87

@ Joanna_TX...I love the name Oakridge Ruffian. What breed was she. Oh, and Afghans, unbelivably beautiful. So tall, regal and clownish. Do you remember the beagle Uno who won the best in show at the Westminister Dog Show 2 years ago. Wasn't he just something else. My neighbor has one. Fist beagle ever to win in history. I live outside of Houston, and always go to the dog shows. I grew up with dogs, but when I got married, my husband had cats. LOL. I had six, but now I'm down to one, my Tiger Woods, who will be 16 in November. Do you live in Fort Worth.

Joanna_TX

@janstein...my Ruffian was a 13" Beagle. She was out of my mom's stuff; can't remember sire but her dam was Peaches N'Cream of Starcrest, a tan and white that I owned. Alice (Ruffian) did finish her championship but I sold her to a breeder in Japan (Isn't that Ironic!!) when I got divorced and moved back to Calif. My most wonderful experience with the Afghans was with a beautiful Brindle bitch I had, Ch. Kopperwood's Starcrest Lucia. I bought her as a puppy from a 3rd repeat breeding of her parents, both champs from an incredible winning line. She was totally shown by me. We had a blast. That was all going on back in the very late 60s while I finished high school and started college.
As with most everybody's life saga of twists and turns, I'm currently BACK in Texas (I Never thought that would happen!) and live in a very rural county just NW of San Antonio (the famous hill country). I'm single again and I have one daughter who has one daughter and they live in SA, so I'm pretty close. I have one dog, an Min Pin who I adore and tons of great memories and some wonderful old photos of some of our champions.
I do watch the big dog shows now and then when on TV and actually remember some of the judges back when we were competitors! My mom's most well known winning Beagle was Am.Mex.Can.Ch Pacific's Casper of Starcrest; he may have been at Westminster once upon a time but I'm not sure about that. Uno was nice. If I remember right, Uno was of a similar type that I parents bred.
Good luck to you...maybe you'll get back with the dogs. Showing was SO much fun; sure kept our family together for a long time.

Slewsgal12

I agree completely with the article. Sometimes, people tend to look way too much on the Sires side, and then they overlook the damside. I believe that a dam's side of the family can be more influential than a sire's side.

janstein87

@Joanna_TX Very impressive family history with your show dogs. Alice sold to Japanese breeder. OUCH!!! Lived in Long Beach in the early eighties. My husband works for Baker Hughes. They moved their headquarters to Houston. I haven't been to S.A. in awhile. Your kind of down the road from us...LOL. Anyway, maybe one day we'll meet. :) Zenny brings so many people together. I met a friend on this site that lived about 25 miles from me. We go out all the time. Take care.

cathy

OMG, though I never owned a dog of show quality, I have been watching the dog shows for several years, in fact one of the men my husband worked with won the breed division of the Rose Classic Show in OR. Beagles, Afgans and Australin Shepards are my favorites in fact an Aussie won best in show at Krupps a few years ago, it made my year that an Aussie from the US won that big a title.

janstein87

@Cathy Its so cool watching the many dog shows. I don't know how the handlers keep up with the dogs. So much time & work. My cat would just lay there and look at me if I were Insane if I tried to train him. For anything.. LOL.

Joanna_TX

The professional handlers (many of them anyway) have helpers who take care of the critters and shuttle them back and forth to the show rings. It's a crazy business! My sister worked with a handler or two in her time and eventually got her own license but never got into the big time to any great extent. As for the training, its like with everything else...start 'em early and practice, practice, practice. The various kennel clubs used to have 'puppy matches' which were pretty much run like a regular show but were only for puppies. Tons of fun!

janstein87

@ Joanna pretty amazing to me. Such patience & dedication. OOPS!! Since this is Zenny's site, better mention something about her.
Wonder if the Moss's will give her a year off after this PG.. do u have dogs now..

cathy

Maybe we should start a new blog about Zenny lovers of dog shows and all things dogs, because I've watched dog shows for several years, I love them all. I think it is my basic love of animals big or small, and the amount of love and work that is required in any show animal to get the job done right.