Everybody
seems to be in a rush today and the world of horses is no different.
"How fast can I get a winner?" new owners ask. But "How
soon for a return on my investment?" is what they'd really like
to know.
Competitive
horse sports are undergoing many changes. As more and more people
from professional backgrounds and high paying jobs are coming
into the horse world, the ruling bodies of the game are responding
to their demands.
There
are many levels in the horse world. There's the pet level for
those who just want a horse of a particular breed and this makes
up the majority of owners. Many breeders supply this demand and
launch people in a love for horses that can last a lifetime. On
the opposite extreme, however, we have competitive players that
are far beyond that level of interest - and whom very few of us
ever have the chance to meet.
Let's
talk about those high powered players.
At a recent
show, an attractive, energetic woman introduced herself to me
and asked what I had on the farm. I noticed her a mile away in
those jeans and we talked about a young horse I had. "You'll
be hearing from me," she said, and off she went. Not more
than a half-hour later, a gentleman from Mexico introduced himself
and gave me his card. He was a trainer, he explained, buying horses
for his clients. He was looking for twenty horses that were champion
material.
I left
that show with business cards from trainers in four countries
and what did they have in common? Every one of them was referred
to me by the woman who introduced herself at the beginning of
the show. That's what I call a real "power broker."
And what did she get out of matching up buyers with top quality
horses, you ask? She charged a percentage of the sale price, plus
whatever else she could negotiate.
You may
be wondering what kind of clients such trainers represent. I can
tell you their clients are very discriminating. They are serious-minded
people who want the best of the best of the best and they're willing
to pay for it. They expect to campaign their horse from one end
of the country to the other and all over the world. They will
employ the best handlers, pay them well, and blast pictures in
all the right magazines. Few movie stars are ever campaigned with
more attention to detail than a champion belonging to an owner
playing the game on this level. For the right horse, they will
make deals with breeders and trainers that would astound you.
But, they expect results. And they want those results now. And
that's where we, as stewards of the Breed, should examine things
closer, because, regardless of the bankroll, "something"
in this picture is missing.
It's called
patience. In the not so long ago "old days" people waited
until a horse was in its prime before presenting it to the world.
Like a painting that isn't finished until the very last stroke
of the artist's brush, a prized show horse was unveiled only when
the breeder was ready. Today? Things are far different in that
respect today. Today, it's all about winning as soon as you can.
And when we are dealing with high profile winners that go on to
have a real impact on the breed, this is where an unspoken problem
hides.
Horses,
like the people who own them, mature at different rates. Remember
the handsome football player from high school and the cute cheerleader
he dated? They were knockouts at eighteen. But, think back to
your class reunion. Were they still so gorgeous? Now take another
look and remember the homely ones and the wallflowers nobody asked
to dance. Even without being at that reunion of yours, I'll bet
some of them became real stunners.
The same
is true for horses. Let others rush to breed to the champion of
the moment who makes his mark early but grows coarse with time.
As we become wiser with each passing year and our favorite horses
grow silver around their smiling faces, we know the responsibility
of protecting our Breed is bigger than you or me. Time will show
us descendants of our horses to prove who is right and who is
wrong. But it's up to us what people will say about our horses
when that day comes
That young
horse we talked about? I decided he could use another year on
the farm before getting serious about anything. Yes, he could
have been out there winning by now. But, what's the hurry? A good
horse will hold up for a long time and some of us call that the
mark of a champion.
QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR
Q: I can
understand how what you're saying might be true for show horses
-
RH: (Amused)
You can? That's good, because not everybody does.
Q: Well,
you're saying, in the right hands, a horse can make it to the
top early and become a hot sire before anybody knows how he's
going to turn out. Right?
RH: Yes,
and that means?
Q: Which
means the horse could pass on something to the Breed that nobody
could see when it was out there in the show ring.
RH: It
happens all the time and not only in horses. In the show ring
for most purebred animals, a judge is supposed to give the points
to the one that best fits the standard for its breed at that particular
moment. It's only one moment in time. But, if you have a young
horse, for example, and it's an excellent specimen of the standard,
that colt or filly can take the class. But - and here's the problem
- a year later, when that same colt or filly is more mature, did
it hold together and would the same judges pin it? Think about
it. Breed standards, like halter classes, are written for adult,
fully mature horses. Where do you see any standards for a foal
as it's growing up? Which means, unless the judge has some real
experience in the breed or a great imagination to project how
that gangly youngster might turn out at maturity, the Breed might
not end up getting the best deal once that horse hits the breeding
shed.
Q: How
does this relate to performance classes or sports like polo or
endurance riding or racing?
RH: Exactly
the same way, don't you think so? Your early-maturing athlete
can be a wonderful thing to behold. But will that same horse hold
up in the long term?
Q: What
do you think breeders can do to turn things around?
RH: Set
their own policies and set an example in everything they do and
every decision they make. Look at themselves as protectors of
the Breed who are designing horses for a public we must all answer
to. Respect that public for loving our horses and, in turn, give
them the very best horses we can, but only when we are one hundred
percent sure those horses will hold up physically over the long
haul. Hey, I may think I'd love to join the Cirque du Soleil and
swing through the air like Tarzan. But as my hair gets more and
more silver, I know how much it means just to be able to ride
a horse or go dancing or work outside all day without getting
tired. Don't our horses deserve to be active and have fun as long
as they live, too?
Thanks
for the chance to talk with you tonight. It's been great, but
I've got a long drive home and, if I'm lucky, a future champion
on the way. Anybody want to join me on a foal watch?
*****************************************
By: Ron Hevener
Author Of "The Blue Ribbon" & "Fate of the
Stallion"
Reprinted
with permission. Author/Artist, Ron Hevener, is owner of one of
the oldest kennels in the U.S. - Lochranza Kennels. He is the
author of "The Blue Ribbon" and "Fate of the Stallion."
His collectible figurines and watercolor prints are sought at
dog and horse shows everywhere. See more at www.ronhevener.com
THE
MARK OF A CHAMPION
Ron Hevener (speaking at a local horse club)
Everybody
seems to be in a rush today and the world of horses is no different.
"How fast can I get a winner?" new owners ask. But "How
soon for a return on my investment?" is what they'd really
like to know.
Competitive
horse sports are undergoing many changes. As more and more people
from professional backgrounds and high paying jobs are coming
into the horse world, the ruling bodies of the game are responding
to their demands.
There
are many levels in the horse world. There's the pet level for
those who just want a horse of a particular breed and this makes
up the majority of owners. Many breeders supply this demand and
launch people in a love for horses that can last a lifetime. On
the opposite extreme, however, we have competitive players that
are far beyond that level of interest - and whom very few of us
ever have the chance to meet.
Let's
talk about those high powered players.
At a recent
show, an attractive, energetic woman introduced herself to me
and asked what I had on the farm. I noticed her a mile away in
those jeans and we talked about a young horse I had. "You'll
be hearing from me," she said, and off she went. Not more
than a half-hour later, a gentleman from Mexico introduced himself
and gave me his card. He was a trainer, he explained, buying horses
for his clients. He was looking for twenty horses that were champion
material.
I left
that show with business cards from trainers in four countries
and what did they have in common? Every one of them was referred
to me by the woman who introduced herself at the beginning of
the show. That's what I call a real "power broker."
And what did she get out of matching up buyers with top quality
horses, you ask? She charged a percentage of the sale price, plus
whatever else she could negotiate.
You may
be wondering what kind of clients such trainers represent. I can
tell you their clients are very discriminating. They are serious-minded
people who want the best of the best of the best and they're willing
to pay for it. They expect to campaign their horse from one end
of the country to the other and all over the world. They will
employ the best handlers, pay them well, and blast pictures in
all the right magazines. Few movie stars are ever campaigned with
more attention to detail than a champion belonging to an owner
playing the game on this level. For the right horse, they will
make deals with breeders and trainers that would astound you.
But, they expect results. And they want those results now. And
that's where we, as stewards of the Breed, should examine things
closer, because, regardless of the bankroll, "something"
in this picture is missing.
It's called
patience. In the not so long ago "old days" people waited
until a horse was in its prime before presenting it to the world.
Like a painting that isn't finished until the very last stroke
of the artist's brush, a prized show horse was unveiled only when
the breeder was ready. Today? Things are far different in that
respect today. Today, it's all about winning as soon as you can.
And when we are dealing with high profile winners that go on to
have a real impact on the breed, this is where an unspoken problem
hides.
Horses,
like the people who own them, mature at different rates. Remember
the handsome football player from high school and the cute cheerleader
he dated? They were knockouts at eighteen. But, think back to
your class reunion. Were they still so gorgeous? Now take another
look and remember the homely ones and the wallflowers nobody asked
to dance. Even without being at that reunion of yours, I'll bet
some of them became real stunners.
The same
is true for horses. Let others rush to breed to the champion of
the moment who makes his mark early but grows coarse with time.
As we become wiser with each passing year and our favorite horses
grow silver around their smiling faces, we know the responsibility
of protecting our Breed is bigger than you or me. Time will show
us descendants of our horses to prove who is right and who is
wrong. But it's up to us what people will say about our horses
when that day comes
That young
horse we talked about? I decided he could use another year on
the farm before getting serious about anything. Yes, he could
have been out there winning by now. But, what's the hurry? A good
horse will hold up for a long time and some of us call that the
mark of a champion.
QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR
Q: I can
understand how what you're saying might be true for show horses
-
RH: (Amused)
You can? That's good, because not everybody does.
Q: Well,
you're saying, in the right hands, a horse can make it to the
top early and become a hot sire before anybody knows how he's
going to turn out. Right?
RH: Yes,
and that means?
Q: Which
means the horse could pass on something to the Breed that nobody
could see when it was out there in the show ring.
RH: It
happens all the time and not only in horses. In the show ring
for most purebred animals, a judge is supposed to give the points
to the one that best fits the standard for its breed at that particular
moment. It's only one moment in time. But, if you have a young
horse, for example, and it's an excellent specimen of the standard,
that colt or filly can take the class. But - and here's the problem
- a year later, when that same colt or filly is more mature, did
it hold together and would the same judges pin it? Think about
it. Breed standards, like halter classes, are written for adult,
fully mature horses. Where do you see any standards for a foal
as it's growing up? Which means, unless the judge has some real
experience in the breed or a great imagination to project how
that gangly youngster might turn out at maturity, the Breed might
not end up getting the best deal once that horse hits the breeding
shed.
Q: How
does this relate to performance classes or sports like polo or
endurance riding or racing?
RH: Exactly
the same way, don't you think so? Your early-maturing athlete
can be a wonderful thing to behold. But will that same horse hold
up in the long term?
Q: What
do you think breeders can do to turn things around?
RH: Set
their own policies and set an example in everything they do and
every decision they make. Look at themselves as protectors of
the Breed who are designing horses for a public we must all answer
to. Respect that public for loving our horses and, in turn, give
them the very best horses we can, but only when we are one hundred
percent sure those horses will hold up physically over the long
haul. Hey, I may think I'd love to join the Cirque du Soleil and
swing through the air like Tarzan. But as my hair gets more and
more silver, I know how much it means just to be able to ride
a horse or go dancing or work outside all day without getting
tired. Don't our horses deserve to be active and have fun as long
as they live, too?
Thanks
for the chance to talk with you tonight. It's been great, but
I've got a long drive home and, if I'm lucky, a future champion
on the way. Anybody want to join me on a foal watch?
