This being the stallion issue, I thought I would share with you some insight on stallion selection from our commercial breeding farm stand point. There are many factors that go into making the choice, of course!
First off there is the commercial value of the stallion himself to consider; things like money earned, speed, soundness, conformation, stakes record, and general on-track toughness are a few of the key contributing factors to that value figure.
Another thing to take into account is how many crops of babies a stallion has had in the past. Traditionally, the progeny of first-crop stallions will generate the most revenue. If it’s the stallion’s second or third crop, and the results of earlier crops have been less than impressive on the racetrack, then the sale prices of his offspring are of course affected. Once a stallion has proven himself, though, it becomes much easier to take a mare back to him for future breedings.
Pedigree, of course, is also huge factor in this decision making process. Standardbred Canada’s TrackIT system, luckily, is a very helpful research tool here, allowing you to dig up details about stallion and mare crosses to be sure you are not breeding too closely.
The list goes on and on! Jurisdiction is yet another factor. While Ontario boasts the best Sire Stakes program in North America, sometimes you may consider a stallion standing in other jurisdictions, depending on where you want to sell your yearling. How many mares will a stallion be breeding? If you’re going to take your yearling to a sale, you don’t want a stallion that has bred a really big book of mares as the market may be flooded with his offspring, which could make for a lower price in the ring. I must say, I do like what the USTA has done in this instance by limiting stallion books, which seems to help prevent that flooding.
Occasionally we will take mares back to a stallion two years in a row just because we like the looks of the first baby. Sometimes this works... and sometimes it doesn’t!
In the end, the toughest part of picking a stallion for your mare(s) is predicting what yearling buyers will want three years down the road. What is fashionable and desirable today may not be so by sale time! If only we breeders could have a crystal ball for that...
Best of luck in making your choices this year. We are all looking forward to seeing what you (and we) can produce!