Kalarama's Newsletter: Summer/Autumn 2004

We recently welcomed a new neighbor at Kalarama Farm, and it's been our pleasure to share our American Saddlebred horses with George Haydon and a group of his guests from France. Thanks, George, for your comments -- and Harlem Globetrotter ("HIM" in the quote below at left) enjoyed meeting each of you, too. We love having visitors!

Whew! What a busy year! In February, we broke ground for a new training barn. This 24-stall, 250-feet addition will provide a more pleasant environment for our work force and for our horses. For years, we have been studying what we would do differently to make our training operation more efficient and, generally speaking, simply better. So, when the new addition went up we made sure it had the features we've found to be important. It's nothing fancy -- just the basics -- set in an ever-so-pleasant site overlooking the rolling hills of Kalarama.

After the World's Championship Horse Show, we started moving in and on October 20, final preparations were made. Now, the new training barn is fully operational. Be sure to come see it!

Thanks to the wonders of breeding technology ... While the new barn construction was underway, the foaling season began. We foaled 32 foals between February 28 and June. Most anxiously awaited were the two foals of Classy Lady. (SA) Dunedin Classy Lady was imported from South Africa in 1998. She is sired by (SA) Vidas Yokozuna, the sire of (SA) Tornaado. By all standards, she is the best of the South African-breds. After several years of trying to get a foal from Classy Lady, we sent her to Dr. Elaine Carnevale at Colorado State University's Equine Sciences group, who performed an oocyte transfer. Using a special technique designed specifically for Classy Lady, Dr. Carnevale aspirated fluid from two follicles the mare had produced. Two separate oocytes were extracted from this follicular fluid. Each oocyte was placed into the oviduct of two separate recipient mares. Both mares were bred with fresh cooled semen from Harlem Globetrotter -- semen which had been flown to CSU that day. Once found to be pregnant, both recipient mares were transported to Kalarama to await their foaling day. In April -- eleven months after the oocyte transfer was performed -- both recipients foaled within 12 hours of each other. We now have two fillies by Harlem Globetrotter out of the great Classy Lady; one is bay, the other chestnut.

We send a special thank you to Dr. Carnevale. Her innovative work with Classy Lady will be useful to equine breeders in the future, and to Saddlebred enthusiasts who seek the offspring of this very special breeding cross.

Making way for change ... "In our last newsletter, I mentioned the new 150 Bypass being constructed through Kalarama.

Above: Paul Hamilton, a retired road contractor, inspects the construction of the new bypass that claimed acres of Kalarama Farm.

We braced ourselves for changes but it wasn't until I went through the breeding and foaling season that we realized the degree of change which must take place. I like to raise nice horses in large fields with lots of room to romp up and down. It works the muscles and grows good bone. We can and will continue to raise our horses this way, but in smaller numbers," Joan announced. With the loss of acreage, personal demands, and the challenges presented by this situation, we feel a major reduction is necessary. This process began on Oct. 30 at TSE Tattersall's, when we sold more than 50 horses -- horses who would otherwise never have been available had the circumstance not presented itself. In addition to this reduction, we have a constant flow of clients' horses that are being prepared for sale.

Though our surroundings have changed, our conviction remains the same ... we will continue to lead the way!

Every breeder dreams of raising a good one, and Elisabeth Goth is off to a great start. Her home-bred Hollywood Agent (by WC Exalted Effect out of WGC Hollywood Excellence) set the show ring on fire at Asheville with Elisabeth at the whip. This twosome won the three-year-old harness class at Asheville, then went on to Louisville to win the three-year-old Fine Harness Futurity. And, Ms. Goth's home-bred Dramatic License ((SA) War Image x Hollywood Nights) won the Two- Year Old Five Gaited Reserve World's Championship.

Also at Asheville, Title Bound and Elisabeth won the Ladies Five Gaited qualifier and championship, and at Midwest, repeated these wins. The strikingly colorful Amateur Five Gaited mare My New Year's Eve won reserve at Asheville and Midwest. This pair took the blue to win the World's Championship Ladies Amateur Five Gaited Mare division.

And, Ms. Goth's beautifully made and beautifully prepared three-gaited contender The Engraver won the Three Gaited Over 15.2 World's Championship with trainer Neil Visser aboard.

Going where he has never gone before: David Rudder challenged a new division with his gorgeous and powerful five-gaited mare WC Adelita. The entry of David and Adelita into the open division caused excitement among all who watched them prepare. The new combination debuted at Midwest where they won the Five Gaited Mare stake, then it was on to Harrodsburg where they appeared stronger, gaining confidence as they finished in first place again. Traditionally, the open division is notorious territory, and at the World's Championship Horse Show, that division takes on a life of its own. As this twosome entered in the Five Gaited Mare class, David carefully placed Adelita where he wanted her to go. She responded and performed with precision, and after a long and grueling work-off, the gorgeous Adelita finished strong.

Congrats to Misdee Wrigley, who, as she put it, "added a more little horse power" to her show string. This spring, Misdee acquired the three-gaited star Callaway's Merry-Go-Round. In the Amateur Three Gaited division, they won at Devon, Midwest, and Lexington Junior League, and then claimed the Reserve World's Championship. Most recently at the Kentucky Fall Classic, they won the blue in the Amateur Over 15.2 stake.

This summer, Misdee started showing her beautiful mare Kalarama Co-Ed (who was gaited over the winter, and a daughter of Harlem Globetrotter), and in their second show ring appearance together, this duo won the Ladies Five Gaited Championship at Harrodsburg. Then, it was on to Louisville to win the Reserve World's Championship title in the Amateur Mare stake.

At the Devon horse show, Guess Who won the Amateur Roadster Championship for the second consecutive year. Now this is one horse Misdee doesn't have to get familiar with! Guess Who was purchased as a young roadster horse. Over the past few years, as he's collected four world's championships -- plus numerous wins all over the country -- he has become a performer on cruise control. Misdee has a big smile on her face every time she shows him ... because it's pure fun! Champion Guess Who is for sale; here's more about him.

Other than the hand that feeds them, what do these horses have in common? They're all bay in color. In fact, we could call Misdee's string "The Bay Team" except that the bubbly and beautiful Callaway's Independence Day is glimmering chestnut in color. This correct and brilliant five-gaited contender gives all he's got, all the time. He's fun to ride and fun to watch.

And, we appreciate Misdee Wrigley's sharing this May '04 photo with us of the Royal Windsor Horse Show in England. Her Gelderlander horse team captured the Road Coach Championship and the Overall Coaching Grand Championship, the first time in 40 years an American has won the title. Congrats, Misdee!