by Bob Funkhouser
For the 20th consecutive year, Saddle Horse Report has tracked the sires of world’s champions, reserve world’s champions and ribbon winners from the World’s Championship Horse Show to determine the top world’s champion sires of the year. Two hundred and forty stallions sired at least one ribbon winner at the 2008 World’s Championship Horse Show, down five from last year.
While points were kept for all stallions, the Overall Top 20 is compiled for those stallions that are still alive. Former five-time Number One Sire Supreme Heir (Supreme Sultan x CH Supreme Airs) has topped the deceased list since his death four years ago and his impact is still greatly felt in all divisions.
Since Supreme Heir’s move to the deceased list, the influence of Ruxer Farm’s famed Supreme Sultan (by Valley View Supreme) has slowly faded from the Top 20 with the blood of the six-time Five-Gaited World’s Grand Champion CH Wing Commander heavily flowing through the veins of the majority of today’s Top 20.
Basically a product of both of those great families, CF First Night Out is our Overall Number One Sire Of World’s Champions for the fourth consecutive year and he had by far the most ribbon winning offspring at this year’s World’s Championship Horse Show. Sired by twice Fine Harness World’s Grand Champion CH Night Prowler - a grandson of Valley View Supreme – CF First Night Out is out of the New Yorker/Supreme Spirit daughter, Happy Twenty-First giving CF First Night Out a strong concentration of both Anacacho Denmark and Genius Bourbon King blood.
CF First Night Out’s career has been carefully guided by the famed Saddlebred nursery of Blythewood Farms, Cleveland, Tenn. The team of Mrs. David Neil, Anne Stafford and Richard Witt has kept the deep bay stallion at the top of the charts, giving the world an array of thrilling world’s champions.
"People thought we were crazy charging that large stud fee, but this horse has proven himself and has produced a lot of top dollar horses for people," said Anne Stafford. "We’re very proud of him."
Over these past few years, CF First Night Out has sired many top fine harness, three-gaited and in hand champions and now he is also making his mark as a sire of gaited horses, having moved up to third in that division. Of his gaited get, Our First Class Day TS made the biggest headlines, earning a Triple Crown by winning at Lexington, Louisville and Kansas City in the three-year-old five-gaited division for trainer Melinda Moore, former owner/breeder Jayne Tillman and current owner Donna Moore. Reserve World’s Champion Busting Out also had a large fan club in his junior year after winning the three-year-old world’s championship last year.
In addition to his Overall Number One ranking, CF First Night Out was also number one in the pleasure division with Adult World’s Champion Of Champions Teuschers leading the way. Some of CF First Night Out’s consistent titleholders were also back again with CH CF First Light Of Dawn, Just Heavenly, Out In Dixie, Lady Cinnamon, CH Yes It’s True, Night Sight, Buck Be A Lady, Hard Day’s Night TS, CH The Last Straw and many other contributing to the cause.
For the seventh consecutive year, World’s Champion Callaway’s Blue Norther was the number one sire of five-gaited world’s champions and for the second consecutive year was number two overall for Tony Weldon’s Callaway Hills. A former Number One Sire of world’s champions, the homebred son of World’s Grand Champion CH Will Shriver and the Royal Rambler daughter Royally Blue was represented at Louisville by 20 different ribbon winning offspring. The dominance of the former Three-Year-Old Five-Gaited World’s Champion remains in tact with 2008 world’s champions like Callaway’s Don’t Sass Me, Callaway’s Glimpse Into The Future and Callaway’s Winning Ways and reserve world’s champions CH Callaway’s Banner Headline, Callaway’s Born To Win and Callaway’s Karla.
Other top winners by Blue Norther included World’s Champion Callaway’s Flying Blue, Callaway’s Rosemary And Thyme, Callaway’s Blue Waltz, Reserve World’s Champion Of Champions She’s Gone Blonde, Callaway’s Blue Agate, A Whole Different Story, The Kentucky Saddler and Aurora Borealis, among others.
Attache’s Thunderbolt is the third stallion in this year’s rating to repeat his placing from 2007. The senior sire at Joan Lurie’s Willowbank, Thunderbolt is another classic example of the Wing Commander/Supreme Sultan golden cross as he is sired by the Wing Commander grandson, World’s Champion Attache and out of a mare whose dam is a full sister to World’s Grand Champion CH Imperator, who of course was by Supreme Sultan.
Thunderbolt placed in the Top 10 of four of the five categories, being second among five-gaited sires, first in three-gaited, tied for seventh in fine harness and tied for eighth in pleasure. His headliners included World’s Champion/Reserve World’s Grand Champion Joe Friday, World’s Champions Heavenly Thunder, A Storm Chaser, The Attache Orchid, Reserve World’s Champion The Light O’Love and Kentucky County Fair titleholders CH Thunderstorm Warning and Last Serenade.
The number four and five sires traded places from last year with the CH Courageous Admiral son, Periaptor, taking over the number four position. Owned by the Loose family and standing under the direction of Rob Tanner for many years, Periaptor’s highest ranking came in the three-gaited/park division where he was number one although he did have the World’s Champion Arrowhead’s Dreamcatcher and Reserve World’s Champion Red Hawk Red Hawk in the gaited division, a division in which he was a standout during his show career. His three-gaited/park stars included Three-Gaited Park World’s Champion Of Champions Brookhill’s Periday, World’s Champion The Woodsider, Reserve Kentucky County Fair Champion Simbara’s Bountiful, Ribbons And Reins, CH Sue She, CH Highland Cavalier and Charming Babette. He wasn’t a slouch in the harness division either, having offspring like Junior Fine Harness World’s Champion Of Champion Voulez Vous and Reserve World’s Champions Of Champions Gone Platinum.
Dick Kearney’s pride and joy, Catalyst ranked as the Number 5 Overall Sire of World’s Champions and placed in the Top 10 in three of the five divisions that were charted. Beautifully colored and royally bred, Catalyst continues to be represented by top world’s champions in several divisions. The son of Manhattan Supreme and Lakeview’s Captured Angel by CH Superior Odds has given the industry some exciting show ring performers including this year’s stars - World’s Champion CH Colonel Hoss, Reserve World’s Champion CH Carolina Cat, World’s Champion Of Champions CH A Magic Spell, ASR Sweepstakes Champion Catalyst’s Blonde Ambition, the junior walk-trot champion Cataclysmic and the two-year-old fine harness star The Paper Girl JJW.
Moving up three places from last year, former Amateur Five-Gaited World’s Champion Of Champions Santana’s Charm landed in sixth place this year. Under the ownership and direction of Bridget Parker, Charm was the number four sire of three-gaited world’s champions and was seventh in the gaited division. Leading the way for the son of Sultan’s Santana, himself a many times number one sire of world’s champions, and Vanity’s Belle was the Three-Gaited World’s Grand Champion Our Charming Lady. Also from the three-gaited division came reserve world’s champion A Silver Charm. Charm was well represented in the gaited division as well with the likes of World’s Champion I’m Royalty Too, CH Amusing, Twice Charmed, Charmed By Chance and I’m Something Wicked.
Also moving up three places, the former reserve world’s champion junior harness horse, I’m A New Yorker was seventh on this year’s rating. Owned by George and Linda Nash and standing under the direction of Fred Sarver, this son of New Yorker and Sentimentalist (by Denmark’s Bourbon Genius) scored Top 10 finishes in three of the five divisions, his strongest being in hand with World’s Champion Showsteeler. In the performance divisions, he was represented by Reserve World’s Champion Romance In New York, CH New York’s Perfect Gift, Sister Sally, Rain, Simbara’s Belle Michelle and I’m Southern.
Eighth on the rating for the second straight year, Joan Hamilton’s former Triple Crown winner Harlem Globetrotter (New Yorker x Putting On Airs) was just two points behind I’m A New Yorker, a horse who shares the same sire. A former number one sire of world’s champions, Globetrotter continues to represent the legendary breeding establishment, Kalarama Farm, by producing quality show stars like Three-Gaited Over 15.2 World’s Champion The Showman, World’s Champion Mahvalous Knight, Reserve World’s Champion Of Champions Harlem’s Moving Man, Reserve World’s Champion Of Champions Harlem’s Worldly Lady and the Junior Exhibitor Five-Gaited Pleasure National Champion Cool Down Papa.
The newest member of the Top 20 is also the youngest member, the first of five father-son teams in this year’s rating. A crowd-pleasing world’s champion as a harness performer with Steve Joyce, Sir William Robert (Santana’s Charm x Rebel Empress) was the Number One Sire Of In Hand World’s Champions and number four in the harness division. The breeding career of Sir William Robert is directed by Joan Lurie’s Willowbank for C. Thomas Galbreath who also had his sire. Two-Year-Old Three-Gaited World’s Champion HS Daydream’s Believe In Me, World’s Champion Robert William, World’s Champion Walterway’s Watch Me, Reserve World’s Champion HS Dignitary, Reserve World’s Champion Hillcroft Crown Jewel, Reserve World’s Champion Roberta Belle and twice Reserve World’s Champion I Am The Storm all helped their sire’s cause.
Rounding out the Top 10 is the former World’s Champion Three-Year-Old Fine Harness Futurity star Merchant Prince. The senior sire at Marion Hutcheson’s Happy Valley Farm, Rossville, Ga., Merchant Prince is a son of Mountain Highland Memories and the Happy Valley’s former Three-Gaited Reserve World’s Grand Champion CH Buck Creek’s Precious Princess. His strongest showing came in the three-gaited division with Amateur Three-Gaited World’s Champion Of Champions Marching Orders and juvenile reserve world’s champion Heathermoor’s Prince. It’s Z Prince, Tipitina and The King’s Lady Anne also helped out.
A former Five-Gaited Stallion World’s Champion Desert’s Supreme Memories held down the number 11 position for the second consecutive year. Roberta Rassieur owns the beautiful son of Desert’s Supreme Admiral and Desert’s Precious Memories (by Mountain Highland Memories) and he stands under the direction of Virgil Helm who showed him to two stallion world’s championships. Topping the list of offspring were the Junior Exhibitor Five-Gaited World’s Champion Of Champions Memorize and the junior exhibitor pleasure World’s Champion Of Champions Can You Hear Me Now. Later in the year, Tom Scott brought down house at the American Royal with the Two-Year-Old Three-Gaited Champion Real Action.
Also a former world’s champion performer, Designed moved up five places to secure the number 12 overall rating for Judy Werner’s Redwing Farm. Sired by World’s Champion CH Caramac and out of the Broodmare Hall Of Fame matron, Sultan’s Dianna, Designed was the sire of the Amateur Ladies Three-Gaited World’s Champion Of Champions Glenview’s Excelalante! and two-year-old harness world’s champions Dressedfortheparty and Designer Chocolate.
Thirteenth this year, three spots ahead of 2007, was the Harlem Globetrotter son, CH Harlem Town. The most common thread among the Top 20 is that the majority were world’s champion performers themselves and Harlem Town held that distinction as well. Owned by Tim O’Brien’s Brookhill Farm, the son of World’s Champion CH Town Dance was the sire of Junior Exhibitor Three-Gaited World’s Champion Of Champions She’s My Desire as well as Brookhill’s King Of Kool, among others.
Owned by Dickey Davis, Attache’s Royal Assets (Attache’s Liquid Asset x Royal Memories) is the second stallion in the Top 20 out of a Mountain Highland Memories mare. He had nine offspring representing him at Louisville this year. Included in that group were World’s Champion Elegant Dreamcatcher, Reserve World’s Champion More Than Enough, Reserve World’s Champion Foxcrosses Divine Asset and Reserve World’s Champion All Mighty.
Number 15 on this year’s rating, former Three-Gaited Over 15.2 World’s Champion Castle Bravo moved up two places for owners Mitch and Vicky Clark. A son of the legendary Five-Gaited World’s Grand Champion Skywatch, Castle Bravo is out of the champion producing matron Yorkshire Pudding by New Yorker. At the top of the list of Castle Bravo offspring is the many times World’s Champion Castledream. Adding to the list this year were Reserve World’s Champions Captain Kangaroo, Dream Castle and Alfa Bravo, as well as The Blonde Bombshell and Priceless Damsel.
Thirty-year-old World’s Champion CH Caramac came in at number 16 for Callaway Hills. Sired by World’s Grand Champion CH Will Shriver and out of Stonehedge Vanity, the second Vanity’s Sensation Of Crebilly daughter to have a Top 20 sire, CH Caramac continues to be a presence in several divisions, but his greatest success came in the gaited ranks with the likes of World’s Champion Callaway’s Cassis, World’s Champion Callaway’s Lil Abner, Reserve World’s Champion First Chapter, CH Callaway’s Arbitrator, CH Caramac’s Bogart and Callaway’s Holy Moly.
Owned by Sharon Vuinovich, Attache’s Liquid Asset joined his son, Attache’s Royal Asset in the Top 20 at number 17. Out of an Oman’s Desdemona Denmark daughter, Royal Asset sired World’s Champion CH Mahvalous Asset, Reserve World’s Champion CH It’ Yabba Dabba Doo Time and Reserve World’s Champion CH Undulata’s Jimmy Hollywood who went on to be this year’s National Champion as well.
Family Jewels moved back into the Top 20 at number 18. He too was a world’s champion performer and has passed on that flair to his get. Owned by Lorrie Floyd, this son of Grape Tree’s Fox is the third stallion to be out of a Vanity’s Sensation mare. His mark is solely in the gaited division with World’s Champion Of Champions Billy Jewel, Reserve World’s Champion Tigerlee and Reserve World’s Champion Jewels For A Lady.
Star Material and (SA) Tornaado tied at number 19 with 27 points each. Owned by Walterway Hills Farm, Star Material is a son of Talent Town and Gold Star’s Ballerina and is most noted for being the sire of three-time World’s Champion Of Champions Walterway’s Remember Me. This year World’s Champion Walterway’s Spin The Bottle added to the point total, among others.
Owned by James Orr’s Wrapped In Rainbows Farm and standing at Cornerstone under the direction of Fred Sarver, former South African Fine Harness Grand Champion (SA) Tornaado tied for 19. Sired by (SA) Vida Yokozuna and out of a (SA) Supreme O’Lee daughter, Tornaado is the sire of the sensational Junior Three-Gaited World’s Champion Of Champions A Travelin Man, the twice reserve world’s champion Size Me Up, Simply Stella, Dancing With The Stars, Stonecroft Serengetti and Tornaado’s Storm Warning.
Rounding out our Top 20 is the former Five-Gaited Stallion Champion Belle Reve’s Renaissance Man. His sire, I’m A New Yorker, is also a Top 20 World’s Champion Sire. Owned and bred by Belle Reve Farm, Renaissance Man stands to the public at Alliance Stud. He is the sire of Reserve World’s Champion Of Champions Divine Renaissance, Reserve World’s Champion Master And Commander, Platinum Moon Over Pluto, Future Vision and Stonecroft Our Treat.
As mentioned earlier, Supreme Heir again topped the Deceased Sire Rating and he was followed by Roseridge Heir, CH The King Of Highpoint, Revival and CH Heir To Champagne in the Top 5.