Dragonsmeade - People’s Choice Breeder of the Year
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
The Fu family – Susie, Kee, Iann and Ling –
is justifiably proud of the accomplishments
of their Dragonsmeade breeding program.
by Ann Bullard
Dragonsmeade. What visions that name can evoke. When translated to ‘American,’ the name Dragon’s Meadow seems appropriate for the place where top, proverbial fire-breathing Morgans are bred, foaled and raised.
Why the name? “Because of Dad being Chinese,” Ling Fu Wylie replied logically. The beautiful acreage in Winchester, Ky.’s rolling hills of bluegrass is a fitting setting for the family’s horse interests.
Yum Kee Fu built a successful architectural practice in Albuquerque, N.M. One interesting example of the now-retired professional’s work can be seen at the farm. The barn and outbuildings are of his design.
He and his wife, Susie, wanted their daughters, Ling Fu Wylie and her six-year-younger sister Iann Fu Longenecker to enjoy every opportunity the city of Albuquerque had to offer. Their mother had ridden hunt seat as a child, so riding was natural for their elder daughter.
“We had horses at home in a New Mexico pasture and did some trail riding, but it never went further than that,” Ling said, explaining her father does not ride. “The only time he got on, the horse knew he had a sucker. He took off to the alfalfa field and Dad never could get his head up.”
“We bought our first Morgans from Vita Zodin and Nancy Pollack at Tamarisk Morgans in New Mexico. We had horses with Roy-El Morgans. Then Mother met Mrs. [Herb] Kohler at the Circle J Show in Estes Park, Colo.,” Iann added. “They became friendly and we ended up at Kohler Stables. During this time my parents fell in love with HVK Hotspur. We ended up buying him at the Kohler Sale and we showed him from Cedar Creek along with many other horses over the years.”
The family established their Kentucky farm in 1999. Since Mr. Fu retired, he spends more time with the horses. He and his wife spend summers in the Bluegrass, enjoying time spent with the mares and foals.
The architectural design of Yum Kee Fu highlights
Dragonsmeade Farm, the breeding farm and nursery
of future Morgan champions in Winchester, Ky.
The farm is strictly a breeding and nursery operation. The horses Iann and Ling show are in California with Bob Hughes or with Phil Fountain and Sandy Sessink at Peeper Ranch.
“Others are spread around the country with trainers we respect,” Ling said, adding, “If we kept them where we could see them, we would never want to sell.”
“We pick the trainer we think will work best with an individual,” Iann added. “Bob [Hughes] has a lot of And The Beat Goes On stock. Phil Fountain has a full sister to Reserve World Champion Dragonsmeade Fusion, among others. Peeper’s proximity to Ling’s home makes it a convenient place for her to both see her horses and stay legged up.
“We knew we needed to promote our horses on the East Coast,” Iann said. “We placed Carnaros with Mike Carpenter, who we had been friends with since his years at Kohler. Later, Tim Roesink selected Carnaros for John and Nancy Hendricks.”
The trainer drove the stallion to the Grand National Pleasure Driving Four-Year-Old Stallion and World Championship Pleasure Driving Four-Year-Old titles last year.
Ling says Iann is the one really involved in breeding, with their mother close behind. “We all talk, have family discussions about possible crosses. Iann knows everyone’s bloodlines; she can tell what a baby is just by its look. She and Mom compare notes; they remember bloodlines from way back.”
Dragonsmeade’s breeding program strongly reflects the Kohler and Cedar Creek bloodlines. They recently sold Mizrahi, son of HVK Bell Flaire and Schiaparelli, keeping one of his sons and several breedings to the 2006 People’s Choice Morgan Horse of the Year. The Noble Flaire son Beethoven is the sire of multi World Champion Dragonsmeade Carnegie Hall and three-time World Champion Dragonsmeade Virtuoso. Bocelli (Beethoven x Sioux’s Hot Tamale) won the 2000 Morgan Medallion Grand Champion Stallion as a three-year-old. Both stand to the public. And The Beat Goes On’s book is not open to the public. However, Dragonsmeade offers his services at the New England and AMHA/WMF Stallion Service Auctions.
“Nearly everything we’re showing is either bred by us or part of our bloodlines,” Iann said. “We combined the HVK bloodlines with Cedar Creek and made it a Dragonsmeade line.”
What traits from each line attracted the Dragonsmeade family? “We like the prettiness [of the HVK horses,]” Ling responded. “They have lovely heads, a gorgeous eye and look like Morgans. They have long, pretty necks, but are a little thicker than a Saddlebred. I love the drive from behind that Cedar Creek breeding gives us. That’s very important. We like a horse with a nice length of poll, one that drives from behind and stays sound physically and mentally.”
Many of the horses in the Dragonsmeade show and breeding programs are either bred by them or, if purchased, carry the Bell Flaire or I Will Command bloodlines. And The Beat Goes On, by Simply Maserati and out of JL’s Deer Sal, was purchased as a show horse and his success in the breeding shed has been more than a pleasant surprise. Iann showed the stallion to four Park Harness Amateur World Championships. He has proven to be an equally successful sire. DMH Back In Black, the 2006 Park Saddle Four-Year-Old Grand National and World Champion, and Dragonsmeade Carnaros, 2006 Pleasure Driving Four-Year-Old Grand National and World Champion, are among his progeny.
To say the family and the farm have been successful would be a huge understatement. Iann and Ling have ridden and driven HVK Obsidian, Prada, RLH Electra, Troika’s Black Russian, And The Beat Goes On, Dragonsmeade Divine Miss M, Dragonsmeade Bravura and Dragonsmeade Fusion to Grand National or world grand championships or reserves in the past two years. Tim Arcuri showed Dragonsmeade Carnegie Hall to a pair of pleasure driving reserves for Tom and Stephanie Connor in 2006. Carnegie Hall started off his world titled career directed by Bob Hughes for Dragonsmeade, and he went on to win several more Oklahoma tricolors with Tim Roesink showing for Kourt Jester Morgans before his purchase by the Connors. Whitney Bodnar of Merriehill Farm drove Dragonsmeade Maxmara to win the Park Harness Two-Year-Old World Futurity and a Two-Year-Old Park Harness Reserve World Championship in 2006 for Dragonsmeade.
East Coast, West Coast and points in between: horses carrying the Dragonsmeade name star in the show ring. Whether ridden or driven by a trainer, a lady, an amateur or a junior exhibitor, these horses earn their share of ribbons and trophies.
Most buyers of Dragonsmeade horses have obtained them through private sales. On March 31, 28 of these Morgans and an embryo package will be offered at auction as part of the Copper Dragon Sale at Tattersalls in Lexington, Ky.
“We think our horses speak for themselves,” Iann said. “We’re really excited about the sale. It will be very representative of our farm with quite a few Beethoven, Mizrahi and Bud (And The Beat Goes On) babies going through.”
The family’s involvement with the breed goes beyond their own horses. Ling is a member of the American Morgan Horse Association Board of Directors, Iann serves on the Grand National Show Committee and Susie Fu works with the American Morgan Horse Institute.
When asked what she likes best about the horse world, Ling explained it has become an addiction. “It started as a neat thing to do as a family. We’ve developed some amazing friendships. We’re animal people and enjoy their companionship. This has become our passion.”
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