The impact of Supreme Sultan (CH Valley View Supreme x Melody O'Lee by Anacacho Denmark) has been nothing short of phenomenal since Saddle Horse Report began its World's Champion Sire Rating in 1989. That year Sultan's Santana led the inaugural rating for living sires and held the number on position until his death in '94. He still leads the deceased sire list.
This year found SUPREME HEIR at the top for the third time in the past four years. Owned by Hallston Manor and standing under the direction of Joan Lurie at Willowbank, the son of Supreme Sultan and CH Supreme Airs by Stonewall Supreme ran away with the title having nearly 100 more points than the reserve sire, CH Caramac.
A total of 248 stallions earned points, this is to say they sired at least a ribbon winner at the World's Championship Horse Show. Sixty-seven of that 248 actually sired a world's champion and the Supreme Sultan influence could be found throughout the top 20 and beyond. Sultan sons have topped the rating 10 of the 13 years with Sultan's Great Day joining Sultan's Santana and Supreme Heir at the top. The only non-Sultan sires to win it were Harlem Globetrotter, twice, and CH Caramac once.
"For any product in any business to be successful, it has to have quality and if it does, chances are it's in for the long haul," said Bob Ruxer, who along with his uncle the late Alvin C. Ruxer, stood Supreme Sultan for many years at their farm in Jasper, Ind. "With Sultan it has carried through for a long, long time.
"He [Supreme Sultan] was a stud that started as a two-year-old so he let us know early what would work. He had the benefit of time. A lot of these stallions don't start until so late, after their show careers are over. We bred just our mares at first and gave him lots of quality mares to get him started. We started out winning all the futurities and then as two-year-olds, people were saying, 'Let's see if they can wear leather.' And they did. His children advertised for us. We also had the benefit of getting most all of the great mares of that day. I don't know if something like that could ever happen again. All of those Sultan stallions that are so successful, they are all out of great producing mares. Families that have been successful," added Ruxer.
Like his sire, Supreme Heir began his breeding career at a relatively young age, therefore having the opportunity to have many offspring competing. After having won world's titles as a two and three-year-old he soon made his mark as a sire.
"His horses have above average quality, a pretty shape to their necks, and a good work ethic," said Joan Lurie explaining the success of Supreme Heir. "Even if they don't turn out to be stake horses, they are pretty and want to be somebody so there is usually a place for them. I had Attache and thought he was a great breeding horse, but he had some that were too tough to train or would take you five years to do it. This horse gives you a broader base of nice usable offspring."
As the old saying goes, 'the proof is in the pudding,' Supreme Heir had champions in all divisions. With 421 registered get as of 2000, he was the number one sire of three-gaited, fine harness, and pleasure horses and the number eight sire of five-gaited entries at the World's Championship Horse Show. In the walk-trot division he was the sire of the sensational two-year-old world's champion, An Heir About Her, as well as Callaway's Buttons and Bows, The Super Nova, Heir Style, Heir Balloon, French Silk Stockings, Supreme Inheritance, Callaway's Sunday Edit, Classic Colors and Heir Popper. World's Grand Champion Callaway's Copyright earned the most points from the fine harness division to go with totals from Rejoice, Go Baby Go, Metro Heirea, and The Edge. Reserve World's Grand Champion The Bess Yet won her qualifier as well to add to Supreme Heir's pleasure numbers. Also starring in that division were Sweet Virginia, Amandari, Lover's Heir, What's My Line, and Sultry Heiress.
The number one world's champion sire was not without his stars in the gaited division either. Swish was one of the most popular junior horses showing, while Heirogant picked up a reserve world's championship to go with ribbon winners Hank Heiron, Heirobatic, Riley's Town, and Heir Spring.
A former number one sire (1999), CH CARAMAC placed second on the World's Champion Sire Rating for the second consecutive year for Betty Weldon's Callaway Hills. The Junior Five-Gaited World's Grand Champion of 1982, this son of CH Will Shriver and Stonehedge Vanity by Vanity's Sensation had 351 registered get as of last year. The son of 1976 Five-Gaited World's Grand Champion CH Will Shriver was again the number one sire of five-gaited horses in the rating.
Some of Caramac's stars included World's Champion Five-Gaited Mare My Chanel, Caramac's Bogart, Caramac's Capital Gain, Macaroon, Royal Crest's Heavenly Stone, Cara Clara, Callaway's Rockaway, Possibly Perfect, Page Me, Caramar, Designed, Carmelita Santana, Callaway's Newscaster, and Callaway's Sea Horse.
Following suit, HARLEM GLOBETROTTER was third on the overall world's champion rating and he was also the third former world's champion performer. A five-gaited world's champion in 1983, 1984, 1992, and 1994, this son of New Yorker and Putting On Airs by Mr. Magic Man was the number one world's champion sire in 1995 and 1997 for Kalarama Farm. He was reported as having 495 registered get through the year 2000. Globetrotter has stayed in the top three for the past decade siring numerous champions in all divisions, including for Five-Gaited World's Grand Champion CH Garland's Dream. He had a host of horses receiving points this year including Harlem's Proud Mary, Colin Powell, Globetrotting Annie, Harlem's Jamaican, Harlem's Honeysuckle, Beale Street, CH Elle, Harlem's Hot Ticket, The Excelsior, Court Dance, Harlem Heat, Harlem's Magic Circle, and Harlem's Strong Will. Joan Hamilton continues to direct the career of Globetrotter and some of his young sons from the historic Kalarama Farm in Springfield, Ky.