Long Live The Sultan...
Friday, January 11, 2002
13th Annual World's Champion Sire Rating by Bob Funkhouser 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. The first sire to place at the top and not be a former world's champion performer was the number four sire, CHAMPAGNE FIZZ. The sixth place finisher in 2000, the son of Supreme Sultan and the Wing Commander daughter, Commander's Elegance, is still alive and well at the Hulse Stables in Center, Mo., although Ron Hulse reports he is no longer standing to the public. His dominance was found in the five-gaited division where he was ranked number two behind fellow Missouri stallion, CH Caramac. Having the largest number of registered get (768) as of last year, Fizz had an array of top finishers this year including CH A Taste Of Champagne, Champagne's Special Event, Champagne In Winter, Grand Marq, Champagne Santana, Simply Tasty, Salute To Champagne, My Korbel, Champagne Bob, Perrier, and Still Champagne.
SULTAN'S GREAT DAY was the number one sire in '94 and '96 for Belle Reve Farm and today holds down the number five position in the overall rating while standing under the direction of prominent Arabian trainer Bob Battaglia in Texas. With 363 registered get as of last year, Great Day ranked number five among five-gaited sires and number eight in the pleasure ranks. His big winner in the gaited division was the extremely popular Callaway's Regatta, ridden by Michele Macfarlane. He also sired juvenile five-gaited world's champion Sartorial Splendor and amateur gentlemen's reserve world's champion Great Day Rising.
Sultan's Great Day would still go down in history if he had only sired CH Winter Day who was again the Amateur Three-Gaited World's Grand Champion. In the harness division he had Call Me Ringo and My Special Sultan and in the pleasure ranks Louisville Lass, My Lucky Day, With Great Style, Turn Of The Century, Thee Trinity, and Live For The Moment.
Representing one of the great outcrosses of the Supreme Sultan/Wing Commander movement, 1986 National Three-Year-Old Fine Harness Futurity World's Champion MERCHANT PRINCE (Mountain Highland Memories x CH Buck Creek's Precious Princess by Glen Grove's Lord Vanity) moved up a notch this year to secure a sixth place tie with Phi Slama Jama and Sultan's Starmaker. Bred, raised, and developed at Bit Hutcheson's Happy Valley Farm, Rossville, Ga., Merchant Prince has sired several world class performers with only 181 registered get according to last year's ASHA Reference Book.
A sire of numerous walk-trot and harness horses including two-times World's Grand Champion CH A Sweet Treat, Merchant Prince was represented in the standings this year by CH Boutonniere, CH Rejoice, Crowned Prince, Very Presidential, In Your Dreams, Simbara's Samba Jamba, Nightly Affair, Mercenary, MT Hopper, All Buttoned Up, Callaway's Royal Request, The Bachelor Prince, By Design, Sing My Song, and Wild Rumor, as well as the beautiful world's champion yearling The Stradivarius.
Also at number six on the overall chart, PHI SLAMA JAMA moved up two places from the 2000 rating. In 1985 the flaxen tailed stallion put on a remarkable show as the World's Champion Yearling Breeder's Stake winner and then came back the next year to win in harness as a two-year-old. Since then the son of CH The Karankawa Chief and Wild and Lovely PH, by Hide-A-Way's Wild Country, has been busy putting world and national champions on the ground for Dr. Alan Raun's Reedannland, Cumming, Iowa. A total of 375 get were reported last year.
Phi Slama Jama was represented on the green shavings by Reedann's Phancy Phootwork, Philosopher, What A Phine Ruby, Rags To Rubies, Reedann's Phorsythia, Jama Rose, Digni-Phi, Reedann's Phirestorm, and Garden Tour.
One of the biggest jumps in the ratings belonged to last year's number 14 sire, SULTAN'S STARMAKER. Tied for sixth in the overall rankings this year, Sultan's Starmaker is another of those successful products of the Supreme Sultan/Wing Commander "golden cross." His career has been directed by Carter Cox of Woodstock Farm, Danville, Ky. Cox has raised, trained, and sold numerous stars in several divisions by the grand old sire who had 248 registered get credited to him as of last year. The son of Supreme Sultan and Ann O'Lee, by Wing Commander, finished third in both the five-gaited and three-gaited divisions this year. In the gaited division he was led by junior exhibitor world's grand champion Tyler, as well as the much talked about junior horse, Starmaker's Triton and The Lucky Charm. In the walk-trot ranks he produced The Irish Lord, Freedom Reins, Starview, Killian, and Three-Gaited Pony World's Grand Champion Simbara's Audacity, as well as Starmaker's Winning Colors in the weanling division.
CF FIRST NIGHT OUT (CH Night Prowler x Happy Twenty-First by New Yorker) traveled from thirteenth in 2000 to seventh in 2001. As of last year's ASHA Reference Book, the majestic bay stallion had not even broken the century mark with registered get giving him the smallest number of foals of any of the Top 10 Sires. His career has been directed by Blythewood Farm of Cleveland, Tenn. and they made big news this year when they bought back one of his greatest sons, Yes It's True. With Sam Stafford in the irons for new owners, the Mary Jane Sledge family, Yes It's True was crowned the Three-Gaited World's Grand Champion and over 15.2 winner to help First Night Out to a second place finish as a sire of Three-Gaited World's Champions. Some of his other three-gaited get included world's champion CF Burn Out, Lady Maya, and CF Cool Night Out. CF Contracted Out, CF Private Night Out, and CF Night At The Castle all earned points from the gaited division, while Junior Fine Harness World's Grand Champion Ah What A Night, led the way in the harness division. Also earning points were Oscar Night, CF Mad Night Out, Fifo, The Night We Met, and Another Night In Dixie.
The second Callaway Hills stallion in the Top 10, CALLAWAY'S BLUE NORTHER (CH Will Shriver x Royally Blue by Royal Rambler) tied for eighth place having a recorded 200 registered get. He was tied for fourth in the gaited division and also placed fourth among the walk-trot sires. Under the direction of Bob Brison at Callaway Hills the 1984 Three-Year-Old Five-Gaited World's Champion and 1985 Junior Five-Gaited Reserve World's Grand Champion was represented at Louisville by Callaway's Sugarplum, Aurora Borealis, Callaway's Weatherman, Callaway's Banner Headline, Callaway's Potpourri, Certainly A Star, Hollywood Scandal, Rock and Rumba, Callaway's Blue Agate, and Callaway's Editor's Note. PERIAPTOR thrilled audiences when he showed as an open gaited horse and now his youngsters are doing the same, more often in the three-gaited and harness divisions. Owned by the Loose Family Trust and standing at Rob and Jackie Tanner's King's Row in Versailles, Ky., the son of CH Courageous Admiral and Eliana by Classic Stonewall had 242 recorded get through last season. Representing Periaptor at the top all year long as well as being the Amateur Five-Gaited Reserve World's Grand Champion Rob Me Blind added to the point total as the the two-year-old gaited colt Celtic Storm. He finished fifth in the three-gaited ranks with the beautiful Lady Periana heading the cause there. She was joined by Royal Messenger, Four Alarm, Cash Crop, Reefing. Of course in the harness division If I Had A Love was the Three-Year-Old National Futurity World's Champion earning five points for her sire. Others receiving points included junior world's champion The Magic Touch, reserve world's champion In Touch, The Rambo, Periscope, Peri Rich, and Anna's Liquid Gold.
One of the consistent top sires of world's champion, RADIANT SULTAN finished number nine in 2001 for Redwing Farm. From the royal bloodlines of Supreme Sultan and CH Glenview's Radiance, by Oman's Desdemona Denmark, 362 get had been registered as of last year. With great fine harness blood flowing through his veins, Radiant Sultan has in turn sired outstanding harness horses including the multi-titled world's grand champion CH Radiant Success. Also winning Louisville points were Sportster, Stonecroft Verbena, Reservation Required, Carolina's Top Gun, Delicious, Much More Radiant, Scarlet Evening, Harlem's C My Radiance, Valhalla's King Of Hearts, Kiss For Luck, Apple Fritter, and A Star Performance.
Making his first appearance in the Top 10, ATTACHE'S LIQUID ASSET offers a different cross. His top side is dominated by world's champion gaited horses including his sire Attache, his sire Chief Of Greystone, and his sire Wing Commander. The bottom side is Mona Denmark, a daughter of the world's champion producing Oman's Desdemona Denmark. With 142 registered get as of last year, he is owned by Sharon Vuinovich and stands at Selwood Park Stable in Elkhorn, Wisc., under the direction of Gareth Selwood.
A winner of the 1986 Five-Gaited Stallion World's Championship, Liquid Asset excelled with a tie for number three in the gaited division this year. Heading that list was Junior Five-Gaited World's Grand Champion and junior mare winner Undulata's Georgie Girl. He also received point totals from Mahvalous Asset and Assets and Attitudes in the gaited ranks. Points in other divisions came from She's An Asset, Aces and Eights, Unclaimed, Diamond Assets, Chief Tomahawk, and Attache's Touched By An Angel.
Also making his first appearance in the Top 20, former Two-Year-Old and Three-Year-Old Five-Gaited World's Champion CH HEIR TO CHAMPAGNE landed in the number 11 position for the James Orr Family. Standing under the direction of Joan Lurie at Willowbank, Simpsonville, Ky., Heir To Champagne was recorded with 188 registered get. Having winners in different divisions, he placed seventh among both five-gaited and three-gaited sires. Some of his leading point getters included Junior Three-Gaited Under 15.2 World's Champion Winefest, I'm A Treat, Amateur Three-Gaited Park Mare World's Champion Annie Up, Cruisin On By, A Touch Of Heir, Heir's Heiress, Wrapped In Roses WRF, Heir Balloon, Lost Token, Piano Man, Token Favorite, Gotta Be Gold, and Victory's Golgotha.
A long-time breeder of top show horses, Dick Kearney had CATALYST (Manhattan Supreme x Lakeview's Captured Angel by CH Superior Odds) in the number 12 spot. This colorful stallion had recorded 237 get and his ribbon winners from Louisville represented virtually every division with names like World's Champion A Magic Spell, World's Champion Catastrophic, Adult Three-Gaited Pleasure World's Grand Champion He Walks On Water, Lesley Anne, El Dorado Stonewall Jackson, Dark Horse, Beelzebub, Cat Cracker, and Rock The Jukebox.
The number 13 sire, SULTAN'S COLLECTOR'S ITEM, was Callaway Hills third stallion in the Top 20. Another of those Supreme Sultan sons, this sire is out of the Duke Of Stonewall daughter, Georgie's Miracle. With 125 registered get he was the sire of Callaway's Merry-Go-Round, Callaway's Coraleen, Callaway's Twister, Five-Gaited Pleasure World's Grand Champion CH Speciality Item, and Undulata's Macarena.
Three stallions tied at number 14 with CH MAN ON THE TOWN making his first appearance in the Top 20. The former Five-Gaited World's Grand Champion has only been bred to Oak Hill Farm mares. A truly gifted athlete, Man On The Town was the National Three-Year-Old Five-Gaited Futurity World's Champion in 1987, the Junior Five-Gaited World's Grand Champion of '88, and the Five-Gaited World's Grand Champion in both '89 and '90 before being retired to stud by Jean McLean Davis who owned his great sire, three-times Five-Gaited World's Grand Champion Ch Yorktown and Man's famous dam, CH Chantilly Rose who won the Three-Year-Old Five-Gaited World's Championship and later the open mare stake for Oak Hill Farm. Man's former trainer, George Knight, trained A Woman's Touch, winner of the Three-Year-Old Five-Gaited Mare Stake this year. She was just one of Man On The Town's winning entries. He was also represented by Another Man's Treasure, Amateur Ladies Three-Gaited World's Grand Champion City Lady, reserve world's champion Lace On The Town, reserve world's champion Bayou Belle, Oh Man, and Man To Man. Also with 34 points, ROSERIDGE HEIR was tied at number 14. Part of a legacy which has included breeding and developing a great number of top show horses over the past half century at Glyndle and Randy Tabor's 3-T Farm, Scottsville, Ky., "Reggie" has gone from the pasture sire to a sire of many show ring champions, all the time complementing the late Worthy Son and his daughters. Roseridge Heir is a son of Madeira's Gift and Cedar Creek My Red Rose by Ridgefield Heir. He was credited with having only 82 registered get as of last year, however, he was still well represented at Louisville. Helping the cause were Himalaya, Worthystyle, The Rose Lady, Fourth Down, Dynamation, Closing Scene, Heir's Best, Here I Am Again, Matrix, James Lewis, and Aisling's Treasure.
The third horse at number 14, TIME WILLING, is a product of two Five-Gaited World's Grand Champions, CH Will Shriver and CH Cora's Time by Flight Time. The Callaway Hills bred stallion landed in the Top 20 with points from junior exhibitor five-gaited world's champion If Time Allows and the up and coming bay gaited gelding, reserve world's champion Time Well Spent. In the walk-trot ranks he is responsible for Times Mirrored ERB and the wildly popular Amateur Three-Gaited Park World's Grand Champion A Step Of Time. This is from a recorded 38 registered get.
Another product of two world's champions is the number 15 overall world's champion sire, CH HARLEM TOWN who only had 47 registered get in 2001. Sired by Harlem Globetrotter out of CH Town Dance by CH Yorktown, Harlem Town won numerous world's and reserve world's championships in the three-gaited, the harness, and then the three-gaited division again before being purchased as a breeding horse by the Tim O'Brien family. Today he stands at Rob and Jackie Tanner's King's Row in Versailles, Ky. CH Harlem Town was led by the undefeated Three-Gaited Park World's Grand Champion Ninety-Eight Degrees with other points from world's champion Kool Tyme BH, reserve world's champion Prince Town BH, Harlem's Town Scandal, and Harlem's Dark Star.
Putting On Airs has two sons in the Top 20 as she is the dam of Harlem Globetrotter and the number 16 overall sire, YORKTOWN MAGIC, who is by the three-times Five-Gaited World's Grand Champion CH Yorktown. Owned by and standing at Kohler Stables, LaGrange, Ky., this celebrated stallion has 130 recorded get as of last season. His best showing was in the gaited division in which he was tied for third. Some of Yorktown Magic's winning offspring for the season included Ladies Five-Gaited World's Grand Champion CH Millennium, Music Note, The Calendar Girl, Strike The Gold, Business First, and Our Sunbeam. Ranked seventeenth this year was handsome bay son of world's champions CH Superior Odds and CH Penny's Stonewall by Stonewall Supreme, RARE TREASURE. Owned by and standing at Lakeview Farm, Washington, Pa., he had 204 registered get including his Louisville prize winners Show Pleasure Driving World's Grand Champion River Dance, reserve world's champion Herculean, and Lady Treasure.
Tied at 17 was a Ruxer Farms icon, SULTAN'S ROYALTY (Supreme Sultan x Starlike by CH Wing Commander). His first world's champion came in 1987 and there has been a steady stream every since for Bob Ruxer and the Jasper, Ind., operation. Adding to the point totals this year were Junior Exhibitor Three-Gaited 13 & Under World's Grand Champion CH Sergeant Royalty, The Babe, Lucrative Lady, Evening Dazzle, Hello Australia, Margaret Stewart, and Carolina Emerald Kay.
Number 18 on the overall list belonged to the up and coming sire FOX CREEK. With 117 registered get Virginia Dulworth's stallion is by Grape Tree's Fox out of Gold Star's Ballerina by Stonewall's Main Event. He was represented by get in a few divisions including junior exhibitor five-gaited world's champion Fox De Jour, Squash Creek, Hayden Fox, Maximum Bob, and Hannah Belle.
Under the direction of Fred Sarver, MOUNTAINVIEW'S OH HEAVENLY DAY (The Coal Train x Easter Treat by Longview's Supreme) made his first appearance in the Top 20 at number 19. Owned by C. Norman Jones, Richmond, Va., this young sire has done exceptionally well with only 46 registered get as of last season. He earned points in the five-gaited and fine harness divisions with the likes of Singsation, Mountainview's Nite Dancer, Spent A Fortune, Mountainview's Worth A Fortune, Mountainview's Stock Option, Mountainview's Prom Queen, and in the in hand division, Oh Heavens Above.
Two horses occupied the number 20 position, the first being SULTAN'S AMERICANA. Eugene Coffman of Saint Mary, Mo., is the recorded owner of this son of Supreme Sultan and Miss Dixie Holiday by Ridgefields Denmark. He was recorded with 193 registered get, among them multi-titled world's champion CH Americana's Jazz Man, reserve world's champion Born To Be Blue, and Americana's Flight.
Rounding out the Top 20 was a horse who sired his first world's champions in the early '80s, TITLEIST. Ed and Lisa Millet own the bay son of Longview's Supreme and CH Nichols' Fairlane by Alexander The Great. Among his 220 registered get were this year's ladies five-gaited sensation Title Bound along with Titleist Supreme, Titleist Aristocrat, and Titleist Symbol. From the Deceased Sire Rating SULTAN'S SANTANA once again held down the number one spot. This famous world's grand champion son of Supreme Sultan and Grandview's Majorette by Golden Thunderbolt had offspring in every division except in hand. Reserve honors went to the recently deceased Attache's Born Believer.
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