Morgan Breeder Sweepstakes Returns To Jubilee
Friday, September 14, 2007

by Diana Davidson

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. -    Friday night, Aug. 31, 2007, featured the 17th annual edition of the $70,000 Morgan Breeder Sweepstakes. It marked the return of the prestigious event to the Jubilee as part of a rotating format between Northampton and Jubilee. The evening's festivities were once again located in the warm-up ring across from the coliseum at the Illinois State Fairgrounds. The evening started off with a party including live music, hors d'oeuvres and a cash bar at the near end and along one side of the ring.

Spectators then headed for the bleachers that were set up alongside and at the far end of the ring with a special group of seats at the near end of the ring for Breeder Sweepstakes stallion owners. The actual show ring area was the center attraction with a standing room only crowd viewing the competition on a lovely late summer evening.

Shanna Gish served as the Sweepstakes liaison

to Jubilee and celebrated the end of another

memorable competition.

This year's competition featured the expanded program that included 40 stallions whose get were eligible to compete. This expansion was intended to open up and enlarge the program. This year an outstanding group of 33 weanlings participated, with the field representing 16 of the 40 sires.

Phil Price, Cindy Mugnier, Rodney Hicks,

Anne Judd and Mike Carpenter served as the

judges for the 2007 Morgan Breeder Sweepstakes.

The competition was called with each of the 33 entries brought into the ring one at a time to show before judges Mike Carpenter, Rodney Hicks, Anne Judd, Cindy Mugnier and Phil Price. Each judge scored each weanling using a point system from zero to 100. The high and low score for each foal was dropped and the remaining three were added to arrive at the first round score. Ten minutes after the first round was completed, the top 10 scoring weanlings were announced.

The finalists then came back into the ring as a group. Places six through 10 were then pinned in reverse order with each receiving $2,000, a ribbon, Radon sheet, medallion and trophy. Master of Ceremonies Peter Fenton gave a brief introduction of each of the top 10 finishers. The get of Astronomicallee enjoyed a great evening with three of a total of six of his get shown earning top 10 placings beginning with 10th place finisher Locutus (out of Essex Primetime) shown by Lynn Peeples for Donald and Denise Wetmore. Next in line was Gradell Kendra In Motion sired by World Champion Man In Motion and out of Gradell’s Seventh Angel with Cheri Barber enjoying a fine performance for Jerome and Shirley Modell. Merriehill Roxy Heart continued a fine night for her sire Astronomicallee as Whitney Bodnar led the daughter of Cingate Foxy Lady for Merriehill Farm to the eighth place finish.

The Merriehill Farm breeding program added

two more top 10 finishes with a pair of

Astronomicallee daughters, Merriehill Black

Betty (pictured) and Merriehill Roxy Heart.

This was another memorable night for Triumph Stables with three of their five future stars placing in the top 10. When Hufferds Design (Minion Millennium x Aljaks Oh La La) was announced as the seventh place winner with John Hufferd, Peter Fenton informed the crowd that Margaret Van Meter had sold the promising youngster to Allison Wright as this program continues to be a great sales tool. Ultras Special Agent continued to be a popular sire of Morgan Breeder Sweepstakes entries with seven get showing and Ultras Frequent Flyer (out of Hylee’s Copenhagen) earning the sixth spot for Stephen Smith.

The top five were then left to compete for second round scores. At this point the first round scores were dropped and only the second round scores were used to pin the top five. The five finalists were all judged individually and as a group. The judges were able to compare the entries and position them as they pleased. This gave the judges and the crowd a chance to really compare the entries. When all of the final scoring had been finished the top five placings were announced in descending order.

Earning $4,000 as the fifth place finisher was LNT Cassanova (Belalugosi x Second Glance). Lyniece Talmadge of Grande L Farms LLC was delighted with her youngster who was one of two top five finishers presented by Triumph Stables. Whitney Bodnar was on the lead of the fourth place entry as Merriehill Black Betty represented Merriehill Farm with another memorable Breeder Sweepstakes performance. The sparkling black filly sired by Astronomicallee and out of Merriehill Great Day collected a check for $5,500 for her performance.

Lyniece Talmadge (center) was delighted with

the top five placing by her Belalugosi son

LNT Cassanova shown by John and Belle Hufferd.

It was a competition to the finish for the top three entries as the judges had compared them, and the handlers also brought them nose-to-nose to the delight of the crowd. Lynn Peeples brought another outstanding Ultras Special Agent filly to center stage in Ultras Liberty Bell (out of Ultras Independence). They accepted the third place award of $8,000 to add to numerous top finishes in the Morgan Breeder Sweepstakes over the years by the entries bred and owned by Stephen Smith.

Lynn Peeples and Ultras Liberty Bell

(photo by Jennifer Hazen)

The focus then turned to the two entries remaining and the large crowd as well as the trainers of the two finalists sensed the excitement at hand. It was a familiar place for the bloodlines of the two top finishers as one was sired by Hollybrook Stage Rage (the sire of the 2005 Morgan Breeder Sweepstakes champion and reserve champion) and the other by Minion Millennium (the sire of the 2006 Morgan Breeder Sweepstakes champion).

Laura Braddock greeted LBJ Stage Fright and

Tim Roesink following their performance as the

Morgan Breeder Sweepstakes Reserve Champions.

When the announcement of the reserve champion was made, LBJ Stage Fright made her way to center stage. It was a crowning achievement for owner/breeder Laura Braddock as the charismatic daughter of Hollybrook Stage Rage and Elegance In Motion posed proudly with Tim Roesink and her check for $12,000 as the 2007 Morgan Breeder Sweepstakes Reserve Champion.

The champion stood alone as John Hufferd was on the magical lead of the champion for an incomparable fifth year in a row. This time it was Jackie Hill McGeary of Jaklee Farm LLC who added her name to the select list of Morgan Breeder Sweepstakes Champion breeders as Jaklee’s Bravo Papa took his place in the winner's circle surrounded by his proud family. The check for $25,000 went to the expressive bay son of Minion Millennium and SCMF Czarina. In addition Jaklee Farm received 10 percent as the winning breeder along with 10 percent to John Hufferd as the winning trainer.

Jaklee’s Bravo Papa was greeted by his proud family

as John Hufferd guided him to the Morgan Breeder

Sweepstakes Championship and the check

for $25,000. (photo by Jennifer Hazen)

In its 17 years the Morgan Breeder Sweepstakes has awarded over $1,000,000 in prize money to the owners, breeders and trainers of foals competing. However, this program is not just about beautiful babies, it is where winning show careers are started. It helps to encourage Morgan breeders, big and small, to breed for outstanding foals that go on to greater heights. The Morgan Breeder Sweepstakes is a great start toward a lifetime of winning.

The Morgan Breeder Sweepstakes continues to be a great marketing tool for the Morgan industry. It benefits not only stallion owners, but mare owners and perspective owners as well. Stallion owners contribute to the prize fund and in turn their stallion’s get are eligible to compete. The mare owner simply pays the regular stud fee to these stallions and the resulting foal is eligible to compete in the Sweepstakes. Owners of Sweepstakes nominated stallions gain through increased breedings to their stallions. Mare owners gain in the earnings potential as well as marketability of the foal. In 2008 the Morgan Breeder Sweepstakes will return to Northampton, and future plans call for it to be back at Jubilee in 2009.

WINNERS - MORGAN BREEDER SWEEPSTAKES 2007

Pl. - No. - Name – Sire – Dam - Trainer - Owner

1. 373 - Jaklee’s Bravo Papa - Minion Millennium -SCMF Czarina - John Hufferd -Jaklee Farm

2. 402 - LBJ Stage Fright - Hollybrook Stage Rage - Elegance In Motion - Tim Roesink - Jim and Laura Braddock                         

3. 425 - Ultras Liberty Bell - Ultras Special Agent - Ultras Independence - Lynn Peeples - Stephen Smith

4. 322 - Merriehill Black Betty – Astronomicallee - Merriehill Great Day - Whitney Bodnar - Merriehill Farm

5. 372 - LNT Cassanova – Belalugosi - Second Glance - John Hufferd - Grande L Farms LLC

6. 492 - Ultras Frequent Flyer - Ultras Special Agent - Hylee’s Copenhagen - Stephen Smith  - Stephen Smith

7. 502 - Hufferds Design - Minion Millennium - Aljaks Oh La La - John Hufferd - Margaret Van Meter

8. 321 - Merriehill Roxy Heart – Astronomicallee - Cingate Foxy Lady - Whitney Bodnar - Merriehill Farm

9. 360 - Gradell Kendra In Motion - Man In Motion - Gradell’s Seventh Angel - Cheri Barber - Jerome and Shirley Modell

10. 426 – Locutus – Astronomicallee - Essex Primetime - Lynn Peeples - Donald and Denise Wetmore      

OFFICIAL SCORING

Top Five Placings - Second Round Scores

Top Ten Placings - First Round Scores

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