2003 Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event

Rolex Breeders Symposium: Maintenance Is One of the Keys

Maintenance is also key, he said. “As a vet I check the tires and change the oil; if your horse runs well you look good. This is the kind of horse I want my David and Jackie [Mars] to buy.”

Allen said that riding on a good surface, conditioning a horse properly and following a careful veterinary and shoeing regime also contribute to creating the ideal eventer.

All of the members of the panel agreed that Carrick, who is of unknown bloodlines but is mostly thoroughbred with some Clydesdale, represents a nearly perfect event horse. The stunning chestnut gelding has a proven performance record as well as pleasing the eye. Williams said that when he first purchased Carrick from a breeder in Canada the gelding looked like a hyena, with massive shoulders and a diminutive body, but that proper work filled him out in all the right places.

In the end the panel agreed that ideal event horses come in all shapes and sizes, and that good and bad horses come from all over the world.

Emerson said, “Most of us don’t make a lot of money at our business; it’s hard to market horses. Producing a horse is expensive yet there is tremendous satisfaction in being the breeder of an elite horse. The question is, how do we do it? What kind of horses to people ride and how do we produce them?”

The first step to finding an answer is to ask the question. Deciding what is ideal seems elusive, but with the continued efforts of dedicated breeders and horsemen, the formula for breeding the ultimate event horse may well be realized.

by Amber Heintzberger

Related Links
Barr Travels From England to Kentucky as Breeding Symposium Panelist, Funnell to Participate Too
PhelpsPhotos® Favorites 2002 Rolex Kentucky Three Day Event