Page 75 - New Mexico Horse Breeders 2019 Stallion Register

. In September 2018, the doors to the Chapel at Ruidoso Downs opened for the first service.
Only three yearlings represented First Moonflash but he’s credited with the highest Select sale average (for the breeds) of $31,333.
In 2017, Lowell Neumayer stepped forward with the first-ever New Mexico-Bred Quarter Horse Foal In-Utero sale. It went well, building up an even stronger head of steam for 2018.
The sale was held Aug. 18 and showcased 23 mares carrying embryos. There’s almost nothing that can’t be accomplished via contemporary reproductive technology. Just a few years ago, the thought of having a sale comprised of unborn colts and fillies bordered on science fiction or, at the very least, someone had a few too many pulls on the bottle. For Neumayer, though, it was neither one.
Neumayer’s life has been dedicated to selling the best horses for the most money for decades. He keeps the wheels of his pick-up rolling
mile after mile, month after month, searching for individuals to fill the ranks of the famous mountain sales. The addition of the in-utero stage opened the door for some new headlines. The high-seller in the 2018 version of the In-Utero line-up is a perfect example of the meshing of history and technology happening in the industry.
Hip 225 brought $65,000. Now remember.... the buyer had no individual standing in plain sight on four legs. Were those legs crooked or straight? That was impossible to know, as was every other physical aspect of the individual. This was a pedigree/paperwork/faith deal.
The name of the dam of the unborn foal (due February 19) is Five Bar Molly, a 1998 model
by Dash Ta Fame by First Down Dash. So far,
it’s a wonderful equation. Now we add the sire’s name, and this is where it gets a little weird.
The sire is Special Effort, the Quarter Horse industry’s first and only winner of the QH Triple Crown in 1981. There will be 41 years separating the birth of Special Effort from the birth of this baby. The clock was turned back.... way back....in its reach for greatness. We have no choice but to wait to find out the results. And so does the buyer, Joe Dee Brooks. The breeder was Rick Beck, DVM.
Eighteen of the 23 in-utero foals were sold for a $356, 700 gross, a $19,817 average, and a $15,000 median.
Going To The Chapel
The rickety little chapel on Ruidoso’s backside has always been a big drawing card
for people from all walks. It’s been a place of comfort as well as celebration, two very prevalent elements at any racetrack. There have been stirring sermons at the chapel, and some people insist they can still hear echoes of Ray Reed’s strong voice singing “The Old Rugged Cross.”
The chapel was well-loved and well-used but, really, it needed to move on to something bigger, better and brighter. It really didn’t matter so much to God since He’s comfortable hanging out anywhere but, if nothing else, more space was needed for the people trying to crowd into the severely limited square footage.
It happened this past September 2018.
The doors opened for the first service in the new, 8,640 square foot chapel at 10:25 a.m. The words of “America the Beautiful” floated out the entrance as the people walked into the finished 10-month project. Chaplain Darrell Winter was there to welcome everyone.
The building’s space is divided into three equal parts: Kids’ program facilities, meal fellowships, and a place of worship that allows 300 people to sit comfortably and participate in God’s word. One of the most appreciated features is a prayer room that is open, literally, 24/7 for each day of every year.
It was God’s strength and His nudging to
the people of the horsemen’s community to give generously that pushed the chapel to completion. According to Winter, the guiding biblical verse from the moment the project began was Psalms 127:1 – “Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain.”
A constant reminder of the Lord’s presence at the track is a large, white cross erected on a mountain just north of the chapel.
The cross is also a reminder of the many important, forward motion steps taken by the leaders/management of Ruidoso Downs.
Strengthening the “Breeds”
There’s very little dry grass beneath the feet of New Mexico’s breeding community, both Quarter Horse and Thoroughbred. Both are taking more and more steps forward to place the sires and dams of their state-bred colts and fillies in the spotlight of competitive talent.
A & A Ranch stands at the helm for stallion leadership, providing a home for the top three living sires – Attila’s Storm (Go For a Stroll - $86,380), Diabolical (Roll On Diabolical - $100,650) and Roll Hennessy Roll (Hennessy Express - $122,606).
Southwestern Heat, who died in 2017, ranks fourth on the list.
Rounding out the top 10 for the Thoroughbreds are:
Quinton’s Gold at Doubletree, Read the Footnotes at Creekside, Fusaichi Zenon at Weatherly Horse Farms, Indian Firewater (died in 2017), The Way Home at Doubletree and Dome at Double LL.
New Mexico Quarter Horses have also found a place among the AQHA leaders. Stallions such as Jesse James Jr, Big Daddy Cartel and First Moonflash are just three of the most recognized names.
Mike Abraham is ninth on the Leading Breeders roster; with Too For Too, Hubbard/ Southway/Cope/Rafter W and Victor Diaz among the top 25 Leading Owners.
One of the most important moves made by New Mexico to strengthen the influence of their breed program was widening the access door for gaining a New Mexico-bred colt or filly.
Before 2017, it was an expensive proposition to breed an out-of-state mare to a New Mexico stallion. Not only was the mare required to be bred in the state, but she was also required to domicile and to foal there. It was lucrative for the stallion owners but many people felt it was also a bit short-sighted. One of the questions was, wouldn’t the revenue “lost” from not domiciling mares in the state be recovered through added breedings?