Page 110 - September 2018

“I’ll be forever grateful to Walt Wiggins for getting me
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t job and for his wisdom in my early career.”
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BUENA SUERTE EQUINE
When the oil business, followed by the economy, hit hard times in the 1980s, Buena Suerte Ranch shut its doors. Leonard then put his expertise to work by opening his own facility, Buena Suerte Equine, at his 46-acre home place adjacent to Buena Suerte Ranch, around 1986.
“I thought I just needed to do vet work then, and maybe find a stud,” he says. “Somehow I got started with St Bar (Three Bars–Bella St Mary, Spotted Bull), who belonged to L.R. French, and then came Dean Miracle (Streakin Six–Our Third Delight, Reb’s Policy) and some
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I decided I didn’t want more
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“I look back at how we’d work all day and
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n it cooled off, we’d do our
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ooked forward to it every day: teasing mares, collecting studs, breeding the
mares and working with my crew. Now I look back at what we did and I think, ‘How did I do that?” I just really enjoyed every day of my life no matter what I was doing.’
His resume grew by adding stakes-winning owner status in 1987 with Terrorist (Masked Native–Go Queen, Go Man Go), who won the Santa Fe Downs Derby.
THE PRESENT
Leonard signed on as the Ruidoso Sale vet
in the mid-80s and after more than 30 years of service, his son, Kevin, recently took the reins. About three years ago, Leonard also found
new homes for the stallions, including Genuine Strawfly, but, not quite ready to retire, he still did a little cooled semen work and embryo transfers for clients who didn’t want to haul their mares. “This year was my last year to do that,” he says. “It’s time for me to quit and spend more time with my family.”
That family includes his wife, Joanne — his biggest supporter for nearly 62 years — their three children, Serena, a paralegal; Kevin,
a veterinarian; and Pamela a vet tech, nine grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. “I always enjoyed the down season when we could spend time together,” he says. “I’d say my family is the biggest enjoyment in my life. I’ve loved watching them grow up and start a family of their
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Leonard then put his expertise to work
by opening his own facility, Buena Suerte Equine, at his 46-acre home place adjacent to Buena Suerte Ranch, around 1986.
108 SPEEDHORSE, September 2018
Blach became a stakes-winning owner when his horse Terrorist won the 1987 Santa Fe Downs Derby.