Pedigrees of World’s Champions
by Julie Lynn Andrew
So, you want to breed a World Champion. What is it that separates the talent of horses, even full siblings, from one another? What synergism occurs that makes greatness? Even the best of breeders, with scores of champions descending from their efforts claim not to know. At best, we can study the written word, the horse on paper, and surmise. Of course, we can learn about the great horses and families of the past and present, and maybe, with all the research behind us, and a bit of luck, bring into the world a horse that ends up wearing the roses on Saturday night. Here is a sketch on the breeding of each of our World’s Grand Champions for 2002, and our Park horse World Champion.
This years’ three World’s Grand Champions, S.S. Genuine; five gaited, An Heir About Her; three gaited, Callaway’s Copyright; fine harness and HMS Royal Winds, the World Champion Park horse come to us from families that we look to for horses of this caliber. The top lines on the papers name Sultan’s Santana, Supreme Heir, and Royal Return as their sires. These families have long since established themselves as mainstays in the winner’s circle. For many, a glance at the bottom sides of these horse papers is even more informative to them in terms of the brilliance of these individuals.
Supreme Heir has set a standard for the new millennium: not one, but two World’s Grand Champions in one year to his credit. The surreal Callaway’s Copyright won the roses for the second consecutive year- and An Heir About Her- in a scintillating performance, became only the second three year old ever to claim the three gaited crown. This 22 year young stallion has a list of get that reads like who’s who- and a female line in his papers that speaks volumes on the strength that he brings to these pedigrees. No less than five Hall of Fame mares grace this horses’ family, and indeed, his sire, Supreme Sultan, has established his own dynasty.
Sultan’s Santana was a law unto himself, as a show horse, a breeding stallion, and in the history books. The “million dollar stallion” was incredibly prolific, and also from an amazing female line. His dam, Grandview’s Majorette, was herself a Hall of Fame mare, and brings two more Hall of Fame mares, the exquisite and talented CH America Beautiful, and the wonderful King’s Genius daughter, Reveries Desdamona, into the mix in the following two generations.
Royal Return comes to us from two outstanding dynasties; CH Wing Commander, through his brilliant show and breeding son, CH Yorktown, and CH Valley View Supreme through his gorgeous and gifted daughter, CH Bellisima. This years Park World Champion, HMS Royal Winds, also has a fascinating female line to consider. His second dam, was the beautiful mare Linda’s Beauty. This mare, according to Gaynor Shane, was never shown, as she was not “reliably broke.” While gifted and beautiful, this daughter of Americus Denmark demonstrated brilliance and an erratic nature, and was placed into Gaynor’s broodmare band. Her first foal, Shaman, was a World Champion three year old in harness. Her second foal, a filly that was named Lady Lyles, has also been a good also a good producer, with several wonderful show horses to her credit, as well as the good broodmare, Seymour’s Wind Chimes, dam of World’s Champion Selena’s Song and the terrific Xuxa and I’m Mr. Blue. According to Gaynor, “attitude and ability” describe this family of horses. In trainer Todd Graham’s opinion, HMS Royal Wind’s gameness and strength may come from his Yorktown connection. Todd feels that the Valley View Supreme may have “fined him up,” but this “big strong game horse,” who also won championships as a gaited horse this year, is definitely the outcome of some very thoughtful breeding.
S.S.Genuine is, in trainer Merrill Murray’s opinion “dead game- with no back up in him.” Merrill feels that the dominance of CH Wing Commander in the industry brought “big stout doing horses, which lacked some quality.” CH Sultan’s Santana, says Merrill, “brings some quality” and in addition makes the horse better behind. Make no mistake, these horses can be tough, and game. The “double shot” of athletic blood from the top and bottom of this horses pedigree, make him a force to be reckoned with as he has matured and, in Merrill Murray’s masterful hands, turned into the horse we saw on Saturday night. The dam of S.S. Genuine, My Summer Bouquet, is by the Wing Commander son, Good Spirits. This mare has had fifteen foals, and they include the marvelous show horses CH S.S. Sweet Revenge, CH S.S. Sunday’s Child, and the talented S.S. Success, all full siblings to S.S. Genuine. This wonderful mare has three Hall of Fame broodmares in the first four generations of her pedigree Obviously, this “nick” has been extremely successful for breeder Faffie Romero.
Joan Lurie bought the mare Sweet Illusion PF, by RWGC Preferrd Property, with the intention of breeding her to Attache. Unfortunately, Attache passed away before she could breed the mare. As luck would have it, Supreme Heir was right there to take on the job. This combination has produced the brilliant show horses CH Heir Style, the beautiful Sultry Heiress, and, of course, An Heir About Her. Perhaps the brilliance of second dam, Sweet Georgia can be seen as an influence here. This mare, herself a WC gaited mare in the 70’s, is the dam of WC Wedding Ring, and the beautiful show filly, Balmain. The brilliance of Supreme Heir’s dam, the legendary CH Supreme Airs, is borne out in the strength of her ongoing influence. As a brilliant show mare, she won not less than ten fine harness titles; as a broodmare, her influence is enormous. Through her sons, Supreme Heir and CH Foxfire’s Prophet, and her daughter’s Sultan’s Spanish Lace and Putting on Airs, this mare’s presence will be seen at Louisville forever.
Callaway’s Copyright is out of the grand show mare, Callaway’s Claudette. According to Kenda Benn, this big pretty walk-trot mare had ” a lot of go forward” and was “explosive.” Kenda offers that, “Mrs. Weldon knew that mare was special right from the start, and she knew she would be a broodmare.” Callaway’s Claudette would “go as high as any horse.” Bob Brison explains that the decision to breed the mare to Supreme Heir came from the desire to “pretty her up through the jaw, and help her behind.” The resulting foal, Copyright, was “cocky and full of himself from the beginning,” according to Brison. “He has the attitude that just said ‘I’m a great one’ right from the start.” The bottom side of Callaway’s Copyrights’ papers shows us five Hall of Fame broodmares. Of particular note is the grand mare Little Bo Beep. Sarah “Sally” Carver feels that this mare “founded her own dynasty.” The mare was reserve in the Junior three gaited stake in 1938, and went on to become a grand Ladies, Amateur and Juvenile campaigner. She is the dam of the great CH Bo Prophet, and the wonderful producer Belle Prophet.
Another of the brilliant mares in Copyright’s linage, Reverie’s Desdamona, was the dam of not only the fabulous studs Clarma and Golden Thunderbolt, but also of the Callaway matriarch, Kate Shriver. This brilliant mare was not only a terrific show mare, defeating Daneshall’s Gift of Roses in harness in her first show out of the Junior ranks, she is also the dam of the cornerstone of Callaway’s stallion roster, Johnny Gillen. In addition, her son Rob Shriver won not less than nine World Championship or reserve titles from 1971 to 1976, including three classes in four days in 1973 in Freedom Hall. Quite an accomplishment.
The old adage which states that if we do not know history, we will be doomed to repeat it perhaps needs a new spin when it comes to horse breeding. We need to learn the history of our breed in an effort to repeat the best of it, and attempt to set aside those matches which result in weakness or lack of athletic ability. The study of pedigrees is the work of a lifetime, for with the discovery of each individuals’ traits, the enormity of possible outcomes grows. When we look at each of these wonderful Champions, we can see a marvelous tradition in the history of our breed. It gives us hope for the future of our amazing American Saddlebreds.