By Chris Gould / CWHBA
Photography: Courtesy CWHBA; Private collection

The first round of the annual Stallion Service Auction (SSA) that funds the CWHBA foal futurities closed February 20with 25 services sold. This year saw some perennial favorites as well as some exciting new breedings on offer.

This auction, which is a great way to support the association and fund the futurity, generates a lot of interest and even excitement, with the high-selling ‘frozen’ semen offer, Jethro Tull G (I’m Special De Muze x Voltaire x Heartbreaker) fetching above his listed price. Standing at Elysian Farm in Red Deer, Alberta, this stallion is having great success in the show ring as well as the breeding shed, with 56 registered offspring, so far.
The high-selling ‘fresh’ semen service was, for the second year in a row, Confidento (Contendro x Embassy x Don Juan), who is owned in a partnership between Sigma Warmbloods and Prairie Creek Stables. He also stands in Alberta. [By the time of publishing this magazine, the second round (February 24-28) with the remaining services will be complete. It includes a ‘buy now’ option.
The SSA marks the unoffcial start to the breeding season here in Canada which, for some, extends from early February to early August. Weather is a major factor for breeders deciding whether to foal indoors or out on grass, and practices vary across the country. Certainly, the hot dry weather and attendant smoke from wild fires seemed to have a negative impact on breeding success in 2023. Many people reported irregular cycles in their mares and lower conception rates. Unfortunately weather forecasts for 2024 predict similar conditions, so breeders will have to make adjustments as they move into their breeding season... To read the complete article you need to be a subscriber
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