Saturday September 23, 2006

Horses Unlimited, Breeding Stars in the United States

In the Blood

For Horses Unlimited’s CEO, Anne Sparks Whitten, it’s not just about the stallions. “I love the process of learning about the bloodlines,” she says. “It’s not enough to choose a lovely stallion and a lovely mare. Producing top horses requires an in depth understanding of how the bloodlines nick together.”

This fascination with breeding and genetics is in Anne’s blood. Her grandfather was also a breeder, not of sport horses, but of American Saddlebreds. Anne recalls, “He was a big influence for me. His philosophy was to research, read, mentor and study everything possible about bloodlines. He would study the bloodlines and then locate a mare that would fit what he was trying to accomplish with his stallions. He impressed upon me the need to choose the best bloodlines, not settle for average or what was readily available.”

Her grandfather also emphasized the fickleness of genetics. “He told me that it is crucial to look backwards in a horse’s pedigree. The stallion almost always looks like their damsire. You have to do your time researching. You cannot only know today’s and yesterday’s sires, but must know your bloodlines at least through 50 years ago.”

Although Anne has always owned and ridden horses, it was after college and becoming a mother than she was finally able to pursue her interest in breeding. Taking her grandfather’s advice, she read everything she could and consulted with breeders in Europe to learn about mare and stallion lines. “I was very fortunate to find great people who didn’t just want to sell me a horse, but who were willing to share their knowledge,” she explains.

“The Europeans have lived with these bloodlines for generations and know not only which lines cross well with each other, but also amazing little details about conformation, personality and work ethic that you can never learn from a book. This information has been priceless,” Anne says.

With her European friends’ help, Anne has carefully selected stallions and mares for the Horses Unlimited breeding program. While the stallions compete on the international circuits, the mares and foals call Albuquerque, New Mexico home.

“Sometimes people ask me why New Mexico,” Anne says with a laugh. “And I explain that the climate is very agreeable for raising babies, and for us. We can ride outside all year and still experience all the seasons.” Not only that, but New Mexico offers central access from both coasts with the international airport only 10 minutes from the farm. While Anne has known about the secret of New Mexico her entire life, Hollywood celebrities and artists have recently discovered the hidden treasures.