breeding and bloodlines and a small small world

My knowledge of bloodlines and pedigree is limited, to say the least. But it's something that is slowly rising on my horizon - especially after reading about other bloggers' experiences and knowledge (The $900FB Pony recently posted about why bloodlines are important), and reading Denny Emerson's book How Good Riders Get Good. 

who wouldn't want to know more about this face?

Last September I did a little research on Isabel's pedigree and learned that her sire is Admiral Harnly, who is still owned by his breeder Ann McKay. And in fact, Ann is quite famous through the region for producing quality sport horses - Aazrak being her exceptional first stallion. 

source: allbreedpedigree.com

Take a look at recent horses from Ann McKay's website if you're interested in seeing Isabel's extended family (and more than a couple doppelgangers!).

but there can ever only be one

So why am I writing about this now? One of Amanda's points in her post linked above was that Americans tend to be a bit uneducated on this subject - much to the detriment of the future of our various sports. But if you go abroad, many horsemen could tell you about any given horse's bloodlines more readily than they could say the horse's name. 

This point was high on my mind when an unassuming gentleman approached me at the schooling show last weekend (his teen daughter was riding). He asked (in what I believe was an Irish accent, but could be wrong), 'Lovely horse - what breed?' 'Ah, Arabian, eh? How old?' and 'Interesting - do you happen to know her breeding?'

Lots of people ask if she's an Arabian (like it's a novelty) - but nobody has ever asked about her breeding. Imagine my surprise when he said - 'Ah yes, Admiral! I thought so. They all look the same - chestnut, socks, blaze down to the lip. Very nice - we have a "G" horse - you know they were named alphabetically by year?' 

So this guy picked Isabel out of a crowd as an Admiral baby, and very gently poked and prodded to see if I knew it myself haha. He even asked to take a picture to send to Ann (!!!!). Obviously I said yes (but silently kicked myself for not cleaning her up better or giving her a nicer running braid... we looked slightly frazzled, to say the least). And unfortunately I failed to get his name, or tell him that we are actually trying to event (rather than putzing around the hunter ring like outcasts). 

Fast forward to the next day when Isabel and I went to the new fancy pants dressage barn for our lesson with trainer C. We arrived a bit later than intended since I missed a turn along the way, and I felt a little harried trying to get everything all set up at the trailer. 

A woman saw us and asked if I needed help. Normally I can get a little prickly at the suggestion that maybe I don't quite have things under control (not very generous of me, I know) - but I got the impression that she was asking for reasons beyond that (esp bc Isabel was standing quietly as always...). So I accepted her offer and wasn't disappointed. 

She held the mare while I tacked and immediately started asking about Isabel and her breeding. Turns out she bred Arabians for years, and had her own Arab stallion until he was 34. So she was quite familiar with Ann's program and horses (and knows a good deal more about it than I do). 

My mind was kinda blown by these two fairly similar back-to-back interactions. And while I was able to answer the most basic of questions about Isabel's pedigree (her sire), it's clear that there's much more to learn. 

We joke about Baltimore being a small town (Smaltimore) - and everyone knows the horse community can be a miniature world unto itself. So it's been really interesting to me that Isabel is actually quite recognizable in her own right. Definitely motivation to learn more about her and the breeding program that produced her sire!