Opinions on the Cap

Courtesy of TDN America

The Jockey Club in America has asked for public comment on their proposal to cap at 140 the number of mares a stallion can breed annually. In this ongoing TDN series, we will publish the perspectives of breeders, stallion farms and others on the proposal.

Elliott Walden, WinStar Farm

"A distinction WinStar has versus other farms that have weighed in on this discussion is it has the potential to impact us negatively. Most stud farms are for the side of the ledger that fits their business philosophy. We have a few stallions that breed 140+ mares, and we will have to adjust like everyone else. But I believe we all need to forego our own agendas and rally behind things that improve our industry as a whole. Without us all, we have no game. I might add this is a WinStar position and may not reflect the opinion of our shareholders."

Headley Bell, Mill Ridge Farm

"I remind those who were not around in the ’80’s, when seasons to Northern Dancer were trading for $1 million and Mr. Prospector for $1 million and Nijinsky for $1 million and Seattle Slew for $1 million... all NO GUARANTEE! You could only obtain no guarantee seasons at Matchmaker or Stallion Access, auction houses for seasons and shares, or on the street. And then…we had the crash and everything was rewritten, based on the market.

"This is an inexact sport/business and that is one of its greatest qualities… along with the horse... and the land... and the people… I think many stallion farms will choose to limit their book to 140 mares and promote this because that is what they believe. Breeders will choose to support them or not. I personally do not feel it right to dictate to Coolmore/Ashford or Wayne Hughes or whoever might choose that they should limit their book. The market will decide this in the end when breeders choose to support those farms and those horses. What might be the next directive... that stud fees have gotten too high and we need to limit them?"

Mike Cline, Lane's End Farm

"Our stallions and mares are affected both mentally and physically by overbreeding. There are just so many days in the short breeding season. Horses often need time to rest and recuperate from injury or sickness, which forces them to miss days, compounding the problem. Yes, some stallions handle large books better than others, but I would argue that they would benefit from not being forced to breed multiple mares a day, often only a few hours apart.

"People can argue fair trade, capitalism, genetics and all other issues with respect to capping the stallion limit. We may even, in the end, have to agree to disagree on some of the specifics. I believe it comes down to greed versus our responsibilities, as caretakers, to always do what is right by the horse. People would have to be ill-informed or not paying attention to think overbreeding is not harming our horses. We are both an industry and a sport structured around living beings that depend on us. Whether it’s a break between races or between breeding, it’s our responsibility to always give horses the time they need."

James Keogh, Grovendale

"I have watched the stallion book limitation debate with much interest. I am opposed to placing a cap on stallion books. As a Central Kentucky resident for over 30 years, I have witnessed tremendous growth and development in this area of the country. Central Kentucky truly is the Thoroughbred capital of the world and one reason is that many of the best stallions in the world reside here. Caps placed on stallion books will significantly impact the amount of money a stallion master can pay for a potential stallion. In order to recover the investment a strong stallion market goes hand in hand with a strong yearling market.

"I’m in agreement with Mr. Arthur Hancock on two points only, that “the bull is half the herd” and that this will affect the DNA. Our competition in Japan should be thrilled with the prospects of implementation of a limited stallion book. With a cap in place, American stud farms will no longer be able to compete for the finest stallions in the world and could see stallions leave due to the restrictions. Free trade and open markets is what this country is based on. I urge the people behind this movement to reconsider their stance as it is counter-productive to producing world-class horses. Parochial thinking has no place in the world of international commerce."