USA only ?
In Canada there is Ferme Beaulieu and Dreamscape Farm.
Oy vey, this is NOT going to be easy. Here is my tentative list - it will be impossible to whittle it down to 10 names! These are in no particular order:
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Jane MacElree / Hilltop Farm – long time warmblood breeder and supporter/provider of educational programs to support the development of sport horse breeding and young horse training in the U.S.; owner of such notable stallions as Cabaret, Parabol, Riverman, Contucci, and Royal Prince.
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Mary Alice Malone / Iron Spring Farm – long time breeder and importer of Dutch WBs and Friesians, owner of such well known stallions as Contango, Roemer, Consul, Rampal, Judgement, Sir Sinclair, UB40, Goffert 369, etc.
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Jean Brinkman / Valhalla Farm – long time breeder of Trakehners, owner of well known stallions Martini, Hailo, etc., USEF’s #1 or #2 leading dressage breeder for many years.
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Judy & Volker Ehlers / Glenwood Hanoverians – long time breeders of Hanoverians, stood the imported stallions Diamont and Prinz Gaylord, past president of the American Hanoverian Society (Judy), and long time inspector for the American Hanoverian Society (Volker).
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Tish Quirk – long time breeder of award winning hunters and jumpers, owner of noted sires Best Of Luck (Octrooi), Just The Best, More Than Luck, etc.
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Camille Greer / Darkhorse Farm – owner of the very successful and popular hunter sire Alla Czar.
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Rachel Spencer / Spencer Ranch – owner of top hunter stallion and sire Popeye K.
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Joan Irvine Smith / The Oaks – long time breeder of successful show jumpers, owner of Holsteiner stallions South Pacific, Challenger, etc.
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Denny Emerson / Tamarack Hill Farm – long time breeder of event horses, owner of successful stallions Epic Win, Loyal Pal, Reputed Testamony, Aberjack, Formula One, etc.
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Angela Barilar / High Point Hanoverians – long time breeder and importer of Hanoverians and Oldenburgs, owner of many well known and popular stallions, including Duellglanz, Davignport, Rosenthal, De Laurentis, Sinatra Song, Fuerst Impression, etc.
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Judy Yancey / Yancey Farms – 35-year veteran of warmblood breeding and long time importer/agent of frozen warmblood semen, owner of the famous Trakehner stallion Donauwind, breeder of licensed Trakehner stallions Harper and Hadrian, and licensed Oldenburg stallions Rasta and Sirringo.
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Anne and William Rawle / Watermark Farm – successful long time warmblood breeders, helped import the Hanoverian stallion Abundance in 1965, breeders/owners of stallions Adamant, Again and Again, Avebury WF, Wizard WF, Waldaire, etc.
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Gerd Zuther – manager of November Hill Farm for 16 years, organizer of the 100 day stallion performance tests from 1987 to 1995, and long time Hanoverian inspector.
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Summer Stoffel and Barb Sikkink / Silver Creek Sport Horses – organizers/hosts of the North American 30 and 70 day stallion performance tests; hunter/jumper breeders, stand the stallions Landwerder (Silver Lining), Apiro, Cabalito, and Vallado.
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Scott Hassler – former long time director/trainer of the Hilltop Farm program and enthusiastic supporter/educator for young dressage horse training and programs; currently stands/manages stallions such as Rousseau, Wamberto, Lingh, etc.
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Edgar & Susan Schutte / Rainbow Equus Meadows – long time WB breeders, owners of successful and popular stallions such as Fuerst Gotthard, Landkoenig, Pablo, Pablito, Escudo II, Rubignon, Baron Van Gogh, etc.
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Hans de Groot & Willy Arts / DG Bar Ranch - long time Dutch WB breeders.
I need some more jumper breeders on the list and some of you have mentioned a few, but I need the REASON why they deserve to be on the list. And they have to have made a significant impact on sport horse BREEDING. Just owning competition stallions that have sired a relatively small number of foals because they are on the road showing and mostly unavailable to breeders is not reason enough to be on this list, so if you can think of some who HAVE contributed in a significant way to the development of sport horse breeding in the U.S, please let me know.
I’m still processing some of the other suggestions. 
DY - While I appreciate being the heir(ess) to the farm & breeding business, it’s really mom (Anne) and dad’s (William) baby. They got the ball rolling in the 1960’s before I was born. Thanks. (gotta stay on their good side with the facts…I could be fired after all!) 
Many of the breders mentioned may have produced foals who scored well at inspections ( yawn) but my take was who was breeding performance horses. I may have that wrong.
Also, I’m surprised that you don’t seem to know who any of the jumper breeders are. I know little about dressage breeders but I can at least recognize the names.
I mean you at least know who the Chapot’s are don’t you?
Maybe you could have someone who does breed jumpers provide you with a breeder list or at least use the USEF list as it is a pretty good measure of success. Bannockburn farm may be able to help you with jumpers.
I am suprised by the list too. Doesn’t a successfull breeder equal producing successful offspring via your breeding program? Beyond foal scores. Peformance horses.
DG Bar in Hanford, CA. Major player in the NAWPN for a very long time. Holds the only Dutch inspection in California these days. Willy Arts is a popular handler and competitor.
You would first have to define influence. You could probably make a case for those having the most influence on US breeding, being Europeans.
While it’s not perfect I would look at the USEF site for top breeders. A lot of people mentioned aren’t listed at all on the top breeders list or are so far down that it’s doesn’t matter. I agree with the other people that performance is what you want and some breeding programs are too young and some just don’t seem to produce as many top competitors. Good luck, it’s a big undertaking!
[QUOTE=Tasker;5058891]
DY - While I appreciate being the heir(ess) to the farm & breeding business, it’s really mom (Anne) and dad’s (William) baby. They got the ball rolling in the 1960’s before I was born. Thanks. (gotta stay on their good side with the facts…I could be fired after all!) ;)[/QUOTE]
LOL - OK, I edited my list! You are too modest!
[QUOTE=Oakstable;5058997]
DG Bar in Hanford, CA. Major player in the NAWPN for a very long time. Holds the only Dutch inspection in California these days. Willy Arts is a popular handler and competitor.[/QUOTE]
Thanks, I had DG Bar on my draft list. Not sure how they got dropped when I did the copy and paste!
[QUOTE=grayfox;5059050]
While it’s not perfect I would look at the USEF site for top breeders. A lot of people mentioned aren’t listed at all on the top breeders list or are so far down that it’s doesn’t matter. I agree with the other people that performance is what you want and some breeding programs are too young and some just don’t seem to produce as many top competitors. Good luck, it’s a big undertaking![/QUOTE]
I thought about using the USEF site, but it only has results back to 2007. 
I’d look at the IJF for breeders with performance jumpers.
Bannockburn Farms is pretty much responsible for the BWP in NA, and they have supported the IJF from the getgo.
[QUOTE=PineTreeFarm;5058906]
Many of the breders mentioned may have produced foals who scored well at inspections ( yawn) but my take was who was breeding performance horses. I may have that wrong.
Also, I’m surprised that you don’t seem to know who any of the jumper breeders are. I know little about dressage breeders but I can at least recognize the names.
I mean you at least know who the Chapot’s are don’t you?
Maybe you could have someone who does breed jumpers provide you with a breeder list or at least use the USEF list as it is a pretty good measure of success. Bannockburn farm may be able to help you with jumpers.[/QUOTE]
My assignment is “who has had the most influence on sport horse breeding” - not “who has produced the most successful performance horses”.
In my book, that would be folks standing very popular stallions that over a period of time have sired a lot of sport horse foals, and/or folks with a long standing record of helping to develop/promote successful sport horse breeding models and practices.
And yes, I know who the Chapots are, but I am not sure what horses they have bred that have “most influenced sport horse breeding”. Can you help me with that?
Glenwood made a HUGE impact on sporthorse/WB breeding in this country back when no one knew what a WB was.
If there was a sporthorse hall of fame, Judy Ehlers would be in it.
I don’t think that your list should include the one hit wonders. Those stallions may make it on a list of influential stallions but one stallion does not make a breeder top over someone else who has produced multiples successfully over many years. And as noted, it also has more to do with what they have contributed to programs and education that makes their legacy.
A couple of your choices made me scratch my head. I want to see what they have done for the industry, not just what they have produced. If I had enough money, I could import top animals and produce top prospects, and of course, hire top trainers and riders. But places like Hilltop have taken it further and have held symposiums and attempted to educate as well. I suppose I just look at it and want for anyone that makes the list, for you to be able to say they’ve done this to help breeders…pay it forward, if you will. Separate the wheat from the chafe <smile>. The ones that rise above and not only produce top prospects, but also help educate others on how to do the same, how to present, how to select, how to succeed!
Maryanna Haymon and Marydell Farm have done that, I believe. They attempted to hold a stallion show case on the east coast a couple times. While it didn’t take off and the economy tanked, she “did” have a vision and did work hard towards that end.
As I said, I “do” think it will be a tough undertaking, but I don’t think it should be solely about those farms that are just producing. I want them to be helping their fellow breeders as well :D.
like the list…but would add Diana Dodge at Nokomis Farm too. Produced many nice hunters from her program but has also given back so much to the sport as well…
[QUOTE=MagicHillFarm;5059397]
like the list…but would add Diana Dodge at Nokomis Farm too. Produced many nice hunters from her program but has also given back so much to the sport as well…[/QUOTE]
I agree, she was the first one I thought of for hunters.
Kathy makes some excellent points.
Some of the ones that I think “stand above” are instrumental in their breeding associations besides standing quality stallions.
I would think a list like this should be national, if not NA.
There were people mentioned who I have never head of, me being in California and not a hunter breeder per se.
I think the thread will be interesting but I would NOT want to author such a list.
But it is the kind of article that the warmbloods magazine should be running.
IMO
Perhaps you should run a poll for breeders to say what qualities are important and longevity in the business is one that everyone likely appreciates.
Hmm, quite the can of worms as you will not get everyone to agree that you have the correct list.
While I would HAVE to agree to: Valhalla, Judy Yancy, Iron Spring, Hilltop, Hassler Dressage, High Point, DG Bar-you definitely need more jumper/hunter breeders included if you really want to give them fair coverage and there are certainly others that would be argued that should or shouldn’t be on the list. Where is Suzanne Quarles of Some Day Soon Farm on this list? Long before she had Wertherson, she had T Brooke and several other TB stallions that she stood. Several people brought up Marefield Meadows, they did qualify in the USEF Breeders lists for several years.
It is tough because many of us will look to the discipline and breed of our choice, but to make this “fair” you need to get facts to back up your choices, not those suggested on this board.
In my opinion, someone like Mary Alice Malone was a HUGE influence because she started with Hanoverian and Dutch horses, then brought in Fresians recognizing changes in the industry. Look at Liz Hall of Silverwood Farm who influenced the industry by changing the “color” of sporthorses in the US. I think you really need to define what you are trying to cover because this can go many different ways.
