Buy American

[Cumbria_Farm]

Julia Burtt, ranked third in the USA Young Riders, just bought a foal out of Great Britain as her future mount.

Why are our top riders not buying American? I’ve seen photos of that foal and know the breeder. We breed just as good a horse in the US. In fact, there is one in my back yard!!

How do we get our horses into the eyes of riders?? Why are our riders looking outside the US?

Hey Julia-- I have a Totilas foal coming next year out of a multiple award winning mare, one the best SPS Hanoverian mares in the world!!! That foal has the genetic potential to be better than his sire!!

We breed great horses in the USA-we need to get our riders to look at our foals FiRST!!

How do we do that?

[horsetales]

Having Irish horses I can say we face some of the same problems - people look to Ireland as the only way to get a good ISH.

I do think part of the problem is right there in your post. As long as breeders advertise they use imported mares and use foreign stallions, aren’t we saying you can’t get quality here - its all overseas? To me that is basically analagous to products being labeled made in the USA, but all of the parts were from overseas and it was really just assembled here

[YankeeLawyer]

I understand the sentiment but I think it is inappropriate to single out a rider by name (and criticize her purchase).

Also, Americans do buy American, particularly when it comes to unstarted horses. I just sold two youngsters to a west coast grand prix rider and her talented client. It is harder to compete with Europe for started horses at ages 3 and 4 but for a good reason - it is hard to find well-started youngsters here at a reasonable price.

That said, I do have a super Florencio x Jazz mare that has been in training with a top trainer for a year and she is coming home to be bred to Totilas because I am not finding realistic buyers here. I do not anticipate having any difficulty finding a buyer for her foal (or for her in foal, for that matter).

In any event, how can you criticize others for buying abroad when you do the same? Where did you buy your fantastic Hanoverian mare? Most certainly not in the US, right?

[Spike]

I think we are just missing all the hip of marketing here. Over the sea, there’s Elite sales, big events, and lots of awesome horses available within hour of a central point. Here, we have to travel alot, not so many fashioned events etc.

People like to buy a brand. You buy a Jaguar, that means something. Same for “buying in Germany” or overseas. Unless our “brand” is as hot as the “foreign brand” we wont make the cut.

Even if our product is better than is. I know a lady who is constantly complaining about her BWM. She’s always at the garage. I drive a Honda Civic and I’ve done 100K+ mileage without changing anything else that oil (what… 2 times so far?) and my tires. Who got the best for her money tell me.

[Cumbria_Farm]

Horsetales- I breed to get the best foals possible, as do you, I’m sure. My Totilas foal is the first foal I have bred using a stallion not residing in the USA.

What was sold to Julia Burtt was not a German bred Hanoverian, but a British one! Those German parts were assembled in England.

I know the British owner. She had a Totilas foal this year and sold it to a German rider (how’s that?,buying a German horse assembled in England!). I asked her how she promoted her horses internationally. She said she didn’t do much as British dressage magazine and Horse and Hound (if I recall) came to her to write and publish an article promoting British breeding. I approached Dressage Today and COTH, via emails to their editors, with the idea of writing about the Totilas foals going to be born in the USA next year. DT said thanks for the idea, COTH didn’t respond.

So, our own magazines won’t even help the US breeder!

What do we, the US breeders of fine horses, want to do together? I ask more of you to contact Dressage Today, COTH, and all other equine magazines and ask them to write articles about US breeders and our horses!

[YankeeLawyer]

[QUOTE=horsetales;5858741]
As long as breeders advertise they use imported mares and use foreign stallions, aren’t we saying you can’t get quality here - its all overseas? To me that is basically analagous to products being labeled made in the USA, but all of the parts were from overseas and it was really just assembled here[/QUOTE]

No, the point is that breeders here have invested in top bloodlines in order to make them available right here. But one can’t really then go and get upset if others want to go to the source as well, rather than take advantage of the benefits of buying one locally.

[Cumbria_Farm]

Yankee aster. I didn’t criticize the purchase or the purchaser! I’m mearly pointing out that we are not doing a good job of promoting our horses and US breeding.

[YankeeLawyer]

@Cumbria Farm;5858845

Horsetales- I breed to get the best foals possible, as do you, I’m sure. My Totilas foal is the first foal I have bred using a stallion not residing in the USA.

What was sold to Julia Burtt was not a German bred Hanoverian, but a British one! Those German parts were assembled in England.

I know the British owner. She had a Totilas foal this year and sold it to a German rider (how’s that?,buying a German horse assembled in England!). I asked her how she promoted her horses internationally. She said she didn’t do much as British dressage magazine and Horse and Hound (if I recall) came to her to write and publish an article promoting British breeding. I approached Dressage Today and COTH, via emails to their editors, with the idea of writing about the Totilas foals going to be born in the USA next year. DT said thanks for the idea, COTH didn’t respond.

I am very familiar with the British market and there are some phenomenal breeders there and the horses generally are better value than in Germany. I now would shop in England before Germany.

And as a US breeder - even one planning to breed to Totilas - I would not favor an article profiling Toto foals on the way in the US. If you want to promote your program, take out an ad.

[Cumbria_Farm]

Yankee Lawyer

Going to England is not going to “the source”. Somehow, English breeders are doing a better job of promotion. As stated above, their magazines are helping them.

[YankeeLawyer]

[QUOTE=Cumbria Farm;5858852]
Yankee aster. I didn’t criticize the purchase or the purchaser! I’m mearly pointing out that we are not doing a good job of promoting our horses and a US breeding.[/QUOTE]

But you did criticize her, perhaps unintentionally, by chastising her for her choice in buying abroad and stating the foal she chose is nothing special compared to foals available here - apparently in your back yard! Maybe you did not mean that but that is how your post comes across. It was unnecessary to name anyone.

Also, as you know, some regions are hotter for horse sales than others. If I were in a more remote area I would think about offering incentives such as a rebate against purchase price for a plane ticket, or something, to entice buyers.

[YankeeLawyer]

[QUOTE=Cumbria Farm;5858856]
Yankee Lawyer

Going to England is not going to “the source”. Somehow, English breeders are doing a better job of promotion. As stated above, their magazines are helping them.[/QUOTE]

Oh okay, so now you are saying it is okay for you to go to Germany to buy, but everyone else should buy from you or others in the US before shopping anywhere outside the US (except maybe Germany?) Really?

I doubt that the British “success” (as evidenced by what, btw?) is based on whatever articles are being written on them. I do know that recent successes on the world stage (eg wins at Verden Young Horse World Championships, gold medals at European Championships) are bringing British dressage more attention, and anyone who does a simple search of sales ads can see that prices generally are very competitive over there. And it would seem that they have some difficulty selling their youngsters as reflected in the lower prices there.

Cumbria, do you have a website? Because I tried to find your farm on google and only turned up a link through the AHS site that does not work. I think the first step for any farm business actually wanting to sell a product is to have at least some kind of web presence that is up to date - and surely before expecting third parties to do their promotion for them.

[Cumbria_Farm]

I found out about the sale through Facebook. So, if you put it out there in the public forum be prepared for people to know.

Yes, I did purchase my mare from Germany. But my other Elite mare, I bred myself in the USA using a US based stallion. Her mother was bought out of Germany into Canada, where I bought her. My US elite mare was the third highest ranked Hanoverian mare in the US when she was inspected. I bred that homegrown mare to a US based stallion and got a filly who was the inspection champion in Houston last year. So, I do breed mostly US mares and stallions.

As I said in another posting- this Totilas foal is the first time I have not used a
US based stallion in my breeding program.

[PineTreeFarm]

As far as H/J performance horses ( and most H/J people don’t want an unstarted horse, they want a ready to go horse ) the best selection is in Europe. The failed Jumper market makes good upper level Hunters.Lots of choice at reasonable prices.

Not that many US bred horses for sale in the 'ready to go 3’6" ’ group.
It has nothing to do with the quality of the horses bred, it has everything to do with providing an end product that meets market demand.

Inspection scores don’t mean anything to a person looking for a 'ready to go 3’6" 'horse.

[Cumbria_Farm]

I do have a web site. Cumbriafarm.com. It is currently being reconstructed but should b available to see.

I buy to breed. I don’t buy to ride internationally. What I want, is for our US riders to buy in the US for their performance horses.

[Joanne]

[QUOTE=Cumbria Farm;5858708]
Julia Burtt, ranked third in the USA Young Riders, just bought a foal out of Great Britain as her future mount. [/QUOTE]

What are the bloodlines of her new foal?

I saw your mare, SPS Fenjala at the Clasen farm when I bought my mare in Germany many years ago and even saw her as a foal on video (I don’t know if I still have that video, though).

[YankeeLawyer]

[QUOTE=Cumbria Farm;5858900]

I buy to breed. I don’t buy to ride internationally. What I want, is for our US riders to buy in the US for their performance horses.[/QUOTE]

I am really not trying to pick on you… but really, don’t you see the hypocrisy?
And I believe that every one of the “US based” stallions you used is IMPORTED from Germany.

Breed a better horse at the same or better price and you will sell it.

[YankeeLawyer]

@Joanne;5858928

What are the bloodlines of her new foal?

What difference does it make? The client bought the foal SHE wanted to buy. For whatever reason that was.

[Joanne]

[QUOTE=YankeeLawyer;5858978]
What difference does it make? The client bought the foal SHE wanted to buy. For whatever reason that was.[/QUOTE]

I didn’t think I would rile anyone up by asking. Sorry you took major offense.

[YankeeLawyer]

[QUOTE=Joanne;5858987]
I didn’t think I would rile anyone up by asking. Sorry you took offense.[/QUOTE]

I think it is rude that someone started a thread to chastise a specific individual for her purchase decision in the course of venting, apparently, about the breeding market (and possibly to broadcast that she has a Toto foal on the way out of a fancy mare that is for sale). I can only think the purpose of asking about the bloodlines is to judge whether that purchase was justified (eg bloodlines not easily obtained here). It is no one’s business why that young lady bought that horse. And no, I don’t think whatever post she had on facebook reporting that she got a horse should invite commentary here.

I have bought horses abroad and horses from breeders within 3 miles of my own farm. I would not criticize someone for doing just as I do - buying the best they can get at the time at the best price.

[Joanne]

[QUOTE=YankeeLawyer;5858999]
…(and possibly to broadcast that she has a Toto foal on the way out of a fancy mare that is for sale)

I can only think the purpose of asking about the bloodlines is to judge whether that purchase was justified (eg bloodlines not easily obtained here). It is no one’s business why that young lady bought that horse.[/QUOTE]

Please calm down. Actually, she already started a thread on this foal way back in June, a thread in which you actually participated in a positive way.

You think wrong about my purpose for asking about the bloodlines, and you actually don’t NEED to know why I am asking.