Mark Todd's Aberjack

[Elliot]

I have a coming 6-year-old that I adore. It was actually Lauren Kieffer’s Take The Mick that convinced me to look for one because he is such a lovely jumper.

My Aberjack got a late start, but he is an athletic jumper, a lovely mover and has the best attitude. Can you tell I’m a doting mom? I wish I could find another one! We tried to breed another one, but so far that hasn’t worked out.

I will admit that my boy isn’t so much to look at in the pasture, but as soon as he starts moving it’s a whole different story.

[Janet]

@Evalee Hunter;3677934

I DO NOT WANT TO KNOW ANYTHING about any horses by Aberjack. As I pointed out, this thread was dredged up from who knows where & the person who originally asked the question (over 6 years ago) probably has their answer by now. I did NOT ask any questions about Aberjack, have never asked any questions about Aberjack as far as I remember.

Not “you” singular.
“You” plural.

[LAZ]

@Evalee Hunter;3677934

I DO NOT WANT TO KNOW ANYTHING about any horses by Aberjack. As I pointed out, this thread was dredged up from who knows where & the person who originally asked the question (over 6 years ago) probably has their answer by now. I did NOT ask any questions about Aberjack, have never asked any questions about Aberjack as far as I remember.

Evalee Hunter put on her grumpy pants this morning!

:D:lol:

[On_Second_Thought]

@LAZ;3678289

Evalee Hunter put on her grumpy pants this morning!

:D:lol:

She takes them off?

[flutie1]

Somebody needs a nap!

[Carol_Ames]

agreed!

Summersong is the most incredible event horse I have EVER seen:yes:! Please please please post some pics of your foal.

[hldyrhrses]

My trainer had an Aberjack baby. Unfortunately he had to be put down last year. He was constantly colicing. He had 2 surgeries and the “corrective” surgery that was supposed to prevent the cause. If I remember all the anatomy correctly, his intestines kept floating up and getting caught near his spleen (???) anyway, after the correcting surgery failed and he coliced again and was not recovering, the decision was made to put him down.

As for a horse, he was pretty friendly but a huge coward on XC. He HATED water and wasn’t thrilled about XC in general. He was a lovely dressage mover and decent enough in stadium.

My trainer was trying to find him a better home for him that he could do something he liked better, but trying to find a good home for a horse that had two colic surgeries is not easy. He ended up colicing again with a student that had “adopted” him and the decision to put him down was made.

[GAEventer]

Connemara Eventing Stallions

I wanted to pipe in with my two cents about the Connie stallions mentioned. Go Bragh is a proven producer of event horses, both purebred and half-bred Connemaras. They do have the “edge” to compete at the upper levels, but I know a number of them, and they have all been amatuer friendly. He does tend to throw over pony height, so even on your small mare you may get something in the 15-15.1 hd range. Having seen a large number of his offspring, and not to discredit their abilities, there are some conformation flaws that I have seen repeatedly-ie crooked front legs. I’ve never seen these fault affect the horses’ way of going, or jumping ability, but it’s something to think about.

Someone else mentioned a “Sparrow” stallion-I’m guessing your speaking of *Grange Finn Sparrow, who is no longer breeding, but is still alive and well at 33 I own three of his offspring myself and they are PHENOMENAL movers and jumpers. It’s hard to find one that an owner is willing to part with! He does have an unproven purebred son standing in Alabama. This particular bloodline is VERY preponent-all of them can JUMP.

Another up and coming PB Connemara eventing stallion, is the winner of this year’s AEC Amatuer Training Division, *ArdCeltic Art. He’s already made a successful move up to Prelim. His first foals are due in '09. He’s and incredible mover, tidy jumper, and most importantly extremely sweet and quiet. I’ve had the opportunity to ride him myself, and he is so EASY. He’s been shown by his Ammy owner, as well as her 14 y/o daughter.

Happy hunting!

[rideforthelaurels16]

We have an Aberjack baby here at Windchase; he’s 4 and out of Sirius, Phyllis’s former Advanced mare. He’s a cool horse but has quite a buck in him! Amazing jumper & mover, though, I love him.

[Janet]

@rideforthelaurels16;3694315

We have an Aberjack baby here at Windchase; he’s 4 and out of Sirius, Phyllis’s former Advanced mare. He’s a cool horse but has quite a buck in him! Amazing jumper & mover, though, I love him.

Both of Gillian’s are a bit “cold backed” too, though they seem to be growing out of it.

[bornfreenowexpensive]

@Janet;3694576

Both of Gillian’s are a bit “cold backed” too, though they seem to be growing out of it.

Mine too had a pretty good buck in her when she was started as a 3-4 year old…my friend started her and did a little more ground work with her than she normally has to because of her tendency to buck! I haven’t seen it undersaddle since (she’s six now)…but when I was rehabbing her, she did let go with a few good ones while being ponied! But other than her talent with a buck…she was not very difficult to start undersaddle.

[LisaB]

I don’t breed and don’t intend to but here’s a thought. I was at the Montpelier hunt races and was looking at the list of horses. They listed the dam and sire. I saw a few Reputed and Deputed Testimony horses out there. And boy, what a power ass! They’ve got a serious kick in gear in them! I’ve always liked their get. Anyway, why not pick on the steeplechase people and look at their records? They kind of need the same longevity and gallop that we do. Granted they don’t need rideable But it’s a start if you want to stick with the full tb.

[Badger]

[QUOTE=bornfreenowexpensive;3694590]
Mine too had a pretty good buck in her when she was started as a 3-4 year old…my friend started her and did a little more ground work with her than she normally has to because of her tendency to buck! I haven’t seen it undersaddle since (she’s six now)…but when I was rehabbing her, she did let go with a few good ones while being ponied! But other than her talent with a buck…she was not very difficult to start undersaddle.[/QUOTE]

When we started tacking her up, mine was quite girthy and could SERIOUSLY buck, so she ended up getting extra groundwork to address that. Only after it was address from the ground did she get started under saddle and she hasn’t bucked with a rider (she has humped her back about 4 or 5 times but that’s it). And I want to thank Janet for putting me in touch with her sister for some advice on that girthyness issue.

[bornfreenowexpensive]

@Badger;3694750

When we started tacking her up, mine was quite girthy and could SERIOUSLY buck, so she ended up getting extra groundwork to address that. Only after it was address from the ground did she get started under saddle and she hasn’t bucked with a rider (she has humped her back about 4 or 5 times but that’s it). And I want to thank Janet for putting me in touch with her sister for some advice on that girthyness issue.

yup…that about describes my girl as well. It def. goes away with proper work. As I said, I’ve only even seen the buck again when she was coming back into work after extended stall rest…and if they don’t buck in that situation, I start to think something is very wrong with them!:lol: I knew she wanted to buck so I gave her the opportunity in a controlled situation without a rider! After that…she was super easy to re-hab.

[Badger]

When I was researching Aberjack before I made my breeding decision, I read (maybe in Blyth Tait’s book?) that both of his Aberlou mares Messiah (Olympic medalist) and Delta (2nd at Badminton) had a buck. I do think it’s likely that this is part of the line. However, bucking ability and jumping ability often go hand in hand. As long as she does it when at play and not when at work, it’s fine by me.

[BAC]

@JER;1404674

Here’s a link to Catherston Dazzler’s page. Another excellent US-based event sire was the late ‘Hanoverian’ (a 7/8ths TB, actually) stallion Lanthan. Passed on his athleticism and his great mind.

Catherston Stud has a long history in the UK, the Bullen family (now Jennie Loriston Clarke and Jane Holderness-Roddam) was breeding horses as far back as the early 1960s and probably even earlier. I still have a book from the 1960s with Jane Bullen on their homebred Prosperity of Catherston, a gorgeous show pony. There was a brother too, can’t remember his name, he and Jane were avid eventers, Jennie was more interested in dressage.

[alwynne_hellfach]

Aberjack

I for one found Jack when looking at stallions for someone else, I was so impressed that 4 years later I breed a mare Jessica Moore had. He is an fanominial (sp) mover and I love my coming 6 yr mare. Jackie is a BRAVE XC horse with lovely movement, rythum,tempo! I also have a coming 6 yr gelding by Test, out of a grade Tb mare that I have. As a 2nd generation breeder I know that 65 % to 85% comes from the mare, so you had better like your mare.
Both of these young horses have been nothing but wonderful, their temperment, movement and bravado out and about is the best. Their conformation is very good, the only negaive thing is that Aberjsck is a bit long pasterned (adds to his movement)and it came thru with on the filly, other than that both are very nice.
My 2008 foal crop (colt and a filly) are both by a wonderful young stallion (Canadian Wmbld) grandson of Romer. One dam is a half sister to the Reputed colt (3/4 Tb) and the other dam is a wonderfully bred Tb. Both are very nice but the mare with LOTs of black type droped the best colt I have seen in years. Definitly should be kept whole.
I have this real sick need to look at stallions and their get, so throughout the last 30 years I have probably looked at a thousand stallions and their get. I think that in my area (New England) Denny is one of the most knowledgeable breeders of event horses, I know there are others but I think that he is very good. I also find his honesty and plain speaking very refreshing.

[system]

Aberjacks Virus

I am wondering about Aberjacks virus that ended his career? I have found very few articles about this online, it just states that this virus has continued to surface within his system therefore ending his career. Could this be transfered to his get? Does anyone know what the virus was and has anyone had any issues with the Aberjack babies and reoccuring illness? This article talks about the illness but never stated what is was?
http://www.horsemagazine.com/BREEDINGBARN/GREAT_STALLIONS/aberlou/aberlou.html

[Robby_Johnson]

[QUOTE=Badger;3694812]
When I was researching Aberjack before I made my breeding decision, I read (maybe in Blyth Tait’s book?) that both of his Aberlou mares Messiah (Olympic medalist) and Delta (2nd at Badminton) had a buck. I do think it’s likely that this is part of the line. However, bucking ability and jumping ability often go hand in hand. As long as she does it when at play and not when at work, it’s fine by me.[/QUOTE]

I’m pretty sure Messiah was a gelding.

[denny]

No, the virus Aberjack got was from an IV in his juglar to transmit fluids, during a relatively minor colic. The injection site got infected, and got so bad that the vein was blocked.
It is not a transmittable thing in any way.

Hes is absolutely going to be one of those sport horse stallions who gets very popular in his old age, as his foals that Im seeing are quite spectacular, one after another.

There were 3 of them at So Pines last Sat, big, scopey, great gallopers, and beautiful.

Bekki Read`s Abracadabra, in Vermont, is one of the nicest young event horses around, and we have one 4 year old mare by him, out of an Irish mare, who jumped our entire maiden xc course on her first xc school.

Sue Bruns just sent me a photo of him from U-Mass yesterday, where hes being a student grooming project (as well as stallion), and he looks fabulous. Ill see if I can get some technologically savvy person to post it, as I`m stone-age.