Just curious. The last dedicated thread I found was from '08, so I imagine more people are riding his grands and great grands, now.
I’m searching for an OTTB right now and it seems many of the ones I find that I like the “type” of are descendants of Storm Cat.
I’ve been skipping over them, but I’m finding he’s pretty prominent in a lot of pedigrees at this point.
Any thoughts?
Thanks.
I have one. A grandson, by Bonus Time Cat. Horse’s name is Proper Timing. Currently going Intermediate with Stuart Black. PT is a bit atypical for a Storm Cat, and for a Bonus Time Cat, in that he is an absolute sweet heart, Mr. Personality. But he does have a temper and opinion, which is probably the Storm Cat side of him.
If you go to Stuart’s website (stuarblackequestrian.com) there are 2 pictures of him on the first page on the left side. Big bay with a white star.
They don’t have a great reputation for soundness or sanity, but each horse is an individual, and with 3 other grandparents or 7 other great-grand parents there will be a lot of variation in offspring. Like a lot of the popular racing sires, Storm Cat shows up in a lot of horses and it would be very limiting to avoid completely.
My SC grandson does not have a promising pedigree at all
http://www.pedigreequery.com/oakridge+star
But is an awesome horse. Some pics:
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151012846510105.767384.760135104&type=3&l=d35b3cbb4d
I would love more just like him!
I bought a Storm Cat grandson last fall - pleasure, trails and foxhunting for my purposes, but he was eventing with the previous owner and doing nicely. His dressage scores were all 7’s, 8’s and an occassional 9. The one thing different from my other TB’s is his massive shoulder movement. He moves a bit like a big wide QH. Not heavy or on the forehand - he has lovely, airy flying changes and a fantastic jump, but you know you are riding a “power house”!!
They’re both lovely!
I have been in both the TB breeding biz and sport horse biz for a long time. I have yet to see a good sport horse with Storm Cat in the pedigree, unless there were other good sport horse influences who were also in the pedigree.
Storm Cat was/is a medium sized horse who excelled at shorter distances. He is short coupled and has a bad personality.
Not traits that sport horse people usually look for.
Saying that Storm Cat is a good sport horse influence is like saying that Mr. Prospector is a good sport horse influence because he is seen in a lot of sport horse pedigrees. His son Fappiano IS a very good sport horse influence, but it is not because of Mr. P; Fappiano’s dam, Killaloe is by Dr. Fager who himself is a good sport horse influence.
Since Storm Cat was a very successful sire, he commanded a stud fee of $500,000. Only the best mares were sent to him. And good mares tend to have classy families which breed on.
IMO, anyone who has or hears about a good sport horse with SC as a grandsire should look elsewhere in the pedigree for the genes responsible.
I wouldn’t avoid one. We had a Storm Cat grandson. He was almost 17hh, a drop dead mover, jumped anything you pointed him at and had the sweetest disposition in the world.
Then he fractured a leg in a pasture accident.
Bummer.
I was always fearful of direct offspring due to all the rumors of them being nasty, but I’m guessing those are getting hard to find young these days.
I would not be totally opposed to a grandson or great grandson if it fit my criteria.
I’ve had 2 so far…the first one was a nut who spent more time on his hind legs than with all 4 feet on the ground. He definitely looked, moved and jumped like an eventer should, but the brains were just not there. He was a grandson: http://www.pedigreequery.com/battlin+bobbie
The 2nd and my current horse is the complete opposite! Admittedly, he is quite quirky, but very talented and does not have the nasty disposition the first one had! He is very short coupled and has a huge engine behind, but has been very sound (knock on wood).
I definitely had some hesitation when I found out he had SC on top, but I like his dam line better than the prior horse and SC is further back in the pedigree. He’s a great-grandson:
http://www.pedigreequery.com/sanlan
Edited to add: personality does not even begin to describe my current guy…he is a cuddler and just LOVES his people, very mouthy and curious. His barn name is “Trouble”. 
I have a Tale of the Cat filly who I adore. From day one she was the one you wanted to hack out alone, safe and sane, just an absolute do-er and very forward. She has lovely movement and stands out in the bunch as the smartest. First one to walk up to you in the field for scratches and will give ‘hugs’. She is literally bursting with personality, was pushy when I started her but a quick learner and now has nice manners.
When we started jumping she was point and shoot from the start, just a brave girl.
Now, she is a bully to the others mares and is quite dominant. She will pin an ear at feed time, but is just a pleasure to work with beyond that. She has also maxed out at 15.2…but like crosscreeksh she is all “powerhouse”.
I’ve known other Storm Cat grandchildren and have had good experiences with them. They all have a big personality and my filly fits that to a ‘T’. I’ve ridden a bunch of Fantasticats that are…quirky? Hot and reactive but absolute loves with sort of goofy, sweet dispositions. I know they get a bad rep but the ones I’ve known have beautiful movement.
And some direct offspring who were holy terrors. I think its an individual thing.
I want the horse with the kind, lovely face who greets me at the gate wanting to work every day. And my Tale of the Cat is exactly that!
I knew a Storm Cat grandson and he was nut job. But, I think he had also had a rough go of it in his earlier life. 
We have a Storm Cat granddaughter and she is very sweet, although a bit pushy on the ground, and was super easy to start under saddle. She’s very athletic and has a great brain.
http://foxhavenfarminc.com/BonjourMadame.shtml
We also met her sire, the Storm Cat son Cloud Cover, who was NOT nasty or hard to handle at all. We had another foal by him several years ago who was also a complete sweetheart.
This describes my SC great-grandson (through Buddha) very well. My guy also has Ribot and double Bold Ruler, so that may also account for his opinionated side. He is athletic and very trainable though and extremely intelligent (apparently the last two traits are characteristic of Buddhas). Fairly short-coupled and a powerhouse type as well. All this quirkiness makes him not a super easy horse to ride, but not a super difficult one either. You have to be mentally on your game. I do OK with him but prefer an easier ride, but he is fun and has taught me lots.
Several of the TBs that the Maddens bought as jumper prospects also had Storm Cat up close, if I remember correctly.
Lord helpus nailed it.
I rode a SC daughter for a little while a long time ago… she was sweet as could be and maxed out at about 14 hands… I think she ended up doing pony hunter stuff eventually. But she was a bit of a freak, I presume. (Still, I didn’t like her and didn’t think she was terribly athletic.) Other than that, I know nothign about bloodlines.
My track friends have described SC offspring as opinionated and stubborn but they are not typically mean or uncontrollable.
They do sometimes have a very quarter horsey shoulder. Of course when looking at grand children etc, you have more genetic influences. IMO, Stormy Atlantic is one of the best looking TB stallions anyplace and he’s much less blocky that some of the SC’s.
The SC’s with ability are often bold and somewhat “cocky” about it. They expect you to ride up to them. This may be what the Madden’s see in them. The less talented ones are usually the stubborn ones.
I have a SC grandson, by Scatmandu. We’ve only evented teeny weeny stuff (I have no ambition for higher levels), but he is and has always been very much a “jump anything you point him at” horse; he just doesn’t seem to have a stop in him, and he’s pretty much fearless in general. I would love to have someone with more cajones than me to give him a go and see just how well he could do at higher levels, but eh-- he’s my just-for-fun pony; he has nothing to prove to anyone.
Personality-wise, he likes to make stink-faces but he’s otherwise easy to handle; I don’t think he has a truly nasty bone in his body. (Lazy bones are another story, lol…)
Off the top of my head I know of 4 Storm Cat grandkids (all Ciano Cat) eventing in Alberta. One was 2011 prelim champ. My mare is set to go prelim this year. Another is solid training level and the last is moving up to training. I’m sure there is more but those are only the ones that I directly know of.
Conformation wise they are not that similar, but they are all athletic and talented and catty as hell. Personality wise they are similar. Hot, sensitive, bold, fearless, will jump anything you point them at. Not exactly an amateur ride, but they seem to be the kind of horse that if they like you, they will try their heart out and do ANYTHING for you. None have had any major soundness problems that I know of. Dressage seems to be the weak point due to the hotness. All easily have the potential for prelim and higher.
The ones I’ve seen are very well suited to eventing, but of course you have to look at each horse as an individual. If I was horse shopping I definitely wouldn’t overlook them! My mare is absolutely fantastic and I would love 10 more just like her:)
I say look at the horse in front of you instead of the pedigree. You might miss a good horse if you rule out the SC line. I have owned two and had several come through my barn. They are all very different in both athletic ability and personality.
Linny I have a Stormy Atlantic (his photo is on my facebook profile but I don’t know how to link) and he is lovely. He would make a nice children’s hunter and has evented to P. He would spend the day on your couch and be content (as long as you scratched his itch).
Stormy Atlantic: http://www.bloodhorse.com/stallion-register/sr_sire_page.asp?refno=1449123&origin=singlesearch
Tale of the Cat: http://www.bloodhorse.com/stallion-register/sr_sire_page.asp?refno=1439212&origin=singlesearch
Giant’s Causeway: http://www.bloodhorse.com/stallion-register/sr_sire_page.asp?refno=4297000&origin=singlesearch
For Judybigredpony, here’s Forestry, sire of Ranger who I met at her farm and who sold so fast your head would spin: http://www.bloodhorse.com/stallion-register/sr_sire_page.asp?refno=4077694&origin=singlesearch&SireName=Storm%20Cat&SRYear=2012
Stormin Fever: http://www.bloodhorse.com/stallion-register/sr_sire_page.asp?refno=1437170&origin=singlesearch&SireName=Storm%20Cat&SRYear=2012
With Distinction:
http://www.bloodhorse.com/stallion-register/sr_sire_page.asp?refno=6249908&origin=singlesearch&SireName=Storm%20Cat&SRYear=2012
I find Stormy Atlantic the most balanced of the above (and there are plenty more) but the pics show a range of SC sons from different families. With Distinction for example has the size and length of the Alydar side and the bulk of SC. He looks monstrous, but quite handsome. I’d show him to folks who think TB’s are “weedy!”
For links to many SC sons click here:
http://www.bloodhorse.com/stallion-register/sr_sire_page.asp
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