The American Saddlebred: 4/23/16 Kourgeous Kalu

W. B. Griffin owned Kalu Farm in Libertyville, Illinois, and bred and raised saddlebreds during the 1960's and 1970's. He bought a 16 year old stallion from Tom Moore in 1960 named Stonewall Dysart. A well bred stallion by Stonewall's Golden Dream by Stonewall King, his dam was a granddaughter of Rex McDonald. Stonewall Dysart was immediately put to work siring colts with names featuring the perfect alliteration of double K's like Kalipso Kalu, Kandykane Kalu and Korkscrew Kalu. He only sired colts for Griffin and Kalu Farm for two years, and only sired about a dozen colts in that time span. Two of the colts that Stonewall Dysart sired were Kalurama in 1961 and Kaptain Kalu in 1962 and they were each bred as two year olds. Kaptain Kalu sired colts until 1983, but Kalurama had only one colt crop and that was in 1964. Front and center of these five offspring from 1964 was a bay colt with a few white hairs on his forehead. Griffin registered him as Kuragus Koventry Kalu. The American Saddlebred Register from 1964 had a typo and he was listed as Uragus Koventry Kalu. Griffin owned him for 12 years and used him as a breeding stallion during that time period. However, around 1975, Bill Griffin began thinking about getting out of the horse business. He decided he needed to promote his stallion, so he had his trainer, Art McCollar, take him to some shows to be seen. So, at age 12, he was sold to Jean McLean Davis in 1976 and he was shown at the Kentucky State Fair by her trainer, Tom Moore. The same Tom Moore who had sold his grandsire to Mr. Griffin back in 1960. Not only was he shown, but he was Reserve in the World's Grand Champion Fine Harness stake. His name was also changed to how we know him now, Kourageous Kalu. Shortly after winning the reserve champion honors, he was sold to Franklin Groves of North Ridge Farm in Wayzata Minnesota.

Kourageous Kalu was a well publicized breeding stallion, but had to share his duties with several other top stallions that were owned by North Ridge Farm. During his career, he sired the champions Denmark's Devotion, Captive Spirit, Norton, Northern Creation, Storm Wind, The Spitfire Special and Sand Kalamehameha. Several of his daughters went on to become good producers, and Kourgeous Kalu is the broodmare sire of breeding stallions Nocturnal, Harlem Globemaster, Powerful Charm LCC, My Magical Moment and How Fortunate, as well as the good show gelding, CH My Grande.