4/26/22 The Oldest Name in Saddlebreds??

 There are a number of Saddlebred farms that have been operating for decades, but who wins the title as the oldest, continually operating Saddlebred farm?  This post will look at five unique and influential farms, and see why it's not that easy to determine the oldest.  

Starting with a Saddlebred magazine from 1947, there were many well known names operating 75 years ago.  Among the advertised farms were Maryland Farm, Dodge Stables, Mar-Beth-Top, Ridgefield's, Reverie Knoll, Minton Hickory, Crebilly, Winganeek and Grasslands.  Maryland Farm owned by Truman Ward from Tennessee was home to American Ace, Dodge Stables from Rochester Michigan and Lexington Kentucky boasted a young show horse named Wing Commander, Mar-Beth-Top had many top show horses, and Reverie Knoll was the breeder of Reverie's Desdemona. CP Edwards of Tennessee owned Ridgefields, which eventually relocated in Danville Kentucky, where he later had a dispersal sale.  Minton Hickory was run by Miss Nola, Crebilly Farm in Pennsylvania bred Vanity's Sensation, Winganeek of Lexington Kentucky was home to King's Sport and Captain Courageous and Grasslands owned Kalarama Colonel.  Maryland Farm and Reverie Knoll were the breeders of many great horses in the 1940's, but phased out soon afterwards.  Dodge Stables was a powerhouse from the 1930's until 1975 when they dispersed after the relatively close deaths of Wing Commander, owner Frances Dodge Van Lennep, Vanity's Sensation and trainer/manager Earl Teater.  Miss Nola Minton possessed a wealth of breeding knowledge, and continued in the business for decades, but her farm in Barbourbille Kentucky is long gone as are the rest of the above mentioned establishments.   

Another interesting  advertisement in 1947 was Broadacres Farm in Shelbina, MO.  Welch Greenwell had been the trainer at Broadacres and purchased the farm when the former owner sold out .  The Greenwell family has been a name in Saddlebred horses for many generations, since Welch's father Hiram bred Rex Monroe and owned Easter Cloud.  Welch showed Easter Serenade to earn the WGC and stood the stallions Genius Better Bourbon and Colonel Sport.  Welch's son Carol showed Black Irish to win the 5 gaited WGC.  The Greenwell family continued it's work with Saddlebreds through Welch's grandson Billy, but they all worked at different locations.  

So which Saddlebred farms have been operating for 75+ years?  Five farms come to mind that were advertised in 1947, and are still in operation today.  Each has a slightly different set of circumstances, but each has had a lasting impact on the American Saddlebred industry.  

Undulata Farm in Shelbyville, Kentucky was founded in 1895 when Col. Harry Weissinger purchased 2800 acres.  The distinctive 3 story brick home was built in 1903, but Weissinger, a Civil War veteran, had bred horses even before purchasing the farm.  Margaret Weissinger by Chester Dare and foaled in 1902 was sold to Allie Jones, where she produced 15 foals by Bourbon King.  Undulata Dare, also sired by Chester Dare and foaled in 1903 sired Dickery Dare, and Land O'Goshen Adele that was the foundation mare of Land O'Goshen Farm.  Lena Jemison BHF was owned by the Weissinger's and produced American Born and Katherine Grigsby BHF.  Col. Weissinger died in 1915 and his wife sold the farm in 1920 to a family from Lexington.  They in turn sold the farm, which had shrunk to 795 acres, to Ely Meyer around 1940.  Ely's daughter Gloria Gold was married at Undulata in 1944.  His other daughter Jane took over and again raised Saddlebreds at the farm.  In 1947 she purchased Beau Gallant, the sire of many fine colts including WC Beau's Starlite, Beau's First Lady and Beau's Benita Peavine.  Of course his best known offspring was Gallant Guy O'Goshen, bred by Land O'Goshen Farm and tracing back to the Undulata Dare daughter Land O'Goshen Adele.  Beau Gallant continued to sire colts at Undulata until 1961 and Jane Meyer sold the farm in 1977.  It was then a summer camp for girls and was placed on the National Historic register in 1982.  Edward R. (Hoppy) Bennett purchased Undulata in 1994 and owned it until 2020.  During his tenure, you only need to mention one horse, Undulata's Nutcracker, but of course there were many more.  

Kalarama Farm in Springfield Kentucky was started by Judge I. H. Thurman in 1901.  He assembled a great group of broodmares including Zuleika, Rectina, Vesta Dare, Japanette and Nancy Thurman.  Old names indeed, but important to the American Saddlebred breed.  In 1909 he puchased the sire Rex Monroe from Missouri and over the years Rex Monroe sired WGC Jonquil, Jean Acker (dam of Pennypack's Pride BHF), Mary Dall (dam of Miss America), Nancy Thurman BHF, Kathryn Haines BHF and Birdie Monroe.  Some great sires who were foaled at  Kalarama Farm include Kalarama Rex and his sons  Kalarama Colonel, Society Rex and Royal Kalarama, as well as American Ace and his son Indiana Ace.  After Judge Thurman died, the farm carried on under the guidance of his wife, and son L. Ray Thurman.   This partnership was dissolved in 1944 and many of the horses were sold at auction. In 1952 a complete dispersal of the Kalarama horses was held at Tattersalls.  Fast forward another decade, and Kalarama Farm was purchased by Paul Hamilton in the early 1960's from a Mr. Post.  Fast forward a bit more, and Paul Hamilton's daughter Joan continued the rich tradition of breeding great horses at Kalarama.  Although such good sires as Lord O'Shea, Spring Valley's Deliverance, Flame of Greystone and Kalarama Cabernet stood at the farm, the modern Kalarama Farm is closely identified with the grand sire Harlem Globetrotter, who called Kalarama Farm his home for nearly 30 years.  

Leatherwood Farm came to existence in Bluefield Virginia in 1938, owned by brothers Laurence and Lewis Tierney.  Almost immediately, this farm owned and bred many of the best Saddlebreds to be found.  Starting in the late 1930's with Sensation Rex and Wonderland Sensation, Leatherwood continued adding fine breeding stock.  In the early 1940's, they purchased the well known full brothers, Leatherwood King and Leatherwood Genius.  These stallions were from the cross of King's Genius and Kate Haines.  Kate Haines was later purchased by Leatherwood and is buried at the farm in Virginia.  Another wonderful broodmare they owned was Reverie's Desdemona, and they owned two of her offspring, full brothers Golden Thunderbolt and Clarma.  Both of those stallions were sired by Anacacho Denmark.  Under the ownership of Ann Tierney Smith, Leatherwood purchased Sultan's Santana in 1985.  Leatherwood has also bred The Irish Connection, Leatherwood's Starlight, Mountainview's Heir to Fortune, Leatherwood's Bourbon Reserve and the 2021 WGC Bourbon Select.  Now under the guidance of the third generation of family, Barclay Smith DeWet, and relocated to Paris Kentucky, Leatherwood continues it's commitment to breeding the best in American Saddlebreds.  

Blythewood, located in Cleveland Tennessee, began operating as a horse farm in 1942, the year that Betty Mayfield and David Neil were married.  The land was originally purchased in the late 1920's by Betty's father and Betty named the farm after him.  Immediately establishing a show barn and breeding farm, success happened early on, and has continued over 80 years.  Buying good stock worked, and over the years Blythewood has been home to at least 9 Hall of Fame broodmares, starting with Gifted Lady, Corrina Cook and Ford Acre Bell in the 1940's and continuing with Fancy Bloomer, Suzy's Lady Bug, Desert's Awesome Lover, CF Hot Night Out, Harlem's Rare Magic and Bonne Nuit.  Blythewood also stood many well known and highly ranked stallions including Kalarama Command, King Coe, Grand Command, Firelane, Hayfield's Bold Knight, Harrods Burg, CF First Night Out and At Night. Tragedy struck in 1965 when David Neil was killed in an accident, but Betty Neil carried on.  She continued to breed winners like WC Bungalow Eight, Kenny Dawson, Central Perk, CH At First Sight, CH WC Blythewood's Fire Engine Red, CH WC Odeon and or course, RWGC CH Honey Badger.  Mrs. Neil rode well into her 90's and  passed away just before she turned 100.  The farm still continues under the management of their daughter after 80 years in the Saddlebred business. 

 

Callaway Hills had its beginnings when young Betty Goshorn purchased a yearling mare in 1944 named Kalarama Khaki Kapers that was sired by Kalarama Rex.  Renamed Fourth Estate in deference to Betty's family's newspaper business, she was shown as a 3-Gaited horse.  When her show career ended, she started producing colts and in 1959 foaled a chestnut stud colt sired by Wing Commander.  Callaway's Johnny Gillen was shown in the 5-Gaited division and used as a breeding stallion.  When paired with another of Betty's (now Betty Weldon) former show mares,  Fine Harness WGC CH Kate Shriver, she produced Will Shriver in 1966.  The rest was history.  Will Shriver was crowned 5-Gaited WGC in 1976 and had a legendary career at stud.  Betty Weldon purchased many mares to breed to Will, and he is credited with reinvigorating 5-Gaited horses in the American Saddlebred breed.  With WGC WC Will Shriver in stud, Callaway Hills exploded with talented horses.  All of these horses carry the Callaway's prefix.  Five Gaited WGC's Callaways' New Look, Callaway's Forecaster and Callaway's Annabel Allison.  Six time Fine Harness WGC Callaway's Copyright and most recent WGC bred by Callaway Hills was the 3 Gaited WGC Callaway's Ivanka.  Breeding stallions abound that were sons and grandsons of Will Shriver.  Callaway's Blue Norther, Callaway's Bluesman, Callaways' Ghost Writer, Callaway's Cranston, Callaway's The Gipper, Callaway's Guy Park, Callaway's Wish Me Will, CH Callaway's Gold Rush, Callaway's Extra Extra, Callaway's Northern Kiss, Callaway's Tobias, CH Caramac, Pat Shriver, Will Power, Time Willing and The Mystery Writer.  Looking for Hall of Fame Broodmares?   Try Callaway's Carousel, Callaway's Coronet, Callaway's Sweet Clover, Callaway's Agatha Christie, Callaway's Zerelda, Callaway's Claudette, Callaway's Razzberries, Callaway's Twice the Spice and at least a dozen more.  Champions with the Callaway's prefix are too numerous to list, so we'll just mention RWGC Callaway's Mr. Republican, WC Callaway's Gold Rush, WC Callaway's Caper, WC Callaway's Hot Copy, Callaway's Born to Win and so many more!  When Betty Weldon died, several in her family wanted to sell the horses.  However, Betty's daughter Lenore Weldon carries on her mother's legacy and continues to breed American Saddlebreds at the  Jefferson City Missouri farm.

*10/14/22 so sorry to hear of the death of Lenore "Toni" Weldon.  Surely this will signal the end of Callaway Hills as we know it.*

So what's the answer to the question?  Who's been around the longest of this fabulous quintet of Saddlebred farms?  Certainly Undulata gets the nod for starting in 1895, but it has had multiple owners and been in and out of Saddle horses.  Kalarama has a history over a century long, and two different families have had operations there with only a brief break in between the Thurmans and the Hamiltons.  Leatherwood started in one state and ended up in Kentucky, but has been continuously operated for over 80 years by three generations of the same family.  Blythewood has been in the same location owned by the Neil family for 80 years!  Callaway's wasn't a huge breeding operation until the arrival of Will Shriver, but it can all trace back to Betty Weldon's purchase of Fourth Estate in 1944.  Hats off to all of these establishments.  No one would want to imagine the Saddlebred industry without them.  

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