Behind the Foaling Door - Pedigrees vs. Showing and Racing Records

Welcome to another installment of Behind the Foaling Door! This month I asked IPABRA breeders what they considered to be more important when searching for a set of parents for a model... the parents' showing and racing record, or the parents' pedigree.

"I usually pick parents with a racing record. It shows that that actual horses does well, not just the parents. But bloodlines are also helpful too!"
-Cindy Kunitsugu

"When I first started assigning pedigrees back in the 80's, using real lineage wasn't as common. Although I would use real parents now and then, I often found myself using other people's models and was more drawn towards show and race records rather than pedigrees. It just seemed 'cooler' to have someone's multi-champion halter horse as your horse's sire no matter what lineage the horse came from. Today, I'm still into show and race records but the pedigree means much more. While initially looking for the parent of the proper genetics and color, I then look for quality in the pedigree and the show/race record. Sometimes (as long as the genetics work), I'll choose an unknown as a parent because their pedigree traces to a horse I'm looking for to improve my bloodstock. Other times, I'll choose a parent on the merits of their show/race record because I feel that my champion foal deserves to come from champion parents. Generally I only do this for gelding and actual 'foal' models that will never contribute their genetics to their breed. However, if I can get quality bloodlines from champion parents, real or model, I've got the best of both factors in assigning a pedigree to my horse."
-Heather Mays

"When I pedigree my models, I'd say an accurate and realistic pedigree would ALWAYS take priority over a show/race record alone. This is not to say that I wouldn't use a model with an excellent record, but that model would also have to have the realistic and well crafted pedigree.

You see, a show record does not necessarily make a model good. I've seen way too many conformational anomalies showing and winning like crazy! I take any show record with a grain of salt unless I have seen the model.

There are many models with fine show/race records, but without a realistic pedigree, using such a model to breed from would lower standards here. My aim is to create breeding stock with high quality bodies, potential to show well, and a realistic and well crafted pedigree. I like to see notes like year foaled, color, registration #, make and mold, owner, brief indication of show and race record, ect... on pedigrees that I receive, and am working to have such information (where available) on my pedigrees as well. If I can add in the bonus of parents with excellent show records, I certainly will, but not at the expense of giving up any realism for my stock."
-Cynthia Gardner

"It depends on the horse that I'm pedigreeing. If I'm looking for something to send to the track, then I want a good racing pedigree and I prefer parents with decent racing records themselves. If I'm looking for breeding stock then the pedigree behind the parents is more important. However, I'm still swayed by a good performance record. And of course with all breedings color, registry requirements, ect. are always taken in to account."
-Deb Moore

"When I'm researching a pedigree, what is most important to me depends on the final use of the horse. If it's a foal that I eventually plan on racing, or selling as a race horse, obviously I want a racebred pedigree. In that instance, a realistic racing record on the parents and/or excellent production records of realistic racing stock is most important, with pedigree coming in second. Pedigree is affected to the extent that I generally don't want to inbreed too closely. For example, I have one Quarter Horse mare that I don't dare breed to a stallion from Easy Jet lines, as she is by a son of Easy Jet, her dam is by Easy Jet, and her second dam is by Easy Jet! Three crosses that close up just screams to me for an outcross stallion.

On the other hand, if I'm breeding a horse primarily for showing purposes, I'll tend to look at the pedigree first. Do the prospective parents have lines that I want in my program? If so, those horses are sure bets to get used somewhere down the road. If not, I'll just scratch them off the list, so to speak."
-Heather Rauschenberger

"I'm usually more interested in the pedigree then the show/race records, unless I'm looking for a specific reason - like if I want to race the horse, then I'll pick a pair of parents with good to excellent race records. Otherwise I just pick anything that fits the offspring's age, color, pattern, ect."
-Diane Peter

"I have two ways - If the parent is model bred then I go on its show record. The ones with real parents are chosen based on capability with other models I own (i.e., who will cross nicely with this horse's bloodlines). I line-breed in real life with my collies, and now with my models!"
-Michelle Durden

"I think this question is dependent on the type of horse you seek to pedigree. Naturally, if you've got a prospective runner or shower, you'll look for champion parents. It's only natural to want the best. Personally, since most of my hobby involvement deals with PA, I look at the pedigree. If a horse has an exceptional pedigree, it's a bonus if they also have a great race/show record. I don't personally care if the horse is a 50x Grand Chapion or has won a billion dollars in purses. Their pedigree will tell the tale for my foal."
-Amber Fraley

"The most important thing to me is a well-researched pedigree that eventually traces to real horses. The second most important thing is that it is accurate for color genetics. The horse's show or race record is really about the 3rd thing I look for in a potential parent for one of my models. A good performance record is 'icing on the cake'. If I am looking at two horses, both with good pedigrees and correct color genetics, and one of those two has a good show or race record, then I will probably go with the one with the better performance record.

One thing you left out, though, was whether or not the potential parent has a good production record! That's actually just as important to me as whether or not I like the pedigree. I want to know if the horse has PRODUCED good show or race horses, or good breeding stock that has produced good show or race horses. And if I find a parent that has ALL those qualities - realistic pedigree, correct color genetics, good performance record, AND a good production record - then I definitely want to use that parent! I also strive to have this in my own model breeding program. I think this is what a lot of other model horse pedigree assigners also look for because my horses that are most popular for outside breedings have all four qualities."
-Daralyn Wallace

"When selecting parents for my model horses, pedigree is more important to me then show or race records. Lately, I have come to favor horses with real horses in the pedigree, even if it is several generations back. I also am starting to avoid using sires or dams that already have a number of foals, because models of some breeds all seem to trace to certain models or real horses. I'd like to see some new blood in model Clydesdales or Missouri Fox Trotters. Many of the ones I've seen all seem to be related - especially Cleveland Bays! I understand that some breeds, like the Clevelands, are limited in the real horse world, which creates a shortage of lines for the model horse world.

I'm also starting to steer away from some horses that have super famous animals in their pedigrees simply because I have my fill of that sire or dam in my program. For a while it seemed like about half of my Thoroughbreds all traced to Secretariat. I guess I feel a horse doesn't need to be a household name to produce quality foals. If I cannot choose between two possible sires or dams after reviewing their bloodlines, I may then consider their show or race records."
-Laura Prettyman

"I've been influenced in my Arabian breeding and thinking by the thoughts and opinions of those real breeders who have taught me. As preservation programs, their programs and breeding decisions are based largely on pedigree (after personality, conformation, and soundness, of course!). Since our models don't pass on to their foals their personality or conformational traits, I tend to concentrate on pedigree when I am knowledgable about said pedigree. Only when presented with two horses/models whose pedigrees are what I'm searching for do I fall back on performance and show records.

Now, when I'm dealing with breeds and Arabian bloodlines that I am unfamiliar with, then I have to, and tend to, base my choice on something else, like show records, other model produce or mold, ect. For instance, in realistic model racing, when I look for sires or broodmares for my stock horses, I look almost exclusively at performance and the performance of that horse's offspring.

And of course, before I look at anything else, I make sure that a horse is suitable for my foal first by looking at dates and color. And given a choice (and the necessary information) I also try to breed real horses that real breeders would have (and could have) bred. I look at produce lists, and study individual farms' breeding programs to get a 'feel' for what they've done, and I try to figure out why they've done what they've done and I base my programs on that."
-Ali Willis

"When I am choosing parents for Standardbreds, Thoroughbreds, Quarter Horses, Appaloosas, Paints, or Arabians that I consider racing breeds I look at race records and good racing lines - show records aren't that important. In breeds like Miniature Horses and Fallabellas I look at size and show record. Other breeds it's a nice realistic seeming pedigree and show record if choosing model parents - I usually look at more real horse pedigrees and models with up close real horse pedigrees."
-Melissa Addison

"Show and race records are nice, but not absolutely necessary to me. The parents' color and pedigree are equally important when selecting parents for my foal. Even if the parents have spectacular pedigrees, if they are not the correct color to produce my foal then I can't use them.

Pedigree is extremely important because it is what helps give your horse its identity. Just tracing to famous real horses is not the only thing to consider. All the horses in pedigree should have been alive and producing at the time as well as making sure the pedigree 'nicks' well. I sometimes also try to look for a pedigree that will help add a bit of variety to my PA program. In other words, I don't want ALL of my Arabs tracing to *Bask!

If the parents I am considering have the correct color and the bloodlines I want, then the show and/or race record would be something to consider. It's a great thing to say 'my horse was produced by such and such famous shower', but it should not be the ONLY thing you consider when searching for parents. It's a great thing to brag about but in the end, a top shower with a poor pedigree and improper color genetics isn't going to get very far."
-Wendy Blum

What do YOU think? Write in and let us know! Our question for the next installment of Behind the Foaling Door is, "What have you gained from participating in pedigree assignment?" Please write in and share your response!

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