Arden Lodge - Noreen & John Stiven
Farm location
Tapanui - West Otago
Farm size
70 acres
How did you get started in breeding?
My father inherited a thoroughbred mare and then bought standardbreds.
Name of first broodmare?
Bayswater (Quiet Water - Milford Haven) Cardigan Bay family
Is your priority to breed your horses for racing or to sell at the sales?
To sell at the sales and to race the odd filly for replacement broodmares.Southwind Arden (Bettors Delight - Winter Rose), Ardensplace (Artsplace - Achieve A Dream) and Garden Rose (Artsplace - Winter Rose)
What do you consider was the best horse you've raced?
Currently Arden's Darlin.
Best priced yearling sold at the sales?
Arden's Place (renamed El Prado) - (Artsplace - Winter Rose) $110,000.
Best priced colt bred and sold?
Arden's Place (renamed El Prado) and Arden's Wish (renamed Bettor's Strike).
Highest priced filly bred and sold?
Arden's Banner (Christian Cullen - Arden's Dream) $55,000.
Best performed colt sold?
All Hart (Falcon Seelster - Arden Regal) 42-8-12-5 $316,356. 1:52 USA and Bettor's Strike
Favourite all time stallions?
Bettor's Delight - We've had a good run to date. The job he's doing in USA is becoming legendary.
What new season sired are you most excited about?
Somebeachsomewhere who we have sent two mares to and USTA 2 yr old of the year Major In Art.
How important do you feel it is to breed to a stallion that will possibly leave two year olds?
Very important as that is what yearling sale buyers are wanting and it's what we want in our mares. To have Arden's Darlin as 2 yr old filly of her year in our broodmare band is really something.
How important do you feel research is in choosing a stallion for your mare?
Very. We are doing a lot of research into crosses etc and look forward to the new stallions each year.
How important is the stallion size?
Depends on the mare. It's more important that they run fast.
Do you prefer to see the stallion choices in the flesh?
If possible, but not a major if you don't.
As a professional breeder, how often do you buy outside mares to broaden your breeding stock?
Probably too often, but it's worth having choices for buyers.
What current New Zealand breeds would you like to buy into?
The Black Watch family. We bought Tosca Hanover from the PGG Wrightson 2007 Broodmare sale to get us into this family.Our latest addition is L'Oiseau De Nuit a three quarter sister to Lauraella. This mare will strengthen our sales draft in a year or two.
What feeding plan do you follow when rearing your foals?
This is always a personal thing but basically they don't have a day where they miss out on oats at Arden Lodge and of course rich pasture.
If you breed primarily pacers, would you ever consider breeding trotters?
Not yet, anyway.
What do you most enjoy about breeding horses?
Seeing our progeny go on to win good races and pay their way for all concerned. And the enjoyment other people get from Arden horses as well as us. Winner this season (2008-2009) Bettor's Strike, Arden's Storm, Real Golden Girl, Arden's Darlin and Western Arden.
What do you consider to be the most challenging aspect about breeding horses today?
The continuing costs, rising stud fees (enormous compared to six to eight years ago) but you have to keep up with it all as we are producing a product for the sales and the future.
Arden Lodge Breeding Stock List:
Arden's Dream (19 year old mare - Son Of Afella - Evasion) 4 wins
Best progeny: Arden Banner (Christian Cullen) 13-2-3-0 $114,572, Fantastic Dream (Camtastic) 26-5-3-2 $34,854, Arden's Heritage (Soky's Atom) 14-1-1-0 $8,716 1:52.2 USA and Achieve a Dream (In the Pocket) 31-3-3-2 $18,617.
Editor's note: Arden Banner won the 2008 Magness Benrow Sires Stakes Fillies Championship at Alexandra Park. The Group One event was worth $132,999.
A Bettor's Delight filly will be prepared for the 2010 yearling sales (Full sister to Arden Tetrick $150,000 sale at the last Ready To Run Sale).
Arden's Dream has a colt to Art Major and is served by the same stallion.
Strathrowan (14yr old mare - Smooth Fella - Gentility) 4 wins
Best progeny: Awesome Dave 5-1-1-0 $5,100, Arden's Storm 17-5-1-4 $47,973 and Arden Strath (renamed Redondo Beach) 2:01.8 AUS.
She has a colt by Bettor's Delight and is served by Art Major.
Tosca Hanover (9yr old mare - Walton Hanover - Tosti) 0 wins
Progeny: Ashman 8-0-0-0 $476 and two Bettor's Delight colts Arden Torres and Arden Rooney.Served by Art Major.
Winter Rose (7yr old mare - In the Pocket - Bella Chip) 1 win
Best progeny: Bettor's Strike (Bettor's Delight) 62-16-13-11 $854,250
An Artsplace filly is being retained by the Stud.
Winter Rose has a filly by Bettor's Delight and served by Rocknroll Hanover.
Editor's note: Winter Rose's latest yearling, a filly by Elsu, sold at the Premier Yearling Sales for $28,000. She was bought by Equine Investments Ltd.
Achieve A Dream (7yr old mare - In the Pocket - Arden's Dream) 3 wins
Best Progeny: Arden's Darlin (Bettor's Delight) 43-5-12-4 $240,450 and Arden Major 15-0-3-3 $6,046.
Editor's note: Arden's Darlin won the 2008 PGG Wrightson New Zealand Sales Series Fillies Final (Listed) worth $146,250.
Achieve A Dream was empty and served by Somebeachsomewhere
Madam Maroussia (4yr old mare - Artiscape - Lady of Liberty) 0 wins
Progeny: Arden Ambrose (Bettor's Delight) colt sold for $8,600 at the National Yearling Sales in Christchurch 2009.
A Elsu colt will be offered at the 2010 yearling sales.
In foal to American Ideal. Served by Major In Art
L'Oiseau De Nuit (4 yr old mare - Christian Cullen - Corbie) 0 wins
Progeny: No registered progeny.
Has a colt by Art Major and served by Somebeachsomewhere
Ardenart (3 yr old mare - Artsplace - Arden's Dream) 0 wins
Served by Rocknroll Hanover.
