David and Dawn Kennedy

Farm location: Gladfield Road - Bayswater - Southland. Farm size: 198 acres. How did you get started in breeding? My father, Bill Kennedy raced and bred harness horses and was involved in the Winton Harness Racing Club. This whet my appetite for breeding and racing. Name of first broodmare: Wave Erye (Honest Master - Arina) Editor's note: Wave Erye's first three foals won 12 races between them with Beaudiene Scott (5) and Schell Erye (2).

Is your priority to breed your horses for racing or to sell at the sales?

Both but the most commerical are sales bound.

What do you consider was the best horse you've bred and raced?

Happy Asset (12 wins 1.55.1) and Absolutely Brilliant (8 wins 1.56.6)

Best horse you have sold away from the yearling sales?

Beaudiene Butler (18 wins and 1.56.5 USA)

Best priced yearling sold at the sales?

Highflyin Fella ($95,000).

Highest priced colt bred and sold?

Highflyin Fella.

Highest priced filly bred and sold?

Beaudiene Bad Babe - Badlands Hanover - Beaudiene Babe - $20,000.

Best performed colt sold?

Happy Asset but the best is to come!

Best performed filly sold?

Beaudiene ( 5 Australian wins 1.59.8 AUS).

Is there any horse you have brought back from the yearling sales and been thankful that you did?

Beaudiene Beach Boy $13,000 buy back.

Editor's note: Beaudiene Beach Boy was trained by John Hay but is now with Gareth Dixon and has raced eleven times one win, two seconds and three thirds and $11,987.

Favourite all time stallion?

Meadow Skipper (USA) and Lordship (NZ).

What new season sires are you most excited about?

American Idol. The fastest 3 yr old in history and out of a sister to Life Sign. My sources tell me he is a magnificent individual with looks and a bit of size.

How important do you feel it is to breed to a stallion that will possibily leave two year olds?

For the yearling sales - extremely.

How important do you feel research is in choosing a stallion for your mares?

Cannot have enough information.

How important is the stallion size?

It would be good if studs advertised stallion height.It's important that each mare should be mated on a lot of factors; size, temperament, confirmation and pedigree.

Do you prefer to see the stallion choices in the flesh?

Yes definitely.

As a professional breeder, how often do you buy outside mares to broaden your breeding stock?

When the opportunity arises to get into a family that I like, that is commercial and is priced right.

What current New Zealand breed would you like to buy into?

The Witchlight family. It's running hot and selling well.

What feeding plan do you follow when rearing your foals?

Correct feeding is exceptionally important from broodmares right through to sales. I have my own mix which I prefer, but quality pasture and husbandary control cannot be stressed enough.

If you breed primarily pacers, would you ever consider breeding trotters?

Yes I think there is an opportunity there right now breeding trotters.

Was there a famous mare/horse that you have had the opportunity to buy but didn't?

Yes. Underbidder on Awesome Dream with Gail Devers at foot at the Christchurch Mixed Sales $23,000.

What do you most enjoy about breeding horses?

Watching your theories become reality when the progeny of successful mating turns out to be a good racehorse and also the thrill it gives other people winning.

What do you consider to be the most challenging aspect about breeding horses today?

Costs associated with breeding. All the tack on's like working fees etc. Service fees are known and accounted for but all the other costs seem to just keep getting more expensive leaving less for all the hard work and risks breeders take.

Also trying to determine which stallions are going to be in vogue in three years after mating for sale time.

 

Breeding Stock List:

Brilliant Franco (15yr old mare - Holmes Honover - Belle Reign) 4 wins Best progeny: Absolutely Brilliant (Christian Cullen) 42-8-7-7 $61,570., Pacific Reign (Pacific Rocket) 37-9-5-2  $79,388 and Falcons Fame (Falcon Seelster) 9-2-2-2  $9,966.

 

Liberty Franco (15yr old mare - Holmes Honover - Looks The Part) 6 wins

Best progeny: Lassiter Franco (Falcon Seelster) 31-5-3-6 $23,086 Laurel Franco (Badlands Hanover) 12-5-1-1 $35,546 and Lotana Franco (Falcon Seelster) 4-1-1-1 $3,000 1:54.6 USA. All of Liberty Franco's first six foals have qualified.

 

Lassiter Franco (8yr old mare - Falcon Seelster - Liberty Franco) 5 wins

Progeny: One unraced filly foal by Artiscape (Artistic Lass)

 

Tossofthecoin (7yr old mare - Safely Kept - Jonty Jo) 5 wins

Progeny: No live foals

 

Beaudiene Ladylike (8yr old mare - Falcon Seelster - Beaudiene Debtor) 2 wins

Best progeny: Beaudiene Christian (Christian Cullen) 24-7-2-1 $73,319

 

Beaudiene Babe (7yr old mare - In The Pocket - Beaudiene Debtor) no wins

Progeny: Two (Beaudiene Bad Babe - 36 -21 -4 -3 - $348,226) by Badlands Hanover and Guns 'N' Roses by DM Dillinger 14-6-2-0 $32,511.

 

Beaudiene Roulette (11yr old mare - Holmes Hanover - Beaudiene Lobell) unraced.

Best progeny: Beaudiene (Sands A Flyin) 5 Australian wins and 1:59.8 AUS and Beaudiene Rarity (DM Dilinger) 26-1-1-0 $8,857.

 

Mighty Asset (7yr old mare - Beach Towel - Cash Asset) unraced.

Best progeny: Mighty Day (Day In A Life) 1-0-0-1 $350 exported to Australia.

Editor's note: Mighty Asset's third foal, Mighty Elusive (Christian Cullen) was purchased by Cran Dalgety for $24,000 at the 2008 Christchurch yearling sales.

 

Able Reason (17yr old mare - Vance Hanover - Reasonable) 1 win

Best progeny: Presentaball (Presidential Ball) 35-4-3-5 $34,729, Elusive Cullen 51-4-5-6 $48,389 and Right This Time (Fake Left) 3-1-0-0- $2,558.

 

Pay Me Now (12yr old mare - New York Motoring - Pay Me Back) unraced.

Best progeny: Pay Me Boy (DM Dillinger) 18-1-1-4 $8,355. and Pay Me Girl (DM Dillinger) 21-1-1-1 $7,174.

Editor's note: Pay Me Now's fourth foal, Pay Me Cullen (Christian Cullen) owned by Dave Kennedy and John Hay was withdrawn from the Christchurch yearling sales.

 

Lady Watch (5yr old mare - In The Pocket - Watch Your Step) unraced.

Progeny: No live foals.

 

Beaudiene Bianca (4yr old mare - Badlands Hanover - Beaudiene Bonnie) 2 wins

Progeny: No live foal. Recently retired from racing.