Great cmtry on Seeking the Gold & Mr P in breeding shed

[Jessi P]

Charles Koch gives some great insight in the bloodhorse article at http://breeding.bloodhorse.com/viewstory.asp?id=33996


Charles Koch, breeding shed manager at Claiborne, does his best to explain the Mr. Prospector phenomenon.

"When I take groups at the farm and try to explain to them about Mr. Prospector, I say he is like what Michael Jordan was to the NBA times 10, or times 100, whatever, just so they can put it in perspective how important this horse is and how much of an impact he is going to have on future generations in the next 100 years or so," he said.

Although Seeking the Gold had two representatives in the Belmont, his strength as a stallion largely has been built as a sire of fillies. "This Belmont win is great for Seeking the Gold because he's (viewed) as a sire of fillies," Koch added, while mentioning Seeking the Gold's international champion son, Dubai Millennium. "Now maybe he'll get a little recognition for throwing some good colts."

As good as Mr. Prospector was, he didn't teach his son much in the way of breeding shed manners. But that hardly seems to have mattered, since Seeking the Gold's runners have performed well on the racetrack.

"Seeking the Gold is the opposite of Mr. Prospector in the breeding shed," Koch said. "You could lead in Mr. Prospector to the breeding shed like a puppy. He'd come in very professional and breed his mare in one jump. He wanted to breed every mare who came to the farm.

"Seeking the Gold is loud and obnoxious. He has no rhyme or reason to what he likes or does. If he likes a mare, you're in good shape. He'll give her three or four jumps and be done in 15-20 minutes. If he doesn't like a mare, it could be two hours. A bird will fly in and he'll get distracted, or he could start looking for his imaginary friend in the barn. We pull our hair out in the breeding shed, but he's obviously worth it."


I thought this was great. I love hearing more about the stallions than just their race records and pedigrees. I want to paint a more complete picture of that horse in my mind, and this is the sort of detail that fleshes out the statistics.

[tammysinnett]

Thankyou for this article--we have a stallion we have started breeding--MR.P bloodline ....wondered where he got his well manner in the breeding shed I being a female can even take him there at all times....if he gets to frisky I just remind him to mind his manners and he is a gent......Thanks Mr.P for a nice trait carried to our stallion.

[Barbaro06]

"Seeking the Gold is loud and obnoxious. He has no rhyme or reason to what he likes or does. If he likes a mare, you're in good shape. He'll give her three or four jumps and be done in 15-20 minutes. If he doesn't like a mare, it could be two hours. A bird will fly in and he'll get distracted, or he could start looking for his imaginary friend in the barn. We pull our hair out in the breeding shed, but he's obviously worth it."

Too funny...two hours? Turn on the Barry White and light some candles!

[Heidilady]

Too funny...two hours? Turn on the Barry White and light some candles!

I wonder if he's more of a scented bath salts kinda horse. Something about candles and sheds just doesn't work but hey the mare might find it romantic, nevermind Seeking the Gold. This could totally revolutionize the practice of teasing.