Friday, January 01, 2010
Love At First Sight For Sorrel Stallion
A chance meeting brings a beautiful sorrel stallion into Destiny J Ranch to
lead its breeding program
Destiny J Ranch— a little piece of paradise.
Lenas Azure San or “Zeus” as they call him at Destiny J, leads the ranch’s
breeding program.
Sometimes auctions can be serendipitous, or so Michelle Wright and Dennis Jonker of
Destiny J Ranch now believe. Until last July, Michelle and Dennis ran a small quarter
horse breeding operation focused on quality foundation bred broodmares that were bred
to stallions across North America.
Then, while buying goats of all things from SLF Ranch in Edgerton, Dennis happened to
look across the fence and fall in love with Lenas Azure San, an eight-year-old, double
Doc O’Lena bred, sorrel stallion. Not in the market for a stallion, Dennis passed on the
owner’s offer to sell and went home with his goats.
A few months later, an auction flyer for a horse dispersal sale showed up in the mail, with
Lenas Azure San as a sale highlight. Dennis and Michelle travelled to the sale, thinking
they might get a mare, foal or just a day off the farm. Little did Michelle know that
Dennis’ love for the stallion was still strong! And then, stepping into the stallion’s pen to
be introduced to the beefy sorrel, she too became smitten, and now Zeus stands at
Destiny J.
“We had a dappled gold stallion with the best personality and swore we’d never have
another stud in the yard,” says Dennis. “That is, until Zeus (as he’s known at Destiny J)
came along. He is a big marshmallow with us and the girls. We can’t wait to have him
leading our breeding program. Add to his great temperament his double Doc O’Lena
breeding and we’ve got a quick, agile and cowy stud horse.”
At the sale, Dennis and Michelle were impressed by Zeus’ foals, all of which were
remarkably similar to the mares. Because the Destiny J broodmare band is based on
strong foundation bloodlines, Dennis and Michelle are looking to pass those great looks
and bloodlines onto a small foal crop. Zeus has proven himself capable of breeding to the
mare’s physical assets and he also passes on his wonderful temperament.
For Dennis and Michelle, temperament is critical to the development of ready, steady and
willing foals for their customers’ disciplines. Destiny J Ranch trains their young horses
through their own horse kindergarten, a low-stress foal starting program based on
Tellington Touch methods. The ranch sells a few horses a year, at any age and level of
training.
Only one of Zeus’ foals will hit the ground at Destiny J in 2009. The rest of the foal crop
has been sired by Pepinics Master, High N Wicked, Hickory Smoked Chex, I’ll Smoke
Ya, and Royal Genuine Doc (son of Genuine Doc). With mare bloodlines reading like the
table of contents of the Western Horsemen Legends series, the 2009 foals are sure to be
stunning.
The Destiny J Ranch web-site launches this year with more information on its training,
broodmares, sale barn and Zeus. For now, contact Dennis at the ranch at (780) 656-2451
for information.