WISHING STAR GALLOP
Gears Up for 2002

Once again, it is going to be a dynamic year for the Wishing Star Founda
tion! This year marks the twentieth Annual Stallion Services Auction
and Gallop is well under way. There will be 46 champion stallions lined up for the August 17, 2002 event.

Last August this event was held in Spokane, Washington bringing in over $80,000 for the Wishing Star Foundation. It is the largest all-breed Stallion Service Auction of its kind on the West Coast, and number one fundraising event for Wishing Star, a nonprofit organization that grants "wishes" to children with life threatening illnesses. Horse Previews- Wishing Star Gallops's exclusive equine magazine updates you months prior to the Gallop event, with the tireless help of coordinator Barbara Turner, providing behind-the-scene preparations and lists of of participating stallions.

The line-up is complete and Wishing Star Gallop is pleased to announce the Arabian, Hanoverian, Sport Horses, & Appaloosa Stallions. Once again "Gallop" promises to offer one of the most exciting years of quality stallions for the auction.

ARABIAN STALLIONS

PADRONS MAHOGANY: The highest selling Arabian stallion service of last year's Gallop auction is back in our 2002 line up. Wishing Star feels blessed to have this Canadian National Futurity winner. He is a multi-champion halter and English Pleasure horse. More importantly, he is one of the fastest up-and-coming young Arabian sires.That statement is evidenced by his 1993 UNANIMOUS FIRST PLACE GET-OF-SIRE win at Scottsdale - where he sired one Champion, one Reserve Champion, and three Top Tens. From 1990 to 1998, his foals have earned more than 200 Championships at halter and 100 in Performance at class "A" shows, and are now winning Nationally at Halter and Performance! Very impressive for such a young stallion! His grand get are also winning, as evidenced most recently at Scottsdale 1997, as well as in 1994. Four of the Jr. Championships were of this breeding. Three of his sons and two of his daughters have been National Futurity winners to date. Padrons Mahogany combines a blend of Russian, Polish, and American blood. Over the past several years, Padrons Mahogany has had over 100 bookings per breeding season in the U.S. and Europe. He is owned by Padrons Mahogany Group and stands at Grand Arabian Farm in Grand Rapids, Michigan for $2,500.

BACHELOR BEY:1991 Junior and Senior Champion stallion as a two-year-old and 1992 Region 5 Top 5 Halter Stallion. Sired by JA Magnificat++ a multiple Champion and US National Top Ten Driving horse. His dam is a Bey Shah+ daughter. Bachelor Bey is called The Cross Of The Future. His offspring are following in his footsteps. They are winning titles such as Sweepstakes Regional Champion, and Futurity Champion. He is an International Arabian Breeders Sweepstakes Sire. Owned by Sheri Boito of Spokane, Washington. Bachelor Bey stands for $1,500.

HANOVERIAN AND SPORT HORSE STALLIONS:

WINNETOU: Once again, Wishing Star Gallop offers one of the most sought after stallions for the Warmblood and Sport Horse enthusiasts. Winnetou is a 17 hand, 1994 double Black Hanoverian Stallion. He was imported from Germany and is sired by Nequen, out of a Wienerwald/Domspatz mother. Winnetou is a proven producer with over 120 foals on the ground. He is fully approved for AWS and his foals already earned him the third star in the 5 Star Recognition Program. Winnetou is licensed with RPSI, is AWR approved and performance tested as well. Winnetou consistently stamps his offspring not only with size, conformation and movement, but most importantly with his kind and willing attitude. He is owned by Patrick and Marion O'Connor of Careywood, Idaho, and currently stands for $1,250.

WOLKENZAUBER: New to the auction this year comes this 16.2 hand high black and white overo Sports Horse. In his first foal crop, Wolkenzauber sired 100% loud colored overo foals with large built frames. One of his offspring was a champion foal at the RPSI Inspection. Despite his young age, Wolkenzauber shows a lot of natural ability to collect and balance himself under saddle. He is very smooth to ride and displays a great disposition towards all his new challenges. His foals are eligible for registration with RPSI, AWS, and PtHA. He is owned by Patrick and Marion O'Connor of Cocolalla Creek Sport Horses in Careywood, Idaho. He will stand the 2003 breeding season for $1,000.

EUROPE: This beautiful stallion was imported to the U.S. in March of 1998. His dam is Winzerin; his sire is Espri, who was the Hanoverian Stallion of the Year in 1995. Shortly after performing for his RPSI licensing in the fall of 2000, Europe, spent three months training with Dean Voigt in California, doing well at Liberty. Still on the move, Europe has recently taken up residence in Colorado, training and competing under the skilled handling of Robin Cole. He is beginning his Dressage career, competing in USDF shows at First Level. His first foal crop came in 2000 and was an instant success. One of his sons, Elijah, received Supreme status in his AWS inspection with the highest score of 82.45. In September 2000 Europe was successfully licensed with the Rheinland-Pfalz-Saar Registry. This is very exciting for his owners as his foals will now be eligible for that registry and receive German issued papers. In addition foals may be eligible to be registered with the American Warmblood Society, the American Warmblood Registry or the Pinto Horse Association. Europe's owners are, Don & Holli Lyons of Gaston, Oregon. He is standing for $950.

APPALOOSA STALLIONS:

WAP SPOTTED: Last years highest selling Appaloosa service, Wap Spotted is once again in the Gallop line up for a 2003 breeding. He is a founding stallion of the Appaloosa Sport Horse Association, and a two-time Maryland Horse Show Association High Point Champion. He is registered with the American Warmblood Society, the Appaloosa Horse Club, and the American Warmblood Registry. His striking Appaloosa markings have made him a big hit in the traditional world of Warmbloods. Wap Spotted has become the standard of the "new generation" of Appaloosa Sport horses. As a Medallion sire, he has had a profound effect on the breeding of many horses. In fact, his real claim to fame lies in his get. He consistently sires athletic and brightly colored winners at both ApHC events and on the highly conservative AHSA rated circuits. His progeny of winning athletes include Wap's Con Game and Dressage at Devon champions, NF Theodore and Wapsicle. Wap Spotted was also honored with being chosen as part of Bryers 50th Anniversary lineup! He and his progeny have been featured in many publications, calendars, and exhibits. Wap Spotted resides at Kismet Farms in Hanover, Pennsylvania where he currently stands for $1,500.

IMPRESS ME SHANON: With a great sense of pride Wishing Star is pleased to offer to the Appaloosa breeders, a National & World Champion Stallion. "mpress Me Shanon is the 1993 ApHC World Champion Three-Year-Old Stallion. He returned to the show ring the following year to earn himself another title as the 1994 American Nationals Champion Four-Year-Old Stallion. He is sired by Impressive Shanon, a Prince Shannon son. His dam is Impress Me Josie an own daughter of Impressive Mint, out of a Mighty Bright daughter, May-Bee Bright. This World and Nationals Champion is also producing Reserve World Champion offspring. To name just a few there is Shanonator, multiple halter futurity wins as a yearling gelding, Reserve ApHC World Champion Two-Year-Old Hunt Seat Champion; Shamber, Reserve ApHC World Champion Two-Year-Old Hunt Seat Champion; Shantactic, Nationals & World Champion - 3rd Place - both as a yearling and again as a Two-Year-Old, Top Ten in the Worlds in multiple performance events; and Im Gold To Impress, Top Five at the World in Two-Year-Old Halter Mares. These are offspring that have proven themselves to halter and ride successfully. Not enough can be said about this magnificent National & World Champion stallion, Impress Me Shanon. Appaloosa breeders: here's the opportunity of a lifetime! Impress Me Shanon is owned by Devon Farms (Mark & Deanna Akins) of Purcell, Oklahoma, standing for a fee of $1,000.

We can see that Gallop Coordinator, Barbara Turner has secured an impressive lineup of stallions for these breeds. With the help of Barbara, over the next several months prior to the August 17th Wishing Star Gallop Stallion Services Auction we will be updating you on the progress of the auction and wishes of some very special children.

Hi everyone! As Gallop Coordinator, I feel it is going to be another great year for Wishing Star and the Gallop. Especially since this year will be the twentieth anniversary of Gallop! Can you believe that? Where has the time gone, and what a journey we have all traveled together in the success of this soaring equine event. The line up of stallions this year is one of the strongest we have ever had. Again this year, the Gallop Auction will be offered on the Internet! You will be able to research everything you need to know on each stallion. You will find their pedigree and respective photos, accomplishments, and normal standing fees. Should you know that you cannot make it to the auction, place a bid (on your choice of services) through the Internet and participate in a worthy cause! The link to our Wishing Star web site should be up and running in mid June. You can locate us at: www.Wishingstar.org. If you have not been to our event - mark your calendars. If you have attended before, be assured that this year's event promises to be very exciting!

Since our sale will offer services to all breeds transporting semen, I would like to talk to you about the importance of transported semen and mare care when buying a service. Please take the time to read and educate yourself on transported and live cover. Granted, since the 9/11 incident, transported semen has become very strict with customs. Even more reason to shop and do homework on the selection of your stallion service, the facility where your mare will be going or costs involved with transporting semen before purchasing a service. Our Internet web page and link to the auction is the easiest way for you to do this research. You need to be aware that the service you purchase from Wishing Star does not include mare care, or transported semen fees, Those items will be contractual between the stallion owner and yourself. They will provide you with a mare care or transported semen contract from their facility. Although it is not required for the stallion owners to send any mare care contracts, feel free to contact my office for any information on breeding contracts of the stallions you're interested in before notifying the farms. Generally we have some information on transported semen costs with some of our stallions. Check this information out on our web site. You will be able to e-mail the farms directly for all this information. With transported semen being accepted in so many breeds today, it is important that you understand the procedures before taking on the task.

If you plan to breed your mare with transported cooled semen, you are likely to follow a process to order semen used by most stallion farms. The more research you do, the more it will help you learn about the stallion farm's procedures and costs and the more communication you have with the farm before you need to order semen will increase your success. Most farms will accept credit cards to pay for various fees.

Here are eighteen important points you will want to know when transporting semen:

1. Get a uterine culture done on your mare and have her checked for reproductive soundness before starting your transport.

2. Be aware of the breeding season months in which the stallion stands at stud. Some farms may not start breeding before March or April, some not after June or July. You will also have those stallions that are out being shown.

3. Call the farm. Many farms want their veterinarian to talk with your veterinarian to ensure that your mare is under appropriate care and that the semen will be capably handled.

4. With transported semen you will want to know how much the collection fee is per shipment, and how many separate shipments that fee will cover. Sometimes a shipped semen fee will cover one, two or up to three shipments. Others may charge per shipment. Be sure you know what your shipments will run per container. Often this is called a "shipped semen fee", and can run from $100 to $500, depending on the farm.

5. You should know what each additional shipment would cost you in the event your mare did not conceive with what has been sent. Many breeding farms only allow you three shipments per breeding season. With others, it may be unlimited shipments. Be sure you know this information from your transported breeding contract.

6. What additional costs may be in a handler's fee for transported semen. Sometimes it is a one-time collection per breeding season, others charge with each shipment.

7. How much the refundable Equitainer deposit will be. Many farms offer a reusable-shipping container and charge a deposit to ensure you return the container. Generally it runs around $250.

8. How much is shipped semen for re-breeding the following year - if applicable.

9. What method of payment is required? Most farms will require that you pay for the shipped semen, handler's fee, method of shipping fees, and refundable deposit before they ship the semen.

10. Check to make sure of what kind of semen will be available - cooled or frozen.

11. Know how your semen will be shipped: in an Equitainer or Disposable Container. Disposable containers are great for short distance transportation or local hand carrying. Depending on distance and weather for the time of year you are shipping, disposable containers are not as reliable as an Equitainer when it comes to long distances. Disposable shipping containers cannot be opened by airport security without significant changes in cooling rate or internal temperature. All disposable semen shipping containers will undergo significant fluctuations in temperature if turned upside-down during transport or moved from cool to hot places. For the above reasons, disposable shipping containers are not recommended for shipping by commercial carriers. If disposable containers are the only method of transport from your interested stallions breeding farm, and is operated from a long distance location, discuss this with your veterinarian for advice.

12. Know how many days prior to the day a shipment is required that you should notify the farm. Some farms might want you to call them on the first day of the mare's estrus cycle to tentatively schedule a shipping date for the semen. This will give the stallion farm an idea of the demand for semen on each day when the stallion is being collected.

13. Know how they're shipping semen - UPS, Overnight Federal Express, Overnight Air, etc. A lot depends on how you and your vet want it shipped. Do not forget to ask for a tracking number, if available, so you can find the shipment if it is delayed.

14. Make sure you know what days the farm collects, and has available semen to be shipped. Many farms only collect on a Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Others will collect upon request.

15. Timing is crucial! Make sure you have a veterinarian who is experienced in transported semen breeding. He or she must be well versed in A. I. procedures and reproductive work. The time of ovulation and the time of insemination must be perfect. Do your research on finding a vet with a good track record in successfully settling mares through transported semen.

16. Make sure in advance that you know when your mare is ovulating and that the farm will have a mare in heat at their facility to use when collecting the semen. Some stallions do not need to be collected with a mare in heat. Ask the farm about the stallion you are breeding to, and if this will be a problem depending on when your mare cycles in.

17. Ask the breeding farm what the motility rate is upon collection of shipped semen to you. Make sure to have your vet check the motility rate after inseminating your mare. This information is very important and crucial in your success of transported semen. If it is low, make sure you or your vet contacts the breeding farm to discuss that with them before having another container shipped to you. If you do not communicate with the breeding farm, they will not know there is a problem to fix. Repeat this procedure with each shipment. Good communication between the sending farm and the mare management facility is absolutely essential for success in the use of transported cooled semen. Coordinating semen shipments will take planning and cooperation.

18. Check your mare at 16 days to see if she is pregnant. Breeding a mare with cooled semen involves a different set of charges that cover the stallion farm's costs of preparing, packaging, and shipping semen. Breeding with transported cooled semen is a team effort requiring the expertise of qualified professionals. With your goal probably being to produce a healthy foal in the most efficient, cost effective way, you certainly need to do everything in your power to prevent undue expense, loss of valuable time and disappointment. Transported cooled semen makes it possible for breeders to arrange mating that may otherwise be impractical, due to distance, economics, and the health of the mare or foals. Keeping your mare at home to be bred insures her health, especially if she has a foal at side, since foals are particuarly vulnerable to disease and injury when exposed to strange environments and other horses. Mares requiring special care for age, illness or infirmity, benefit greatly being bred close to home with transported cooled semen. Breeding technologies provide horse owners more options than ever before in selecting quality stallions for breeding.

When taking your mare to the farm to be bred, consider and check out these important points...

1. Know how much the mare care will daily run you, wet or dry.

2. Make sure you know how they will breed your mare. Hand bred, pasture bred, or A.I. bred. If your mare is best bred any of the ways above - make sure they can accommodate you.

3. Know how many days during the week the farm will breed. Some only breed three days a week, some service the mares at all times.

4. If possible, drive out and visit with the farm manager and stallion owner. This way you can see the facilities, and feel comfortable that your mare will be in good hands. Know where and how your mare will be cared for.

5. Ask what kind of a feeding program they will have available for your mare.

6. If you have a foal at the mare's side, look over their breeding operation to know how the foal will be handled during the teasing and breeding of your mare.

7. Make sure you know the stallions breeding season months.

8. Ask how soon in advance they want you to notify them that your mare is coming.

9. Ask the farm what they will require of your mare's health verification before breeding.

10. If you are breeding to a local stallion, find out who will be the attending vet.

11. Before purchasing a service - at the very least - make sure that your mare is halter broke and can be handled by others.

12. Ask about re-breeds the following year - if applicable. Check to see if re-breeds will be charged an additional "handlers fee".

We hope this information will help you in your decision when purchasing a stallion service. We all realize that once our mare leaves home, we mare owners are no longer in control. However remember, bringing an unbroken, unmanageable mare to be bred because you could not do anything else with her, does not make that mare the best candidate to be bred. As important the stallion is to his owners, stallion owners realize the importance of your mare.

We promise to keep you up-to-date on behind the scene happenings with Gallop 2002 in the forth-coming editions of Horse Previews. Wishing Star Gallop, a most worthy cause and opportunity for all involved!

Count Your Blessings! Sincerely, Barbara J. Turner

Wishing Star Gallop Coordinator * 509-466-8719