Bannockburn Farm Thrives in a Business for the Brave

SPORT HORSE BREEDING ISSUE hen Allyn McCracken served as an auxiliary timer in the jumper ring at the 1987 Pan WAmerican Games qualifier hosted by her Indianapolis hunt club, Trader’s Point, she wasn’t expecting the epiphany that occurred as she clocked in its winner, Big Ben. But the flashy Belgian Warmblood sparked her fascination with the breed and led to the establishment of her Bannockburn Farm LLC in Patricksburg, Ind. In 2013, that farm ranked third in the 2013 U.S. Equestrian Federation standings for jumper breeders. “I was just so impressed with this horse that I began to do research on the BWP,” said McCracken. She spent the Allyn McCracken has a knack for researching year following that encounter studying bloodlines on paper bloodlines before purchasing her first and an eye for develop- stud, Branco, who was standing in ing young Belgian Warmbloods for hunter, Michigan and became the first approved jumper, eventing or stallion by the North American District dressage careers. of the Belgian Warmblood Breeding Association (BWP/NAD). Wary after her past endeavors breeding Thoroughbreds and Quarter Horses, for which she’d found a meager market, the mother of two knew she’d finally found her niche when she bred Branco to one of her Thoroughbreds in 1993 and reaped her first profit with the sale of that foal as a 3-year-old. Bannockburn Farm “I initially started out breeding Thoroughbreds,” explained McCracken, Thrives In A Business whose goal was to produce American- bred horses. “But the track was so For The Brave disappointing to me; I couldn’t stand it. I just felt like the horses were used up Sport horse breeding is not for the faint of too early, and they were never given a heart, according to Allyn McCracken, whose chance. So as a horse lover, I couldn’t handle that.” Belgian Warmbloods exemplify her steadfast McCracken originally catered to the intuition—and success—within the industry. amateur market, in part due to her own humble beginnings as a horse-crazy kid in Kentucky, where her family was one of the rare few in the neigh- BY TAYLOR JOYCE PHOTOS BY THE EQUINE MEDIA PROJECT borhood which didn’t foxhunt, race a Thoroughbred or show a Saddlebred. By age 10, she joined the masses when 34 The Chronicle of the Horse gifted the latter. Bannockburn Farm, which she built up really good stallion to a not-so-good “They [made for] a huge sport in our from about five to 50 horses. Although mare and get something that’s good,” area. I had him all his life; we didn’t put her husband frequently offered her she added. “It doesn’t work out that way. him down until he was 32,” she recalled. business advice, she spearheaded the So I bought some really good mares, and “I showed him all through high school, operation singlehandedly. that was kind of my start.” and he came to college with me.” “What makes a difference to people Similarly, McCracken took advantage After she graduated with an art who are doing research is finding of the power of observation at horse degree from Indiana University and exactly what a horse’s pedigree is, so shows; she’d study the day sheets posted married Fletcher McCracken, who you can see what connection between about competitors’ breeding at Spruce worked in the Air Force ROTC, their what mares are making the best Meadows (Alberta). At other venues two children, Kevin and Michael, horses,” she said. She devotes endless that didn’t post such information, she’d took rides on the old Saddlebred hours to studying European websites frequently approach riders at the gate to before he passed away. McCracken detailing horses’ pedigrees and perfor- inquire about a horse’s breeding. learned to jump in her 30s and got the mance records. family, which moved to the more rural “I spent almost a year doing that kind Trying Times Patricksburg, into foxhunting. of work, and then I decided to go to Despite building up an encyclopedic Although she also whipped in for Europe and buy some mares. I’m way knowledge of the breed and industry— the New Britain Hunt (Ind.), they were more involved with mares than I am and serving roles as treasurer, secretary mostly involved with Trader’s Point. with stallions because, in my opinion, and president of the BWP/NAD— McCracken’s patience to thoroughly the mare is the basis of everything,” she McCracken also had to brace for the research the Belgian Warmblood said. disappointments all breeders face at one poised her for the successful launch “What happens a lot in the United point or another. of her 1,200-acre breeding facility, States is people think they’ll breed a “With breeding, you have to Bannockburn Farm spans 1,200 acres in Patricksburg, Ind. March 17 & 24, 2014 • chronofhorse.com 35 Allyn McCracken stresses the importance of turnout and her youngsters’ socialization in a herd. always a must as mares approach their births, and routine training schedules that aim for the sale of a 4-year-old pros- pect developed from birth require man and machine power. A six-horse exercising machine, for instance, is of great use to prepare mares for a healthy delivery without turnout. “If they don’t get a lot of exercise, then they can have really bad deliveries,” said McCracken. “I’m essentially the barn manager, so I make sure that whoever is supposed to be coming in gets there, that the horses’ general health is taken care of and whatnot,” said Mendoza. “I also get to play nurse maid, so when it’s 4 in the morning and time to receive the foals, I make sure everyone is in good shape.” They make sure the mares are up and healthy and eating within a reasonable amount of time. “After that, we try to lead them in and out every day so [the foals] get used to handling and moving with a person, even if it’s just 10 feet from their stall to the paddock at first,” Mendoza said. “We start picking up their feet after a week or so, just trying to handle them as much as possible without being overbearing about it.” love it, or you would never do it,” she meant for.” said. “You can put an enormous amount The pastureland produces about into breeding, and the mare can lose the 10,000 bales of hay per year and baby, or you can have a bad birthing, or provides ample turnout for 50 to 60 a lot of different things could happen horses, four to seven of which are bred along the way.” each year. Last year, she had to euthanize a prom- “We don’t like to keep the babies ising foal by her stallion Simsalabim stalled for very long at all,” said (Nonstop—Patina, Feinschnitt I V D McCracken. “A breeder in Belgium once Richter) who had fractured its shoulder told us, ‘I’ve never seen a champion at a week old. “If you let it discourage raised in a box.’ ” you, then you’ll never do it again,” she said. “It’s kind of like having your Training Philosophy first baby; you think you’ll never have Robert Mendoza is the head trainer and another one. go-to sales person who oversees the “Even though you do all your work on daily, unpredictable going-ons at the trying to make the right breeding deci- breeding facility. sions—a lot of really looking at horses, Of the five employees, two specialize studying their bloodlines, studying their in equipment maintenance—tuning actual performance record—things still and operating the machinery required may not work out,” McCracken added. to put up such vast quantities of hay “The thing that I had to learn about was —and other tasks that revolve around what we were actually doing here, or, in breeding and training young prospects. other words, what our farm was actually Night watch and milk testing is 36 The Chronicle of the Horse SPORT HORSE BREEDING ISSUE The young horses are exposed to that is educated,” he continued. “Some The Human Touch ground work, long-lining and free people are shopping for babies, and Mendoza and McCracken emphasize jumping. “As they get older, we tend to those people we can appease quite that athletic bloodlines aren’t enough; do a lot more riding,” said Mendoza. “I easily with wonderful bloodlines. But instilling a good temperament in the typically try to jump them two or three the average U.S. buyer wants a horse he babies is equally important. times a week depending on what we’re can take to a horse show, and educating “What we end up getting are a lot doing. We tend to do a lot of gymnastic a horse in this country is exceedingly of really talented horses that, from my work.” expensive compared to what educating experience—and part of it has to do In addition to his managerial tasks, a horse in Europe is. So our margins with Simsalabim because we have a lot Mendoza travels to horse shows and are far better for 4-year-olds and of his babies—tend to be very smart and is a well-known face in the competi- under. Once you get above 4 years old, very trainable,” said Mendoza. tive show jumping world. This is a part it’s harder to compete with what the “That helps a lot when you have of his own training business, which European prices are.” such a talented horse, that it has started with young Irish Sport Horses in New Hampshire, and it’s also supportive of Bannockburn’s word-of-mouth Cake And Icing advertising style.

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