www.kentuckynewera.com | LIVING | Saturday-Sunday, March 17-18, 2012 C7 Military spouses At Spendthrift, all begins will consider in the breeding shed

Oregon home LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — If horse farms are fac- LA GRANDE, Ore. gether in Venice before tories, as the late vision- (AP) — When ordinary Chris went back to the ary breeder John Gaines couples say they have war. suggested, then this is things in common, The second tour, he where the assembly line they’re usually talking said, was quieter than begins: the breeding shed. Making horses is pro- about a love for walks on the first. saic business. There is no “It wasn’t very ki- the beach, candle-light moonlight, and the only dinners or rock and roll netic, not many fire- roses are the ones in music. fights,” he said. breeders’ wistful imagina- When Chris McKaig Chris came home to tions. and his wife Jade talk La Grande during the Despite the storied his- about things that bind 2010-11 holiday season, tory of Spendthrift Farm them together, time in and it was then the cou- in Lexington, the breeding service and the war in ple decided to get mar- shed is unassuming, with Afghanistan are likely ried. barely a hint of the dozens to come up. “Nothing was official and dozens of stakes win- The two have known between us till Christ- ners conceived there — each other almost 15 mas Eve at he! r parents’ each immortalized with a years and got married home, when I asked her brass nameplate, enough in January 2011. By that to marry me. She said to cover 2 1/2 walls so far. time, Chris, a U.S. Army ‘yes’ and I became the As if that weren’t ASSOCIATED PRESS paratrooper and in- happiest man at that enough inspiration for the In Feb. 17 photo, Alex Macias leads Notional back to his stall after an early morning breeding session at the fantryman, had been moment,” Chris said. stallions, hanging above is stallion complex on Spendthrift Farm in Lexington. The farm has 11 stallions. through two tours in When Chris’s leave a huge photo of the great Afghanistan and sur- was up, he and his bride Nashua, the 1955 Horse of few primal thrusts, and the Year, who went on to vived the bloody and fa- returned to Italy. the dance is over. It’s just sire the mother of leg- mous Battle of Wanat. A transfer out of the fingers crossed for the endary stallion Mr. next three years. Jade had been trained 503rd was in the cards, Prospector. The whole thing is diffi- by the Oregon Army Na- but Chris had some Right there, inside those cult work for practically tional Guard as an avia- business related to the walls. everyone involved, and it’s tion operations Battle of Wanat to finish “This shed works,” Ned about as romantic as specialist, and had done first. Toffey, Spendthrift’s gen- childbirth. a tour in Afghanistan as Not long after the cou- eral manager, said matter- If everything worked as well. ple returned to Italy, of-factly. veterinary science and na- “We crossed paths lots they learned that When Public Storage ture intend, Royal Damsel of times,” Jade said. “He Frankie Gay, the father magnate B. Wayne Hughes will spend the next 11 said goodbye to me as I of Cpl. Rainey Pruitt, bought Spendthrift in months gestating the foal was going to one of the men who died 2004, the barns that once that was created that Afghanistan in 2005, and at Wanat, was putting housed Nashua and fa- morning. I said goodbye to him together a documentary mous stallions Swaps, Despite what the mysti- when he went in 2009.” on the battle. Raise A Native, Seattle cal alchemy known as Chris McKaig, 37, was A crew came to Italy to Slew and Affirmed had “nicking” can predict born in New Jersey but interview Chosen Com- fallen into some disrepair. about bloodlines and how ASSOCIATED PRESS moved to La Grande pany veterans. Spouses The metal-and-stone shed they will cross, nobody Darrell Burberry watches as his maiden mare 2Insin (right) is prepared with his parents, Pat and family members, in- row dubbed the “Nashua will really know how those to be bred by Warrior s Reward (left) during an early morning breed- Motel” — built without and I! rene McKaig, in cluding Jade, were in- 32 pairs of horse chromo- ing session at the stallion complex. wood to satisfy Lloyd’s of somes — half from Malibu 1991. He graduated from terviewed as well. London’s concerns about Moon, half from Royal La Grande High school The Wanat battle, grass. Spendthrift begins breed- insuring a horse worth $1 Damsel — combined until But that could change. ing at 7:30 a.m., then again in 1992, and joined the where a Chosen Com- million — has been re- next January, when the Army soon after. pany platoon fought off Kentucky farms are at 2 p.m., and sometimes at placed. foal is born. Then the foal worried about New York 6 p.m. When absolutely He trained as an air- as many as 200 Taliban The breeding shed, just a won’t run in a race for two borne infantryman at insurgents, has received and other states that can necessary, breeders might few yards from Nashua’s more years. use casino revenue to lure make appointments as late Fort Benning, Ga., and extensive media cover- grave, is practically hal- For all of the impor- away stallions and mares, as 10 p.m. also went to the Army’s age. Chris said he’s spo- lowed ground. Or it would tance of racing — even particularly with Ken- How do farms know Air Assault school at ken with reporters and be if it weren’t a working two minutes as exciting as tucky’s repeated failure to when to make the appoint- factory, with mares lined Fort Stewart, Ga. He writers about it before, the Kentucky Derby — the pass casino-gambling leg- ments? Modern veteri- up outside one sliding was discharged in 1996, but this experience was horse industry isn’t really islation. nary medicine has the door and stallions coming but later decided to go different. built on speed but on long- Like Spendthrift, many timing down to a science: back. In June 2007, he The film, titled in the other. term investments of hope. “It’s like a conveyor farms put millions into in- Vets perform ultrasounds signed up for another “Dealin’” and as yet un- Breeding season, which frastructure that they say on the mares and physi- hitch. released, works to get belt,” said Wayne Howard, begins in mid-February, is Spendthrift’s stallion man- is increasingly jeopard- cally feel the ripening egg. into the hearts and the engine that drives Ken- By December 2007, he ager. ized by this economic com- When it’s getting big, it’s was assigned to Com- minds of t! he partici- tucky’s equine economy. petition. Spendthrift time to call the stud farm The farm’s 11 stallions According to The Jockey pany C (Chosen Com- pants. owner Hughes sent stal- and book a date. Booking will physically mate with Club, the record keeper for lion Court Vision, who secretary Ashleigh Franks pany), 2nd Battalion, “We went into a con- at least 1,200 mares this Thoroughbreds, there 503rd Infantry Regi- ference room for the spring, some of them sev- were 228 active stallions in won the 2011 Breeders’ in the Spendthrift office ment, 173rd Airborne filming , and it was eral times. The Thorough- Kentucky last year, and Cup Mile, to stand this keeps the “book” of Brigade. pretty informal but it bred is the only horse they bred almost 16,000 year in Ontario, which has planned matings, moving His unit was deployed was pretty tough, too,” breed that is not allowed to mares. Kentucky has more slots, rather than bringing mares up as the weather to Afghanistan in 2008. Chris said. “I always conceive by artificial in- stallions and breeds more him to Kentucky. warms and back as a cold In July of that year, he talked about the tactics semination; each foal Thoroughbred mares — Toffey said that of spell hits. fought in the Battle of but never much about must be conceived the old- by far — than any other Spendthrift’s 90 mares, al- After the trip to Spend- most a third of them will thrift, there will be one Wanat, where nine sol- my feelings. It was hard fashioned way: stallion on state. Of the 36,500 Thor- foal this year in New York last check: Thomas, diers, including some of to tell the media and the mare. oughbred mares “cov- or Canada instead of Ken- Spendthrift’s teaser, is a his closest friends, died. world about those But these days, with ered” last year, 43 percent high-tech ultrasounds and of them were bred on Ken- tucky. stallion whose job is sim- For actions that day, he things.” microscopic sperm tucky farms. Each suc- The list of leading sires ply to test how hormonally received a Bronze Star. The McKaigs have counts, very little is left to cessful breeding generated is determined by the dol- “hot” the mare is. Jade McKaig, for- been in La Grande ear- nature. sales-tax dollars that will lars earned by a stallion’s “It’s more of a delicate merly Jade Seale, grew lier this month, enjoy- For the farm and the go into incentive funds for progeny, so inflated purses art,” Howard said. up in La Grande and ing some leave time horses, what goes into a all breeds of horses. in New York raise the If she’s not receptive to joined the Oregon Na- before they head for match is less magic than The most popular stal- prospect of a top sire his advances, then tional Guard in 2001, not Fort Campbell, Ky., manual labor. lions — those that produce standing outside Ken- chances are this trip to the long after her gradua- where Chris will join If it goes smoothly, it’s the fastest or best-selling tucky in a few years’ time. breeding shed could be an tion from the local high the 101st Airborne. over in minutes, as it was progeny — command five- Although many breed- exercise in frustration all school. She took basic Chris said it was hard for Malibu Moon, first up figure or even six-figure ers, like Hughes, are the way around. training, then went for him to leave Chosen on a Friday to cover, or stud fees, and they will clearly hedging their bets, There are some risks not through advanced train- Company, the unit he’d mate with, Royal Damsel. cover hundreds of mares. Kentucky’s hold on the worth taking: Every mare ing at Fort Rucker, Ala. served with through two That moment of his morn- Malibu Moon is Spend- breeding industry has that comes in the shed gets Finished with that, she difficult tours in ing cost $70,000. thrift’s top stallion. He was only increased even as the protective boots on her worked as a full-time fli! Afghanistan. Months of planning, of bred to 174 mares in 2010, market for racehorses has back feet and a heavy ght operations specialist But on the other hand, scrutinizing the blood- resulting in 144 live foals shrunk over the past few leather apron on her neck for Detachment 1, Delta the time seemed right. lines of stallions and in 2011. He is typical of the years with the global re- to protect both animals. tier that sets Kentucky cession. Howard said, “One bad Company, 113th Aviat “It’s a healing decision mares, and the investment of thousands, if not mil- apart: Almost of all the There may be fewer kick to a stallion like Mal- ion in Pendleton. to move on to a new time lions, of dollars all come stallions that will breed to mares bred, but February ibu Moon could mean a As a Guard solider, and a new beginning,” down to this: a well-or- more than 100 mares this remains a very busy time lost season, a lost $5 mil- she drilled with the he said. chestrated mounting, a year will do it in the Blue- of year. Every morning, lion, $6 million.” Salem-based 1042nd Air Jade said her own mil- Ambulance Company, itary experience has which uses Blackhawk given her an edge in ad- helicopters in its opera- justing to the role of tions. She served with Army wife. that unit in Afghanistan Active duty is differ- Comedian Leo Gallagher in 2005, dispatching and ent from Guard service tracking medical mis- in many ways, but some recovering after heart attack sions. things never change. “I enjoyed my time in “I know the sense of LEWISVILLE, Texas (AP) — The comedian Gallagher service. I felt that our camaraderie. I feel the is hospitalized in stable condition after suffering a heart mission as the medevac sense of community, attack at a North Dallas bar before going on stage for a unit for Oregon was im- and I am proud of our show. portant,” he said. service,” she said. Gallagher’s promotional manager, Christine Scher- She got out of the By now Chris McKaig rer, says the 65-year-old is sedated and “slowly recover- Guard in 2007. Chris has logged nine y! ears ing” after collapsing Wednesday night. continued in the service. in the Army, and plans Marc Cummins, the manager of Coach Joe’s Hat Stationed with the 503rd to make it a career. Tricks in Lewisville, says the comedian collapsed in his in Italy, he re-connected When he is done, he and office about 20 minutes before a show that was due to with Jade on Facebook, his wife plan to come start at 9 p.m. and before he left for a back to La Grande for second tour in good. Afghanistan in 2009, she “This is our home, the Two Lunch Buffets CALL flew to Italy to visit him. only place to be,” Chris ABOUT OUR $ 99 DELIVERY They enjoyed 10 days to- said. 12 Soda Included SPECIALS 11:00AM-2:00PM - 7 Days A Week 887-0909 Check us out on Facebook for more specials!

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