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JAY HAYES AND FAMILY: World Class Competitors To World Class Breeders by Colleen Jay

JAY HAYES HAS RIDDEN IN 2 OLYMPIC GAMES, 1 WORLD EQUESTRIAN GAMES, 6 WORLD CUP FINALS, ON 30 NATION’S CUP TEAMS FOR CANADA AND COUNTLESS GRAND PRIX AND MINI GRAND PRIX. And these are just the highlights of a very accomplished career. Most of us associate the name Jay Hayes with Zucarlos, Flipper, Alibaba, Raven, Diva and many others. But do you also think of Shawn, Lauren, Regan and Ainsley? This is Jay’s immediate support team that makes them all the success they are today. Did you also know they have been breeding Canadian Warmbloods for over ten years? I bumped into the family at Spruce Meadows and got the idea to feature them in the Breeder’s Digest. . I would like to thank Shawn & Jay for being so helpful in putting this article together.

French Rider Johan Letimonier on TROY

Jay started his riding career on a cowpony, at the home farm in Rocky Hill, Connecticut. His dad, who loved going to auctions, bought Jay his first jumping horse. It was a 2 yr old Arab and a wild thing. Jay took lessons from Hugh Kerrigen of Farmington, Con. He was a well know trainer at the time. Jay was 12 yrs old and after going into his first walk trot horse show, he got serious about riding,. He was coached by an Ex- USET Jumper Rider by the name of Nills Lomerin and then got really serious about riding when he started jumping under R.W. Mutch . In 1977, Jay was studying in pre-veterinary courses at University. He was at a show in Devon, Pa. when he saw a guy riding a horse, that was such a beautiful rider and doing great things with his horse. He said, “I think that he’s a genius and I’m going to train with him.” That guy was Mac Cone. They have been friends ever since, not to mention now brother-in-laws. In his second season with Mac, there was a working student at the stable by the name of Shawn Carpenter. Shawn had traveled to train with her mother’s Canadian bred, French Leave (Bronco Buster) and Classic (Greek Jab) and to be with her sister Brenley, who was competing with Shakespere (The Schriber). These horses were all out of the same mare, Celebrity Geeka and all of them went on to fabulous careers in the U.S. Jay said, “One day I helped pull off Shawn’s boots, and the rest is history” Over the next 4 years at university, Jay played Intercollegiate Polo. Lauren was born and graduation came in 1980. Jay was on a waiting list to continue his studies in Veterinary Medicine at Cornell University. The young family spent that summer in Canada with Shawn’s family and stayed. It was in 1984, that Sue Burns asked Jay to manage the Sutton Horse Show in Ontario. The job lasted 3 years and it was a terrific venue back then. In 1987, Shawn and Jay were living in Kettleby, where they had a great view of the 400 Hwy. They were discussing where all these cars went to & from every weekend, when Shawn said Collingwood. They decided right then, that that is where they should move the horse show to. For the next 21 years, Shawn & Jay Hayes along with the Chapmans and Petersons, ran the fantastic 2 week long Collingwood Horse Show. In 2008 that Show moved to its new home in Ottawa. It is their middle daughter, Ainsley, who spends 90% of her time managing the show and occasionally finds time to ride. The first year of that show proved to be very successful with over 500 entries and in 2009 the 2 week long event saw almost 700 horses. Regan is their youngest daughter. She also shows successfully in the Jumpers. Of course this is as long as dad doesn’t sell the horses on her. Regan has ventured out as well to start a fashion business. Lauren is their oldest daughter and the most accomplished rider, having ridden on the Canadian Team in 2002 and continuing a very successful career in the show ring. Shawn’s mother, Lucille, started a real tradition in the 60’s, while living in the west with the family. They were riding and breeding horses and ran a Tack Shop. When they moved east, the tradition continued with Shawn looking after the breeding end of the Hayes family business.

Onsite Digital Photography

They felt there were not enough good stallions in Canada that were competing and breeding. First they had the famous Zucarlos, then Flipper by Landgraff and the Polish stallion Ali Baba, who passed on all too soon. They also realized that goods mares are paramount in a successful breeding plan and began to build a strong broodmare band.

ACROSS THE NATION

Now, they import mostly frozen semen. They like the critical eye of the Dutch breeding program and the bloodlines of Libero, Lux, Numero Uno and Ustinov, most of whom are or were owned by Hans Horn in Holland, who Jay bought Zucarlos from in 1985.

ERYNN BALLARD NAMED CAVALOR ‘ATHLETE OF THE MONTH’ FOR MARCH

The wonderful thing about being an international rider is that you are on the front lines of seeing what the best bloodlines are producing. The Hayes family is right there and they know what works. Personally, Jay likes, “a small blood horse, balanced, careful and with a quality gallop.”

Ottawa, Ontario - Jump Canada has named Erynn Ballard the CAVALOR ‘Athlete of the Month’ for March. Ballard of Hillsburgh, ON, won the $20,000 Adequan 7 & 8 Year Old Young Jumper Final at the Winter Equestrian Festival in Wellington, FL, on March 29. Riding Simply Ahorn, owned by Olivia Mickus, Ballard topped the prestigious class of 58 starters with a double clear performance in a jump-off time of 32.451 seconds.

So the Hayes family is breeding with world class bloodlines and registering their horses with the CWHBA. They also have the ability to train their own young stock? The first work that is done with the young prospects is when they are 2 years old. Over a period of 2 weeks, the young homebreds are saddled, bridled and lunged. Then they are ridden lightly at the walk and trot before being put back out to pasture for another year.

Bred in Canada by Turtle Creek Farms, Simply Ahorn is an eight-year-old Canadian Warmblood gelding sired by the Dutch Warmblood stallion, Ahorn, and out of an Oldenburg dam, Simply Irresistable. Beginning his career as a four-year-old, Simply Ahorn has been carefully developed through the Canadian Young Horse Jumper Development Series.

At 3 – 4 yrs, they are taken to Florida for the winter, where they are worked everyday. The horses do not show but are exposed to the show grounds and when ready may go into a warmup or small hunter class. As 5 year olds they will start in the jumper ring. In 2009 Jay rode Wonderboy (Lupicor) to be Champion Ontario 6 Year Old. Lauren’s recent marriage to French rider Johan Letimonier was celebrated by Johann riding the Canadian Warmblood, Troy, ON [CAN]607803 G, (Indoctro x Flipper), to be the Canadian Champion 6 Year Old. “We were really proud when Troy won the Championships. He is the second generation of our breeding program and we trained, competed and have recently sold him to the Harris family to continue with.” When asked is everything for sale? Jay replied, it’s a struggle, there is a limited market. Until they are 5 yrs the market is not there. It’s really there for 6 yrs and older. We give them experience and make them into what they will do best.” Most of the Hayes’ horses are registered as Canadian Warmbloods? They are very supportive of the Canadian breeding program. Jay says, “There has been an evolution in the breeding program in Canada. A lot more people are doing the right thing now.” He believes, his newest mount, the Canadian bred Liverot, (Landslide) is a prime World Class Jumping horse from World Class breeding. Breeding takes patience, manpower and a willingness to sit on the capital for such a long time. With the transient life of showing, when raising babies, we need a family behind us. Every year, our migration to Florida is getting bigger and more successful” Success does not come without perseverance and focus. When it comes to Canadian success stories, the Hayes family is living the dream!

“Simply Ahorn was geared up all season to compete in the Final by jumping in 1.40 m classes,” said Ballard, 28, who operates Looking Back Farm with her parents, David and Sandi Ballard. “The Final was the biggest young horse class of the circuit, and the victory was a really great win for this horse’s résumé.”

STILLETTO DANCER

“Cavalor is known world-wide, and it is very nice to have their support for Jump Canada programs,” she added.

Photo credit : Linda Todd

STILETTO DANCER, CWHBA ON [CAN] 3796-04 G (ELUTE X LADY SESSION)

JONI LYNN PETERS & TRAVOLTA, AB[CAN]1729-00 G

We went to Devon again this year, with ‘Stella’ Stiletto Dancer in the 5 year old FEI classes.

Joni Lynn Peters is a Certified Level III Event and Dressage Coach with International competition successes in both disciplines. Joni has been long and short listed with both the Canadian Event Team and the Canadian Dressage Team from 1998 to 2009.

She was super. We placed 1st in the material class for 5 year olds, and a 5th in the 5 Year Old FEI class, and a 4th in the Amercian Breed 5 Year old FEI class. She is such a wonderful mare with such a great temperament I am so grateful that I had the opportunity to bred my mare to Elute. We plan on going to Wellington Florida for the winter dressage show season with her. She’s probably mature enough now that if someone were to be interested in her as a hunter/jumper prospect I’m sure she’s got the ability. We’ve done a bit of free jumping with her last year. She’s got a pretty steady rhythm over the jumps and a great ground covering canter. She’s 17 hh now and seems to like the jumping. Stephanie Jensen is still training/riding her for me. Submitted by Linda Todd Bowmanville, ON

Some of her accomplishments are recipient of the Lauren Dilanni Freestyle Award of Excellence, a member of the Canadian Team 2nd Place finish in the 1998 Australia Trivett Classic, trained by invitation with Colonel Carde at the French National School of Equitation, with Udo Lange of Germany and is one of Canada’s Elite listed riders. Travolta, (Ferro x Lurosa / Landwind II) is a 9 year old 16.2H Canadian Warmblood gelding, bred by John van den Bosch of Alberta. Joni purchased him as a 3 year old, from the Fall Classic Sale in Alberta. After his first year competing at the FEI level, he was long listed with the Canadian Dressage Team. After his second year at the Advanced level, he qualified to compete in the CDI’s. Please check the USDF Awards on page 18 for some of his many wins and keep a close eye on this pair as our latest Rising Star.

As the CAVALOR ‘Athlete of the Month’ for March, Ballard receives a gift certificate from title sponsor CAVALOR Inc. CAVALOR Inc. is the exclusive North American licensee of the CAVALOR brand and the CAVALOR products from Nutriquine NV. CAVALOR Inc.’s mission is to organize and manage the distribution of CAVALOR products, promote the brand, and establish partnerships to locally manufacture the CAVALOR products, all in North America. For over 20 years, Nutriquine NV (a Belgian company) has been a pioneer in equine nutrition. In close cooperation with veterinarians, scientists and specialists of the equestrian sports, Nutriquine has developed, under the brand name CAVALOR, a complete line of supplements, care and feed products to address the diverse needs and requirements of top sport horses and breeding stables. CAVALOR products are distributed and used by many champions in 45 countries around the world. CAVALOR, when the result counts! For more information, please call 1-877-7757507 or e-mail cavaloramerica@cavalor.com. About Jump Canada Jump Canada the committee of Equine Canada responsible for all hunter, equitation and jumper activities in Canada from the grass roots to the international level. Jump Canada is governed by a