The Alberta racing and breeding industry has been supported for many years by dedicated thoroughbred enthusiasts Gerald and Tina Stone of Stone Ranches. The breeding and raising of quality thoroughbreds is tested in the current climate of Alberta racing but the Stones continue to be faithful to their beloved industry.
Stone Ranches is located in a scenic part of Alberta near the small town of Madden about an hour’s drive north of Calgary. The Stones were primarily cattle and grain people who farmed the initial homestead in the late 1800s. Gerald Stone is a native Albertan who was born and raised on the original farm. Tina on the other hand was born in New York but spent her youth growing up in Long Beach, California on the coast. In her own words, she was most definitely a “city slicker.” That all changed when she met Gerald in a chance encounter in the aisleway in the cattle barn at the Calgary Stampede. Gerald was at the
Stampede showing purebred Angus cattle and Tina was walking through the barn with a friend during a stop in Alberta on a big adventure trip along the west coast. That chance meeting changed both their lives forever.
Tina and Gerald got married and moved to their current house, still on the homesteaded property in the late 1960s. They then began building a life that revolved around raising children, cattle and mixed farming. Gerald had been involved with rodeoing for many years and their daughter Amie became heavily involved in rodeo while she was growing up. In fact, Amie became a rodeo star and first qualified for the Canadian Finals Rodeo in barrel racing at just 9 years old. Being the parents of a totally dedicated barrel racer involved a huge commitment in time, travelling to rodeos all over the country and into the United States. Tina and Gerald’s son, Beau, currently resides close by in Carstairs with his wife and four children and is successful in the RV business.
Tina comments that both she and Gerald have spent their lives together being “diehard racing fans” and they used to go to the races at Stampede Park in the early 1970s before the clubhouse building was even constructed. Tina recalls that the Stones had a clubhouse table at Stampede Park to watch racing as soon as they first became available. Tina and Gerald initially became involved with thoroughbreds with the purchase of one or two mares just as “a fun thing to do.” Their first racehorse was a 1976 horse named Sweet Fancy who they purchased in partnership with their trainer, Lorne Spady, at the 1977 11th Annual CTHS Yearling Sale at Spruce Meadows. This filly by Against the Wind went on to become stakes placed with three firsts and three seconds in her career including a second in the Forest Heights Stakes at Northlands Park.
Close to ten years ago, the Stones decided to move more heavily into breeding thoroughbreds by enlarging their broodmare band. Tina and Gerald now make an annual trip to Kentucky to purchase four to six bred mares and often a weanling. Tina comments that the breeding philosophy behind Stone Ranches is to “continue injecting new bloodlines into Alberta by purchasing the type of mares in foal to the best sires that will fit with the Alberta market.” These new broodmares will be bred to Alberta sires in the future and as a result, will continue to ensure new bloodlines are introduced into the local market. The Stones look for value for money with their Kentucky purchases and search carefully for “decent mares in foal to fashionable sires” to bring back to the Alberta industry. The Stones are regular supporters of the CTHS Sale and a number of these Kentucky broodmares are often sold at the sale.
The Stones ventured even further into the breeding business with the purchase of the Florida bred stallion Max Forever in 2006. Max Forever was recommended to them by the Kentucky bloodstock agent Dan Kenny who commented at the time that “I thought this horse was the fastest two-year-old at the Calder two-Year-Old Sale in 2002. He has every ingredient to become a successful stallion: brilliant speed and the ability to carry it beyond a mile, and near faultless conformation and temperament. I have been involved with many successful stallions and I know what it takes for a horse to be able to produce runners. Max Forever warrants your inspection for the breeding season.”
Max Forever was sold as a yearling through the Keeneland September sale and sold again at the Ocala Breeders Sale the following year for $200,000. Dan Kenney was the runner up bidder on Max Forever. The colt went on to win the Long Branch Breeders’ Cup at three and the Quick Card Stakes at four retiring from running with over $240,000 in earnings. Max Forever is by the four time Florida Champion Montbrook, sire of 47 stakes winners including the well known runners Big Drama ($2,746,060) and Shake You Down ($1,442,014). Tina comments that, “We would never find one (a stallion) any kinder than Max Forever. He’s really nice to have around.” The progeny of Max Forever include Langfuhr Max who won all three of his starts as a two-year-old in 2011 and Peter the Gross who had two wins as a three-year-old in 2011.
The race mare Penny’s Flyer, who was trained by Barry Brown and earned $94,668 in her career, has a 2012 foal on the ground at Stone Ranches by Max Forever. The dark bay filly is owned by Leanne Knechtel. Many race fans will be familiar with another race mare named Minimus who is expecting a foal by Max Forever. This will be the first offspring for the successful runner who earned $187,960 in her Alberta career and had victories in the Fall Classic Distaff and the Filly Sales Stake.
Tina Stone notes that Stone Ranches is “Primarily a breeder… we want someone to buy a (Stone Ranches bred) horse and win a million!” Stone Ranches usually breeds to sell but at times goes into partnership on one or two horses to run at the track. Currently, the Stones have interests in two Alberta bred runners – Brad’s Brother and Flatter Us. All the Stone Ranches 2- yearolds go to Maxine Anderson of Bar 17 Stables for the ‘breaking’ stage of their career. Tina remarks that Maxine “does a really nice job on our babies.” The present broodmare band at Stone Ranches consists of nine quality Kentucky mares by such sires as Silver Deputy, Grand Slam, Cahill Road and Summer Squall. Stone Ranches will likely be offering a number of the progeny out of these mares at the 2012 CTHS Thoroughbred Sale. There are currently five yearlings at the farm including a Smarty Jones filly out of a Silver Deputy mare and a Sharp Humor filly out of a Summer Squall mare. She believes it is important to present yearlings of top quality that attract higher offers and to promote your own area – bringing new bloodlines into future Alberta bred thoroughbreds supports the Alberta industry in a positive way.
Tina and Gerald Stone provide an example of breeders who work tirelessly to help improve and add value to the Alberta thoroughbred industry.
