Western Canada’s premier thoroughbred facility Bar None Ranches Ltd. in Dewinton, AB is one of the most beautiful breeding and training thoroughbred operations in Canada and the most extensive operation in the West.
It was created in the early 1980s when founders Lynn and Cheryl Chouinard ventured west from Saskatchewan and purchased two quarter sections of land in the Dewinton area just outside Calgary. The wish of the Chouinards was to give their four children the opportunity to be raised in the country on a farm. Lynn’s early one-third interest in a thoroughbred named Trendy Max led to an infatuation with horses to which only a fellow horseperson can relate.
What started out as a small operation in 1981 with three or four horses has since grown into the world-class thoroughbred facility that it is today. Bar None prides itself on offering a unique set-up in this half of the country and as the website states, “As Western Canada’s premier thoroughbred facility, Bar None Ranches provides thoroughbred owners and breeders with exceptional service in all aspects of the thoroughbred industry. Bar None Ranches specializes in the rehabilitation and care of equine athletes of all breeds, using cutting edge technology and equipment not available anywhere else in Canada.”
The Bar None farming operation covers about 6,000 acres, with all the profits going to local non profit causes. However, the horse operation was fairly restricted and private until an expansion about 10 years ago. Today, the facility has approximately 250 horses on the property with about 200 owned by Bar None. The thoroughbred setup is situated on a sprawling quarter section of foothills land that is home to over 90 young thoroughbreds in various stages of development. Currently, there are 31 foals, 40 yearlings and 22 two-year-old thoroughbreds being prepared for a future racing career. The remaining numbers are made up of stallions, broodmares and some boarded horses.
Five full-time staff are affiliated with the horse operation and over 40 staff with the entire Bar None operation. Clark Hirsche started at Bar None as a hired hand at 19 years old and is now the general manager. Paula Robinson is the chief administrator and controller and has been at Bar None for over 25 years. Raised on a farm and a life-long lover of horses, Robinson prides herself on a thorough knowledge of all aspects of the Bar None Ranches’ farming and thoroughbred operations. Shaun Rathy is the assistant manager of breeding and is responsible for the health, training and well being of the farm’s broodmares, foals, and stallions. Rathy grew up riding on the national hunter/jumper circuit. She tries to stay on the cutting edge of current advances in research by attending seminars and consulting with colleagues in the field throughout the world.
The Bar None thoroughbred manager is Kelly Grieves who was introduced to thoroughbreds early on when his father took him to the track in Saskatoon as a boy. That childhood experience has developed into a lifelong career in the Alberta thoroughbred industry. In 1999, Grieves joined Bar None as an assistant trainer under his brother Ron and over time went on to train his own successful stable of horses. In January of 2013, Kelly took over his present position at Bar None Ranches. Ron Grieves is a salaried trainer employed by Bar None for over 25 years working mainly on location at the track.
Facilities on the property are extensive and include a 160’ x 160’ indoor arena with synthetic footing; a Equine Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Chamber (the only one in Canada); an Aqua Pacer™ Treadmill; an Equi-Ciser™ Therapy for monitoring and customizing, training and conditioning programs; a five-eighths mile training track with a three-horse starting gate; training and breaking barn with 100 stalls, round pen, and riding arena; a 100-stall barn adjacent to the track for full training ability; a breeding barn with 30 12’ x 12’ stalls, as well as three foaling stalls with 24-hour video surveillance and a resident staff member.
Bar None Ranches ventured into the stallion owning business in 2006 with the “goal of providing exceptional stallion options to breeders in Alberta and Western Canada.” The full-service thoroughbred facility strives to meet all the needs of industry owners, breeders, and trainers.
The Valid Appeal son, Tempered Appeal, was the first stallion purchased to stand stud at Bar None. Tempered Appeal has sired such successful Alberta runners as Tricky Temper ($102,235), Major Temper ($132,093), Two Horn Unicorn ($136,581) and Tempered Sapphire ($251,899). Major Temper was owned and bred by Bar None Ranches and was a multiple stakes winner in Alberta. Champion 2014 Older Mare Tempered Sapphire has Bar None stallions on both sides of her pedigree as she is by Tempered Appeal and out of the mare Gilded Diamond by Gilded Time. The six-year-old mare is currently at Bar None for breeding.
Saint Stephen, a graded stakes-winning full brother to champion Ashado, was brought to Bar None in 2007 to stand at stud. The son of Saint Ballado has since sired successful Alberta runners among them stakes winner Saint Sassy Sue ($78,772). After much negotiation, the proven sire Gilded Time arrived soon after from Vinery Farm in Kentucky to stand the 2008 season at Bar None. Gilded Time was champion two-year-old of 1992, winning all four of his starts, including the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. The Eclipse Award winner had already sired progeny with earnings of more than $43.4 million when purchased by Bar None Ranches and was champion freshman sire in 1997 from his first crop racing at two.
Bar None currently stands three active stallions: two sons of Gilded Time, Gayego and Run To Victory and the Storm Cat son Schramsberg. The 25-year-old Gilded Time is now pensioned at Bar None.
The Grade 1 Sprint Stakes Winner Gayego earned over $1.7 million in his racing career before entering stud in 2012. He represents an excellent option for breeders looking for an outcross from most prevalent current sire lines as he is entirely free of Northern Dancer, Seattle Slew, Mr. Prospector, Blushing Groom (FR), and Roberto breeding. Four of Gayego’s first yearlings (Ontario sired) sold well at auction in both the CTHS Ontario and CTHS BC yearling sales last fall bringing an average price of $27,500. Gayego’s first Alberta Crop Are Yearlings of 2015. A half brother to Victory Gallop, Run to Victory, joined the Bar None stallion roster soon after Gayego. Miss Sassy Sue has produced the three-year-old stakes-placed Sass n’Brass by Run to Victory, owned and bred by Bar None.
Lynn Chouinard’s personal favourite, Schramsberg, entered stud in 2012 at Bar None Ranches. The Storm Cat stud out of the Hall of Fame mare, Serena’s Song is a graded stakes-winner and earned nearly $400,000 during his racing career. Four yearlings from Schramsberg’s first crop were offered at auction in 2014 in both the Alberta and British Columbia CTHS Fall Yearling Sales. All four sold well with a yearling average of $19,500. Swift Thoroughbreds’ first-time starter Hippie just won on July 12 at Hastings Racecourse, becoming the first winner for Schramsberg. There should be great anticipation this season as Schramsberg’s first crop make their way to the Alberta tracks as two-year-olds. Kelly Grieves said he has high hopes for a particular two-year-old named Nil Sed Optimum by Schramsberg, as the gelding is a sibling to the well known Bar None runner Silver Baubles. Both horses are out of the stakes-placed mare Silver Seven by Silver Deputy.
Silver Baubles and Code Name Fred are two names that stand out from among many successful Bar None runners. The Gilded Time homebred runner Silver Baubles has earned over $280,000 to date and won multiple stakes races including most recently the Herald Gold Plate. The best horse owned by Bar None was graded stakes winner Code Name Fred who earned over $470,000 and was bought as a yearling through the 1997 CTHS Alberta Yearling Sale.
Rathy said she, “knows every horse on the place” and works non stop to bring healthy foals in to the world each season. This year, Rathy and three assistants foaled out over 30 mares and she said that, “it’s exciting to see them grow up and race” and one of the highlights of working in the breeding barn is being able to follow the careers of the foals as they move through the different stages of their career as a thoroughbred racehorse.
Under Kelly’s guidance, the youngsters are worked with and prepared for the track, no small task considering Bar None currently has 40 yearlings and 22 two-year-olds. In 2014, there were 26 horses of racing age racing under the Bar None Ranches name at Northlands.
A recent addition to the Bar None roster has been ‘Snowball,’ a 32-inch miniature horse who “is just like a dog.” Snowball was a Kijiji find and was ‘hired’ on at Bar None as the resident ‘teaser’ horse. Rathy said the mares “are all attracted to him” and “it’s night and day with handling compared to older ex-breeding stallions.” Snowball also does double duty for children’s birthday party pony rides. As the thoroughbred sales across the country get underway, the Bar None Ranches name will not be found among the consignors.
As a top breeder and an active racing barn, the Bar None philosophy is to keep their own horses out of the sales. Alberta thoroughbred owners can obtain the Bar None bloodlines by breeding their own mares to a Bar None stallion, but purchasers will not be able to directly buy a Bar None bred yearling at a sale. Founder Lynn Chouinard explains that “we would either have to sell them all or sell none as people might suppose that we are selling our bottom horses.” Bar None chooses to sell none and offer the opportunity for their own horses to have a successful start on the track. Chouinard said that many are still available in the future through claiming races or through breeding to Bar None stallions.
The Chouinards have been longtime loyal supporters of the Alberta racing industry and have bred, raised and raced multiple Alberta Stakes winners and champions. Lynn was awarded the Horseperson of the Year in 2005 at the Alberta Thoroughbred Awards in recognition of his lifelong personal involvement, contribution and commitment to the thoroughbred industry. Bar None Ranches has been given the ‘Breeder of the Year’ award at the annual Canadian Thoroughbred Horse Society (Alberta Division) celebration in 2009, 2011, 2012 and 2014. Lynn makes it clear however that he is not in the breeding business for the accolades, but for the “personal enjoyment of seeing the babies as every year when foaling time comes, it is a new time of excitement and watching the babies develop.”
Lynn’s daughter, Jennifer Mundy, is a lifelong horse lover having grown up at Bar None Ranches, although she said that she “loves all horses not just the racehorses and the Bar None that is here now all came after I grew up.” She adds that she “has always loved the farm and it’s always been a gift. Mundy is now getting involved in the operation at Bar None along with her husband, Joel, and is “slowly but surely trying to learn the ropes.”
Lynn’s goal for the future is for Bar None Ranches to remain a dominant force in the breeding industry and offer Alberta breeders and owners the opportunity to have access to top quality stallions and facilities. With the involvement of his daughter, this vision for the future seems to be right on track.
