A Happy Man

Rock N Roll Heaven.

Distributed by HRNSW on behalf of Pepper Tree Farm

The long-awaited arrival of the first crop foals of a New Season sire is always an anxious time for any Studmaster but especially so when that sire is your flagship stallion Rock N Roll Heaven.

Whilst the reports out of Blue Chip Farms, New York, where Rock N Roll Heaven’s first Northern Hemisphere foals arrived earlier in the year have been highly encouraging, there is no substitute to being able to judge them in the flesh for oneself.

The arrival of the first “Heaven” foals at Pepper Tree Farm this spring and the subsequent breeder feedback we have received from all over Australia and from New Zealand have confirmed the outstanding quality of these foals.

Virtually without exception the 15.2hh “Heaven” is injecting more leg into his foals than he carries himself and there appears little doubt here that he is throwing to the influence of his grandsire Western Ideal (a big horse at 16.1 hands and a noted injector of precocity).

A particularly pleasing attribute detected by Pepper Tree Farm principal, Rob Vandyke is that Rock N Roll Heaven is clearly “stamping” his foals. As Rob says, “ from a distance you can identify straight away the Rock N Roll Heaven foals in a paddock”, a key trademark that is always high on the wish list of any studmaster with a new stallion.

Rock N Roll Heaven is also passing on to his foals, his very correct conformation with correct legs, great shoulders and his powerful hindquarters. This was one of “Heaven’s” own defining attributes and one from where he derived his own powerful length of pacing stride combined with very fast leg speed. Combined with this was “Heaven’s” very fluent walk, he is a great walking horse and we are also seeing this coming through in his foals.

Here’s what Tom Grossman, owner of Blue Chip Farms, New York, said recently at the conclusion of the 2012 North American breeding season about Rock N Roll Heaven and his foals:
“We bred aggressively in the first year, but even more so in the second year after seeing all those big, correct first crop foals out of the best mares in the business. It seems to me his foals are going to be bigger than he is himself but retain all of his incredible soundness, which is an increasingly needed trait often overlooked. I fully expect to be in the catbird seat ( prime position ) when I bring approximately 20 of my own to the Sales while his first crop 2 year olds out of those mares are zinging around the track…”.

As Rock N Roll Heaven’s first crop of US foals approach yearling status early next year, Tom Grossman is understandably looking forward to the 2013 North American yearling sales with the impressive types he has to prepare and offer at these sales.

And of course, off the back of a strong North American Sale is likely to follow very strong demand for his progeny in both Australia and New Zealand hence the astute breeders who are abreast of the likely trends have already bred or are breeding this season to Rock N Roll Heaven.

Like Tom Grossman, Rob Vandyke and other astute breeders have bred their top mares to “Heaven” and the foals from such mares as Tailamade Lombo, Fleur de Lil, Kept For Pleasure and My Ami Lee will certainly be something special to look forward to on our harness racing tracks.

Harness Racing NSW (HRNSW) is the controlling body for harness racing in New South Wales with responsibility for commercial and regulatory management of the industry including 31 racing clubs across the State. HRNSW is headed by an industry-appointed Board of Directors and is independent of Government.

To arrange an interview or for further information please contact:
Name: Dale Walker
Position: Manager – Marketing
Phone: (02) 97226600
Email: dwalker@hrnsw.com.au