|
July 8, 2005 Press Release Dakota bred horses take center stage at unique event. &nb=
sp; Group seeks to
promote South Dakota bred horses on a national scale. WESSINGTON SPRINGS, S.D. South Da=
kota
has long been known for its farms, ranches and wide-open spaces. Decades =
of
working cattle and helping cowboys compete in rodeos has produced horses =
with
bloodlines second to none. “By looking at pedigrees and
seeing what horses in South Dakota can do I know that we have as good of
horses in South Dakota as anyplace in the world. People just do not know
about us.” said Merle Stevens, 55, of Wessington Springs, rancher a=
nd
horseman since childhood. A select group of South Dakota
Quarter Horse breeders recently formed Performance Quarter Horse Breeders=
of
South Dakota (PQHBSD) to inform horse enthusiasts from across the nation =
and
world on the quality and talent of South Dakota born and bred Quarter Hor=
ses. “People who have worked with
South Dakota Quarter Horses say they are a special breed,” said John
Stevens, the organization’s president and fulltime horse trainer fr=
om
Wessington Springs. “These horses know how to cover country. Runnin=
g in
the open all their lives they know how to cross creeks, handle rough terr=
ain
and avoid holes.” A true grass-roots organization, Performance Quarter Horse Breeders of South Dakota held their first meeti= ng in a horse barn.<= o:p> “We had been talking about =
the
need to promote South Dakota’s Quarter Horses for years so one day =
we
met in a guy’s barn and decided that the best way to do this was to
showcase the cream of the crop,” said Stevens. “We have a var=
iety
of bloodlines represented; everything from working cattle horses to horses
for team penning, rodeo and trail rides.” With the philosophy of quality fi=
rst,
this group of talented breeders is taking the guess work out of purchasin=
g a
quality Quarter horse. Each horse exhibited at their first annual sale is
hand-picked. The Performance Quarter Horse Breeders of South Dakota Select
Showcase sale is scheduled for September 25 at the Yellow Rose Arena in
Platte. “Buyers will be assured that
they are coming to look at 75 top quality horses that have been approved =
by
two veterinarians and five experienced horseman before they get in the
ring,” said John Stevens. “They know that if the bloodlines l=
ook
good on paper they can be assured that there will be no surprises when th=
ey
see the actual horse.” Starting with only five horse
breeders the group has grown to include 14 from across Eastern, S.D.
According to rules established to maintain top quality, each member is on=
ly
allowed to bring five of their herd’s top horses to the sale. “This way people know they =
will
not be buying someone’s tail end,” said Mick Smith, a Highmore
rancher and horseman for 66 years. “There will be no cripples,
blemishes, and no genetic defects. We want to establish this sale and bri=
ng a
product that people want to buy.” To learn more about Performance
Quarter Horse Breeders of South Dakota visit their website at
ht=
tp://www.pqhbsd.com or contact a director at
605-849-3293, 605-849-3585, 605-852-3220, or 605-245-2298 Pe=
rformance
Quarter Horse Breeders of South Dakota |