Giant Gizmo leads Canadian sires in mares bred in 2017

Canada’s most active stallions of 2017 according to The Jockey Club’s Report of Mares Bred revealed a mix of established names and newcomers at the top of the list.

As usual, the bulk of the country’s breeding activity was based in Ontario, led by fast-rising sire Giant Gizmo, who covered 72 mares this year. The 13-year-old son of Giant’s Causeway’s book declined slightly from 79 in 2016. Giant Gizmo stands at Adena Springs North in Aurora, Ontario.

Reload, an 8-year-old son of Hard Spun, was well-received by Canadian breeders in his first year at stud, meeting 67 mares at Northern Dawn Stables in Hillsburgh, Ontario.

Rounding out the top six Canadian stallions by mares bred, all in Ontario, were Adena Springs North’s Silent Name (65), T.C. Westmeath Stud’s Old Forester (54), Shannondoe Farm’s Society’s Chairman (57), and T.C. Westmeath’s Souper Speedy (57).

Canada’s most active stallion outside of Ontario was Exhi, a 10-year-old Maria’s Mon horse who covered 41 mares at Highfield Stock Farm in Okotos, Alberta.

Saskatchewan’s leading sire of 2017 by mares bred was Edison, a 6-year-old Bernardini stallion who got 34 mares at Fox Tower Farms in Grasswood.

Leading the British Columbia stallion ranks was Lent, a 7-year-old son of Pulpit. The half-brother to Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Fort Larned covered 30 mares.

True Sense, an 8-year-old Street Cry horse, covered the most mares in Manitoba, seeing 25 at Ziprick Thoroughbreds in Russell.

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