Hello Friends!
We are happy and honored to have been asked to introduce ourselves to you as one of Midwest's "Featured Clients". We are Victor and Lori Ricigliano and Joan M. Kelly, owners of Ricigliano Farms, an Arabian and National Show Horse breeding facility in Minnesota. We probably should start off this introduction with one of the most common questions we are asked, "How DO you say your last name?" Well, as you might have guessed, our last name is Italian, and it is pronounced a little different than the way it looks. It is pronounced, "RICH - LEE - ON - O". We have found that trying to pronounce our last name is a great icebreaker when meeting new people though!
Some might recognize us as the "National Show Horse Trio" who promote the Stallion Row Jackpot Futurity program for the National Show Horse Registry. You might have seen us at the Scottsdale Arabian Horse Show, or even at Midwest, answering questions about the National Show Horse breed and its many new programs. In addition to the promotion of National Show Horse and Arabian Futurity programs, we breed and show our own Arabian and National Show Horses as Ricigliano Farms. Our goal, as breeders, has always been to produce the beautiful, athletic horse who also exhibits an English or Park style of motion. We currently have three incredible stallions: National Top Ten Arabian English Pleasure stallion, Ames Encounter (Brass x CR Berry Brandy), Pure Polish Arabian Champion English Pleasure and Halter stallion, Emage Of (*Aladdinn x *Era), and National Show Horse, National Champion Stallion, Sting Ray~ (*Erros x Sultan's Secret Love), the latter two stallions stand at Midwest Training Centre.
In addition to our Arabian and National Show Horse breeding facility, our family also has an Antique and Fine Art business. Horses are "living art" so the businesses compliment each other well. In addition to the horses and antiques, we all have hobbies that keep us busy.
Our family enjoys showing our horses and Victor and Lori relax by riding their horses in the farm fields surrounding their home. Victor is on the National Show Horse Registry's Executive Board of Directors and his "hobby", his marketing and promotion company, "Marketing Mafia", fills in the rest of his calendar. Lori is an Arabian and National Show Horse Judge and is also a published freelance author specializing in the equine industry. She uses these skills to help her manage the breeding program at Ricigliano Farms. Joan, though usually seen as the quiet one, especially in the company of the boisterous husband and wife team, is the glue that makes these family businesses successful. Joan's "real-life" job is as the owner of a large California insurance company. Joan has always loved horses and makes sure the dreams of the family have a sound foundation. Joan's involvement with the horses includes being the Chairman of the Youth Foundation of the National Show Horse Registry. This Foundation awards College Scholarships to youth who own or show National Show Horses. Joan constantly strives to secure benefactors and donations for this great cause.
In 1998, Ricigliano Farms relocated to Minnesota from its California and Colorado locations. This move occurred to consolidate its breeding and training facilities to one large farm. All of us have been involved with Arabian horses for many years. Victor's first riding lessons were on Arabian Horses in the 1970's and Joan purchased her first Arabian in the late 1980's. Lori's involvement stretches back to age twelve when she bought her first Arabian, who, incidentally, she still owns and spoils, today!
Ricigliano Farms is located in the beautiful Red River Valley of North-Western Minnesota; famous for its fertile farmland and close proximity to Fargo, North Dakota. The facility is comprised of fifty-acres of lush Alfalfa fields, heated show barn, indoor riding arena, round pen, breeding barn, and the new hot walker barn is currently under construction. It is being connected to the riding arena and show barn so that after entering the main barn, one doesn't need to leave the building to access any of the horse facilities. Lori is particularly fond of that feature during the cold Minnesota winters! Our farm is a quiet, peaceful retreat, an antidote of sorts, for the hectic lifestyles we have. Victor and Lori travel often for their businesses. They joke that due to the fact they travel so much, the horses really are the owners of the farm, luckily the horses are kind enough to allow them to stay at the farm when they aren't traveling!
Throughout the years there have been breeding programs and individuals that have influenced our own breeding program and ideals. Some of those are: Tom Chauncey, Lasma, Cedar Ridge, Syl & Scotty Crooker, Robert Ratte and of course, Don & "Shorty" Boggs. In our current breeding program we have horses bred by these individuals and have incorporated their visions and ideals to create our own. We feel it is our responsibility to carry on the breeders' visions of greatness, be it for halter or for performance. Breeding great horses cannot be accomplished in only one lifetime, it is the result of generations and generations of careful breeding choices. What we learned from these breeders is that great breeding occurs when you observe the phenotype and the genotype of the pair of horses you want to cross and then breed accordingly.
When asked who we would credit as our mentors within the Arabian and National Show Horse industry our answer would have to be: David Boggs, Lollie Ames, Robert Ratte and Tom Chauncey. The Arabian and National Show Horse industries have changed drastically over the years, due to many factors, but these four individuals have had lasting positive effects on it. David's sales and marketing success is truly one to be admired and is a testament to its foundation and quality. However, the individual we credit with having the most influence in the way we try to operate our own breeding program would be Tom Chauncey. Tom Chauncey was a man of great vision, courage and un-waivering support for the Arabian horse industry. He helped to created a market, supported it and enjoyed the simple pleasure of just owning horses. He also encouraged others to enjoy the horses as well, not just an elite group, but anyone who had a desire to do so. Tom Chauncey's life story reads like a Hollywood movie script; rising from poverty during hard economic and personal odds, Tom was truly a self-made man whose successful life proves that through vision, hard work and determination anything in life is possible.
We enjoy having our horses with Midwest. Several of our mares have been bred and foaled at Midwest. Midwest also stands two of our stallions, Emage Of & Sting Ray~. The Midwest breeding management is THE best and can be summed up with two words. Judi Anderson. Judi Anderson is a Godsend and is the best "mom" to our foals that they could wish for. There really aren't words to describe how much we appreciate all she has done for us, for our mares, and especially for the care she has given our foals. She gives us something that is hard to get, peace of mind, for that we will always be grateful.
Our mares are very precious to us. They are the true foundation of any breeding program. Carefully chosen, each of our great mares have proved themselves in the show ring or have had close relation to those that have done so. Lollie Ames taught us an important lesson in the breeding of horses that we use in our program today. That lesson was to not breed for "fads", but breed instead for quality, consistency and strength of pedigree. We want our foals to have every advantage to succeed, so we try to stack the odds in their favor by breeding for the highly marketable, correct, athletic show horse with a kind personality, always.
We had a busy breeding season at Ricigliano Farms this year and are expecting 12 exciting foals in 2004. The future mothers of these foals are: Our 2 daughters sired by Bey Shah+, one out of a *Bask++ daughter and one out of a *Negatraz daughter. Also, daughters of: *Naturel, Padron Psyche, Brass, Kharben+//, *Padron, *Fanatyk, New Market, Sultan My Sultan, Providence and an *Erros National Show horse daughter who is a full sister to National Champions Dipsey Swivel & Sting Ray~. Our mares were bred to the following sires this year: Magnum Psyche, *Magnum Chall, Legacy Of Fame, Emage Of, Matoi, Magnum 44, Monaco, Hey Hallelujah and *Ganges.
When we search for stallions to breed to our mares, we are very particular. First, we decide which stallions' pedigrees will cross best with which of our mares. Not every mare, no matter how fantastic she is, will cross with every stallion. We research pedigree crosses that have been done previously by other breeders. We check the resulting foal's show and breeding records. We also see what the actual resulting foal looks like and its conformation. A potential stallion's pedigree, or genotype, must always be top notch and the stallion himself must be an exceptional individual. The stallion we choose must have correct conformation and be athletic, form to function!
We are heavily involved with many different Futurity Programs. We feel that Futurity programs are necessary to help support the breeding of great horses. As designers of the National Show Horse Stallion Row Jackpot Futurity Program, we totally believe in our program's title quote, "Breeds Are Built On Successful Futurities". If you don't breed the horses, you will never have the ability to ride and enjoy them in the future. Futurity programs like the: Minnesota Medallion Stallion, Iowa Gold Star, National Show Horse Stallion Row Jackpot and the Scottsdale Signature Futurity are very important for the future growth and market of Arabian and National Show Horses. These successful Futurity programs offer many prize money incentives to not only the breeder of these horses, but to the future owners. These Futurities give the enrolled horses a lot of future earning potential, a great marketing incentive. Now, if these programs would be able to "network" a class that would transfer between all of them, that would truly be exciting and open up an even broader sales market and earning potential for the enrolled horses!
Ricigliano Farms' short and long term goals are essentially the same. We strive to breed the best horse we can, Arabian and National Show Horse. The horse we strive to breed should be able to go from someone's barn, to the show ring, compete successfully, and then to have the quality to be an assent in the breeding barn. We take one day at a time, one generation at a time, but we always shoot for that rose garland! In looking to the future, our ultimate goal as breeders is in how we would like to be remembered by our peers. That remembrance would be that Ricigliano Farms was a breeder of quality horses and first and foremost they were a breeder of conscience.
Our advice to others in the breeding of Arabian and National Show Horses would be to study your pedigrees well. Know which lines produce what traits and realize what faults you can live with and what ones you can't. After this careful research, go to a source that can "Market" the horse you have bred. Midwest, for example, has the largest sales and marketing program available to the breeder. Midwest's ability to sell horses locally and internationally has been proven. You can have the greatest horse in the world, but if no one knows about it, what does it matter? That in essence is why we have chosen Midwest to market the foals from our breeding program and to also promote our Stallions' breeding's. Midwest has the ability to bring the world to our doorstep.
As breeders and as owners, one of our greatest feelings of accomplishments just occurred at this year's National Show Horse Finals. Our weanling filly, She's So Phine RF (Phi Slama Jama x CB Shining Star+) , was named Reserve National Champion Weanling filly in the Stallion Row Jackpot Weanling Amateur Extravaganza class shown by Lori. This filly was also named National Top Ten in the Open Weanling class shown by Sandro Pinha. We own her beautiful mother, a National Champion herself, and we chose this breeding. There is something very special about breeding a horse and then watching your "dream" blossom into reality. We were so proud of "Fran's" accomplishments in the show ring! Sandro deserves all of the credit for training this filly.
We were honestly impressed with the way Sandro trained "Fran". Sandro was kind and patient with her. When he trained her he took his time, broke the lessons down into simple, very short, non-stressful steps and most importantly he put her away HAPPY after her lesson. This filly was very shy prior to Sandro working with her. From the day she was born she was extremely shy and somewhat cautious of humans, even though we did imprint training on her. We worried that when we began training her she wouldn't be able to handle it. We have to tell you that not only did Sandro make this filly into a Champion, he helped give her the support and confidence she needed to grow into the sweetest, bravest, "Pocket Pony" we have! "Fran" now comes up to the front of her stall for treats and hugs! What a change! We can honestly say that this filly is 200% friendlier than before we took her to Midwest!
We have found this positive experience typical in all of our horses at Midwest. This year we entrusted into Midwest's care 4 more of our weanling foals and their mothers. The entire Midwest staff gave them all excellent care and the babies and their moms were in fantastic shape when they came home to us. All returned in well adjusted, healthy, friendly and happy shape!
We remember one time visiting Midwest, unannounced, to find Gil Valdez quietly working with one of our horses. We watched, unseen by Gil at the time, for several minutes, Gil's quiet, caring way that teaches confidence in the young horse. He quietly talked and petted and reassured the horse and you could just tell that the horse found this so comforting and understood exactly what Gil wanted her to do. From personal experience, we have found that all of the Midwest staff care about the horses. Our happy, well adjusted, foals are proof of that!
So, as you probably have gathered from this letter, we enjoy sharing our enthusiasm and love of the Arabian and National Show Horse. We hope that if you see us at Midwest or at a horse show you come up and say hi to us. We always enjoy talking "horse" and making new friends with other horse enthusiasts. See you soon!
Your friends,
Victor and Lori Ricigliano & Joan M Kelly
Ricigliano Farms
www.riciglianofarms.com
info@riciglianofarms.com
