The 2009 Iowa Gold *Star Show
On Labor day weekend the place to be for world class Arabian horses, their admirers and amazing western hospitality was the 17th annual Iowa Gold Star and Fall Classic in Des Moines. As a native Iowan myself, having grown up in Denison (the home town of Donna Reed) it’s always nostalgic to go back to this show and see familiar friends and faces that are an important part of my life with horses at one of the friendliest shows anywhere. It seems like just yesterday that “Team Midwest” was comprised of David and Bob Boggs with wide, polka dot ties showing out of a trailer. However, thirty some years have passed since then and today the Iowa state fair grounds still look like a scene straight out of a Norman Rockwell painting. The weather was a gorgeous 80 degrees with a light breeze and the stands were packed with three to four hundred enthusiastic spectators for each session. Add to this over four hundred of the Midwest’s most beautiful Arabian and half-Arabian horses and you have what has become one of the “must attend” shows of the Arabian horse world.
Team Midwest, comprised of David and Terry Anne Boggs, the most hard working staff in the industry and an incredibly supportive group of clients and friends showed up in full force to support the Gold Star. The kick-off party of the week, the Jesse James Jamboree, was held Thursday evening immediately following the classes and stallion presentation in the main arena. Never one to be shy about putting on a party, Midwest pulled out all the stops. Barbeque ribs, fried chicken, fresh corn on the cob, salads, trays of delicious cheese cakes and beverages for three hundred were served to a hungry and enthusiastic crowd.
The Midwest stallion presentation followed dinner lead off by six time National Champion DA Valentino (Versace x DA Love), owned by Michelle Pfiefer, to a rousing ovation. Next came the ever popular sire and exquisite, Da Vinci FM (Versace x Full Moon Astar), owned by Jim and Sally Bedeker. Following were the National Champions (and National Champions in the making) *Fausto Crh (Magnum Psyche x FHF Xantal), RHR Marcedes (*Marwan Al Shaqab x Ellegant Dream), Monogramm JD (DS Major Afire x WCA Mon Cherie), *Maddox Van Ryad (Ryad El Jamaal x Barbara Van Kaset), Vegas DPA (EF Kingston x Angelina DPA) and the alabaster beauty and reining Brazilian National Champion *Laman HVP (Don El Chall x Padron’s Love Song by *Padron). This was *Laman’s first public appearance in the Midwest and it was fitting that it was in Iowa as his dam, the Brazilian Reserve National Champion Padron’s Love Song, was bred by long time Iowa breeder and judge Leon Mathias who was there to watch *Laman be presented. The finale of the night needed little introduction. Magnum Psyche, 2009 Scottsdale Supreme Champion and more breathtaking then ever at age 14, was presented by Terry Anne Boggs to a standing ovation from his admirers from around the country.
The stallion service auction on Friday evening at the Marriott in downtown Des Moines broke yet another record as the highest grossing in Gold Star’s history. Seven hundred and fifty people filled the ballroom, which had been sold out for weeks in advance, and dined on western menu of roast beef, corn bread and a delicious cheesecake with apple compote. The auction was in keeping with the wild west theme and everyone from the hotel staff serving dinner to the auction volunteers were in period western attire, even auctioneer Greg Knowles, who worked for nearly three hours auctioning off 104 purebred breedings for the record breaking total of over $389,000.00. The auction was held in a new format this year, with the purebred breedings at the ‘live’ auction and the 45 breedings for the half-Arabian futurity being held in an Internet auction which has yet to close. Midwest and it’s clients were well represented at the auction with Magnum Psyche again taking the top bid at $26,000.00 going to Lollie Ames of Cedar Ridge Arabian. DA Valentino was the second highest seller, going for $25,500.00 to Les Van Dyke of Minnesota. Third high selling lot was a breeding to the internationally renowned Magnum Psyche son, WH Justice, who Midwest is representing in US. The Nations Psy breeding sold for $18,000.00 to new owner Frank Shahak and the Da Vinci FM breeding went for $15,000.00 to long-time breeder Roxanne Hart of Rohara Arabians. Nine of the ten highest selling breedings were to stallions standing at or managed by Midwest Training Center with the grand total of all the Midwest stallions in the purebred auction bringing $190,000!
The complete show results for the Gold Star and Fall Classic are already posted, but I do want to write a little about both the huge in numbers and quality of the elimination classes for the Iowa Gold Star open yearling fillies and colts classes. Fourteen showed in the first section of the filly class and seventeen showed in the second section. The colt classes were slightly larger with eighteen showing in the first section and sixteen in the second. The numbers of entries in these classes were only out shown by their quality. The super star sires DA Valentino, Da Vinci FM, *Fausto CRH, Legacy of Fame, Pyro Thyme, MPA Giovanni, *Magnum Chall HVP, *El Nabila B, Ames Charisma, RHR Marcedes, and Magnum Psyche were all represented, most with multiple entries. Classes of this quality are usually reserved for US Nationals and Scottsdale, but the Gold Star is rapidly forming the third leg of the national “yealing futurity”. Team Midwest and their clients were well represented in the classes with virtually every entry making it into the finals, which were held on Saturday night to a packed crowd in the stands.
The colts showed first and when the dust settled seven of the top ten colts were shown by Midwest. Baciano (DA Valentino x NWB Angel's Kiss by Magnum Psyche) for Roger and Stephanie McMahon of Wa., Da Caprio (Da Vinci FM x Magnum's Julep by Magnum Psyche), bred by Jim and Sally Bedeker owned by the McMahon’s also, Magnum Quest BFA (Magnum Psyche x Exquisite Dream), bred and owned by Patty Feola, Valente LD (DA Valentino x Queen ADiamonds by Magnum Psyche) bred and owned by Les and Diane Van Dyke and Twistaforutne JB (*Fausto CRH x Twistafate JB) owned by Don and Janey Morse of Oak Ridge Arabians. The winner of the class, with David at the lead, was the exquisite Vvaliante (DA Valentino x Kissthestars by NV Elite), owned by Michelle Pfiefer of Shellbird Inc. in Colorado. The quality of the Valentino colts in this class was incredible with Vvaliante being a sure bet as a star at US Nationals later this year. Da Caprio is also worth mentioning as he is the oldest of the Da Vinci/Magnum Psyche crosses, and if he is any indication of how well this will work we’ll be seeing a lot more of these in the winner’s circle in the future.
The Gold Star open filly class was equally as deep as the colts. Half of the top ten placings were won by Midwest and included the fillies: *Brianna BRSB (Legacy of Fame x Klarryssa HCF) owned by Don and Janey Morse, JA Cajun Spice (Nations Psy x Lucille HCF) owned by Frank and Jody Puleo and Rosa La Valentina (DA Valentino x *Van El Rose) bred by Sally Bedeker and owned by the Marino family. The reserve champion filly was the DA Valentino look a like
DM Valencia ( out of *Hed Caramba by Magnum Psyche), owned by Dan and Maureen Grossman. A stunning filly, we first saw her show at Scottsdale this year and she is maturing out very nicely. The champion of the class was the aptly named Unbridled Love (*Magnum Chall HPV x GR Katalina by Psyches Legacy) owned by David and Terry Anne Boggs and shown to her win by David. A bay filly, Unbridled Love had the spectacular neck and body of *Magnum Chall HVP with a gorgeous face that was very reminiscent of her great grand-sire, Negatraz with huge luminous black eyes. As a side note, both the champion colt and filly were out of mares with three crosses to the legendary *Bask in their mare lines and by stallions with the legendary *Padron in their pedigrees. The *Padron/*Bask cross was amazing twenty five years ago and apparently is still working quite well today.
The Gold Star Auction Fillies and Colts were shown on Friday, with the winners of each class taking home nearly 25 thousand dollars, the reserve champions taking home $12,400 each and the remainder of the top ten leaving with $3,100 a piece. These figures are why the stallion auction brings in the big bucks with everyone wanting a shot at one of the richest yearling classes in the country. The winners this year in the filly class (with 25 fillies showing) were Susan Glendenning’s beautiful Legacy of Fame daughter, La Rosa Fame GL with the reserve going to Dan and Maureen Grossman’s DA Valentino filly, DM Valencea. The colt class had 17 entries to show and was won by a beautiful Justify colt shown by Austin Boggs with the reserve going to the Falcon BHF colt, Righteous BHF, for Keith and Maureen Kritchke. I found it refreshing that the program paid out a bunch of money to the “small breeders”, who are the back bone of the Arabian horse world.
On Saturday evening the Iowa Gold Star honored both a sire of significance and a breeder of significance in a special award presentation. The Leon Mathias family was honored for breeding, training and showing regional and nationals winners at their farm in Norwalk, Iowa for over forty years. Leon and his wife, son Lon and his wife Kim and their children were all on hand to accept the award. The Matthias’ were and are one of the families that help make the Gold Star the great show it is. The sire of significance needed little introduction as he is a horse who has reshaped our breed over the last decade. Magnum Psyche was led in by his David Boggs to the Battle Hymn of the Republic to a standing ovation. Fresh off his Supreme Championship at Scottsdale, Magnum is getting even more beautiful with age and his contributions to our breed are undeniable in both the show ring and the breeding shed.
Sunday came far too quickly and we were back to the airport to head off to Portland, taking some great memories from the show. On the flight I started thinking about all the work, time and dedication that went into the Gold Star and the positive influence this show has on our breed. I’d like to personally thank the entire committee, especially Russ and Kelly Reynolds, Kim Matthias, Laurie Pearson and the dozens of volunteers, judges, owners, trainers, clinicians and entertainers for a show that was one to remember. The Iowa Gold star, the amazing folks that make it work and the beautiful horses there are the future of our breed and our show ring!
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