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[RC] Sweepstakes- - Mel CopelandHey, just wanted to share my viewpoint on the whole sweepstakes thing...I decided to breed my mare. The stallion I chose for her happened to be sweepstakes nominated. This was my first experience with breeding so I read up on the sweepstakes program. I was interested in pursuing my dreams and starting to selectively breed Arabian horses. The sweepstakes program seemed like a good way to boost the foal's value. If the foal does not work out as an endurance horse for me, it has something extra going for it in the show world. It seems like a good investment that really isn't that expensive if you enroll the foal in utero. There seems to be some athletic stallions enrolled in the sweepstakes program and I am using that as criteria for future breedings. I could be naive about the whole thing seeing as I am new to breeding. I guess that I would qualify as one of the dreaded "backyard breeders". I do not have a flashy big name barn and lots of connections. All I have is a nice CMK bred mare, her little gelding and some dreams of future foals. I am trying to make educated decisions about the stallions I breed her to. I know what I am looking for with her future offspring and feel that the individual attention and work that her babies receive is worth more than a glitzy barn and shiny huge rig. I care about the breed and I care about what my mare produces for the breed. In my mind, the sweepstakes nomination of her foals will help them out since they are coming from a small "backyard breeder". Of course, there are those who think I have no business breeding in the first place since there are so many horses overpopulating the world. Well, get the "puppy mills" to stop breeding indiscriminately and then you will have something. Mel *must be the weather getting me all stirred up* *grin* _________________________________________________________________ Get ready for school! Find articles, homework help and more in the Back to School Guide! http://special.msn.com/network/04backtoschool.armx =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net. Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp Ride Long and Ride Safe!! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
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