Ode to a Great Grandsire

A Great Grandsire Northern GuestThe Breeder’s Championship was not the sole cause celebre on the property however. The season’s end also saw the chalking up of another record for a past member of our team in the Broodmare Sire’s Championship. To refer to Northern Guest simply as a “member” however, seriously downplays the spectacular role this star stallion played (and plays) in the affairs of this farm. If there ever was an idol here, he was it.

Six Gr1 Wins by Northern Guest’s Senor SantaAs an active stallion, he produced no fewer than 16 Grade One winners, he won numerous Championships at both the General Sires and Juvenile Sires levels, he was by some distance, to the point of his era, the most successful commercial stallion in history, and there’s not much on this farm today that he hasn’t left his mark on.

Securing a record sixth consecutive Broodmare Sires title then, whilst not entirely surprising, is another milestone in the path paved in gold, and it’s at times like this, when Summerhill itself is the beneficiary of its third consecutive Premiership, that we remember the contribution of this man and his daughters. No wonder we all used to bow when he passed by the Farm office in the mornings on his way to the paddock, people always remember him. Today, that sacred patch is occupied by another horse worthy of the title: Muhtafal.