Desperado V x Sweet Shalimar V by Ali Jamaal

Zefyr+// May Dancer V Melodie V Sunsational Kid

by ANNE STRATTON

It was one of the most memorable scenes at the 2014 U.S. Nationals: the victory pass in the western pleasure championship, when the black stallions Zefyr and Onyx A, champion and reserve champion, jogged out of the ring together—in harmony, at ease and moving fluidly, like charcoal shadows of each other. Or more accurately, like shadows of their sire, the remarkable Sundance Kid V.

Not all of the sons and daughters of Sundance Kid V are movie star black, and not all go one-two for a major trophy at the national level—but a high percentage of them, regardless of color, are very successful at what they do. At last year’s U.S. Nationals, the stallion practically wrote the book in western competition alone, siring not only Zefyr

and Onyx A, but two others in the top ten, which translates to nearly half of the class. Then there

was the U.S. National Champion in Hunter Pleasure, and the champions in Hunter Pleasure Select, the

Western Pleasure Maturity and English Trail AAOTR. Not to mention, a long list of top tens.

By the time the awards were tabulated and leading sires at the 2014 U.S. and Canadian Nationals were ranked by Arabian Horse Times, Sundance Kid V had scored in three

significant categories for performance sires. For purebreds, he was reserve by number

of points and third in number of winners; in both purebreds and Half-Arabians, he was third in number of winners; and for Half-Arabians, he was sixth in number of winners.

“Is he going to start a dynasty here?” inquired one observer. “Do you

think he could become the next ‘dominant sire’?”

Trainer Rob Bick, who knows the stallion well and has trained his get, replied bluntly,

“He already is in western pleasure.”

Frank and Sara Chisholm, of Palmetto Arabians in Timmonsville, S.C., own Sundance Kid V. “He had a good show in 2013, but in 2014, he knocked it out of the

park,” Frank says, still a little stunned at the statistics. “We were hoping and we thought he might have a good

one, but we didn’t know he would be this great.”

The Stallion With So Much To OfferSundance Kid V, bred by Sheila Varian, welcomed his first foal

crop in 1998, and the Chisholms began using him in their program three years later. By that time, they already owned a full sister and a

Palmetto Arabians And The Sundance Kid V Phenomenon

few of his daughters, so by the time they purchased him in 2003, they knew what they wanted and why.

One reason that Sundance Kid V is so easy to like is that his contributions as a sire are reliable and clearly discernible: he bestows size and good looks (usually enough beauty and type to see his offspring through halter ribbons at many stages of competition), and he is known for siring a graceful, curvy neck that Bick says makes performance easy for his get. “That makes a trainer’s job easy,” he grins. “Sometimes the more physically talented a horse is, the smarter it seems.”

Bick, who has long served as a source of counsel for Frank Chisholm on pedigrees, trains and sells many of Palmetto’s Sundance Kid V offspring. “They’re sweet horses and easy going,” he reports. “They don’t want to be macho; you don’t have to fight with them. You show them what you want and they’re very willing.”

Notably, even with the beauty, conformation and talent that are cited by nearly everyone who has Sundance Kid V horses, it is that signature attitude they talk about most. “In today’s culture of training, the horses that really step forward are the ones that train the best and are physically able,” says Ted Carson, who has observed the stallion since he arrived in the Carolinas 12 years ago, and has shown some of his get. “I think that what a lot of trainers like about the Sundance Kid horses is that they are mentally and physically very trainable horses.” On the basis of his own experience, Carson breeds mares to the stallion.

Josh Quintus, who trains the Sundance Kid V sons Onyx A and Diesel Smoke CBA, endorses their sire as well. “I do like these horses,” he says. “They’re very gifted off their feet, and they’re ones who can concentrate a long time. People don’t realize how they have to concentrate to hold the frame and pay attention to what’s going on, particularly the studs.”

“The other thing about him is that the percentage of show horses he puts on the ground is amazing,” adds Bick, who has advised clients to breed to Sundance Kid V. “It’s not like, say, he puts 10 or 12 on the ground and four or five are show-able. The whole group is show-able. We rarely get one that isn’t a show horse, and

it’s the same thing with the outside people who breed to him; they all get show horses. It’s just a consistent quality about him. I’ve never sent anyone to breed to that horse

that was disappointed in what they got.”

Bill Buglass, who with his wife, Tracy, owns Windy Gap Arabians in Deerfield, Wis., would agree. “Our belief is that the Arabian horse needs to be beautiful—needs to look like an Arabian—and be athletic,” he says. “When we got started breeding, that’s what we saw in Sundance Kid V.”

And that is what Sundance Kid delivered for them. “I think every baby we’ve had by him has gone on to be top ten or better at U.S. Nationals and other places, as either a hunt horse or a western horse,” Buglass reports. WGA Rose Dancer, 2014 Canadian National Champion in Hunter Pleasure Junior Horse and U.S. National Reserve Champion

in the Hunter Pleasure Maturity the year before, and Coldplay Kid, who won two U.S. National Reserve Championships and a host of top tens, come to mind readily—and recently, WGA Very Sunny, U.S. National Top Ten in the 2014 Western Pleasure Futurity. There have been others as well, including their first Sundance foal, a mare they retained as a broodmare. She consistently produces youngsters that sell well and go on to successful show careers.

“We’ve been very fortunate,” Buglass says. “Frank and Sara and Melissa are a pleasure to deal with, and we happen to think alike in what we like in horses.”

Palmetto Arabians And The Sundance Kid V Phenomenon Champion and Reserve

Honors for Sundance Kid V sons, Zefyr and Onyx A, in the 2014 U.S. National Western Pleasure Championships.

Two additional Top Tenhonors went to MaleahMaria and Sunstormm,leaving Sundance theproud sire of almost half of the Top Ten.

~ Ted Carson

~ Rob Bick

“In today’s culture of training, the horses that really step forward are the ones that train the best and are physically able.”

“the percentage of show horses he puts on the ground is amazing. It’s not like, say, he puts 10 or 12 on the ground and four or five are show-able.

The whole group is show-able.”

What Works—The HeritageSundance Kid V did not rise to prominence on his own. What is being seen today is a combination of two factors: the depth and quality of his pedigree, which was designed by Sheila Varian and resulted in an individual with all the attributes to breed on, and the careful career guidance of Frank and Sara Chisholm.

The pedigree comes first. In his sire line, Sundance Kid V traces to Varian’s first great stallion Bay-Abi, and in his tail female to one of the program’s foundation mares, *Bachantka. In between are some of Varian’s most legendary names: Bay El Bey, Huckleberry Bey, Desperado V, Baychatka, Moska, Spinning Song, and Sweet Inspiration V, among others—all proven contributors. There is almost no one in the framework of bloodlines that has not produced at the highest level, usually time after time, and the introduction of Ali Jamaal as a broodmare sire adds a dash of the exotic.

“Rob has pounded into us over the years that there are certain lines that are pretty predictable,” Frank Chisholm chuckles when explaining their attraction to the pedigree. “There are certain lines, certain ways to breed that give you athletic, good minded horses.”

So, why would Varian sell a young sire with all that potential? Because, as Frank argued when he made an offer, Sundance Kid V so thoroughly represented her lines, wasn’t she limited in who she could breed him to among her mares? Sheila, who did not really want to part with the black stallion, could see the reasoning. And, she would add, the Chisholms themselves factored into her decision as well. Over the years that they had purchased horses from her, she had come to know them and seen them grow as breeders; she was comfortable with what they wanted to do, and felt she

could trust them with Sundance Kid V. He came to Palmetto in 2003 and

has been building his reputation ever since.

Rob Bick notes that the stallion, in the tradition of the sires in his line, has used all the qualities he inherited but defined them his own way. “Sundance is unique,” he says, “and he stamps the babies we get with

his own look.”

He tries to explain the evolution of individuality in the line. “Sundance Kid’s grandsire, Huckleberry Bey, was a great horse and in his time had one of the higher-set necks we saw in the breed,” he says. “He was a saddle seat style horse, and he went on to sire that through Afire Bey V in the English division. This horse is a little different. The Huck influence, as you see it in Desperado V, puts on more of a western style body (and so do some of the Polish horses, like Dar, that you see in his pedigree). So, even though he’s just turned out every day, not worked, Sundance has muscles in his rear

end that look like a Quarter Horse that has been working every day. That’s just how he’s built.”

Bick finally just shrugs to express his appreciation for the stallion. “Caralyn and I are extremely grateful to Frank and Sara for sending us these nice horses,” he smiles. “They’re a great boost to the program at RBC.”

What Works—The BreedersFrank and Sara Chisholm bring a unique combination of experience to the Palmetto program. Sara grew up with more hands-on horse experience; as a kid, she was an avid barrel racer in other breeds. Later, when she and Frank decided to get riding horses as a hobby, it was she who gravitated to Arabians. Her Half-Arabian, “Charlie,” was the magnet which drew Frank in.

Frank, on the other hand, led the way into breeding. He grew up wanting to be a breeder. In the beginning, however, horses were not in the cards for him; through his childhood and teenage years, tropical fish and racing pigeons fit his budget better, but he learned early on the principles that govern selective mating. By the time he became a success in racing pigeons, he had learned not only how to breed winning birds from other people’s castoffs, but also how to socialize and train them to augment their performance enough to win prizes.

When they established Palmetto, Frank and Sara say, they might have ridden a lot, but they had quite a bit to learn about breeding. From day one, they set out to get educated; they made their mistakes, Frank nods, but after a while, they saw progress. The

PA Kid KhanSundance Kid V x Kharrea PGA

~ Sheila Varian

“I’m very proud of Frank and Sara for being such thoughtful, conscientious breeders of really good Arabian horses. I could see that they were not always breeding to sell the first generation, and that is an indication that they are breeders—they have a major interest in long term goals, rather than just marketing. I think without a doubt you can consider Frank and Sara Chisholm wise breeders and an asset to the Arabian breed.”

~ Bill Buglass

“Our belief is that the Arabian horse needs to be beautiful—needs to look like an Arabian—and be athletic. When we got started breeding, that’s what we saw in Sundance Kid V.”

truth—and one of the keys to their success, friends say—is that they never forgot that they didn’t know everything. In the 16 years they have had Palmetto, they have never stopped learning and trying to improve, and the strong program they have today has been the reward.

One of the techniques Frank Chisholm mastered in his fish and pigeon breeding was to form relationships with people whose background and knowledge was clear. In addition to Varian, one of their most helpful mentors has been Rob Bick, who, he says, “can look at every horse in a pedigree and tell you everything they did and what they were like.” Add that to their own studies, and the Chisholms navigated the initial learning curve quickly.

“Sundance Kid V was one of their first major purchases,” notes Ted Carson, “and yet they’ve been able to breed in the same sense of leadership as what Sheila has been doing for so many years. They’re very quick learners, they pay attention to people who know about horses, and they take note of what they see—and that’s not easy to do, no matter what you spend or what horse you buy. To have that much success so quickly is a lot of credit to them.”

Sheila Varian goes straight to the heart of the matter. “As Frank and Sara and I became friends, I could see that they were breeding some fine horses,” she says. “They are probably the sharpest couple I’ve ever had anything to do with when it comes to learning about breeding horses. They’re astute—real students. They don’t ask a thousand questions; they do their homework, and sometimes they are more quiet than verbal. But I always know they’re listening and learning, and I find them fun to talk to about breeding.

“I’m very proud of Frank and Sara for being such thoughtful, conscientious breeders of really good Arabian horses,” she continues. “I could see that they were not always breeding to sell the first generation, and that is an indication that they are

Pictured Top to Bottom:

Multi-National Champion Zefyr++/, owned by Equidont Arabians2014 U.S. National Champion Western Pleasure Open

Multi-National Champion Ladys Dance+/, owned by Becker Stables2014 U.S. National Champion Hunter Pleasure Open

PA Monaco Kid, owned by Lee Cary2014 U.S. National Reserve Champion

Country Pleasure AAOTR Maturity

Multi-National Champion Onyx A, owned by Avonlea Arabians2014 U.S. National Reserve Champion Western Pleasure Open

Multi-National Champion Agracie Girl V++++//, owned by Rancho Soñado2014 U.S. National Champion English Trail AAOTR

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lsa 2

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breeders—they have a major interest in long term goals, rather than just marketing. I think without a doubt you can consider Frank and Sara Chisholm wise breeders and an asset to the Arabian breed.”

What Works—Palmetto, The Breeding ProgramBoth Frank and Sara rode western in their youth, so it was natural that the focus at Palmetto became western and hunter. But some of the reason also was simple practicality. “We felt like we don’t have a huge gene pool in the Arabian breed right now,” Frank says, and adds that when they got in, Afire Bey V was already writing the story in the English divisions. “There seemed to be more possibilities in western and hunter, and they were natural for an Arabian to do. It looked like we would have more flexibility to try different things.”

Although their concentration is on performance, they do not neglect type. It is an inherent part of the equation for success, and they enjoy seeing some of their foals compete in halter. “It is something we play with when they’re young, and then their job is to get under saddle and do something,” Frank explains. “They can win at the regional level and some of the futurities. We love halter, but we’re not trying to play in the big leagues there. We’re trying to breed a beautiful, athletic horse, but not the exotic look it takes in halter now.”

The Palmetto stallion roster includes not only Sundance Kid V, but also, for outcross, Always A Jullyen V, by Jullyen El Jamaal, and SF Sir Real, a son of Sir Fames HBV, from a Versace daughter. Six-year-old PA Kid Khan, out of a Khadraj NA mare, is the heir apparent to Sundance Kid V; he offers what has been called a slightly more modern twist on his sire, while still retaining his quality. And the new kid on the block is another Sundance Kid V colt, PA Phoenix Kid, who at age 2 will be bred lightly this year to evaluate his potential.

“It’s not all pedigree,” Frank explains of how they selected the stallions. “It’s how the horse ‘hits’ you too. Sundance did that to

me, as Always A Jullyen V did; when we saw Always A Jullyen at Scottsdale, Andy Sellman was showing him in the yearling class, and right away, he was the one we wanted to see when we went to Sheila’s the next summer. Now, Kid Khan hits me that way too. He comes out and you say, ‘oh, my God.’ He’s 16.1 hands and he’s a magnificent, striking animal. We have only two foal crops, three or four babies in each one, but he’s done an excellent job so far and we have high hopes for him as a replacement for Sundance.

“When we were looking at Sir Real, we were looking for a pedigree that had the ability to produce beautiful saddle horses in every cross in its pedigree,” he continues. “He was the best fit we found. It’s the same with Always A Jullyen; he came out of Amazing Grace V, who produced Stan White’s stallion, Amazing Fame V, that won a couple of national championships. And Jullyen El Jamaal has done an excellent job in the western class.”

On an annual basis, the most important decisions in the program now are which mares to cross with which stallions, a project which inhales afternoons of discussion between Frank, Sara and Palmetto Breeding Manager Melissa Bradshaw. Bradshaw, a graduate of North Carolina State in Equine Science who has studied at Colorado State and Ohio State, provides a valuable third perspective in the process. “All three of us name the foals, too,” Frank says of the teamwork. “But mostly that’s Sara and Melissa, although I have veto power.” He pauses for a moment, grins, and revises the comment. “Well, I can veto Melissa’s choices, but probably not Sara’s. I live with her!”

The Breeder’s Focus—The FutureIt is not lost on Frank and Sara Chisholm that with Sundance Kid V turning 20 this year, identifying an heir is no longer a theoretical goal for the future. It has been on their radar for the past few years, but following the stallion who put Palmetto on the map is no easy task. By November, after U.S. Nationals 2014, Sundance Kid V had become so respected in western and hunter circles that there were no 3-year-old prospects left at the farm to show buyers.

“The scary thing—and the exciting thing—for me is what we do to go forward,” Frank says, and he marvels. “Looking back, it seems like Sundance was pretty easy for us.”

Still, he can’t keep the excitement out of his voice (a feat in itself, as Frank Chisholm is, on the whole, laid back and quiet-spoken) when he considers the next few years of testing PA Kid Khan and PA Phoenix Kid. Kid Khan was fourth in the U.S. National Western Pleasure Junior Horse class last year, and at 6, has two foal crops on the ground. And Phoenix, a grandson of Marwan Al

Sundance Kid V pictured at 20 years young with Frank and Sara Chisholm and Palmetto Arabians’ breeding manager Melissa Bradshaw.

~ Frank Chisholm

There is no quick gratification in breeding. It’s looking at what you think will work in how the horses are going to cross, and having the patience and resolve to see it through.

Shaqab through his dam, also appears to have potential; already experimentation in crossing Marwan mares to both Sundance and Kid Khan has yielded promising results. “The babies are so young they’re not under saddle yet,” Frank cautions, “but we’ll see.

“There is no quick gratification in breeding,” he reflects, sounding every inch the breeder Varian and others believe he and Sara are. “It’s looking at what you think will work in how the horses are going to cross, and having the patience and resolve to see it through. It’s not like in halter; you don’t have a baby that when it hits the ground you know will be a national champion. In western pleasure, you don’t find that out for four or five years.”

So, what is on the horizon in the immediate future? Rob Bick is high on PA Kid Khan, his partner in junior western pleasure last year. “He probably has spent more time breeding in the last two years than he has training,” Bick says, “and yet, he’s simple to train. We’d breed him, throw him right on the trailer to go to the show next to other horses, stable him next to a horse he’s never seen in his life, and have no trouble. He just warms up, goes to the ring and shows. He has the perfect attitude—you couldn’t ask for a better-minded horse than he is, and he’s beautiful. That’s the kind of horse you get from Sundance Kid V.”

Ted Carson is equally approving of PA Phoenix Kid. “He is one of the nicest Sundance Kid horses ever born,” he says. “What I love about him is that his quality is good enough for the halter or performance arena, and construction wise, he just fits the bill. He is such a soft creature, besides having the quality. I think he has a lot of future.

“I think what you’ll see is the next generation of stallions come through for the hunter and western divisions, and it’s going to be Sundance sons,” he continues. “You can kind of see it happening already.”

And Frank and Sara Chisholm? “We know Sundance is a proven entity, and Always A Jullyen V has done really well in the hunter classes,” Frank says. “But breeding is something you never sit still with. It is always ‘what’s the next step?’ We’ve had a lot of discussions with Rob and Sheila about that, and we’ve picked what we’re going to try for our next steps. The question is, ‘can they be close to as effective as Sundance has been?’ That’s the big question going forward. And that’s actually what makes it fun.” n

“But breeding is something you never sit still with. It is always ‘what’s the next step?’ We’ve had a lot of discussions with Rob and Sheila about that, and we’ve picked what we’re going to try for our next steps. The question is, ‘can they be close to as effective as Sundance has been?’ That’s the big question going forward.

And that’s actually what makes it fun.”

~ Frank Chisholm

Contact breeding manager Melissa Bradshaw at 843.346.5874 • palmettoarabians@aol.com

SF Sir RealBy Sir Fames HBVOut of Veronica GA

SF

PA Kid KhanBy Sundance Kid VOut of Kharrea PGA

PA Phoenix KidBy Sundance Kid V

Out of Pamila

Always A Jullyen VBy Jullyen El Jamaal

Out of Amazing Grace V

Sundance Kid VBy Desperado V

Out of Sweet Shalimar V

Proudly owned by Frank & Sara Chisholm • 4506 Langston Road, Timmonsvil le, SC 29161