From Cala to Reining: The Inside Scoop on What Makes a Successful Breeding Program

If you have an interest in breeding, bloodlines, or business, you won’t want to miss this episode. The Cowboys meet up with Aldo Ramon of Rancho El Fortin to talk about the history and future of the horse breeding business.

Rancho El Fortin and Caballos La Paloma are multinational breeding ranches operated by an industrious and determined family. Managing a diverse business that produces horses, cattle, wine, and olives, to name just a few, takes resolve and foresight. Becoming known for raising top quality horses in two events takes an eye for horses and a passion for bloodlines.

What we talk about:
– Evolution of the family business
– Cala and reining horses
– Operating in multiple markets
– Science of breeding
– Purse structure
– Horse prices

At the Cowboy Office Today:
Aldo Ramon
– Owner/operator of Caballos La Paloma
– Manager of Rancho El Fortin (family owned business)
– Owner of Ten Thirty, NRHA Futurity Champion

Rancho El Fortin was purchased by the Ramon family in 1988. This 70,000 acres deep in the mountain valley provides a wondrous backdrop for raising horses, Charolais cattle, wine, and olives. Aldo Ramon manages the horse breeding program and in 2016 began his own ranch, Caballos La Paloma. Balancing the responsibilities of both ranches is a big undertaking. Looking at the results of their breeding programs, it seems he’s the right man for the job.

Aldo credits our own Jody Brainard for introducing him to the reining world. In 1998 Jody and Roger Blackman did a clinic at Rancho El Fortin. Jody started a colt they called Gusto, and convinced them to put him into training. Jody believed he was good enough to make the top 10 at the AQHA World Show, and it turns out he was right. In fact, he made it look so simple that the family decided to stick with this easy game of reining. From there, it only took 25 years to win the NRHA Futurity with a horse named Ten Thirty.

But reining isn’t the only game in Mexico. In fact, the bigger draw for many is something called cala. What is cala? It can best be described as the sliding stop in reining, but not exactly. The goal of cala is to slide as far as possible, so you’ll see horses “skating” over the dirt rather than stopping deeply like we see in reining. It’s all about distance in cala.

Aldo balances the breeding program to include stallions and mares that favor the Mexican cala discipline or the US reining discipline. Some can cross over well between the two. But there is enough difference that it takes a certain eye to distinguish where the foals will best be suited.

Here’s a few business tips from the Cowboys’ discussion with Aldo:
– Know your market – especially with multinational and multisport interest
– Go back to basics – know your expenses and potential earnings for each market
– Keep an open mind – each horse has different strengths, even those bred the same
– Look to the future – sometimes you have to pay to play the game
– Take care of your clients – they’ll remember if you take advantage of them

The science of breeding has changed quickly. From live cover to frozen semen, embryo transfers to cloning, the future of breeding is likely to continue evolving. Horses and genetics will change regardless of where you stand on controversial practices. The real key to a successful breeding program will still be choosing the right sires and the right dams resulting in offspring that meet the needs of the sport.

RESOURCES:
Rancho El Fortin: ranchoelfortin.com, https://www.facebook.com/elfortinranch, https://www.instagram.com/ranchoelfortin/

Caballos La Paloma: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063510489349, https://www.instagram.com/caballos_la_paloma/

Production and marketing by ConsultMent.Agency (https://www.consultment.agency)

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