Markel Announces 2009 Freshman Sire Competition Winner & Resulting Donation to Central Kentucky Riding for Hope
by John Egan
~January 18, 2010~

The presentation of the halter of the 2009 Freshman Sire Champion, Offlee Wild, was made to John Gasper on Friday January 15 on what was a wonderful sunny afternoon at Darley Stud in Lexington. John, who is General Manager of Vinery Stud and based in Lexington, Kentucky, was the grand prize winner for the 2009 Markel Freshman Sire Competition.

In exchange for the generosity of allowing the halter to be the grand prize for the competition, it was my honor to present Katie LaMonica of Darley with a check for $1,000 made payable to Central Kentucky Riding for Hope (below). It is a charity in which Katie is actively involved as a member of the board of directors.

John Gasper, John Egan, and Katie LaMonica, with
Offlee Wild in the background with his groom

As part of the presentation and with great thanks to Michael Banahan and Charlie Boden of Darley, both John and myself got the opportunity to get up close and personal with the freshman sire champion and the 10-year-old dark bay certainly looked stunning with the sun on his back.

However, Offlee Wild was not alone in looking his best. The day of the presentation was also the last day of the Darley Open House and all the stallions were available for show.

Darley has already kindly agreed to be a part of the 2010 Markel Freshman Sire Competition and will be willing to donate the stallion halter should they manage to have back-to-back freshman sire champions. The three contenders that they have for 2010 — Bernardini, Henny Hughes and Rockport Harbor—were all available for inspection.

As Champion Three-Year-Old Male, and with a wonderful pedigree to boot, Bernardini has been very well supported at public auction and is expected to produce runners. Henny Hughes has also been well supported at sales and as a two-year-old was the winner of the Grade 2 Saratoga Special and was multiple Grade 1 placed, including second in the Breeders Cup Juvenile. Rockport Harbor was undefeated in four starts as a two-year-old, including two races in graded stakes company and may well produce precious runners.

Congratulations once more to John Gasper and many thanks again to Darley. For anyone interested in the wonderful work that Central Kentucky Riding for Hope does I would encourage you to visit www.ckrh.org.