OBS Conformation Study: First Dude yearlings
When I plan my “look list” for a Thoroughbred sale I like to target certain sires. It’s nice to know what stallions are very prepotent and “stamp” their offspring, and which ones let the dam have more influence. Such conclusions, are best made from a large sample – seeing only two yearlings is not likely to be representative of what that stallion produces. Seeing twenty, though? That’s more like it.
My target sire for this OBS sale was First Dude (Stephen Got Even – Run Sarah Run, by Smart Strike). First Dude stands at Double Diamond Farm in Ocala; his first crop is now 2-years-old, so it’s still quite early in his stud career. However, he has been well-supported by local breeders and has a significant number of foals on the ground. I saw a good number of them last year, this spring at the 2-year-old sales, and there were many of them in this August yearling sale.
First Dude. Photo by Serita Hult, via Double Diamond Farm.
First Dude hails from the A.P. Indy sireline, which is what originally sparked my interest. Physically, he looks like a nice horse himself. He is big boned, with a classic A.P. Indy front end and strong hindquarter. His neck is well-set, coming high out of a nice sloping shoulder. He looks proportionate, with a strong back and good angles in his hind end. I like his balance it looks like he should be able to lift his forehand up and out of the way. His limbs look pretty good, with proper pastern angles. He has a plain head but that’s not going to be performance-limiting!
I was able to view and photograph 15 different First Dude yearlings at the OBS sale. Here my thoughts:
8 were grade A
5 were grade B
2 were grade C
[Grading system]
Almost all of them were “big” or “good size” with good bone. Most of them showed a nice neck, great shoulder, and nice hip, with good balance. About half of them were correct up front, the rest had a slight deviation, most commonly toe-out left front. Other faults to watch for are upright hind pasterns, an occasional weak hind leg, and possible calf-knees (on three of them). Without seeing the dams, it’s difficult to pin specific faults on the stallion or the mare, but it is important to note the defects and be aware of the possibility.
Oh, and one more thing: a LOT of them inherited his big, plain, roman-nosed head!
Here are specific examples:
Hip 17 First Dude – Evil Envy
My notes: “Attractive. Big ears. Big, fancy filly. Leggy. Great shoulder, awesome neck. Nice hip. Scopey, stands over a lot of ground. Good walk, slight toe in LF. Grade: A”
This filly was one of my favourites in the sale. I just love her balance and racy, athletic look. She’s a little butt-high now, but she does not give the appearance of being downhill, thanks to her great shoulder and neck. To be picky, she may be a little tied in below the knee, and the photo makes her hock look a little straight (I didn’t notice this in person). Still, I just love her.
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Hip 96 First Dude – Poseida (CHI)
My notes: “Attractive and flashy. Good size, good bone. Good neck, nice shoulder, nice hip. Well balanced. Good walk, correct. Lots to like. Grade: A”
This colt was another stunning individual. It doesn’t come off in the photo, but this guy had a lot of presence. He has great balance; his strong hindquarters were well-matched by his great shoulder up front. He had really good bone without seeming clunky.
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Hip 105 First Dude – Rahy’s Wish
My notes: “Attractive, FD (First Dude) head. Big, good size. Great neck, great hip. Slightly low shoulder but being picky. Calf-kneed. Big walk, slightly out LF not bad. Grade: A-/B+”
This filly had the exact same hindquarter as the colt, Hip 96. Identical angles and appears very powerful. Her front end isn’t quite as nice as his: her shoulder is a little bit lower, but it still has decent slope. Her glaring fault is her calf-knees (back at the knee). Notice she has a big, plain, common head.
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Hip 209 First Dude – Chancey Light
My notes: “Attractive, FD head. Good size, growthy. Decent neck, good shoulder, good hip. Nice proportions, good length of leg. Slightly upright behind. Epiphysitis left knee. Meh walk, toe out RF. Grade: B+ “
This colt had a great body, the same nice neck, great shoulder, and strong hip showing good balance as the others. However, I had some reservations about his legs and his walk was not impressive, so he graded a little lower.
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Hip 320 First Dude – Grazettes Muchacha
My notes: “Plain, FD head. Good size, growthy. Nice neck, good shoulder, good hip. Nice balance. Good legs. Average walk, very correct. Looks very Irish. Grade: A-”
Now this is a great photo of the typical “First Dude” head. Still, once you get beyond his rather common appearance, there is a lot to like about this colt. His shows that same great body as the other First Dude yearlings, with good size and room to grow.
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Hip 386 First Dude – Keep On Burnin
My notes: “Average. Smallish for January but ok size, good bone. Ok shoulder, ok hip, shortish neck. Butt high. Weak hock. Decent walk, toe in LF. Grade: C”
Here’s a filly that wasn’t quite as typical of the First Dude stamp. She was smaller than the others and didn’t share the same great balance as seen above. Her front end is mostly okay, but I really didn’t like the straightness through her hock and the weak appearance there.
After looking at these horses, do you see their sire in them? Do you agree that First Dude is pretty good at stamping his foals?
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