Reyn Storm – Freshman sire of the year?

If there was such a  gong in Australia would it be awarded to “Stormy” for 2011? If you make your decision by using total Prize Money earned to date, the answer would be no.According to the website www.qhorses.com.au the leading “Freshman” sire in terms of prize money earned by its progeny at the time of writing, is Sophisticated Catt. Six of his progeny have earned a total of $100,233 for 2011 to date.  Reyn Storm is just under $13,000 behind with 10 of his progeny winning $87,609 in prize money.  This however does not include the recent results from the Victorian Futurity.

In this years 2011 NCHA Futurity of the 20 Finalists “Stormy” sired three horses, the same amount as the US based stud Sophisticated Catt.  In the Non Pro ranks there were six finalists by Reyn Storm far more than by any other stallion.

The name Reyn Storm appeared in the finalists list with just as much abundance at the Toowoomba, Goondiwindi and Victorian Futurities particularly in the non pro ranks. So with the final earnings from Victoria still not official and with another six months of the show season to go Reyn Storm is looking likely to bridge the gap between himself and Sophisticated Catt.

In Victoria in the Open Futurity, Reyn Storm progeny took home third and seventh place money with Sophisticated Catt adding sixth placed to his tally. Once again “Stormy” progeny dominated the Non Pro ranks taking first, second, third, sixth and seventh placings in the finals .

So what is it that makes these Reyn Storm horses so successful and popular? Phil Dawson rode “Stormy” in his Derby and Challenge years with enormous success, Phil says, “my futurity finalist was by “stormy”, and like others I’m very impressed. They look like their dad, move well and fit into many Pros and Non Pros programme. Reyn Storm himself was a very good individual, he’s well bred but despite this you are never really sure if their offspring are going to do the same, but obviously with “Stormy” early indications are that he is going to produce”.

Aaron Wheatley describes them as big stopping, “they have a good thought process when working a cow, the way they read a cow is very good.” So now its just a matter of keeping an eye on the show results until the end of the show season to see whether Reyn Storm progeny can bridge the enormous prize money gap created by the $76,000 earned by Ducks Dux at this years Futurity.