Its Time!

What an amazing journey Latin's Clock has lead us on!  We just foaled our first ever Thoroughbred (Filly by Blofeld).  We call her BB as her barn name and she is a beautiful little creature.  We never thought how much we had invested in this process, this baby animal, until she hit the ground and struggled to stand and nurse.  But she soon caught up to the length of her legs and challenges ahead.  Within the day, BB and LC are together, healthy and growing normally.  All is well, but the future is still uncertain.  Do we sell her?  How do you sell your dreams?  Raise to race? 
    The future is brighter than ever before and the opportunities have been many. . .

When one journey ends, Another begins

As one journey and life ended on the farm, God spoke and sent us an opportunity to begin a new journey.   Latin's Clock was offered to us for free by a local thoroughbred breeder due to lack of resources for her on their farm.  She was rescued by them from her owner in PA after they had passed away and now they needed a new home for her so they could have more room and resources for their current stock.
We've learned so much about her situation as she is in foal to Blofeld, a Maryland first year sire, and is confirmed with a filly due in Late February, early March.  She is a 6 time winner of 30 races earning over $72,000.  She was bred in CA and raced early on in her career in Northern California.  She continued her career in Pennsylvania racing for trainers Natalie Houle and Lucy Houle.
We look forward to her upcoming first foal for her and for us.  This will be our first Thoroughbred born at Racing Creek Farms.
In the future, she is under contract to breed with Perfect Soul (IRE) who stands at Darby Dan Farm in Lexington, Ky for $5,000.  We can't wait to see her '19 filly foal and the future '20 foal by PS.

The future is bright during this wet winter we are beginning!

Goodbye, Brandi

    November 5th saw one of the saddest moments on our farm as we said our goodbyes to Brandy (Brandi's Leo Lady).  Our goodbyes were messages of love and remembrance for all she had done to teach so many about riding, horsemanship, and most importantly, Love.
    It began as a cool fall in October set in and Brandi's health took a turn for the worse.  What began as a time to start feeding the horses, ended in Brandi falling and struggling to get up.  We were able to get her up and moving but after that she was never the same.  Within a week her health had plummeted and we worked frantically to do what we could to ease her pain and discomfort.  However, all we could do wasn't enough.  So we made plans to have her put to rest in her pasture here on the farm.  Friends and family gathered to say their goodbyes until next time.
We will always remember her and her love for her herd, her family, and friends.

As you go to greener pastures, may your hooves thunder through the sky. For I am with you always, and you with I.

I thank you, for guarding my secrets and teaching me things my parents or friends could not.
I thank you, for being the best listener in the world and teaching me to fly.
I thank you, for showing me how to face my fears and always reminding me to smile.
I thank you, for teaching me hard work and dedication pays off.
I thank you, for never giving up on me and trusting me always.
I thank you, for reminding me to dream and catching my tears as they fall.
I thank you, for watching over our family and any child who needed a dream.
I thank you, for your friendship and the memory you leave behind.

For I am always with you, and you with I.

Thank you, BRANDI'S LEO LADY

- Racing Creek Farms

RCF Logo

Goodbye, for now. . .

      Last week we said goodbye to Kleos.  Another family needed her more than we did and they had a great job for her as a teacher to young riders.  Her old soul and easy attitude were much more useful at Anita's friends farm in Ohio.  There, she will continue to be valued, loved and cared for.
     We will always miss her but glad to see she has a better job there than she did here.  I appreciate all the times she allowed me to learn how to groom, how to handle, lead, and lunge with her.  She was a beautiful horse with a beautiful story.  I am glad we were able to be a part of her journey and share that journey with so many other people in our community and on social media.  It was great to hear from her original owner, Donna Chuppe, and the stories they shared along the way.  She allowed us to take her Lexington and meet with Castleton Lyons stallion farm.  It was her leading us down a new road, trailblazing for us to learn and grow.  It was her who sacrificed her time for us.  She showed us what it meant to be brave in harsh conditions.  She was powerful and full of grace, yet subtle and soft spoken.  I know she will continue to change others' lives for the better.
   I'll always appreciate what she gave me and what she taught me.  I regret that I didn't spend more time with her.  She is certainly a special mark in my journey.
 

Our Love. . . .

Lifelong commitment is not what most people think it is😯. It's not waking up every morning to make breakfast and eat together🍳🥞🍽. It's not cuddling in bed until both of you fall asleep, peacefully, at night🛌. It's not a clean home filled with laughter and lovemaking, everyday💐. It's someone who steals all the covers (and snores!) 😳😴. It's slammed doors 🚪 and a few harsh words🤬🤬, at times. It’s stubbornly disagreeing 😡😠 and giving each other the silent treatment 😶 until your hearts heal💔💔...and, then...FORGIVENESS💙❤️! It’s coming home 🏠 to the same person👩‍❤️‍💋‍👩, everyday, that you know LOVES👩‍❤️‍👩and CARES about you in spite of (and because of) who you are. It's laughing🤪🤪 about the one time you accidentally did something stupid😜. It's about dirty laundry😝 and unmade beds 🛏WITHOUT finger pointing👉🏾👈🏽. It's about helping each other with the hard work of life! 🤝 It's about swallowing the nagging words instead of saying them out loud🤮🤢. It's about eating the easiest meal you can make and sitting down together at a late hour 🕛 to eat because you both had a crazy day 🙆🏻‍♀️🙆🏻‍♀️. It's when you have an emotional breakdown and your Love ❤️💙lays with you and holds you and tells you everything is going to be okay😍...and you BELIEVE them☺️☺️. It's about still loving someone even though, sometimes, they make you absolutely insane🤷🏻‍♀️🤷🏻‍♀️. Loving someone is not easy... sometimes it's extremely hard; but it's amazing and comforting and one of the BEST things you'll ever experience!😍💕 And most importantly cherish every moment as your whole world can change and come crashing down at any moment 😢.

I Love you! Kelly Marie Staley (Whitehouse)
Happy First Anniversary!! June 26tth, 2018

Inspiring words from Facebook.  

Kleos visits Lexington!

   

After all the challenges of the winter, the farm is finally seeing all the animals happy and healthy.  The pasture is coming in and the rabbits are almost full grown.  The chicks are outside in the chicken coop growing up rather quickly.  Its been a time a growth and recovery for all of us.
     However, for one it marks a huge milestone on our journey to our future story as farm owners and  horse breeders.  Kleos, our Thoroughbred Mare, made the trip to Lexington to connect with Justin Phillip a notable sire whose progeny have done well when bred to similar crosses of these pedigrees they both possess.  It was all made possible because of the work put in by so many.  Kelly had created many opportunities to get Kleos the proper care and grooming she needed.  Our friends and partners, Julie Moore and Jimmy Collier, supported us by providing transportation to and from the Breeding shed at Castleton Lyons farm.
    The short 1 hour drive created anxiety  in all of us. We didn't know what to expect.  How should we prepare?  What do we need to do?  How will she react?  Thoughts raced through our heads and not many a word was said along the way.  What happens when she has the foal?  What will we do? Will it be a  'Runner?   The time seemed to crawl by as our heads and hearts expanded for the upcoming moments we couldn't prepare for.
     As we arrived, our hearts fluttered.  it was an amazing site to see.  Castleton Lyons is a classic farm with many sights to be seen.  The rock wall paddock.  The Castleton Pillar in the distance.  The off white fencing surrounding the large pastures and paddocks.  Beautiful, green Kentucky Bluegrass shimmered everywhere we looked and the shade of the decades old Oaks surrounded much of the property.  Kleos had made it.

    The process was pretty quick and we didn't have much time to soak in all in.  Before you knew it, she had seen a teaser stallion, been prepped and ready to make it happen.  They brought in the teaser to jump her as well and she couldn't have done any better.  Soon, it was time to see her mate, the one we'd all been waiting for.  He came in and connected with little issue or concern.  And just like that she was ready to leave with what she had came for.
    Now time will only tell how momentous this trip was for her. For us. For our Farm and our future doing what we are passionate about.  We will be checking back in a couple weeks to confirm that she is in foal to Justin Phillip.  And then we can hurry up and wait some more to see when our dreams will come true. . .