Category Archives: History

SW Update – Our start and our history!

SW Future Foal Fidalgo do Summerwind

SW Future Foals started up in 2011,  but our history with Mangalarga Marchadors goes back many years.   We bought our first Mangalarga Marchador in 2001 and started a business, Summerwind Marchadors in 2004, importing and breeding these magnificent animals.

But, more stringent C-Elisa testing made importing more difficult and costly, and we found that it was difficult for us to part with our wonderful foals after we got to know them!  So, in 2006, we became a private ranch, although we still dedicated huge efforts toward promoting the breed and working on importing frozen semen and frozen embryos from Brazil.   It has been a 4 year effort, but in April 2011, we were successful in bringing in frozen semen from 3 superb Mangalarga Marchador stallions!

Please join us in our new venture to introduce a magnificent and unspoiled breed, but if you want to know our past, you can read our story here.

the importers.summerwind

Lynn Kelley, early morning ride during a Brazil buying trip

SW Update – The Brazilian semen arrives!

Four years of effort – numerous trips to Brazil!

You may think in these days of AI and technology breeding, even cloning of animals, that this would have been easier.

However, in Brazil, each breed has its own rules, regulations and approvals required by the breed association and the Ministry of Agriculture.  For the Mangalarga Marchador, the Association did not allow breedings using frozen semen.   Their rules had to be changed.  Then the Ministry of Agriculture and the ABCCMM needed to work together to set up the guidelines for semen and embryo exportation.

Finally, the rules were changed in 2009.  In 2010, the Ministry of Agriculture approved a few equine reproduction centers as export centers for the Mangalarga Marchador.  When we met with breeders, the response for exportation was lukewarm.  They did not need to collect or freeze semen for their own use – it was an inconvenience.  The North American market was tiny, with only 200 horses, perhaps 80 breedable mares.   (The Brazilians do not believe in crossing out to other breeds – their passion is the Mangalarga Marchador!)

The Maripa Stallions

Then, over the internet, we meet Sophia and Marcelo Oliveira Baptista, from Agro Maripa.  We imported one of their mares, Azenha de Maripa in 2004.  Mr. Marcelo graciously agrees to be the PIONEER – to collect and ship frozen semen to us.

In 2010, the shipment is ready and sent to the U.S.  We were so excited, but that first effort fell short.  A paperwork error caused the USDA in Tennessee to deny entry to the U.S.  The semen tank had to be returned to Brazil.  With time clocks ticking, the liquid nitrogen charge did not last and the shipment was destroyed at the airport.

Miracles do happen!  Mr. Marcelo wanted to collect and ship again!  At 12 noon on April 12th, we met the FEDEX truck at Scottsdale Equine Reproductive Center!   And our new dream became reality!

John and Lynn Kelley meet the FedEx truck for the precious cargo!

Three stallions were exported in this historic package:   Oma de Maripa, Tiziu de Maripa and Ximoio de Maripa.  They are shown in our stallion pages.  Great representatives of the Mangalarga Marchador breed and reproducers in Brazil and now here in the U.S!

 

 

 

SW Update – Chanel de Miami 1996-2011

 

 

 

 

Chanel de Miami, pure Herdade bloodlines! The smoothest horse we ever rode.

In memory of our special Chanel:  She didn’t have enough time on earth, but we were happy to have shared it with her. Pure Herdade bloodlines, super beautiful, sweet and smooth. We will miss you until we die.

 

Chanel was a FOUNDATION Mangalarga Marchador mare, probably with the best picada gait we have ever ridden. The daughter of a champion Calciolandia mare, Verbena owned by the Guerra family. Other Verbena offspring were Folha da Calciolandia, MT, Batuque de Miami, CA and Feitico de Miami, FL. All were wonderfully smooth gaited horses. 

Chanel passed on her beauty and smooth gait to all her foals. Two remain with us now: John’s riding horse, Artemis do Summerwind and Enya do Summerwind, her orphan foal who we will keep. Caesar do Summerwind is in CA with Marli Wood and Destiny do Summerwind is in TX with Gayle Hamilton.

Enya do Summerwind carries on the regal lineage. Pictured with admirer Audrey Everson.

It is a great loss to us and also for the US Marchadors to lose such a good breeding mare. Her 2 daughters will carry on the Herdade genes.