It’s a joy and a pleasure to be associated with David Boggs and his Team Midwest. We’re really delighted that David asked us to share our story, even though at first we wondered what we might say that would inspire others as David was so sure we could do.
Since we’ve only been involved with Arabian horses since 1999, we didn’t think we had too much of a story to tell. But the questions David posed and the encouragement he gave, helped us to see that in fact we do have something of a story to tell.
So, here it is, our story. We’re Greg and Veronica Cowdrey and our daughters, Sheridan, 12 and Adriana, 7. Greg, who was born and raised in the ranching community of Dillon, Montana, has always been an outdoors man enjoying every kind of sport from skiing to team events. He left the Big Sky country to attend Arizona State University and ended up staying to make a life in this beautiful desert.
I (Veronica) was born in Quito, Ecuador to a military family. My father was an Air Force General and my mother was a teacher. I lost my father when I was just seven years old, a loss that caused severe life changes including a move with my mother and three sisters to Guayaquil. Following my high school graduation at 15, I decided I would seek further education and opportunity by adventuring to the United States. Today, that adventure (which I undertook alone) continues. I found what I was looking for here, including a wonderful husband and children.
Greg and I met via our mutual interest in early childhood education, an area in which I’m still involved, while Greg’s focus today is in the field of real estate.
So what drew us to Arabian horses, David asked. Greg had ponies when he was a boy. I was always fascinated with these beautiful animals, though they were out of my reach when I was a child. We wanted our daughters to enjoy the sort of experience Greg had, so we acquired Welch Ponies to start them riding and enjoying horses. Our interest in Arabians was sparked when we attended the Saguaro Classic Horse Show. That’s when I first said, “Let the passion begin!”
My husband’s family knew the long-time Arabian enthusiast/breeder, Kelly Meyers, also from Montana. When Kelly invited us to join him at a Midwest Arabian Horse presentation we jumped at the chance. Seeing Kelly’s Magnum Psyche son, Jaayd, meeting David and his head trainer, Sandro Pinha, was a far more exciting experience than we had expected. And before we knew it, we were hooked on Arabians.
Shortly thereafter, my husband bought the beautiful Arabian mare, Centinella (by Gondolier) as a birthday present for me. And the rest as they say, is history. One led to two and ultimately two has led to 40 Arabian horses in our Southwest Arabians herd!
As that herd expanded, we started looking for a facility that would comfortably accommodate the horses, and our family. We found a perfect spot just 20 minutes south of the Phoenix Metropolitan area with easy access to the City’s Sky Harbor Airport, as well as to the hub of Arabian horse activities in the Scottsdale area.
We’ve been extremely and uniquely fortunate with our Arabians and for this we’re grateful. We’re sometimes asked how it happens that people involved for such a short time have achieved successes that many long time enthusiasts still dream about. The answer to that question is that we started in the right place, with Midwest, and that we’ve valued and heeded the guidance of our mentors, David Boggs and Sandro Pinha, as well as other highly experienced breeders including David Gilligan, Polé Levy, Jaime Pineros, Luciano Cury, and Shelly Helms.
Through these exceptional people, we’ve learned which qualities are most valued in the Arabian horse and what lines most consistently produce these qualities. By paying close attention at horse shows and other breeding farms, we continue to develop our own preferences and to refine our breeding program through the careful acquisition of individuals carrying the phenotype and the genotype that will help us attain our goals. We favor the classical Arabian type . . . short heads, large, wide set eyes, long shapely necks and well balanced bodies. We also appreciate long legs and good overall size. For us the perfect horse has that special charisma that comes from both free, elegant movement and the beauty that is so intrinsic to the Arabian.
Our goals include the breeding and marketing of the best horses in our Country. For this purpose, Midwest is our choice for both acquisition and marketing. There is no other like this remarkable team! David asked us, how, as owners and breeders, we would like to be remembered within the Arabian horse community? Our answer . . . we would like to be remembered in the company of such great American breeders as Sheila Varian, Dan Gainey, Tom Chauncey, Dr. Eugene LaCroix . . . and, of course, the Boggs family!
In pursuit of these goals and dreams, we’ve collected a herd of the most beautiful and genotypically powerful mares available today. And we have been fortunate to acquire one of the most extraordinary young stallions in the breed, Maximuss! A son of the unparalleled Magnum Psyche, Maximuss was 2004 United States National Champion Futurity Colt . . . at the same event where his sire was National Champion Senior Stallion and his Paternal half-brother, Magnum Chall hvp, was National Champion Junior Stallion. Phenotypically, Maximuss is our perfect horse, excitement personified, with all of the qualities that matter most to us. But even beyond this, his genotype is fabulous. Out of a granddaughter of the magnificent *Padron, he carries the blood of
American foundation greats *Serafix and Raffon.
The true test of a stallion’s merit, no matter how beautiful he may be, is his success as a breeding sire. Maximuss, at just four years of age, is already following in the hoof prints of his incredible sire line . . . from *Padron, to Padron’s Psyche, to Magnum Psyche, and now Maximuss . . . a fourth generation in a truly rare heritage of greatness. The first foal crop by Maximuss exhibits amazing consistency in the attributes of huge eyes and nostrils, short heads, pronounced dishes, extreme refinement, long legs and free motion. His early performance as a breeding sire is beyond our wildest dreams! We can’t wait to see what he gives us all in the future.
Having collected some really fine mares, we started looking for the perfect stallion to compliment and bring out the best these mares had to offer. During our search, Shelly Helms sent us a video of Maximuss as a weanling. We were immediately mesmerized by his beauty, refinement and elegance, and amazed by the exceptional quality of such a young horse. Like most enthusiasts, one of our greatest hopes was to one day have a horse that could win a National Championship, but we were realistic, understanding from observation and from hearing the experiences of so many who had been involved with Arabian horses much longer than we had, that this achievement is VERY difficult. Still, we had a hunch that this one was destined for greatness. Today, not only in view of his accomplishments, but also because we’ve compared him to literally hundreds of colts, we know that Maximuss truly represents the finest the breed has to offer.
In our relatively brief love affair with the Arabian horse, we’ve enjoyed some wonderfully memorable experiences. THE defining event, however, was that moment when the U. S. National Championship Show Announcer told the world that our beautiful Maximuss had earned the title of United States National Champion Futurity Stallion! That pure joy continues for us. Every time we look at Maximuss or one of his fantastic foals, the triumph comes alive again.
Although we stand two other stallions at our farm in Arizona, Maximuss stands at Midwest. The reasons for this are many. Perhaps foremost is the fact that David Boggs and Team Midwest can help this great horse realize his full potential. Maximuss is a world class horse that deserves the kind of world class exposure he can have only at Midwest.
Beyond this factor, we know that our beloved boy receives the ultimate in care at Midwest. We love Judi Anderson, the most professional, considerate and caring breeding manager in the Country. It just doesn’t get any better for the stallion or for his owners than what we enjoy in this partnership with Midwest. Midwest has been and continues to be an absolutely essential key to our success in this Arabian horse breeding and showing endeavor.
Among the important things toward which David has guided us are the various futurities available for amateur enthusiasts. As amateur handlers ourselves, Greg and I especially appreciate prize money incentives like the Minnesota Medallion, Arizona Signature, and Iowa Gold Star programs. We believe that these programs are essential to the growth of the Arabian breed and the industry that surrounds it. We’re deeply grateful to David for steering us in this direction and to the dedicated people who founded and operate these programs. To show our support, we made the high stallion service bid at the Minnesota Medallion Stallion Auction in 2004, and all of our foals are entered in one or more of these futurities.
David asked us to close on a light note, sharing some of our funny experiences just before we offer a little tidbit of advice to neophyte participants in this wonderful world of the Arabian horse.
Having a horse farm there are so many funny moments . . . like the time a young stallion kicked Greg in a place he won’t soon forget, then escaped the stall with Greg in hot pursuit. He caught the horse only to have it kick him and escape again. It kind of doesn’t sound as funny as it was, I guess you had to be there.
Another time, I was cantering on a new horse at pretty high speed. At the barn, the horse turned, but I didn’t. I was deposited face first against the building where I slid down like a cartoon character . . . another slapstick moment you needed to see to get the full effect on the funny bone.
Another time at a horse show, Greg accidentally locked our trainer in the cabin of the horse trailer while he was changing clothes to show. Fifteen minutes later Greg went to change his own clothes and found our trainer . . . in a very bad mood!
So much for the sit-com element of our life with the horses. How about that advice?
Start slow. Do your homework . . . and keep your day job! (OK to laugh here!)
