Vancouver filly bred at Canada's Tod Mountain Thoroughbreds

Established in 1991 by owners Rae and Ron Fawcett, Tod Mountain Thoroughbreds wanted to breed and race good horses, as well as provide professional horse care and yearling preparation.

The pair have succeeded, judging by the trophies, awards, and memorabilia I observed in their Kamloops district home. In fact, in 2010 the Fawcetts were given the honour of Canadian Breeder of the Year.

"Over the past seven years we have been the leading BC breeder by earnings (of over $500,000) five times, so our horses have done very well," Rae said.

These horses include home-bred C U At Eau Clair a Champion BC Two-Year-Old Filly; and Dashing Daisy and Tempered Steel, both Champion Older Mares.

A memorable home-bred horse was an orphan who the Fawcetts raised.

"We named him My Son John, and he won his first race, then won a big stake at Hastings (Vancouver) and was nominated for Champion (BC) Two-Year-Old," Rae said.

"Another horse we raised was Albert Rocks; he was a good stakes winner, who wound up being sold to Japan as a stallion."

When Tod Mountain Thoroughbreds was at capacity (having more than 100 horses), the property also prided itself on yearling preparation offering youngsters at Canadian sales at Edmonton (Alberta), Hastings (near Vancouver, BC), and US sales at Washington State, and in Kentucky.

Thirty years on, the Fawcetts decided to decrease its numbers from 25 breeding mares to having three mares foal this season.

During my visit, while no stallions were in sight, there was a paddock of six yearling fillies and another paddock of three colts, amazingly one of them being by the Australian bred 2015 Golden Slipper winner Vancouver.

Belonging to the first American crop of the Coolmore Stud owned Medaglia d'Oro horse, the colt was produced by $100,000 earning Smart Strike mare, Resonating.

In time, the colt may land in the Vancouver Hastings Park stables of Christine Amman, a trainer the Fawcetts have used and found track success with their Tod Mountain bred horses.

Rae also believes that winter snow conditions are beneficial to their horses.

"They love the snow, and they grow wonderful winter coats," she said.

"There was a recent day here which was -25 degrees, and I looked outside and saw the yearlings running around, then rolling themselves in the snow, and then bucking and kicking and having a great time."

Rae stressed that all the horses have sheds with shavings in them and sometimes they go in and lie down."

Rae said the horses do need extra feed in winter.

"They always have free choice good quality alfalfa hay, as well as a pelleted mixture of extruded grains, vitamins and minerals twice daily, about six to eight pounds per day for a horse," she said.

In the warmer months, the horses get good meadow/grass hay.

Rae said they get good "report cards" back from the trainers.

"After the horses have wintered on our farm, they go down to the track to start training, with some trainers commenting that they are already ahead of their other horses by a couple of weeks because our horses have been outside exercising all the time, even in snow conditions," she said.

"We have had many horses return here for spells, as our clients love this situation.

"Over at the coast it is very wet and when it rains, horses stand around in the mud, and can develop soft foot problems.

"Here they are running on the ice ground, and develop good hardy feet and strong healthy bones - which our clients, and people who have purchased our horses - have commented on."

According to Rae, juveniles must have x-rays performed on their knees prior to being allowed to do any heavy galloping work at the track to ensure their growth plates are closed, which could be long before their first race start.

"Usually our two-year-olds are ready to go (when juvenile racing begins around late May), with few having their knees open," Rae said.

Rae believes if you have a fast mare you can breed to almost anything, and then you keep your fingers crossed.