by Matthew Lomon

Being in the breeding industry for some 15 years, Icy Stable owners Jim and Kim Laird always look forward to sharing a piece of their family business with buyers across North America.

Over the past few years, the Standardbred Horse Sales Company yearling auction in Harrisburg, PA has become a regular stop for the London, ON-based duo.

“This will be our fourth year at Harrisburg,” said Jim Laird. “We always look forward to the facility, the people, the connections we’ve met, and broadly speaking, the overall environment.”

Together, the husband-and-wife team have produced several successful talents, namely Cant Stop Lou and Full of Muscles.

Their seven-horse catalogue for this year’s edition of the Harrisburg sale features several high-pedigree sires, including Sweet Lou, Tall Dark Stranger, and Muscle Mass.

“We have a small select group of horses, Canadian and American, but it’s a great group and it’s one that people are looking for,” said Laird. “In particular, [we have yearlings by] Sweet Lou [Hip #125 Cant Sweet Talk Me], Tall Dark Stranger [Hip #161 Strange Addiction], and our Canadian-breds, Bettor’s Delight [Hip #116 Bettorseetheshow] and Muscle Mass [Hip #382 Muscle Spasm].”

Having already built a strong connection with the Sweet Lou bloodline, Laird spoke volumes about Cant Sweet Talk Me and his intriguing mix of size and potential.

“Cant Sweet Talk Me, the Sweet Lou spawn, is a big colt and he looks the part, as well. There’s speed in the family. His siblings are a full-brother to Fortify and full-brother to Can’t Stop Lou.”

Rounding out Icy Stable’s collection is Captain Crunch—Way Bettor colt Crispy Crunch [Hip #93], Captaintreacherous—Double A Mint colt Doubledowncaptain [Hip #143], and Green Manalishi S—Pretty Phylly G filly Monalishi [Hip #643].

Getting their yearlings prepped and ready for the Monday (Nov. 6) opening day of the sale certainly wouldn’t have been possible without the help of horse people from all kinds of backgrounds.

“To get these horses to the sale, and I don’t think a lot of people outside the industry may know this, but it takes a lot of teamwork and organization from so many people,” said Laird. “It’s the people we get our hay from, the farrier, the feed guy, the veterinarians, and then, of course, your team that gets them there. It’s a lot of work, energy, and time that goes into these individuals.”

That work, energy, and time has paid dividends for Icy Stable over the years, helping the farm overcome the natural uncertainties associated with the world of breeding and curate a strong reputation amongst buyers.

“The difficult part is breeding your horses and trying to pick the right sires. You’re looking at a crystal ball when you’re breeding because it’s about three years until you’re selling them” said Laird. “It’s difficult to predict what people want but we’ve had good luck, and we continue to breed our horses, pick the right mare and stallion, and hope it’s what people want.”