David Heffering loves making hay while the sun shines
by Murray Brown
I’ve now been writing this column for near six and a half years. After the first year or so, I began kvetching that I was running out of people and topics to write about. It is now over 250 columns since those complaints began and yet, here I am still able to find numerous fresh subject matters to discuss.
I suppose that the fault lies with me and the fact that I’m rarely satisfied and am often in the mood to complain. Maybe that is why I am known as The Curmudgeon?
This all brings me to this week’s subject, David Heffering and his Tara Hills Stud. I asked myself how could I have gone this long without writing about the scion of one of Canada’s, and certainly at present, one of the world’s foremost breeding farms? How indeed?
Perhaps the time has never been so opportune? Let’s take a look at Tara Hills Stud.
They bred, raised, and sold as a yearling the leading favorite for both O’Brien and Dan Patch Horse of the Year, Beau Jangles.
They stand at stud the two leading trotting sires in Canada, Green Manalishi and Muscle Mass.
They also stand the sensational pacing sire Cattlewash, who along with Bulldog Hanover reigns supreme over all pacers in Ontario, and they rank among the best anywhere.
They also stand the trotter King Of The North, who made a huge splash with his yearlings at all the major sales this past year.
Not seemingly content with resting upon their laurels, in the last two years, they have added the trotters Kilmister and It’s Academic. Among their pacers, Abuckabett Hanover joins Control The Moment and Dancin Lou in the stud barn.
It’s beyond time that this interview took place. Tara Hills Stud has now been in business for 31 years. From its inception it has been among the leaders in Canada. What is the difference between when the farm was originally started and how it is constituted today?
“I suppose the major difference between then and now, would be in the people involved in its ownership. The difference in personalities between its founders, my dad Peter and myself. The major similarity which we shared was in our work ethic, which was to keep working as hard as we could, knowing that if we did our best, things would generally work out for the best.
“In almost all other areas, we are dissimilar. Peter was an outgoing person who was not adverse to spending big money, taking risks, and not being reluctant to letting his opinions be known. I, on the other hand, am far more conservative. I tend to be a watcher and a listener. I am generally quite content in staying in my own lane. Peter loved racing and owning racehorses. People who know me have sometimes described me as being a cross between Yosemite Sam and the Tasmanian Devil. It’s not a description with which I am prepared to disagree. I am quite content in breeding our own horses, in selling them as yearlings, and hopefully with great joy, see them develop into good racehorses and bring fortune to our customers who had the confidence in investing in them.”
That brings me to Beau Jangles. It can only happen at most once a year when a breeder is fortunate enough to breed and raise a horse that many feel will be both the recipient of Dan Patch and O’Brien Awards as Horse of the Year. Can you take us through from where he was foaled to when he was sold at Harrisburg, and his racing exploits this past season?
“I’d be somewhat remiss if I didn’t begin with before he was foaled and give credit to where it was due to Bruce Brinkerhoff our breeding advisor, good friend, and a voice of reason, who played a big part in our selecting his dam Mrs Major Hill to be bred to our new stallion acquisition Cattlewash.
“Actually, Bruce’s part in his coming to pass, goes well before that, since Bruce played a big part in the acquisition of the great Bunny Lake as a yearling, who is Mrs Major Hill’s granddam. In searching for broodmares, we are value shoppers. Our goals are quite simple. We seek to raise a good pedigreed, well conformed horse that will appeal to people looking to buy a quality yearling. We are hoping that both we and the customer have some fun and luck on their journey towards having a good racehorse.
“We bred her to Cattlewash mostly on the advice of Bruce and our farm manager Matt Harrison. Her first foal was this big strapping colt who we would be naming TH Bo Jangles, the TH of course is for Tara Hills which we affix to all of our yearling’s names.
“We don’t raise that many yearlings here at Tara Hills. Initially the intent was to have a stallion station. But it grew to the point where we both stand stallions and raise yearlings for the marketplace. The soon to be renamed Beau Jangles was raised in a field with a handful of other yearling colts. My wife Nora’s and my home looks out onto that field.
“Beau Jangles was quite noticeable in that group because he was its biggest member. He belonged in the group, playing and sometimes rough housing with the other colts. Otherwise, there wasn’t much that distinguished him from its other members. When we brought the yearlings in to prep them for the sale, we were quite pleased with Mrs Major Hill’s colt. He was big, strong, and quite correct. He also seemed to be quite intelligent and in possession of an amenable disposition.
“We then sent him off to Harrisburg where he was put in the care of David Reid and his excellent team at Preferred Equine Marketing. My understanding is that he was quite popular with those who looked at him. Our expectations for his sale were moderately high. At the time, Cattlewash was an unknown in Ontario. He was the first foal from a decent Art Major racemare who came from what we believe to be one of the sport’s best female families. Going in to the sale, I thought he might bring anywhere from a low of $30,000 to a high of $50,000. He ended up bringing $65,000, perhaps more than I thought he might bring. I was quite satisfied, even more so when I saw that he was going to be trained by Dr. Ian Moore, one of the world’s best horse trainers.
“All winter long, the training reports were encouraging. From his very first qualifier, a win in 1.54, with a last quarter in an amazing 26 seconds, the reports came to fruition. Horses just don’t do those things I thought – especially a 2-year-old in his very first lifetime start.
“Then of course he went through the season undefeated and seemingly unchallenged, taking a record of 1.48.3 and earning $1,227,326 USD. He is the kind of horse we breeders dream about raising.”
Note: David Reid of Preferred Equine Marketing was kind enough to share his views on the then TH Bo Jangles: “I first saw him when making my rounds evaluating yearlings in the spring of 2024. My first thought was that he was a very nice colt, but bigger than average for a yearling at that stage of his life. My only reservation was that perhaps he might become too big. I next saw him when he was presented to us off the truck at Harrisburg. He was what I hoped and envisioned him becoming, a lovely, big, and strong colt who I felt I could recommend to anybody without reservation.”
Let’s speak about your role at Tara Hills Stud.
“If I were asked to describe what I do, in simplistic terms I would say that I am a farmer.
“I’m in my happy place when sitting on a tractor making hay. We make hay from 500 acres here on the farm. This more than fulfills all of our needs for our own horses. We also sell a fair amount to outside clients. It has become a nice side business for us. Making our own hay assures us the best, consistent feed with which to raise our horses. In winter we are involved in snow clearing both on ours and others’ properties.
“I know my strengths and weaknesses. I’m good with the business end of things, client and stallion owner relations, and counseling on most non-horse related functions.
“I love the horses and know enough about them to get in trouble occasionally, but we have people here on the farm and some outside of it, who may be more knowledgeable about horses. Counting myself and my wife Nora there are nine of us working on the farm. Each in their own way contributes to any success we may achieve.
“They include:
“Matt Harrison: Our farm manager who is in charge of all the horses. He is on top of what is taking place at the farm and in the industry at large. He handles most of the reproductive work and advises with pedigrees – both ours and sometimes with those of our clients.
“Marissa Tinney: The stallion manager. She oversees and looks after all the boys. She brings a great resume to her position, having worked with all breeds of horses through her career. She keeps the stallions looking good and fit. She also helps with the mares and yearlings.
“Jennifer Down: Jennifer is our office manager. She runs the show in the office.
“Christine Caranci: She is our longest tenured employee. She has been with us almost ٣٠ years. She has done it all. Presently, she does the billing. But she has worked with the horses and has done foaling.
“Shannon Legault: She has done it all. Presently her main responsibility involves night foaling. She also helps with mares and yearlings.
“Justine Dean: Our most recent employee. She has many years of equine experience. She is another who is capable of doing anything asked of her.
“Steven Trevena: Our Jack of all trades regarding equipment, hay making, and keeping everything on the farm in working condition.
“Nora Heffering: My partner in business and life. She looks after the books and works as best as she is able to in keeping me in check.
“There are many others within the industry, especially our great clients and stallion partners to whom we owe so much. I’d be remiss in not mentioning Wilma Van Vaerenbergh of Harness Racing Update who has helped us with our advertising needs dating back to her days at The Canadian Sportsman.”
