The Krymsun Kruzer
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By Brittany Bevis
“I’ve had studs for 30 years, and Kruzer is an exceptional horse. I really expect him to be the very best all-around sire for years to come.”
That’s quite high praise coming from stallion manager Mike Hay considering The Krymsun Kruzer’s breeding career is still in its relative infancy. At the age of ten, the striking bay stallion, by One Hot Krymsun and out of Pure N Passion, has three foal crops on the ground, and Hot Shot Hit, Gracious N Fabulous, and Her Irons Are Hot are just a few of the great mares expecting foals in 2015.
“His oldest foals are three years-old, and there are only 20,” Hay says. “After his big year, he was retired to stud and has been there ever since. It’s been real positive. We’ve bred 20 more mares every year that we’ve stood him. It’s been really consistent growth.”
The big year Hay refers to was 2009 when Kruzer was retired after winning a Congress Open All-Around Horse title and a World Show Super Horse title in the same show season. Even more impressive is the fact that Kruzer was shown for only two years and still able to achieve a high level of success in multiple disciplines like Pleasure Driving, Hunter Under Saddle, Hunter Hack, Working Hunter, Western Pleasure, Western Riding, and Performance Halter. It’s his versatility that owner Gerri Leigh Pratt is excited to see him pass along to the next generation.
“His foals are fabulous-minded,” Pratt says. “They’re some of the easiest horses people say they’ve ever trained. Since he’s a young stallion, the best is still yet to come when these foals get older. They also seem to be very versatile Trail and Western Riding horses, and they’re appearing to be great all-around prospects.”
Because Kruzer currently stands at Pilot Knob Quarter Horses in North Carolina, Pratt is able to visit frequently. She reports that he looks just as he did nearly five years ago when he was retired from the show pen, with the exception of a few extra pounds…
Hay laughs about the stallion he has come to know as a very easy-keeper. “Most stallions lose weight during the breeding season, but Kruzer doesn’t,” he says. “He’s fed consistently, but what I attribute it to is his good mind and demeanor. He never gets rattled, and he doesn’t worry about anything in his life.”
“I think that’s what sets him apart from other stallions. That’s what everybody keeps telling us from day one, from the first time they get on his foals, and the first time they take them to a horse show. They’re so accepting, and you just can’t scare them. They’re fearless, in a good way.”
While Pratt praises her sire for his versatility and easygoing nature, Hay comments on his overall eye-appeal and athletic conformation.
“His foals are very short-backed and strong-bodied,” he says. “Because he stands 16.1 hands, you might think he’d have more of a hunter build, but he has a Quarter Horse body. He has a lot of conformation with a big hip and great legs. The most noticeable thing about his foals is that they are big, mature-bodied horses.”
Looking ahead, both Hay and Pratt aim to keep breeding the type of horses their customers are proud to own.
“These days, we breed 75% shipped semen,” Hay says. “Most of the time, you don’t see people’s mares, and you don’t get to meet people in person. The most rewarding part of this, for us, is seeing people at some point later on and their stories are all the same. They say his foals have great minds, and they’re so easy to work with. That’s our goal; we want to keep breeding these foals that people are so happy with.”
Pratt echoes this sentiment. “It would be very cool to have another Super Horse, by a Super Horse, but I would like to see his foals excel at whatever event they’re good at. A great one is a great one, regardless of discipline.”
