The Whalen/Kail Family – Three Generations in the Industry

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170 – May/June, 2017

by Kristi Sanders

I’m a third generation horse trainer and judge,” Ryan Kail says proudly. Ryan is the grandson of Greg and Mary Whalen, industry icons who owned Blue RibbonFarm, what was formerly one of northern California’s premier Quarter Horse breeding operations. It was the site where their well-known Halter stallion Smooth Town stood for many years before the property was sold in 2014. Ryan is also the son of Bob and Debbie Kail, another trainer/judge couple with lasting power in the Quarter Horse industry.

The Whalen-Kail family dynasty began years ago with a young horseman named Greg Whalen, who was raised in San Jose, California. Mary showed horses, and that’s how she met Greg. They dated on and off for a few years and later married in 1955. “My grandparents were breeders, trainers, and showmen, and they were big in the Halter Horse industry,” Ryan says. “My grandpa is in the Hall of Fame for both AQHA and the Pacific Coast Quarter Horse Association.”

“Greg is 86 years old now, and he’s a recipient of the lifetime achievement award from AQHA,” says Bob Kail, Ryan’s father. “Greg Whalen is pretty well-known, as is Mary. They were huge breeders, and they won the AQHA High Point award numerous times.”

Some famous stallions that came out of the family’s ranch include Smooth Town, Page Impressive, and Mr Yella Fella. In fact, Bob won his first World Championship title in 1997 with Mr Yella Fella as a twoyear-old. “It was like a factory over there, and we had lots of horses to work on,” Bob says. He recalls that Mary was just as active in the breeding business as Greg. “She did all the breeding,” he says. “She was down there with the vet and foaled the mares.

Click here to read the complete article
170 – May/June, 2017