Health Equals Success for Kerryarc Irish Wolfhounds

Showing Irish Wolfhounds is “not for the faint of heart,” as 15-year-old Chandler Collier-Tyler, of Kerryarc Irish Wolfhounds, puts it. And, one quickly begins to understand why when observing the dedication and commitment that the Tyler family puts into breeding and showing these magnificent dogs.

Longtime Platinum Performance clients, the Tyler Family, of Comanche, Calif., are veterans on the Irish Wolfhound show circuit. Their ranch, Kerryarc, is home to generations of champion Irish Wolfhounds that the Tylers have bred and shown.

Their latest achievement is proof of the success of their passion. At the end of May, their dog, Kerryarc Fast Cars, won the annual Irish Wolfhound Club of America National Specialty with Multiple National Specialty, Best in Hound Show and Hound Group. This was the second time Kerryarc Fast Cars won the national title, with the previous win in 2008. According to Collier-Tyler, the last Irish Wolfhound to win two national titles was nearly 30 years ago. “The thrill of a lifetime for a breeder is to win a national with a dog they bred, and even better, bred, owned and handled. We’ve been blessed to win it twice.”

The Irish Wolfhound’s exquisitely tall stature makes them one of the tallest dog breeds. Historically these dogs were used to hunt wolves and had to possess not only speed, but also endurance. They are often described as graceful with an easy yet powerful gait. An easygoing animal, they are usually quiet by nature.

“All of my siblings and I have been raised with the Wolfhounds,” said Collier-Tyler. “They’ve done some incredible things for us. We’ve met people from all walks of life, from all over the world. We’ve been able to travel all across the country and have had some incredible opportunities.”

The Tylers’ love for their dogs is ever-apparent and quite possibly unsurpassed with the care they receive. Collier-Tyler, her mom Mandy Tyler, and her 17-year-old brother Sam Collier, all show the dogs and take an active role in caring for them. “As breeders, being able to succeed with dogs that we bred through multiple generations of Kerryarc Irish Wolfhounds is our quintessential definition of winning,” said Collier-Tyler.

“Breeding, owning, and showing Irish Wolfhounds is not only our passion, it is our lifestyle. We put a tremendous amount of time into feeding, training, exercising and grooming every day,” said Collier-Tyler. “It’s essential as breeders of Kerryarc Irish Wolfhounds to monitor our dogs’ health and happiness on a daily and sometimes hourly basis.”

“Our big deal is health, health, health and happy puppies,” said Collier-Tyler. That’s why Platinum Performance is a crucial part of the Kerryarc program. Platinum is fed twice, daily to all Kerryarc dogs, which can include nearly 30 dogs, plus puppies. “From the time our puppies start to eat, they get Platinum. Even in gestation our puppies are receiving it. Platinum is essential for our Wolfhounds, but especially our puppies because of the fast rate they put on bone and their joints grow. We also notice when our puppies are teething, they stay up on their feet, and they are able to ‘rose’ their ears, which shows how strong their ligaments, tendons and cartilage are,” said Collier-Tyler. “They get the proper nutrients that Platinum offers. We see a difference in their brilliance, their overall appearance and general good health.”

Kerryarc dogs are bred primarily to produce future quality generations for the Kerryarc breeding and showing program. “As breeders, we emphasize keeping only the very best for our own program. We are incredibly careful of where our puppies go. We have a select few people who are fortunate enough to be able to have show puppies from us and breed with us. The balance of the puppies go into loving companion homes on limited registration and are never used for breeding. Having said that, from what we select to further our breeding program, approximately 98 percent are champions,” said Collier-Tyler.

“We attribute our success to a lot of hard work, dedication, team work, years of experience and staying true to the breed standard, making sure the Irish Wolfhound breed comes first,” said Collier-Tyler. “Breeding, raising, owning and showing Irish Wolfhounds is not for the faint of heart. Owning an Irish Wolfhound isn’t easy, although absolutely worth all the effort.”

To learn more about Kerryarc Irish Wolfhounds, visit www.kerryarcirishwolfhounds.com.

27-Year-Old Endurance Horse Named AERC 6000 Mile Horse

Longtime Platinum Performance client Mike Tracy, of Hollister, CA, recently accepted the American Endurance Ride Conference (AERC) 6000 Mile Horse award for his 27-year-old half-Arabian gelding, Aron Moon+//, at the annual AERC convention in Reno, NV.

It’s rare to see a horse in any discipline successfully compete beyond their teens, especially in endurance, but Tracy’s senior endurance horse, aka “Moon,” is still giving others a run for their money. “He still does 50-mile rides and competitive trail,” said Tracy. “He’s been very successful.”

The pair have compiled too many accomplishments to mention, including five national and 14 regional titles, the 2006 International Arabian Horse Association (IAHA) Distance Horse of the Year Award and the prestigious IAHA Legion of Excellence Award. “He’s been very successful and I’ve been blessed to have a horse this good,” said Tracy.

One part of Tracy’s program that he credits his success to is feeding his horse right, which includes Platinum. He received a bucket of Platinum as a prize 10 years ago when he and Moon won the National Competitive Trail Championship at Live Oak Camp in Santa Ynez and has continued feeding it ever since. “I got it and I liked it, so I kept buying it,” said Tracy. “I think you can help your equine athlete by how you feed them. Especially a horse that’s in competition, they need extra supplements. Obviously something I’m doing has to be helping him; it’s not like he’s just been sitting out in the pasture.”

A recent blood test performed on Moon proved that he is in top condition despite his age. His veterinarian was amazed at the results. “I wish my own results were as good as this horse’s,” said Dr. Roger Bruce of Ausaymas Veterinary Service in Hollister, California.

“He’s like a Timex, he takes a lickin’ and keeps on tickin’,” said Tracy.

Tracy bought Moon when he was only four years old and had success on him from the start. They’ve competed not only in endurance, but in ride and tie, competitive trail and triathalons. In 2007, he received the AERC Pard’ners Award, an award which honors horse and rider partners who engender a spirit of friendship, enthusiasm and championship. He’s earned six Tevis Cup buckles and has finished in the top ten 41 times.

The list of accomplishments goes on, proving that Tracy and Moon are truly a Platinum pair.

I figured it wouldn’t hurt to splash around some canine stories on our blog. Featured here is “Ciela Azule” and “Val.” Platinum Canine Client Theresa Brantly is very proud of her two champions! “Ciela” made it to Nationals and the World Finals in two divisions. “Val” is a new addition to Theresa’s team and also made it to Nationals. All of her agility dogs and pups are on the Platinum Canine products!

We would like to congratulate Theodore Boris who claimed the Platinum Performance/USEF Show Jumping Talent Search West Coast Finals Championship at the Los Angeles International Horse Show on September 20, 2009.

We would like to congratulate Theodore Boris who claimed the Platinum Performance/USEF Show Jumping Talent Search West Coast Finals Championship at the Los Angeles International Horse Show on September 20, 2009. Theodore claimed the title on the strength of his consistent performance in the Final Ride-Off Phase – where the top four competitors ride their own horse and then each of the other competitors horses over the same course. Platinum Advisor, Sarah Periera, who attended the West Coast Finals commented,”The show was amazing! The competition was so tough. It was exciting to meet all of the young riders and hear about their Platinum horses.”

Congratulations also goes to Matthew Metell who claimed the Platinum Performance/USEF Show Jumping Talent Search East Coast Finals Championship in Gladstone, NJ on October 4, 2009. This year the Finals – East had a record number of entries with 97 riders completing all three Phases. After many near-perfect rounds,  Matthew Metell was victorious. Platinum Advisor, Olivia Zublin, attended the East Coast Finals. She said, “It was very inspiring, being around such a talented group of young adults.”

]]> http://www.thisismyhorse.com/2009/10/platinum-performanceusef-show-jumpingtalent-search-champions-names/feed/ 0 http://www.thisismyhorse.com/2009/10/congratulations-to-the-2009-snaffle-bit-futurity-champions/ http://www.thisismyhorse.com/2009/10/congratulations-to-the-2009-snaffle-bit-futurity-champions/#comments Mon, 05 Oct 2009 19:40:32 +0000 Heather http://www.thisismyhorse.com/?p=903

Congratulations to Zane Davis on his 2009 Snaffle Bit Futurity Open Championship on Reymanator. Zane was leading the pack during the preliminaries and scored a 218.5 in the herd work and a 214 in the rein work. That meant it all came down to the cow work. The crowd held their breath as Zane was last to go and scored a 220 in the cow work, taking the win. Splitting second, was Boyd Rice and Picka Patcha Pepto and Todd Crawford and Shiners Nickel, with identical scores of 446.5. We would like to congratulate all of the 2009 Snaffle Bit Futurity Contestants on their successes.

Co-Champions and Platinum clients Boyd Rice and Todd Crawford are pictured above.

Few sporting events capture the attention and respect among devotees as does the National Reined Cow Horse Association’s Snaffle Bit Futurity. Here at Platinum we are proud to celebrate our 8th year as Corporate Partners and the Official Nutritional Supplement of the NRCHA! If you happen to be at the show we invite you to stop by the Platinum Performance booth located on the concourse to chat with Platinum Advisors Heather and Sarah about YOUR horse.

We wish all of the contestants Good Luck!Visit our blog regularly for updates from the show.

All finalists randomly chose a custom wine glass that had a position number on the bottom, to determine the draw order for the Finals. Then, food and beverage was enjoyed by all.