Breeding Program

Our goal is to breed and raise the best Hackneys possible. We try to do this through long-term planning and implementation. We are currently using 19 stallions and over 140 brood mares to ensure the proper balance between genetic diversity and line breeding. Our breeding facilities include over 300 acres of pasture, 15 paddocks of varying sizes, 30 stall breeding barn complete with an office, lab, and large multipurpose area.

Shown at the right is video of Darrel giving an in-depth explanation of his breeding program in depth.

Listed below are the main stallions we are currently using at the farm.  This is not a complete listing of our stallions, only the ones used most frequently.

Heartland Summer Rain first peaked the interest of Hackney enthusiasts when he won the Midwest Futurity Yearling Stallion class at the Illinois State Fair.  He wasn’t shown again until the fall of his two year old year when he won the open harness pony class at the American Royal in Kansas City.  He was shown three times as a three year-old year and recorded three wins including the three-year old class at the World’s Championship Horse Show in Louisville, KY.

Summer Rain is a dynamic pony that has a lot of desire and heart. He is out of WGC Heartland Rain Song and by Heartland Code of Honor.

Summer Rain is a dark brown pony with four whites.  His streamline physique makes him look a little like a miniature saddlebred, but with the motion of a Hackney.

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Heartland Heartbreaker may be best trotting pony Heartland Hackney Farm has ever shown.  His dark color, short body and fine features combined with this tremendous athletic ability explains how he became the only 3 Year-Old Harness pony ever to win the Harness Pony Stallion/Gelding World’s Championship at the Kentucky State Fair.

As a 3 Year-Old, Heartland Heartbreaker also won the Amateur Gentlemen’s Harness Pony and Harness Pony Stake classes at the Midwest Charity Horse Show.  He then won Limit Harness Pony Class at the Lexington Junior League, and the UPHA Classic at the Illinois State Fair.

Heartbreaker’s pedigree contains multiple strands of Wheatland’s Humdinger and Dun-Haven Valerie, the mother of Brass Lass, Sky King and Wildfire. This combination of motion producing blood is extremely rare and simply doesn’t exist in any other stallion alive today.  Therefore, at the age of three, with his World Champion title earned, Heartbreaker was retired to the stud barn.

Heartland Equality is considered by some to perhaps be the greatest Hackney pony of all time.  He is the only pony to ever win the UPHA Classic Finals at the ages of two, three and four.  He was also voted the World’s Peoples Choice Hackney Pony of the Century by Horse World magazine readers.  

Undefeated as a cob-tail, Equality won the World Grand Championship in 1999, 2000 and 2003.  He was also featured in Sports Illustrated as the animal that best represents the Hackney breed.

Over the years, Equality’s daughters have proven to be great producers of show ponies.

Heartland Rain and Fire’s sire and dam, WGC Heartland Equality and WGC Heartland Rain, were two of the greatest Hackney pony cob tails of all time.  Both were Saturday night stake winners at the Kentucky State Fair.  Both also won multiple World Champions in the late 1990’s to early 2000’s.

As a yearling in the pasture, Heartland Rain and Fire suffered an injury which required reconstructive surgery and thus ended his show career before it began.

Blessed with a very nice head and ears, and a short back, we are truly impressed with the foals that Rain and Fire is putting on the ground.  They are well proportioned, attractive and appear to have plenty of trot.  His offspring are already making a name for him in the show ring.

Heartland Blackhawk is a unique stallion combining the bloodlines of Tijuana Brass, Mr. Sandman, Sky King and Dun-Haven Bandolier.  His offspring are showing great carriage and expression. This stallion was never shown, but is an impressive individual, standing cob tail size, dark in color with a nice head.

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Heartland Blackhawk has very few ponies on the ground so far, but is already showing that he can produce.  The 2012 World Champion 3 Year Old Hackney Pony, Heartland Road Show, is the first of his offspring to hit the show ring.  This colorful, well balanced and expressive short tail should be making show ring headlines for some time to come.  Keep an eye open for other offspring of Blackhawk in the coming years.