PREMIER - October 2022

Rakan Quarter Horses

DAISY & JOSH RAKAN

Daisy Rakan’s love of hunter under saddle horses began with a mare that lived down the road from where she grew up. Although her family couldn’t afford horses at the time, Daisy would spend hours watching that mare in her pasture, dreaming of the day she would be able to own a horse like her. It wasn’t until much later in life, that Daisy’s dream of owning her hunter under saddle mare finally came true.

A Dream Come True

Shortly after marrying her husband, Josh, Daisy had the opportunity to purchase her first hunter under saddle broodmare, Dazzlin Em, a 2005 AQHA mare by Dazzled By Details out of Shes Te Cute. It was the very same that she had admired in the pasture near her house years earlier.

“Having just gotten married and bought a house, I really didn’t have the budget to show at that time,” said Daisy. “Breeding and raising a foal seemed like a great way to be involved in the horses without the huge expense of showing.”

That first year Daisy and Josh bred Dazzlin Em to multiple World and Congress Champion Hot Ones Only. Their initial venture into breeding went so smoothly and was so much fun for Daisy and Josh, that they began making plans to expand their broodmare band, approaching it as a business rather than a hobby.

In the fall of 2021, the Rakan’s had the opportunity to bring their plans to fruition with the purchase of Hallelujah Blu, a 2016 mare by Hot N Blazing out of Queen Of The Blues, and Will Be A Natural, a 2009 daughter of Good I Will Be out of Aint I A Natural.

“Hallelujah Blu is a full sister to multiple NSBA World and AQHA Reserve World Champion Hows That For Ya and NSBA World Champion Blazin Away My Blues,” said Daisy. “She was my birthday present from my husband last year and I’m very excited about our future with her. This year we got a huge filly out of her by Alcatraz, and she is definitely one of our favorites right now.”

Will Be A Natural is also proving to be a strong addition to the Rakan’s broodmare band. The first foal they raised out of her by Allocate Your Assets was sold within ten hours of foaling.

“I posted a video of the colt shortly after he stood up and almost immediately, Morgan Miller contacted me about buying him,” said Daisy. “He is yearling now and will be in training with Brad Ost and Troy Lehn next year. We can’t wait to see all they accomplish with him. We have a weanling by Iron Enterprise out

of Will Be A Natural and she is currently back in foal to Allocate Your Assets which will be a full sibling to the colt Morgan purchased.”

A New Addition

After following the show careers of Blue Is Best and Al Be Good To Go last year in the two-year-old hunter under saddle events, Daisy approached Kevin and

WILL BE A NATURAL & HALLELUJAH BLU

2020 FILLY ONLY ONE DAZZLIN SIRED BY HOO OUT OF DAZZLIN EM

2021 COLT

AL BE GOOD FOR YA SIRED BY AYA OUT OF WILL BE A NATURAL

Amy Smith about buying an embryo out of their dam, WithoutYouAlBeBlue.

“It’s actually a funny story,” said Daisy. “My husband and I made a silly bet about something around the house—I don’t even remember exactly what it was—and he lost so the deal was that I got to buy an embryo out of WithoutYouAlBeBlue.”

As the Rakan’s were discussing the purchase of the embryo with the Smith’s, the conversation shifted to the possibility of buying both WithoutYouAlBeBlue and one of the Smith’s other proven producers, Miss Goody Hoo Shoes.

“The opportunity to purchase mares like Beretta and Benz doesn’t come along every day,” said Daisy. “We bought them in December with Beretta in foal to Good Better Best, which is a full sibling to Blue Is Best and Al Be Good To Go, and Miss Goody Hoo Shoes in foal to Alcatraz, another cross we were very excited about.”

2022 COLT

AL TELL YA WHAT SIRED BY AYA OUT OF DAZZLIN EM

After WithoutYouAlBeBlue foaled this spring the Rakan’s brought her home to Michigan. Shortly after getting her home, Daisy decided to hop on and take her for a spin. Beretta was so good that Daisy began thinking about sending her back to the show pen. WithoutYouAlBeBlue has already had tremendous success in the show arena which includes a Congress Championship and multiple NSBA World Championships.

“I enjoy watching my horses show much more

than I do showing them myself,” said Daisy. I’m really looking forward to watching Beretta show in the Small-Fry Hunter Under Saddle with Macy, a little girl who rides out of the barn we board at. I am very happy to be able to give her this opportunity. They are just so cute together and Beretta takes such good care of her. I’m very grateful to Garth, Sonessa and Austin Gooding for helping prepare them for the Congress.”

Sights On The Horizon

The Rakan’s recently sold their house in Michigan and are planning to build their own farm to house their mares and foals. Although Josh had no horse experience prior to meeting Daisy, he has embraced the move and the couple’s breeding venture with enthusiasm.

“Josh dove in headfirst to all of this with me,” said Daisy. “It’s so sweet and nice to have a partner who is so supportive of my passion. He’s really gotten attached to one of the yearlings we have and every time we talk about selling her, he says that we don’t really have to because I think he wants to keep her!”

Outside of eventually buying their own farm, the Rakan’s are currently building their business on the premise of quality over quantity. They are looking

MISS GOODY HOO SHOES

forward to watching their foals compete as owners and breeders and in the future, they would eventually like to stand their own stallion.

“For now, we would like to stay a small operation, especially because foaling out mares and raising foals in the cold and snowy Michigan winters isn’t always easy,” said Daisy. “We are very happy with the four mares that we have and what they are producing for us and are excited to try some different crosses on them and are planning to do some embryo transfers with WithoutYouAlBeBlue and Miss Goody Hoo Shoes. Our long-term goals are to breed and raise a prospect worthy of standing at stud and we believe we have the mares to do that.”

Although the Rakan’s don’t have any plans to expand their broodmare band right now, as any horse addict will tell you, never say never when it comes to buying horses! Or as Daisy says with a laugh, “You never know what we may find and just have to have!”

WITHOUTYOUALBEBLUE | MISS GOODY HOO SHOES | HALLELUJAH BLU | WILL BE A NATURAL

Article written by Claire Binkowski

Photography by Shane Rux, Larry Williams Photography & Marie Danielle Photography

Congratulations

GONE COMMANDO

2022 NSBA World & Reserve World Champion Shown by Taft Dickerson - Owned by Karen Carter

Photo by Cody Parmenter Photography