Foaling Season

Living the life of the quarter horse cowboy is dividing your time into four main seasons: sale season, breeding season, foaling season and racing season.  Each holds its own element of excitement with surprises and unexpected journeys along the way.

While the rest of the world counts down to January first to celebrate the start of a brand new year, quarter horsemen are counting down to foaling season. January first marks the first day of a new yearling crop for any given year and after waiting more than 340 days, owners are anxious to see what their breeding decisions have produced. 

After lots of research and planning, Andy Rivera is excitedly awaiting seven babies for his 2025 yearling crop and an impressive 22 babies are in the works for 2026.  These breeding decisions are not made easily as pedigree and performance are weighed carefully to concoct the strongest genes for a future stakes winner.  

For the 2025 foaling season, Rivera Farms is expecting the following New Mexico bred future champions: 

Marble Creek bred to Eye Am King (Mr Jess Perry - Eye for Corona by Corona Cartel) due to foal any day as of the writing of this post.  Marble Creek will foal in New Mexico.  

Mi Bella Beso bred to Big Daddy Cartel (Corona Cartel - Miss Racy Eyes by Mr Eye Opener); this foal is a full sibling to Avery’s Big Kiss: the gray colt sold at the 2023 New Mexico Bred Sale for $105,000.  Mi Bella Beso will foal in New Mexico.   

Renika, the mare who is permanently inked on Andy’s arm, is expecting her first foal this year, sired by Eye Am King.  Renika will foal in New Mexico.    

Smitten is carrying an Eye Am King and will foal in New Mexico.  

Queen of Tide is expecting a Big Daddy Cartel and will foal in New Mexico.  

Vencedora Jess was bred to Eye Am King; this embryo was flushed and is being carried by a recipient mare.  Vencedora Jess is carrying a foal sired by Cyber Attack, a stallion that booked full in his first year (2024) and has again booked full for the 2025 breeding season.  Cyber Attack (Favorite Cartel - Remember Me Rose by Corona Cartel) has lifetime earnings over $1.7 million and currently stands at Granada Farms.    

Meiomee is expecting two foals, both sired by Eye Am King: one foal is being carried by a recipient mare and Meiomee is carrying the second.  Meiomee will foal in New Mexico.  

While the Riveras are anxiously awaiting the arrival of these 2025 foals, they have been busy making their breeding choices for 2026 and they sure look like winners on paper!

Daddysqueenofalice is booked to Eye Am King.  This first embryo will be flushed and kept eligible for the New Mexico bred program. In 2026 Daddysqueenofalice will also be bred to an open bred and will carry a Flying Cowboy 123 (Apollitical Jess - Hot Cash 123 by Takin On The Cash), a lifetime earner of more than $950,000. 

The plan for Untangled Queen is similar, make one New Mexico bred baby and one open bred. She’s booked to Big Daddy Cartel and then will be bred back to carry a Kiss My Hocks (Tempting Dash - Romancing Mary by Tres Seis), lifetime earner of more than $1.1 million.  

Thirty-four days into the new year, Andy is anxiously waiting for that first baby to hit the ground and officially kick off his 2025 foaling season!  In less than four months time, Rivera Farms will be extra lively with thirty-two new hooves padding around the barn and the pastures.  And just around that time, Andy will shift his focus to the next season: racing.