Kountry Lane newcomer takes Indiana by storm

By the time Temporal Hanover (Walner) arrived at Kountry Lane Standardbreds new harness racing facility in Wakarusa, Indiana, was taken off the trailer, had his feet rasped by a blacksmith and was then taken to his stall, the stallion’s syndicate shares were all sold out.

Maybe not that fast, but by the end of Temporal Hanover Show Day on Saturday, December 17, his stud book became full and closed for the 2023 season. This was a special show day devoted to the arrival of Temporal Hanover to Indiana and to show off the new Kountry Lane Standardbreds breeding facility.

Temporal Hanover will actually stand at stud right down the road from Kountry Lane Standardbreds at Premier Acres in Middlebury, IN.

“We started the Show Day at 11:00 am,” said Temporal Hanover owner Ola Yoder of Kountry Lane Standardbreds. “By 12:30 pm the 50 shares that were available for sale were sold and all our breeding’s were sold. Some of the shares and breedings were already spoken for earlier. I just could not believe it. People were lined up at 11:00 am to buy them.”

Temporal Hanover shares were sold for $30,000 each, totaling $1.5 million and breeding’s were sold for $8,500 each.

Upwards of 300 people came out to Kountry Lane Standardbreds to greet the new stallion and most everyone was very impressed with the big black horse, having only seen him prior in race videos or photographs. Lunch was served to 275 people complements of Kountry Lane Standardbreds.

“I think that Hoosier Park taking the Peter Haughton Memorial and the Jim Doherty Memorial,” Yoder said. “Will be a big boost to the breeding program here in Indiana. Looks like we brought in Temporal Hanover at the right time.”

A three-year-old colt by World Champion Walner, Temporal Hanover 2, 1:53.2m, 3, 1:52.2s, BT 1:50m ($972,166) was a Grand Circuit Champion, winning $310,000 Zweig Memorial and the $300,000 Earl Beal, Jr. Memorial. He was also second in the Kentucky Futurity and NJ Classic and was third in the $1 million Hambletonian.

Temporal Hanover is the richest three-year-old trotting colt in North America this year.

“I was speechless how the day went,” said Dennis Bontrager, owner of Premier Acres. “It was all absolutely phenomenal. The event was great, so many people came out to see him (Temporal Hanover) and that he sold out the 50 shares in less than three hours is beyond words.”

In addition to Temporal Hanover, guests were able to see world champion racehorses, now broodmares, Shartin N 1:46.4 ($2,667,563), Plunge Blue Chip 1:49.4 ($1,596,841), Lyons Sentinel 1:48 ($2,325,124), Western Silk $1,729,708 (dam of Grace Hill 1:48.3, $1,250,630 ) who were all at the farm for the show day.

“We put a lot of work in our show day,” said Duane Miller, farm manager at Kountry Lane Standardbreds. “And we would not have done it any differently. It all went so well. Some people showed up at 6:45 am to see the stallion and check out our facility because they had other holiday affairs to attend. They called to come in early. And then it just didn’t stop.

“Before you know it,” Miller said. “There were around 300 people here. It was a great combination of people wanting to see the stallion and see the facility.”

Kountry Lane Standardbreds has developed as one of the premier Standardbred facilities in North America devoted to breeding high quality mares and raising foals until ready to go to the yearling sales. All of the farms’ yearlings will be sold.

Yoder’s most impressive broodmare in his band is 2019 Harness Horse of the Year and $2.6 million winner Shartin N.

For more information about Temporal Hanover at Premier Acres, visit here.

by Steve Wolf, for Kountry Lane Standardbreds