Pictured at maturity, and as a yearling, is the proven stallion, Dreamtime's Silverado, sired by Blackhome Granduer Lyn, and out Marissa Laet. Silverado and his sire Granduer Lyn have been two of the most utilized grey Percheron stallions of the last 30 years in all of North America. Silverado was the result of combining foundation stock of two of the top breeding programs in North America; that of the Black Family of Hillsboro, Ontario (Blackhome) and the Art Bast Family of Hartford, WI, respectively. Possessing his sire's front end, along with his dam's size and mass, Silverado left a stamp on his progeny and a mark on the breed.
Interestingly, Silverado had somewhat of a lack-luster show career as a young horse; at least in comparison to many of the other dominant individuals that came out of the Bast program. His mother was a champion hitch and halter mare, competing and winning for many years at the highest levels of competition. She then went on to be a prolific producer of show winners and herd sires bearing the Windermere prefix; which, were then dispersed into breeding programs all across the country. Still, it was Silverado who cemented himself as, arguably, the most successful breeding progeny of either his sire or his dam.
Born in 1988, Silverado was sold in the Fall of his yearling year to the late Dorn Wise of Pulaski, Tennessee in order to serve as Dorn's new herd sire. Dorn held the stallion in high regard, and in fact, would have told you that Silverado was responsible for making his humble Blooming Grove Percheron Farm into a household name within the Percheron industry- going so far as to say on one occasion, "that horse is who I am". Dorn affectionately referred to Silverado as simply "Arthur", stating that the horse would be the whole way to town before you could yell "Whoa Silverado". Others have reported that Dorn called the stallion by this nickname out of respect to his breeder, Art Bast. Although Silverado helped to establish the reputation of Blooming Grove Percherons, it was Dorn Wise, the southern gentleman with a gentle demeanor, who facilitated the use of Silverado within many of the top breeding programs in the country.
Silverado uniquely drew mare owners from all corners of the country who wished capitalize on the decades of scrupulous breeding that is behind the dapple grey. As a result, the horse produced many show ring winners over the course of his time at Blooming Grove Percherons. In fact, Dorn bred the 2002 National Champion mare, Blooming Grove Grenetta, who was presented that year by the Brian Winkler family. Grenetta was a direct daughter of Silverado, out of the mare Oakstone Gretchen, (bred by past President of the Percheron Horse Association of America, Thomas Berry). However, history will show that Silverado's most noted achievement was siring brood mares that would, themselves, go on to produce the next era of World and National champions; an influence that can still be seen in the breed today. His daughter, Dominque, bred and owned by the Beth Burger Family, foaled the mares Madison and Demi- National and Reserve National Champion Mares, respectively. Madison would also be crowned World Champion in 2002, as well as Reserve World Champion in 2004, during her time on the tanbark. Her daughter, BP MacKenzie, has continued her mother's winning ways into the present day, earning the status of National Champion for herself. The Silverado daughter, Yasmine, also bred by the Beth Burger Family, would also find her greatest influence in the breeding barn, producing the 2006 World Champion Gelding, BP Platinum, the 2008 World Res. Jr. Champion Mare BP Beyonce, the proven stallion stallion BP Prestige, and the 2014 Jr. World Champion and 3 time National Champion, Anderson's Bentley. The Silverado daughter, Windermere's Cashmere, an own daughter of the famous Robinson-bred mare Camille and a product of Windermere Farms' utilization of Silverado around the time of Blackhome Duke's death, would produce three offspring that were well received in the show ring: the All American, Windermere's Eliminator; the All American Windermere's Black Velvet; and the Reserve All American, Windermere's Wincredible. Eliminator is the sire of the 2010 Supreme World Champion, Windermere's North American Maid; a horse that is, ironically enough, a maternal grandson of M.G.'s Bobbie McGee- a full sister to Silverado's mother, Marissa Laet.
Silverado's contributions are cemented into the halls of Percheron History, and they will undoubtedly continue to impact breeding programs for generations to come. In fact, the tentacles of his influence are hard to summarize in a few paragraphs; but the story of the great horse is, most certainly, forever linked to that of a great man and Percheron steward, from a small town in the hills of southern Tennessee.
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