BONSALL, CA—MAY 28, 2009—The first American Quarter Horse foal by the world’s leading commercial sire, Storm Cat-TB, was foaled May 22 at Vessels Stallion Farm near Bonsall, California.

Owned by Grammy-winning singing star Lyle Lovett and Vessels Stallion Farm the colt is out the Champion mare Your First Moon, a daughter of All-Time Leading Quarter Horse sire First Down Dash. Your First Moon earned more than $750,000 with such grade 1 wins at the Los Alamitos Million Futurity(G1).

“We consider it a once in a lifetime opportunity to be in partnership with Lyle, and also to be involved with people like Dickson Varner from Texas A&M, Dr. Stuart Brown and everyone at Overbrook, and to be able to be a part of the legacy of, without question, the best Thoroughbred stallion of all time, Storm Cat,” said Frank "Scoop" Vessels III, AQHA past president and owner of Vessels Stallion Farm.

Overbrook Farm in Lexington, Kentucky pensioned Storm Cat last year because of reduced fertility. Your First Moon was the only Quarter Horse mare bred to Storm Cat in 2008.

Through the advances of artificial insemination and a special fertility procedure developed at Texas A&M University, Storm Cat was made available to Quarter Horse public for the first time 2009.

“Dr. Varner was consulted on breeding Storm Cat last year and he’s the one that proposed that we collect and store some semen of Storm Cat’s, and he thought the horse would be in demand in the Quarter Horse community,” said Ric Waldman, an adviser who has managed Storm Cat’s stud career for Overbrook.

Storm Cat was offered at $20,000 per live foal to Quarter Horse mares in 2009, still much less than the $300,000 he commanded for Thoroughbreds in 2008. Prior to '08, he stood six seasons at $500,000.

Storm Cat’s deceased son, Hennessy, is the sire of grade 1 Quarter Horse winner and grade 1 stakes sire Check Him Out.

To view a slide show on the Vessels Stallion Farm website of the new born foal click here. The photos were shot by Robbie Knudson.