Caroline Thornton and her husband Ken Morden operate Oak Knoll Stables, a picturesque 40-acre Standardbred broodmare operation nestled in the Kendal Hills between Port Hope and Peterborough, ON.

Both owners are veterans of the corporate world, she a facilitator to international companies, and he the founder of a highly regarded Toronto marketing company.

But harness racing captured their hearts several years ago and the pair decided to focus their combined entrepreneurial drive on launching Oak Knoll Stables in 2005. Quickly they became avid pedigree students and set about assembling a small but high quality broodmare band.

Today Oak Knoll approaches the whole business of raising and selling yearlings with hands-on vigour and a management philosophy bent on improving industry norms.

Caroline updates the farm’s website weekly, keeping visitors apprised of not only farm happenings, but the exploits of all of today’s “OK”- prefixed performers on the racetrack.

What is your background in the horse business and what role do you play in your operation?

My background is in riding, grooming and showing riding horses (Thoroughbreds and Arabians). I am the person responsible for managing the broodmares, delivering the foals and making sure all our animals are safe and well. Ken and I are full partners and take what we do very seriously.

Can you describe your breeding farm for us and how the business operates?

Currently we have nine broodmares, nine foals, eight yearlings and two riding horses. We have pacers exclusively and usually breed to both Canadian and U.S. sires.

This is the first year that we have bred 100% Ontario. The draw for us there is the Ontario Breeder Awards.

Our Farm Manager Rick Webb works for us Monday to Friday from 7:00am till 1:00pm. We have two part- time staff as well, and Ken does all the administration and office work.

I look after the horses from 1:00pm till 7:00am the next day and also on weekends.
Also, we intend to keep all or part of every yearling we raise.

Who do you think you have learned the most from about the breeding business?

Cal and Angie Stiller who were wonderfully supportive when we started our business and Jack McNiven generously gave us superb guidance on yearling prep.

In the U.S., Paul (Pete) Spears has been a great mentor. Also, Mark Ford sold us two of our broodmares and currently trains one of our 2 year olds.

What do enjoy most about the business?

Delivering the foals. Plus watching a new baby nurse, play and tear around the paddocks.

What do you consider the toughest part about being a breeder?

Losing a foal. After 11 months of caring for the mare, to lose the baby is dreadful.
From a “task” perspective, the day I dread every year is the yearling video day!

Who is your favourite horse that you’ve raised?

A tie between OK Amelia and OK Boromir. OK Amelia was the tiny May foal from a weak mare and a poor stallion. We named her after my daughter and to date she has won over $180,000. She was our first homebred horse and she proved to be a great joy to us.

OK Boromir was an embryo transfer and we sold him for $14,000. He went on to race in the North America Cup and has now won close to $500,000.

What has been your biggest disappointment in the business over the past year?

The Sales results last Fall – they were a disaster for us both in Canada and across the border.

Who do you consider your top three mares and who did you breed them to in 2011?

Our best mare is Double Crème (average earnings per racing foal is $375,000) She is being bred to Sportswriter.
Mary Artman in an Artsplace mare who throws superb offspring (including a Rocknroll Hanover colt named OK Gorgeous). She is in foal to Jeremes Jet.

We also own Fanciful p, 1:54.1, a half sister to the Million dollar winner Fancy Filly. Fanciful had a Western Ideal colt this year and we have bred her to Jeremes Jet.

How many yearlings are you selling this year and where?

We are selling six yearlings. One (by The Panderosa) will go to Lexington; the others will sell at Forest City. We are keeping one filly for ourselves.

What has been your most harrowing experience in the business?

Losing a yearling we had raised; she was 16 months old and perfect when she developed a sudden neurological defect.

We took her to Guelph and they said there was absolutely no way to save her. She was the first filly foal from Double Crème and we had named her after Ken – OK Darling.

Who is your favourite broodmare and why?

Whitesand Jewel (Artiscape- Village Green). She came to us as a very tense, nervous mare. Today she is affectionate and a really lovely mare to work with. She is really a special pet for me.

Can you tell us one thing you think most people don’t know about you?

I speak French and love to sing “O Canada” in both languages.

How do you unwind away from the business?

I ride my horse (a Thoroughbred mare off the track) in the nearby Ganaraska Forest – 11,000 acres of peace and quiet!

What do you like best about the setup of your farm operation?

We had the rare opportunity to build from scratch, so we designed everything to reflect what we wanted in our business. A year after the completion the builder came back to see us and he asked, “What, if anything, would you change?” and my answer was, “One electrical outlet!”

We had put a plug on the right hand side of a doorway and I needed it on the left side. It has since been moved. Otherwise, we love what we created and it gives us great pride to know we did this all by ourselves.