Issue link: http://nytbreeders.epubxp.com/i/471532
March 2015 | nytbreeders.org | New York Breeder 25 LAURA LARSON Overview of the 230-acre Sunnyfeld Farm in Westchester County there as a young lad. Later, as Gerald and Joanne were raising four children, Gerald's parents gave them a pony when their oldest child was 9 and the kids also got to ride at Ox Ridge. As the children's riding pro - gressed, the Nielsens, along with three other sets of parents, looked to purchase a farm in 1974. "This farm (Sunnyfeld) came up for foreclosure auction," Nielsen said. "My husband was used to doing this because he had sought out properties for the Howard Johnson company and himself, so we went to the courthouse and he pre - sented the offer with a cashier's check. The other guy who was trying to buy the property didn't have one, so that's how we were able to buy the farm." The farm served its purpose, allowing the Nielsen children to train and com - pete at a very high level—two of their daughters placed in the Maclay Finals at the National Horse Show at Madi - son Square Garden—but it wasn't long before Gerald Nielsen got the bug for Thoroughbreds. "We had the farm about a year when my husband said, 'You know, Joanne, I was talking with John Hettinger…" she trailed off with a laugh. Hettinger developed Akindale Farm near Pawling, N.Y., in the '70s and was a juggernaut in the early days of the New York-bred breeding program as an owner, breeder, and stallion operator. He later was instrumental with keep - ing Fasig-Tipton afoat and earned the Eclipse Award of Merit in 2000. "It was to our advantage to have broodmares, and it turns out my hus - band had already been studying brood- mares," Joanne said. "We bought our frst and then three more, and from those four mares we got two stakes win - ners…we were defnitely hooked. "John was our inspiration; he was a dear friend," she said. "We boarded out - side horses for a while, but that made us busier than we wanted to be." " This is just so well deserved for her. He's a legitimate horse and we are beside ourselves with the possibilities. " — Barbara Vanlangendonck