Affluent Farms is a small breeding operation of Canadian Sport Horses and Dexter cattle located in the southernmost part of Bruce County, near Lake Huron and Georgian Bay. Vicki McKague and Mark Keller of Teeswater, Ontario purchased an R.C.M.P. broodmare in 1995 from the first Royal Canadian Mounted Police horse auction. The 12 year old broodmare that they purchased, named Bonny was 75% Thoroughbred and 25% Clydesdale. She became their farm’s foundation broodmare (C.S.H.A. registered) as she successfully produced seven foals for Affluent Farms after foaling out six babies for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.
Bonny proved to be an exceptional producer of outstanding foals such as Dilemma and Dash by Diamant (Charlot Farms, Stratford), and Rigaletto by Reipo (aka Highlander at Lion’s Bridge Stable) that won the Lieutenant Governor’s Cup class at the R.A.W.F. in 2003. All Bonny’s daughers were kept and it is their offspring of the third and fourth generations that today are continuing to win in show rings around the province because of their temperaments, trainability, athleticism, and willingness to work.
When Bonny was purchased, she was in foal to the German Warrmblood stallion, Ginsberg. He too was sold at the R.C.M.P. auction the same day as Bonny and went on to show at Devon in dressage. The resulting cross was our mare, now 23 years old, called A Lil’ Tude. Affluent Farms kept Tude’s daughter named Magnitude, by the Hanoverian stallion Mattgold.
Magnitude was crossed with a Thoroughbred stallion named Tejabo, owned by Julie Gruetzman of Thistle Ridge Thoroughbreds. The resulting colt had all the right breeding to be an eventer but is happily doing dressage and jumping for his owner in London, Ontario. Magna, his Affluent Farms name, now goes by Donavan and is a great grandson of Bonny’s.
Another of Bonny’s daughters is a Mattgold mare named Milka. She produced Darlington (aka Star Struck also boarded at Lion’s Bridge Stable), a gelding by Diamant. Star Struck is being shown successfully in the hunter ring in Amateur Adult Owner classes now.
Mark and Vicki’s Canadian Sport Horses have always been in the top ten when shown at the R.A.W.F. in the cup classes. They are hoping to produce another cup class winner with “Don’t Mind Me”, their Canadian Sport Horse colt by Dannebrog and also out of Milka. Born in 2018, his temperament, conformation and movement are right on track with what their farm is known for.