Scott Kesney didn’t come from a horse family. Growing up in New Hampshire, he cleaned stalls at a Morgan facility and rode for the first time when friends at the barn bet him he couldn’t. But Scott likes a challenge. Like the time, at the age of 18, he left home, drove all night to Ocala, up the driveway at Stanley and Susan Scott’s Haylo Farms and asked for a job.

It’s a crazy story about how Kesney chose Haylo. When he was 16 years old Scott was visiting his grandmother in Tampa and stumbled upon the Florida Gold Coast Circuit. Haylo Farms had an ad on the back of the program book. So in November of 2004 when he made the gutsy decision to start out on a new adventure he remembered that ad.

I guess you can say horses have been his “calling.” He worked hard, learned fast and dreamed big. In 2005 Scott won the Novice Youth Western Pleasure at the Quarter Horse Congress aboard Blazing Batista (by Blazing Hot). It was his first time attending that show.

His passion for show horses grew stronger but his interest in breeding and raising foals lured him to build a program of his own. And for the last nine years he has been doing just that, on a farm he leases in Ocala. He has already bred, raised or started numerous successful show horses, including a World Champion, Congress Top 10 winners and futurity champions.

But in August Scott will start a new adventure when he moves to Chipley, Florida to work with Jan Pittman as the Breeding Manager for VS Code Blue and handle sales. Pittman herself, has enjoyed tremendous success in the show arena, showing Ona Good Impulse to both American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA ) World and Congress Championships in Western Pleasure.

“I am thrilled for this opportunity,” Scott said. “I have known Jan for over 10 years and she is the kindest, most encouraging, classiest person I have ever met. I believe strongly in surrounding yourself with positive people. It changes your outlook on life and Jan is the epitome of a positive person. She has been my mentor, listened to me and offered advice when I asked for it.”

VS Code Blue

Pittman met Kesney through the Scotts and over the years they have developed a close friendship and working relationship. He has prepared young horses for her for the past several years.

In February when Pittman got the opportunity to purchase AQHA High Point Western Pleasure and Trail Stallion, VS Code Blue, sired by RL Best Of Sudden and out of Vital Signs Are Good, she called Kesney for his opinion.

“Jan has always loved Peyton (named after two-time Super Bowl Champion quarterback, Peyton Manning), and so when the opportunity presented itself (for the second time) I told her to jump on it,” he said. “

Pittman let one opportunity to own the 2007 red roan stallion slip away. This time she didn’t hesitate.

“Bret and Candy Parrish took me to see him when he was a yearling and he was phenomenal but he had a bone chip and that scared me off,” Pittman said. “I should have bought him then but I always followed his career and even bred Ona Good Impulse to him. This time, when I got the opportunity to own him, I took it.”

Pittman completed the purchase of VS Code Blue at the end of February and he bred over 90 mares by the end of the 2016 breeding season. He has AQHA Superior awards in Western Pleasure and Trail. He was the 2011 AQHA High Point Stallion in both Western Pleasure and Trail and has earned over 200 AQHA performance points. With only 99 foals on the ground so far and the oldest only four-year-olds, VS Code Blue offspring have already earned 93 AQHA points and recorded over $18,000 in National Snaffle Bit Association (NSBA) earnings.

“That was all accomplished without the opportunity to offer breeders pre-season specials and with limited marketing,” Scott said.

That’s quite an accomplishment but Pittman had a feeling Peyton could accomplish more. So just a month ago she took VS Code Blue to Pavo, Georgia, trainer Cody Parrish to see if he could return to the show pen, possibly to finish up his Superior in Western Riding.

“He is doing great,” Pittman said. “As long as he continues to progress as he has been, the plan is for him to return to the show pen and finish that Western Riding Superior which will make him an AQHA Performance Champion.”

VS Code Blue x Ona Good Impulse

Pittman credits the progress Peyton is making to his incredible mind.

“He went from breeding mares every other day to riding around at the Tom Powers Futurity less than a month later and he never looked up at another horse,” she said. “That’s saying a lot about his personality,” she said.

And Pittman said he is passing his good mind on to his foals.

“What I’m hearing over and over again from trainers is that the VS Code Blue foals they have are very trainable,” she said. “What initially attracted me to Peyton was his great shoulder, which gives him the ability to swing his front leg. He also has incredible self-carriage, providing a great top line and he passes those attributes along as well. He’s very athletic and with today’s market I think it’s important that our horses be able to excel first in Western Pleasure but eventually be capable of performing in Trail and Western Riding as well.”

Pittman said the part she loves most though is talking with mare owners about Peyton and hearing about how excited they are about his foals.

Kesney is not at all surprised.

“He is has a big breeding career ahead of him,” Scott said. “We are in a market today where with the tremendous success of his sire, RL Best Of Sudden, and the fact that Masterson Farms has recently limited his book, there is a great opportunity for a son to step up and breed a lot of mares. VS Code Blue, like his dad, is siring foals consistent in their minds that are superb movers.”

This year, Pittman said Peyton was bred to some great mares and she’s very excited about his future. She’s also thrilled to have the opportunity to finally have Kesney as part of the team.

Pittman and Kesney have talked about working together for years but the time was never quite right until now. With Pitman’s recent farm expansion and the purchase of VS Code Blue the topic again came up and this time things just fell into place to make this the idea time to join forces.

“I have the breeding experience and ability to raise and prepare youngsters,” Scott said. “With Jan’s personality, extensive knowledge of marketing and ability to relate to customers, I think we will make a great team together.”

By Aug. 1 Kesney hopes to complete his move to the Pittman Ranch, which is situated on 180 acres in northwest Florida and includes a nine-stall show barn plus foaling facility; a covered arena, an outdoor arena, round pens and a walker.

LookOutHereICome

He will be taking about 18 of his own horses, including his well-known broodmare, Lookouthereicome (by RL Best Of Sudden) and a few select customers will move with him. Over the past nine years Kesney has worked hard to build a successful breeding program of his own. Some of the foals he bred include: Shesa Hotroddin Gal, NSBA Color Green Western Pleasure World Champion and Top 10 in the Open 2-Year-Old Western Pleasure at the Congress; HereIComAgain, a 2013 mare by Good I Will Be and out of Lookouthereicome, with 43 performance points already, now owned by Katherine Tobin; Unanimously Too Cool, a 2014 bay mare by Hesa Cool Hotrod and out of Suddenly A Hotty, owned by Cheyenne Augsberger and being shown in open Western Pleasure by Dave Archer; Suddenly A Rockstar, Top 10 in the 2-Year-OldNon-Pro Hunter Under saddle at the Congress; and PartyRocking, Top 15 in the Limited Open 2-Year-Old Western Pleasure at the Congress

Scott also raised Formally Yours, earner of over 200 AQHA points and winner of the Youth 14-18 All-Around Award at the 2014 East AQHA Level 1 Championships. He also rode AQHA Superhorse Un Forgettable, for Nancy Swarm before he was purchased by Rita Crundwell and ultimately sold to Laura Grotenhuis.

“I am proud of my accomplishments here but also thrilled for this new opportunity,” Scott said.

Pittman is excited too.

“I’m really just so excited,” she said. “I finally got Peyton after all these years and now to have Scott working with me, it’s been a blessing.”