Journeyman Bloodstock Services, Inc. 3.88

Journeyman Bloodstock Services, Inc.
Brent and Crystal Fernung

Brent and Crystal Fernung have been involved in the Thoroughbred Horse industry for over 40 years. The Fernungs moved to Florida in 1976 and began working as a groom and receptionist in a farm office respectively. Over the next eight years, Brent progressed through the farm hierarchy, from barn foreman to broodmare manager and finally to farm manager of the 1,000 acre facility, while Crystal learned the intricacies of managing a horse farm office as well as pedigree research. In 1989, they started Journeyman Bloodstock with a handful of horses on a 30 acre leased farm.
Today, the Fernungs are sole owners of Journeyman Bloodstock Services, Inc., a full service bloodstock agency that includes a sales division, training division, broodmare boarding facility as well as one of the most successful stallion operations in Florida. The stallion farm and broodmare facility sit on two different sites that total 250 acres.
The site of the original farm, located at 5571 NW 100th Street, Ocala, FL “Journeyman One” was purchased in 1998. It encompasses 52 acres and includes a state of the art, 14 stall stallion barn and breeding shed, a 2,500 square foot office, and is perhaps the finest facility in Florida. It also currently serves as the weanling to yearling facility. That portion includes a 15 stall barn for colts and a 14 stall barn for fillies as well as turn out paddocks enabling the facility to take care of any additional horses. When the foals are weaned, they are moved to this facility and remain there until the following fall when they are moved to “Journeyman Two” to begin the process of breaking and training.
The second farm is located at 13450 Gainesville Rd., Reddick, FL “Journeyman Two” and is 5 miles from the Ocala farm. This location includes the owner’s residence, five barns with 54 stalls, a breaking / training track and employee housing. Currently in use, is the original 49 acres purchased in 2006 as well as 150 additional acres that the Fernungs currently have under contract to purchase. It is here the broodmare band, which currently numbers 75 head, are maintained. The foals are born on the farm, each delivery attended by the night crew as well as Brent and Crystal Fernung. When approximately 6 months old, the foals are weaned from their mothers and, as mentioned earlier, are moved to the other location to mature.
The following fall, the now yearlings, are brought back to “Journeyman Two”. There they receive the first 90 days of the riding and training that will ultimately lead to their competing at the finest racetracks in North America.
After careful preparation during that period, the horses are then moved to the training facility at the Ocala Breeders’ Sales Company (OBS). Over the next 90 days, the Fernungs horses are prepared by our in house trainer, under Brent’s daily supervision, to perform and sell in the upcoming two year old sales held in March, April and June at that facility.
The Fernungs purchased a share in OBS in 1993 and have been involved in that company’s impressive growth, selling the top horses there upon numerous occasions. Brent Fernung has been a member of the Board of Directors of OBS for most of the past decade.
One area of the Thoroughbred industry that the Fernungs have shined is in the purchase and sale of breeding stock. In March of 1992, they purchased the broodmare, Eileen’s Moment, for $25,000. Less than 2 months later, her three year old colt, Lil E Tee, won the Kentucky Derby. That fall, the Fernungs sold Eileen’s Moment at Keeneland for $280,000. Just as importantly, they kept and raced her filly that she delivered that year, My Big Sis. After My Big Sis finished racing at 3, the Fernungs brought her home and added her to their small broodmare band. Over the ensuing decade, they sold over $800,000 in produce out of her. That scenario repeated itself over and over again during the Nineties. The Fernungs continuously purchased broodmares in the price range from $5,000 to $25,000 and routinely sold them for large profits.
In the fall of 2000, Brent Fernung was approached by the owners of CloverLeaf Farms II and asked to take the position of their Director of Thoroughbred Services. Fernungs position encompassed taking a barely functioning farm, purchasing a broodmare band, bringing in world class stallions, selling their horses as agent and fleshing out the farm with a competent staff. Crystal Fernung continued to operate and manage the original farm during Brent’s tenure at CloverLeaf.
In his first month at CloverLeaf, Fernung attended the 2000 Keeneland November Sale and purchased a mare for CloverLeaf named Red Mischief for $30,000. Later he mated the mare to Exchange Rate and she produced the G1 earner of over $800,000, Ermine.
The following year, Fernung again attended the 2001 Keeneland November Sale, purchasing the mare, I’ll Get Along, for $130,000. Her foal of 2001, who had been weaned shortly before the sale, was eventually named Smarty Jones. In 2004, after Smarty Jones narrowly missed winning the Triple Crown, Fernung sold I’ll Get Along as agent for $5,000,000 at the Fasig-Tipton sale in November, the highest priced broodmare in the world that year.
A few days after selling I’ll Get Along, Fernung purchased the mare, Apasionata Sonata for CloverLeaf, going to $325,000. Two of her first three foals grew into graded stakes winners, Bsharpsonata and Back Talk. In 2008, the mare was sold for $1,500,000.
Perhaps the biggest success that Fernung had while with CloverLeaf was in the procurement and development of stallions. Fernung was able to attract the top stallion prospect, Wildcat Heir to stand at CloverLeaf for the 2006 breeding season. Other successful stallions he was able to bring to the farm during that time included, Horse of the Year, Favorite Trick, Belmont Stakes winner, Sarava, Grade one winning sprinter, Mass Media and Kentucky winter book favorite, Repent. In the spring of 2007, Fernung purchased Congrats for CloverLeaf going to $3,000,000 to buy him in a private sale.
Wildcat Heir and Congrats both became phenomenal successes under Fernungs management. In 2010, both horses became National leaders when Congrats became the champion first crop sire in North America and Wildcat Heir became the champion 2nd crop sire, both by money won. For Wildcat Heir, this came on the heels of him setting the North American record for two year old winners in a season with 39 winners the previous year.
In the spring of 2007, the owners of CloverLeaf Farm elected to close their facility in Florida and move their operation to Kentucky. This left the Fernungs in the enviable position of inheriting the majority of the stallion band that Brent Fernung had procured for CloverLeaf. This included Wildcat Heir, who would go on to be the perennial leading sire in Florida over the next decade, as well as grade one winners Mongoose and Mass Media among others. When the Fernungs finished building their new 14 stall facility in the spring of 2008, it was soon overfilled with outstanding stallion prospects including Grade one winner, Circular Quay who was the leading first crop sire in Florida in 2010 and Grade 2 winner, Cowtown Cat, who was the 2nd leading first crop sire that same year. The following year, those two repeated as the top two leading 2nd crop sires while stable mate, Exclusive Quality reigned as the leading Florida third crop sire!
Journeyman is always planning for the future. Among the young stallions that the Fernungs have high hopes for include Winslow Homer, whose first crop was born in 2015 and the outstanding stallion prospect, Fury Kapcori, whose first season at stud will be in 2016. The continued procurement of world class stallion prospects is key to a successful stallion farm.
The Fernungs are always looking to improve and streamline their operation. With that goal in mind, the decision has been made to sell the original farm which encompasses the stallion barn, office and yearling facility. The farm will then move to the Reddick farm “Journeyman Two” and develop the underutilized property that the Fernungs have under contract. This move will make the farm more cost efficient, reducing the need for duplication of payroll, fuel and equipment costs as well as ease of management. The profit taken from the sale of the original facility will significantly reduce the real estate debt while gaining acreage and cash flow is expected to improve by over $10,000 per month.
While developing the farm and their own reputation as consummate horsemen, Brent and Crystal Fernung have both been active in civic affairs associated to their industry. Crystal Fernung currently serves as chair of the Equine Alliance of Marion County. The EAC works with local government and business owners to help the many different equine breeds and disciplines of Ocala/Marion County “Connect, Communicate and Educate” on ways to help business owners to profit from the equine industry as well as working closely with the Tourism and Development Council to promote tourism through the equine industry. She also serves on the Marion County Equine Advisory Board. Besides being a member of the Board of Directors