By JoAnn Guidry

Taking the name of their operation to heart, Brent and Crystal Fernung are developing a new incarnation of their Ocala-based Journeyman Stud. After leasing facilities for the 2008 breeding season, the Fernungs broke ground on May 24 for a 9,000-square foot, 14-stall stallion barn/office complex in northeast Marion County. The projected completion of the new facility on the Fernungs’ original 52-acre Journeyman Farm is October 1.

“We are absolutely committed to the Florida breeding industry,” said Brent Fernung, a veteran horseman who, with wife Crystal, has been involved in every facet of the Thoroughbred industry for more than 30 years. “We believe that if you stand good quality stallions, people will bring their mares to them. I saw that way back with Nodouble when I was at Lasater Farm and straight through with Repent and Congrats at CloverLeaf Farms. Quality attracts quality. ”

The Fernungs established Journeyman Bloodstock Services Inc. in 1989. They own two farms within four miles of each other in the Reddick area; the previously mentioned 52-acre parcel known as Journeyman Farm with another nearby 90 acres comprising Journeyman II. While he and Crystal maintained their bloodstock business, Brent Fernung served as general manager of John Sykes’ CloverLeaf Farms II from fall 2000 to June 30, 2007. During his time at CloverLeaf Farms, Fernung brought such sires as Repent, Congrats, Alke, Mass Media and Wildcat Heir to stand a the farm. With Journeyman Bloodstock acting as agent for CloverLeaf Farms, Fernung bought and later sold I’ll Get Along, the dam of dual Classic winner Smarty Jones. I’ll Get Along was bought for $130,000 at the 2001 Keeneland November breeding stock sale and then resold for $5 million at the 2004 Fasig-Tipton November selected mixed sale.

With the closing of Reddick, Florida-based CloverLeaf Farms in June, 2007, the Fernungs established Journeyman Stud with leased facilities at Lucky Warrior Farm in southeast Marion County. Stallions Bwana Charlie, Cashel Castle, Exclusive Quality, Mass Media, Mongoose, Saint Anddan and Wildcat Heir stood at Journeyman Stud for the 2008 breeding season.

“The positive response to the stallions we stood in our first year of operation and the great support from the people we’re in business with led to the decision to move forward with building our own facility,” said Fernung. “We’re very fortunate to have clients like Gary and Mary West, Taylor Made/Winstar, Becky Thomas and Bill Heiligbrodt. They believe and support the Florida industry as much as we do. This is where we’ve stuck our flag in the ground and staked out our territory. When it comes to facilities, support services and horsemanship, you can’t do better than Florida.”

The new 14-stall stud barn will also allow Fernung to acquire more stallions for the Journeyman Stud roster in 2009.

“We are definitely going to be stallion hunting and will be able to accommodate a few more good stallions,” said Fernung. “When we were leasing and had space limitations, I had to turn away a few stallions. But now we’ll have the facilities we need to do a little more shopping.”

When it comes to stallion prospect selection, Fernung looks beyond the obvious pedigree, conformation and race record criteria.

“I look for a horse who’s done something that separates him from the others,” said Fernung. “I want a horse that’s done something extraordinary and sends you a message that he’s special. I don’t adhere to the flavor-of-the-month sire lines just because that’s what everyone else is doing. I prefer to judge a stallion prospect on his own merit. And I’m definitely racehorse-oriented when it comes to picking out a stallion.”

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