Lexington, KY - May 12, 2026: Even though she’s in her 22nd year as Breeding Manager at the famed Willowbank Farm in Simpsonville KY, the breeding game never gets old for Jennifer McGlothlin Van Dy. “One thing that I love is that it’s always a new day. Every mare teaches you something. It’s like figuring out a puzzle, and seeing that little black dot on the screen at the fourteen day ultrasound is incredible. The process never ceases to amaze me! Even now, every embryo flush and transfer we perform is a miracle.”

 

The average year at Willowbank includes breeding 50-60 mares on the farm, and foaling 40-50 as well. In 2025, there were over 600 semen shipments sent out from Willowbank to mare owners across the country. And behind the scenes the whole time is Jen, who was blessed to be the late Dr. Michelle LeBlanc’s last graduate student.

 

It’s no wonder that Jen loves the challenge of a problem mare. After obtaining her B.S. in Animal Science at the University of Florida, her Master’s thesis compared the electrical activity of the equine uterus in normal mares and those with ascending placentitis. “I wish more breeders would understand the importance of culture and cytology at the beginning of every breeding cycle. It’s also important to know that every mare gets inflamed post-breeding. It’s a natural part of the process where the uterus clears out semen in preparation to receive an embryo. It’s this part of the cycle where some mares need a little~ or a lot~ of help!”

 

Delayed uterine clearance, Jen finds, is one of the most difficult challenges. Post-breeding lavage and administration of oxytocin is critical in tackling inflammation. Testing for Cushings, even for some younger mares, and then subsequently putting mares on a pergolide therapy has proven to be successful on many occasions while under Jen’s careful direction. While not a big proponent of trendy supplements, Jen does staunchly believe that high quality hay and grain combined with a strict vaccination and dewormer protocol is essential for good breeding health. “We feed based on body condition scores and group mares accordingly.” One other thing that breeders may not consider unless they are truly in the trenches is the importance of record keeping. Says the breeding manager of the most iconic Saddlebred breeding farm in the country, “Record keeping is paramount.”

 

Regarding the many breeding stallions for which Willowbank is famous, the protocol for nutrition and veterinary care is a strict component in daily husbandry. “Much of a stud’s potency and viability is genetic,” says Jen. “I was honored to have been a part of Undulata’s Nutcracker’s entire breeding career. He was the epitome of a stallion; of course he was an incredible producer but he was an absolute breeding machine. He knew his job and loved it.” And Nut had the most potent semen Jen’s ever seen in her vast experience. “Mare ovulates five days after breeding…? No problem. Semen lost by UPS and the mare had to be bred with three-day-old semen…? No problem. He was absolutely incredible in every way.” And today, the sons of Undulata’s Nutcracker are showing the same prolificness.

 

We all know the difficult side of breeding, and we all love a good triumph. Jen McGlothlin Van Dy surely didn’t disappoint when asked for a success story, when she recounts the birth of Woodleigh Farm’s aptly named “A Breath Away”. He was born via C-section when his dam tragically had to be euthanized. “We performed CPR for an hour before he was stable enough to ship to the clinic; he was at Rood and Riddle for two weeks before he was able to stand, but he went on to be a great show horse!” Another happy ending was the birth of “Banksy”, whose wonderful dam Catalyst’s Work of Art foundered late in gestation. She was able to carry to term, but due to extenuating circumstances the colt was born very compromised. Off to the clinic he went, on oxygen, in the back seat of a pickup truck! Jen says, “He earned his barn name “Buzz” due to the fact that partway into the trip he started waking up due to the caffeine dose he was administered to counteract the dummy foal syndrome he was exhibiting. “Watching him show, you would never know he had such a rough start,” Jen marvels with pride.

Jen is quick to point out that she is grateful for her outstanding colleagues at Willowbank. “Having an absolutely amazing team to work with makes all the difference in the world,” she states. “Farrell Bacon is my right hand woman! I would be lost without her.” Jen also shares the immense workload with teammates Shelley Black and Megan Foged. “I cannot thank them enough; the hours we put in during breeding season are astronomical.” Having a vet that is highly skilled with reproduction is a must as well. “We’ve been blessed to have Dr. Jon Homback as our daily vet, and refer to the specialists at Rood and Riddle if necessary.” Besides the esteemed late Dr.
LeBlanc, Jen has another mentor in the breeding industry who influenced her to climb to the top of the breeding game. Joan Lurie saw potential for greatness in Jen McGlothlin Van Dy when she promoted her to Breeding Manager of Willowbank. “I cannot thank Joan Lurie enough for giving me a chance all those years ago. I feel truly blessed to have been mentored by two titans in the industry.”

Pride is something that Joan Lurie, who’s operated the renowned Willowbank Farm since 1981, feels immensely for her breeding manager Jennifer McGlothlin Van Dy. Says Joan in her matter-of-fact, authentic way, “I don’t know how many ways there are to say ‘perfect’, but they all apply to Jen. In over twenty years, with the enormous workload she has, Jen has never disappointed; not a client, not a co-worker, not a horse, and not me. She is invaluable.”