Industry Spotlight: BreedChamp

Meet The Founder: Rose Schwinghamer

Rose is BreedChamp’s founder. She began working on the concept in 2014 during her Masters in Veterinary Sciences which focused on early pregnancy in mares.

“I was amazed at how many mare owners didn’t know where to start when it came to breeding. It was hard to find stallions, let alone complete the process. We were fortunate enough to have the tools to create something to help everyone, so we did.”

What is BreedChamp all about?

"We're the first online advertising platform (website) purely dedicated to the breeding industry. We offer listings for mare owners looking to breed, which ultimately makes it easier for stallion and mare owners alike to find the right horses to breed to. We’re trying to make the whole process less daunting because the industry has evolved and we need the right tools to help support that change. That's where BreedChamp comes in. You can list stallions and mares, as well as sell semen, embryos, in-utero foals and more while shopping for the right breeding!"

How did you come up with the idea?

"Over the course of my Masters, everyone I knew wanted to know who to breed their mare to that season. I just kept thinking that it’s a complex world… it would be nice if people could send and receive breeding offers online. Stallion owners kept telling me how hard it was to find certain bloodlines or mares because they were all actively competing, and elite mare owners would say “I’m too hesitant to reach out to X to ask if they would breed my mare - I don’t know if she’s nice enough!" So it was a natural process, we essentially developed a dating app for horses" said Rose laughing.

Why do you think technology is important for the equine industry and breeders specifically?

"It’s massively important. The 21st century is tech based and the equine industry is following suit. We need access to as much information as we can get because breeding is an investment. After all, you are planning on bringing an animal into this world for the next 25-30 years hopefully - it better be well planned! Tech gives us access to information that we need and BreedChamp helps breeders communicate and sort through the “noise” out there since offers are sent directly to your inbox."

What’s your favourite thing about horse breeders?

"We’re resilient, and I love how we plan for the future. We’re all big dreamers and we all want to see our horses succeed in life long careers."

What is one challenge you’ve had to overcome?

"Oh boy, just one… I don’t know too much about Western horses to be honest, so sometimes when I’m on the phone with AQHA breeders, I stumble a bit. I’m thinking of taking my stud to a few horsemanship clinics with Scott Todd (Rocking T Horsemanship) this year, so that should help and be a lot of fun. I’ve realized in the last few years that everything is a process, and I’m looking forward to diving in further."

How do you see equine breeding advancing in the future?

"I’ve met a lot of young breeders in the last year which is really different, and I think people are willing to try it again which is exciting. For a while, it seemed like no one felt they were allowed to breed a horse, even if they could provide a great life for them. I like that the industry is opening up, and I love the enthusiasm behind some of these young competitors who want to breed their next champion."

Who can use BreedChamp and how does a breeder list their horses?

"Everyone. All breeds, disciplines, mares and stallions alike. The whole process takes about 9-12 minutes on a computer - sign up (less than 1 minute), then list your horses which is similar to listing them for sale. Instead, we have breeding fees for semen with frozen, by dose, cooled/shipped, and/or live or in-utero/custom foal/breeding leases and embryos fees for mares. Then you can send and receive breeding offers on your horses. I wanted BreedChamp to remain dynamic, and let breeders make executive decisions, always. You never have to discount anything if you feel you don’t need to, but the option is there if you want to. We have a lot of breeders who send early bird offers and look for specific bloodlines or performance histories to breed to. I also wanted to make sure that even if people are on the fence about breeding (particularly with career mares or mares in sport) that they could list and breeders would know they are thinking about breeding, and that they are out there - so we have an option called “For Consideration” which means that the mare owners haven’t formally decided to look for breedings yet, but they are thinking about it. If they are actively looking, then their listings say just that - “Actively Looking”"

How did you meet PFERA and how do you see FoalPoint and BreedChamp connecting?

"We met at the Saskatchewan Equine Expo which was a blast! We were so happy to meet another start-up, especially one that has the next piece of the puzzle - the hands on part - the actual breeding of your mare! BreedChamp helps you pick the right stud or mare, and FoalPoint ensures that when your mare is ready, it won’t be a headache. I think that between BreedChamp and FoalPoint, we’ve taken a lot of the stress out of breeding, and made it much more approachable for everyone, which is great."

Where will we see BreedChamp next?

"Mane Event in Red Deer, Alberta from April 26 -28, 2019 - see you guys there!"

Visit www.breedchamp.com to list your stallion or mare!