Odyssey SC
 
 


Odyssey SC won the 2000 Scottsdale Junior Colt Championship as a yearling, then the 2002 Canadian and U.S. National Futurity Colt Championships. For handler Jerry Schall of Shada, Inc., it was no surprise. “This is a horse that doesn’t even have to show. He’s a horse that can just stand there,” he says.

As Jerry recalls, a call from Rick Moser started the ball rolling. Rick invited Jerry to Rojo Arabians to be the first to see the new colt by Versace and out of Latoura Echo (by Echo Magnifficoo). And a star was discovered. So from Florida to Shada in Elk River, Minn., then to Arizona for the winter went the new baby.

While in the beginning, Jerry just had an inkling he had a star on his hands, as Odyssey grew, he became convinced he not only had a star, but a superstar. “The way this horse presents himself is incredible,” says Jerry. “He looks ready to take on the world, sort of the Arnold Schwarzenegger of horses. He has a very long neck and naturally sees the world from very high up. He creates this image of excellence. And I get to see it everyday.”

Odyssey had to earn accolades like that from a trainer who has handled his share of national champions. According to Jerry, what sets Odyssey apart is that he is always spectacular. “There was a gentleman at Scottsdale who came to visit the farm every single day to see Odyssey. He had seen the horse in the arena and thought it had just been one moment of greatness. So I presented Odyssey to him every day for a week and every single day he was phenomenal. At the end of the week, he bought a breeding.”

According to Keith Novick, Odyssey’s former owner, Odyssey’s star quality goes beyond just the good looks that include a long hip, high tail set, hooky neck and four legs that are straight in the corners. He is also a star when it comes to his manners. “He is like a puppy dog in his stall. He’s sweet and intelligent and he loves people.”
Even more important than Odyssey’s good looks and manners are his work ethics. According to Jerry, the horse consistently gives 110% and tries very hard to please. He saw it with Odyssey when training him for halter and is now seeing it as he trains him for the performance divisions.

The team started Odyssey under saddle just after U.S. Nationals and after a mere 10 rides, Keith was able to get on board. Of his inaugural ride on Odyssey, Keith recalls, “I’ve never ridden a horse that was so willing to go forward and who had such a steadiness about him at 30 days under saddle. He is a dream to ride.”
Jerry shares his enthusiasm for Odyssey’s progress under saddle. “Not only was Odyssey responding well enough after just 10 sessions for Keith to ride him, but he was actually moving well and picking up correct leads going both directions,” he says. “This is a horse that has it all.” “I’ve never seen a relationship between horse and trainer like the one between Jerry and Odyssey,” says Keith. “He is the only one who has ever worked with the horse and I hope he is the only one who ever will. We are both committed to this horse, to promoting him and to watching his babies do well.”
Odyssey is busy producing offspring that carry on the gifts bestowed upon him from some of the famous names in his family tree — names like Versace and Echo Magnifficoo.
“Odyssey is like you took both those stallions (Versace and Echo Magnifficoo) and molded them into one,” says Jerry. “He got the incredible looks, size and substance of Echo and the kindness and beauty of Versace. We got the best of both of those horses.”

To date, Odyssey has about 126 babies on the ground, and he is scheduled to breed nearly 50 additional mares this year, many of which have national titles to their credit.

Though his titles and career as a show horse have been exceptional, it is as a sire that Odyssey will achieve legendary status within the Arabian breed. His first foals took the national circuit by storm in 2003 and 2004 and with only 6 years of show ring appearances, have accumulated ~

  • 3 Canadian National Championships
  • 2 Canadian Reserve National Championships
  • 13 Canadian National Top Ten Awards
  • 1 Youth National Championships
  • 2 Youth Nationals Top Ten Awards
  • 8 U.S. National Top Ten Awards
  • 32 Regional Championships
  • 40 Regional Reserve Championships
  • 60 Regional Top Five Awards
  • 33 Regional Top Ten Awards
  • 6 Scottsdale Show Championships
  • 6 Scottsdale Show Reserve Championships
  • 5 Scottsdale Show Top Five Awards

He also sired his first International National Champion when an Odyssey SC son was named South African National Champion Junior Colt and sired a New Zealand national Champion Stallion as well!

He also sired his first International National Champion when an Odyssey SC son was named South African National Champion Junior Colt. Gemini Ranch is proud to now be a part of The Journey!