About Silver Creek Stables

About Silver Creek Stables

For the past 40 years, our family has owned purebred and part bred Morgan's that we've used for ranch and trail work. We purchased our first show horse in 1985; that was Linda Lopina's retired show horse, Shawalla Ted. Ted was going to live a retired life of Riley, but once he came into our lives it was downhill from there. Combining Morgans with a bunch of horse-crazy granddaughters and the conclusion was obvious, “Let's Show Morgans!”
Once the grandkids started showing, the next illogical step was to start breeding show horses of our own. Bell Bradford moved to the west coast and became the first trainer for Silver Creek at the new facility in south San Jose.
		Belle recommended taking a look at a horse Marge Hodge had with Cathy Grimes at the time - The Executor; That's when Silver Creek became serious competitors. When John Williams came to work for the farm he was able to purchase Fletcher Music Lee for Silver Creek and helped formulate the first outstanding crosses that produced Flaire for Music and GLB Bell Pepper. Ken Swanson continued the great breeding strategy at the same time he and his wife, Dini, managed to get kids and horses in the show ring with impressive results.

In 1998 Silver Creek moved from San Jose to the 5 acre farm in San Martin where, each spring, a small number of very selectively bred Morgan foals are born. These foals are the product of many years of planning and patience. The foundation mare is World Champion Fletcher Music Lee. Music herself has won at the World Championship Show in the In Hand division, in harness, and under saddle. That made her famous but it was the rest that made her special. Her heart, beauty, soundness of mind and body and extreme intelligence made her the perfect candidate to lead the breeding program into greatness.

And lead she has! Music Lee produced the beautiful and many time champion GLB Bell Pepper, World Champion Flaire For Music, World Champion GLB Bell Of The Ball, World Champion GLB Perfect Harmony, and reserve National Champion GLB Coppertone Girl so far. Music has 2 more foals still awaiting their turn to go to training and see what the future holds for them. They are a filly by Bell Flaire (which makes her a full sister to GLB Bell Of The Ball) and a colt by CCR's Outrajus Corajus. These babies look to be a continuation of the success that Music has afforded us.

Music Lee, the celebrated mare that she is, is now retired at the farm living out her life in the lap of luxury.

Silver Creek's show horses have enjoyed their success for the last 10 years while in training with Gerry Rushton and Stacy Hennessy at Gerry Rushton Stables. They are born here in San Martin and go off to "school" late in their yearling year. With a good start and good genes, they then begin to take on their roles in life.

In the back of every breeder's mind is the next great broodmare...the one to carry you to greater heights. Music Lee's last reproductive gift was that she gave her great genes to her daughters Perfect Harmony and Bell Of The Ball.

So, while we hated to see the end of an era when Music stopped producing, at the ripe old age of 24, it does appear that the old adage is true...when one door closes, another opens! We have the utmost faith in the next generations to carry on the Silver Creek tradition of producing great Morgans that are pretty, sound, sane show horses that have the heart and desire not only to compete, but to win!