Brandon and Diannah Perry Throughout early adulthood, Brandon assisted in all aspects of the family business. After PetSmart acquired Petzazz, Brandon relocated to Phoenix, Arizona to manage one of PetSmarts largest retail stores. Shortly thereafter, Brandon was promoted into the corporate office as a buyer. After graduating college, Brandon joined the staff at Classic Acres as part owner.
Taking care of paperwork, managing employees, serving customers and overseeing daily operations certainly fell in line with what he learned while earning a degree in Business Management. However, his experience with horses was minimal. He attended equine reproduction clinics at Colorado State University to familiarize himself with breeding techniques. He worked closely with Dr. Bill Pickett, a well respected stallion fertility expert from Colorado State University, as well as with Dr. Phillip Matthews, partner in Peterson Smith Equine Hospital, Ocala, FL. After a crash course in stallion and mare reproduction, Brandon was responsible for the collection and insemination of hundreds of mares per year. The operation bred over 400 mares and delivered over 200 foals annually, in addition to pioneering embryo transfers, frozen semen collection, and the use of low–dose endoscopic insemination.
In 2000, Brandon met Diannah Ten Broeck who would become his future wife and business partner. Diannah had a background in the thoroughbred industry and encouraged Brandon to pursue interests in thoroughbreds. As a teenager, Diannah broke and trained thoroughbred yearlings and enjoyed showing hunter/jumpers. As an adult, she has studied equine anatomy and physiology.
In 2002, Brandon and Diannah formed Paragon Farms, LLC, and married one year later. Diannah and Brandon are hands on with all aspects of the farm. They have worked together on building a quality broodmare band and raising top yearlings for the sales. In just a few short years, Paragon Farms, LLC has acquired such notable broodmares as Magical Masquerade (dam of The Green Monkey, world record $16 million colt), Country Melody (1/2 sister to Bob And John, G1 Winner of The Wood Memorial), So Chic (1/2 sister to With Distinction, G3 Winner, multiple G2 placed), and Colony Bay (multiple G3 stakes/stakes producer). With diligence and foresight, Paragon Farms was able to purchase all of these mares prior to any of their significant updates.
John and Jill Stephens
John D. Stephens has been a Licensed Thoroughbred Trainer since 1980. Although his early racetrack education began in the Midwest, he was ultimately licensed and practiced in 6 states including both the east and west coast regions. As a former assistant to such notable trainers as W.D. Anderson, and veterinarians such as Dr. Ed Devine and Dr. Keith Evringham, John was privileged to gain invaluable experience from multiple perspectives in the racing industry.
Jill Stephens is a fourth–generation horseman. Her family resume and mentoring includes such notable horsemen as Clyde D. Rice, a pioneer in the training, selling and racing of young Thoroughbred athletes. She has been a licensed exercise rider at multiple racetracks in North America and has ridden for such respected horsemen as Hall of Fame trainer Charlie Whittingham. As a Registered Nurse and graduate of Graceland University, Jill holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing; she also has a variety of experience in management and development techniques, as well as in therapeutic communications.
Married since 1988, John and Jill have developed a team approach to their Stephens Thoroughbreds horse training program. Both “hands–on” horsemen, they each bring their individual skills and strengths to the partnership, and have subsequently enjoyed an exciting and lucrative entrepreneurship. In the past six years alone, they have trained such quality racehorses as Dynever, Voodoo Dancer, Fast Decision, and Letgomyecho. The most recent star graduate of their program is the 2006 Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro.
The Stephens Thoroughbreds training facility is located in beautiful Marion County, Florida. It boasts approximately 90 acres, a 3/4 mile irrigated racetrack, 66 stalls, 25 turn–out paddocks, a swimming pond, and wooded riding trails. Their staff regularly manages a combination of young horses maturing into their full potential, and older horses regrouping and maintaining their particular level of ability. Creating a safe and thoughtful program to maximize each horse’s training experience is the forte of their business.
Venturing into the sales arena as buyers was not an entirely foreign progression for either John or Jill. Both had significant experience working at the preparation and presentation of two–year old horses for formal sale. After several years of minor “pin–hooking” efforts, they were fortunate enough to develop business relations which evolved into representing clients at a premier level in both the yearling and two–year old markets. Relationships with clients, such as Paragon Farms (Brandon and Diannah Perry), and Mr. Roger Perry, have provided them with great enjoyment by enhancing their access to, and opportunities for buying, presenting, and selling better quality racehorses.