It was celebration time at Sanford and Jan Zimmerman’s Standardbred breeding farm this past weekend. The Zimmerman family has owned the beautiful Century Spring Farms since 1868. That is 150 years.
Hundreds of friends, neighbours and horse enthusiasts were treated to a tour of the original homestead, the barns and horses.
The ornate carved door frames and spiral banister in the house, and the immaculate barns give testimony to the meticulous care taken at Century Spring Farms.
Nestled along the Maitland River, in Northern Huron County, near the town of Gorrie, the 200-acre farm offers boarding and breeding services to the public.
“These days we own more mares than we board,” says Sanford. “When the industry took it’s downturn in 2012, we really started buying broodmares.”
The Zimmermans have had many champions born on their farm. The one that stands out the most to the couple was a son of Somebeachsomewhere from the broodmare Benear. He was born in 2011 and was named Marblehead Johnson. He was a Little Brown Jug winner. What, you’ve never heard of a Little Brown Jug winner named Marblehead Johnson? You might know him better as ‘Limelight Beach’ (his name was changed after his owners bought him as a yearling).
The Zimmermans foaled nearly 30 broodmares this past spring, and are getting ready to prep the yearlings for the fall sales
After 150 years on the same farm the Zimmerman family is proud of its history and look forward to many more years of producing fine Standardbreds.
(Standardbred Breeders of Ontario Association)