How Pedigree Matching Works to Produce a Champion

Pedigree Matching is a bloodline-analysis approach that evaluates how a sire's line combines with a dam's line, rather than judging either horse on reputation alone. The premise, as described by Pedigree Matching owner Norman Hall, is that the match between the two bloodlines — not just the quality of either parent — helps explain why top sires still produce many ordinary performers and why a modestly bred mare can suddenly throw a champion. The method is applied across performance horse breeds including Standardbred, Thoroughbred, Quarter Horse, Arabian, and Tennessee Walking Horse.

Why the sire–dam match matters

Two observations drive the whole method:

• Even the best sires produce a large share of ordinary performers.
• A mare of modest breeding can produce a champion.

If raw sire quality alone determined outcomes, neither pattern would hold. Pedigree Matching treats the combination of sire lines and dam lines as the variable that carries the explanatory weight, which is why the analysis focuses on the pairing rather than on a single horse's record.

What the analysis looks at

The site describes its work in terms of percentages, patterns, and profiles — the idea being that you learn to know them, recognize them, and breed or own a champion. In practice, the reports and services cover:

• Breeding and ratings — evaluating horses and matings.
• Pedigree matching — comparing sire lines against dam lines.
• Performance ratings — assigning a rating to a horse, including a feature in the PM Equine software that creates a performance rating for any horse.
• Sire selection — a PM Equine feature that lets you select a sire for your mare "at the click of a button."

The recurring logic is pattern recognition: certain combinations of bloodlines recur in successful horses, and those patterns can be compared against a proposed mating.

How you would actually use it

For someone breeding or buying, the workflow implied by the site's offerings looks like this:

1. Identify the mare (or the horse you're evaluating). Its own race or performance record is one input, not the whole picture.
2. Look at the bloodline combination. Compare the sire line and dam line against known successful patterns rather than against sales-page hype.
3. Check the performance rating. Use a rating to compare candidates on a common scale.
4. For breeding decisions, test sire options. The PM Equine sire-selection feature is built for exactly this step.
5. For sales, use the sale reports. Pedigree Matching publishes sale reports for all North America sales, listing yearlings with correct pedigrees and sorted by performance rating — described as a tool to avoid mistakes and focus on the best in each sale.

Tools and resources on the site

Norman Hall is listed as owner and operator and as a Performance Horse Consultant; he also developed the PM Equine pedigree software.

Where to start

If you want to understand the method before paying for anything, the site's own sequence is: read How Pedigree Matching Works, then Breeding Or Buying, then The Best Patterns Of Success and Percentages, and Doing Your Homework. The PM Equine tutorials cover new features, including the performance-rating and sire-selection tools, with a discussion set in Lexington.

For direct inquiries, Pedigree Matching lists phone 1-902-628-5581 (Canada) and email [email protected], with a mailing address at Box 571, Charlottetown, PE, Canada, C1A 7L1. The site does not publish prices for reports, services, or PM Equine, so cost and access terms need to be confirmed by contacting them directly.