I suppose I can begin with a long, drawn out biography of myself and the current horses at Top Line. Yeah, you'll probably have to be very bored to read over this, but, it will get you acquainted for the future blogs. :)
I have been riding horses for 16 years, after a long term obsession with everything horse that finally resulted in my Mom buying me my first horse (biggest mistake of her life, I'm sure! :) That horse was a crazy, short (14.3!) ex-racehorse, a nine year old chestnut. I remember that like it was yesterday. My mom and I, knowing absolutely nothing about horses (well sure, I was all read up on colors, breeds, etc, but you know, no COMMON SENSE), visited a local barn for lessons. This was a dream come true for me and I can still remember my excitement, riding an old pinto around. He was 18 years old and packed me around, I was in love and found out he was for sale. He wasn't too old for me, I guess I equated horse years as the same as human years. :) We wanted to buy this horse, but he got bought before we could buy him. :( As my eyes scanned the pastures for a "rebound" horse (how quickly eight year olds can move on from true love!), I immediately re-fell in love with the pretty red chestnut mare sitting out in the pasture. Why? Because she looked just like Ginger from Black Beauty, of course! Miracle upon miracles, she was for sale. $1500 later, "Libby" was mine as well as her old western saddle, circa at least 1960's!
I wouldn't say I necessarily regret my first horse, although I never truely regarded her as my first horse. More appropriately, she was the first horse to teach me how to stay on for the following, less mental horses in my life. Libby was hot, extremely barn sour (of which I found out on an unfortunate trail ride alone, I suppose the barn owner didn't have enough sense to not send an eight year old kid on a green TB on a trail ride), and we came to find out later that she raced, was retired from racing, sat out in this lady's pasture, and then voila, was sold to our unsuspecting selves. Poor Libby, bless her heart.. was a kind but misguided mare with a smaller than average horsey brain. I of course, thought I was immortal and the rearing up just ment I could be like the cowgirls from the movies! About a year into it though, after switching barns and riding horses that proved that I don't always have to hang on for dear life... it was time for horse #2, who I've always considered to be horse #1. :)
Gypsy was a five year old, dapple grey Arabian gelding. He originally came from the Arabian Nights Dinner Show, where he supposedly had bullwhips cracked, guns shot, and people jumping through fire hoops on his back. This was confirmed when we visted AN and they remembered Gypsy. His new owner was a young college girl who apparently got bucked off every time she rode him. I tried him out, did wonderfully, and Gypsy became mine for the steal of $500. My first horse shows were on Gypsy. He's the horse I grew up with, the horse I learned dressage on, learned hunter/jumpers on, my partner on 10,000 trail rides. He is the one who took care of me. He did like a good buck if you ever tried to push his lazy butt past a slow canter, though! We had many great years of beating the warmbloods at the hunter and dressage shows. He was the best horse a kid could have asked for. I miss him, once I got into Quarter Horses and he was just going to waste here, he moved on to make another little girls dreams come true. The last I'd heard, they sold him to yet another little girl. Even though he's nearing 20 years old now, I hope that fat, hardy Gypsy is still alive and doing well somewhere, still making little girl's dreams come true. I wish there was a way I could find him!
Soon after, the addiction had finally started. We still had Libby and while struggling to find her a new home, it was time for a replacement. My favorite color at the time was palomino, and of course when you are 11 years old color > everything else! I found an adorable yearling palomino QH filly in the local horse magazine, and well, enter the horse of a lifetime, my soulmate, Southern Sensations, aka "Sendy".
Where as Gypsy was my childhood horse, Sendy took me through the preteen/teen years. She was the first horse I trained on my own, and if it had been any lesser horse, I probably wouldn't be here writing this today! That horse took care on me. From day long trail rides, to swimming in lakes, to barrel racing, hunters, cross-country (VERY lucky to be alive after that one!), reining, western pleasure... I could go on. You name it, Sendy did it for me, and did it well. While being the quietest, kindest horse towards me, she would actually chase off intruders (like the next door neighbors mischevious little boy, or his troublemaking dogs!) that would dare enter her pasture. She helped me through those horrible teenage years. Something would happen to break my heart, I would go jump on Sendy bareback and fall asleep on her in the stall after crying into her mane, or go galloping out on the trails, lost for hours. That horse just knew, and took care of me. She was my best friend. She was the horse that anyone could ride, that everyone loved. So many different people have sat on Sendy, of all ages, and she's taken care of all of them. Sendy is what got me into the QH's. The mind, the versilitility, I fell in love and have been devoted to them ever since. She's the foundation of everything I'm doing now. Granted, they aren't all Sendy's - she is truely a once in a lifetime horse! I am proud to say that my short, stocky little cowbred mare is still here at nearing 14 years of age, and will be here for the rest of her days. The icing on the cake - she has turned out to be my best producing western pleasure broodmare! Who would have thought I would be so lucky... to have my childhood best friend also turn into my best business asset. I suppose I shouldn't be surprised, as her mind and versatility are what charmed me into this breed in the first place! Sendy is expecting TWO babies next year via embryo transfer and has a coming two that will be showing at all the big shows next year. I will do embryos on her every year!
So, that is pretty much my "horsey" biography and how I came to be where I am now... oh, minus around 15 years of more details. :) Over the years I accumulated more quarter horses and learned more about pedigrees, desireable movement, etc. I switched from the hunter, dressage, and local shows to show the QH circuit. I've shown or had horses show at the Congress for four years now, earning a Top Ten every year, even a Top 4. Not bad for my first years on the circuit. :) My horses have also gone on to be major futurity champions and even a World champion this year. I've been through the good and the bad of the industry and after years of "filtering", have found the stock that's going to last me for awhile. Between showing and breeding a handful of babies a year, I have found my niche.
I'm very excited for my 2010 coming foals. I have seven foals coming, five of which will be the first foal crop of my HUS stallion, A Chance For Romance. One of which, will be out of the great Sendy. :) That is an embryo baby, Sendy is also bred to carry to Huntin For Chocolate. Also have another mare in foal to the great Artful Move. Can't WAIT for next year!
For now, it's already almost Congress time, so time to focus on that. I will have confirmed two horses going at this point. My three year old WP stallion, A Blazing Impulse. Second to Sendy, he is the greatest minded, smartest horse I've ever owned. I did all his training myself, for over a year, up until a few weeks ago when I sent him to a trainer to start his show career. He picked up over half his ROM in his first show out and won the circuit - that was probably one of the proudest moments of my life, as not only did I do all his training myself, but I nursed him back from an injury which everyone said would leave him crippled for life. Now here he is, sound and winning. He will be showing at Congress in Junior and Green WP. Also going is my yearling palomino colt, Twenty Four Karat Chip, who has won every major futurity in the country this year in the color longe line, and is also a Palomino World Champion. After never owning a single palomino since Sendy, even with my deep down love of them from childhood, it's finally come full circle and here I am, proud owner of a Palomino World Champion. :) He will be showing in the english, and the western longe line at Congress! That will be his final show in the longe line, then it is on to a very exciting riding career.
Well, thank you for letting me share my story, and I hope you'll stay tuned to the blog for news and updates on the horses, shows, Congress, foaling season, etc. It's been a long journey to get here, and hopefully there is a long road ahead. :)
~Amy Lynn
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment