National Dressage Pony Cup 2018 - Our Amazing Experience

July 2018 - As long as we had been aware of the National Dressage Pony cup, it was a goal. ‘Someday’ we will show there. ‘Someday’ we will have the opportunity to attend and spectate. As it turns out, ‘someday’ occurred in July 2018.

Since born a colt, we had made the decision to sell CGF Mischief Managed aka Seamus and had him advertised as such. It seemed a frustrating endeavor as we were certain he would find his person before he was weaned. Or before he hit one year old. Yet he was with us then… and also at 2. And as 2 1/2 rolled around we decided it was would be best for his future to get him out and shown in hand, and thus we began taking him to local schooling shows that offered in hand classes. Much to our surprise, he scored extremely well. And started winning.

A lot. And with consistent scores of 74% of higher.

Right around that time, we learned that the National Dressage Pony Cup (NDPC) was moving to the Lamplight Equestrian Center, near Chicago. It was a drivable distance for us and NDPC had a special in-hand Breed Show division. We began to plan.

Before long, it was departure day and with a freshly bathed and wrapped Seamus, we loaded up in a light rain that Friday morning and headed Southeast toward Chicago. This was, by far, his longest trailer ride ever (nearly 9 hours) but he took it all in stride. With frequent fuel and food breaks, he was happily amused by listening to the local hustle and bustle of wherever we were. Finally we arrived to the showgrounds after 5PM. The riding portion of the show began on Friday, so most had arrived Thursday. Since our classes weren’t until Sunday morning, we opted for Friday as our travel day, which meant the show was well in motion when we arrived.

After unloading him and getting paperwork sorted, we set about getting our bearings. We made our way to our hotel for the night and crashed into bed. Saturday began with breakfast and getting him out to walk about the showgrounds and take it all in. We did little by little so as not to overwhelm him. That afternoon he received his USEF official measurement (until age 7 when he gets his permanent pony card), a bath and his braids. We said a small prayer for the braids and tucked him in for the night.

Sunday morning dawned cool and damp. Scattered sprinkles were in the forecast with straight up rain expected late morning. Not great conditions. But his first class started at 7:12 AM and (3 year old colts & geldings) with only one other entry, moved rather quickly. He placed first with a score o 72.5% and comments which included: sweet expression, well set neck, clear rhythm in walk shows overstep, trot has steady tempo and nice reach and a harmonious type.

Next up, was the top placing colts/geldings of all ages to go up against each other. Again, Seamus was placed first among all colts and geldings.!

Winners and second place ponies of both colts/geldings and fillies, age 3 and under went against each other for the Young Pony Championship and…. Seamus won again! At this point, he had earned one bridle ribbon, one mega-long ribbon and a beautiful neck ribbon!

The entire cycle was repeated for the Mature horses. This took some time, as there were considerably more entries in each class. While waiting, it began to rain fairly hard and our baby pony’s patience was being tested.

The last step was for the Breed show Grand Champion, pitting the best of the young ponies against the best of the Mature ponies. By this time it had been raining heavily for some time and he had been out showing or waiting for over an hour. Needless to say, the final placings had him just outside of the ribbons. Nevertheless, we were pleased beyond belief!

The next day driving home, we stopped in Wisconsin to meet a family who had expressed interest in buying Seamus for their daughter’s dressage prospect. It was a bittersweet moment to see him bond with her the first time she walked him on the lead around their indoor, into the grooming stall and introduce him to his future stall. After lots of discussion, hugs and promises of frequent updates, we drove home that day with an empty trailer and a full heart knowing our little star was in good hands. The slideshow below shows Seamus being shown in all classes.

Martin of 2018

May 2018 - The previous summer we had embarked on a new chapter of our journey when the Mares of Kansas joined us. After careful consideration we opted to breed the imported States Premium mare Wischhoff’s Catania, a proven producer of at least 4 foals prior, to the young and exciting stallion Fox Creek’s Masterpiece. This would be his first foal and we could hardly contain ourselves for excitement!

CGF Moone Boy, first morning

Since this was her first with us, we didn’t know what to expect. Between the four of us, we had camera checks on her every 30 minutes throughout the night. After months of an agonizing wait and a long gestation of 345 days, Catania gave birth to a leggy, sweet, palomino colt on May 25th, 2018. The only time window we had not covered was 4:30 AM. And guess when she had him? Yup, sometime between 4 and 5 (best guess is 4:30 AM).

From the moment he stood the very first time, it was clear this colt was going to be big and beautiful. He seemed more a warmblood foal than a pony! For as long as those legs were, he sure knew how to weld them. It wasn’t long before we were enchanted by his lofty, athletic movement and charmed by his sweet, people-oriented personality. It took a week of getting to know him for us to come up with his barn name: Martin.

Being of Irish heritage, we embrace as many exports from Ireland as we can. One such is a comedy television show called Moone Boy; the story of an Irish lad named Martin Moone who grew up in central Ireland during the early 90’s with his imaginary friend. Every episode has us all in tears for laughing and it is a character we have all come to adore. And that’s how we named this colt.

Everything came easy with Martin. Haltering. Trailering. Farrier work. He was so easy going, so well mannered (before we even tried!) and consistently amazed us with his abilities to connect and communicate. That summer was so enjoyable to watch him grow and learn the world around him. For our first 100% German Riding pony, we were over the moon….or would that be, Moone?

Rembrandt DDH - A Dream Becomes Reality

March 2019 - Nestled amongst the rolling hills of the British countryside in the northern county of East Riding of Yorkshire is a small private stable, whereupon entry, visitors are greeted by the lovely inquiring face of internationally known dressage German Riding pony stallion, Rembrandt DDH

Such was the case for my sister and me as we arrived at the stable sometime around mid-afternoon on a cool and cloudy day. Isobel, owner of Rembrandt (Remy), met us with a warm smile and a hearty handshake. After a long drive up from the South coast the day prior and a morning exploring the a nearby quaint village, we were more than excited for this meeting. Rewind 6 years prior to when our love affair with the warmblood-type pony stallion began; we found him during a scouring of the internet. At that time, there were only a handful of (actual) German Riding pony stallions available in North America, and none that suited our mares. Then we found Remy and fell in love! The only problem? He was deep in international competition, standing only for local breeding, and with the quarantine required for USA import too restrictive during his active training and showing, there was little way we would have the opportunity to breed to him.

Fast forward 5 years from there and Isobel found herself with a Remy but no competition rider to continue his show career,so she decided it was the perfect time to go through with the arduous process of quarantine and freezing for international distribution. After all that time, she remembered us and reached out to let us know he would soon be available! What wonderful news it was to hear!!! We were left with only one problem…. how to get it from the UK to the US?

Long story short, there was no one more enthusiastic about getting his frozen doses imported than Isobel and us, and so we agreed to become his North American agent, despite having little experience in the process. With Isobel working in tandem with the team at Stallion AI, and us working the other side in the US, it was only a few weeks prior to our visit that we had finalized shipment logistics and details for the tank from Stallion AI over to the US.

Rembrandt DDH, schooling July 2018
Dressage champion German Riding Pony stallion

One of us sisters (Miare) had been on a business trip to Cambridge the previous July and worked in a visit to Remy complete with capturing some amazing photos. At that time, Isobel’s daughter Maisie was available to work him for her. In March, with Maisie gone off to work and the ground well sogged from a fresh downpour, the best option was a decent work on the lunge. But that didn’t disappoint. His walk and his canter are simply amazing. Swing, lift, step under; it’s all there. His trot, often showcased in competition and stallion exhibitions, is actually not his best gait, showing us just how trainable this stallion is.

After a decent rub-down, we all stood in his stall as he sacked out for a nap, listening to us discuss the variety of German Riding pony lines, the trends we see both in the US and UK and general Remy history. It was just about as lovely as you might imagine meeting someone (ahem… pony) you’ve admired for so long, could be! After several hours with us, we bid Isobel farewell with big hugs and hopes to meet in-person again very soon.

In the end, the frozen doses beat us back Stateside and when we arrived back home, we were happily greeted with the news that they were safely tucked into long term storage in Redding , FL.

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Rembrandt DDH is quite possibly the most accomplished international dressage pony stallion available to North American breeders. With Pavo Cup wins as a 4, 5 and 6 year old, as well as a 4th place finish in the 6 year old Bundeschampionate, he went on to earn 5 trips to the FEI European Dressage championships with 3 youth riders, winning multiple medals including twice bringing home team Gold for Britain. When we saw him at the age of 18, he was still sound as ever, being schooled and hacked nearly every day.

You can see his FEI scores and placings at the following link; per his owner, this is an incomplete listing, missing two very important shows and placings:

https://data.fei.org/Horse/Performance.aspx?p=B9DA4AFF11ABE8AD685D132DF8082E0C

A New Development - The Mares of Kansas

The true strength of any breeding program comes not from the stallions used, but from the quality of the mares in the program.

April 2017 - We had just learned that one of our mares, Willow, was no longer a good candidate for breeding. We had also recently discovered that the sire of our 2015 gelding Seamus had been gelded without being frozen. The talented Manchester City it seemed, struggled balancing his stallion drive with his living situation. With so few breeders of ponies in North America coupled with his immense talent for sport, his owner opted the best thing for him was to live his  life as a show gelding. We commend her decision for his happiness, but despair at no longer having access to breeding to this stellar stallion.

With these new developments, we turned our eyes to the future of our program and began searching for the best stallion match for either Katie or Ella. And then, the phone rang and everything changed.

Our friend, mentor and long-time breeder of German Riding Ponies, Dianna of Fox Creek Farm called with an incredible opportunity. She was long on mares and short on luck the last few years. She couldn't stand the idea of her lovely imported mares going another year without being bred, so she offered us a breed lease on two of them. This was truly an amazing opportunity! The mares are both imported; Surrender Dew Drop (FS Golden Highlight x FS Cocky Dundee/FS Pavarotti) and States Premium mare Catania (Diamond x Brilliant/ Nehros).

The only catch; we needed to decide, then go fetch them from Kansas in less than three weeks at which time she would be moving her operation to Florida. This is a reasonable time window for most people, but for the four critically analytical people of CGF, this was a very big decision in a short amount of time! Surprisingly, there was very little discussion needed and soon,the truck and trailer were packed for a road trip.

Since our route would take us within two hours, we opted to add a stop at Wally Woo Farm to meet the young and exciting German Riding pony  stallion Fox Creek's Censational. He was wonderful and well worth the extra time and distance to see! After a day of driving, we finally made it to our hotel at midnight.

An early start and a short drive to the farm, we met up with Dianna as she showed us around to see the ponies. We had been there 5 years prior, but her program had grown and evolved significantly in that time. We discussed bloodlines, stallions, trends and players both in North America and abroad.

We walked among her bachelor herd of young stallions including the 3-year old Masterpiece by Manchester City. The leggy, uphill buckskin moved like none other and we were immediately drawn to him. There were other, promising young stallions there as well, but we couldn't take our eyes off Masterpiece.

After loading the girls into the trailer, we started the journey back North. With frequent stops for rest, fuel and water, it was nearly midnight when we arrived back at the CGF foaling station. We settled the girls in for the night, and dragged ourselves off to bed. Many big decisions lie ahead, but first.... rest.

Heading North to (the) Milky Way

Originally Posted 08/19/2018

September 2017 - We hit the road again to meet the recently imported German Riding pony stallion Milky Way and his owner Christine located just outside Ottawa, Ontario in Canada.

We connected with Christine through Facebook; a German Riding pony enthusiast like us, only far more committed. In the few short years that Christine had been involved in GRP's, she had traveled to Germany a number of times, including to purchase the young stallion prospect, Milky Way.

Milky Way is a lovely combination of two lines not currently well represented in North America. Sired by the infamous FS Mr. Right (by FS Mr. Mobility out of FS Golden Sunlight, dam to FS Don't Worry) and out of a daughter of Danny Gold (a hallmark for the GRP, known for his kind and willing temperament), this young cremello stallion brings powerhouse movement for dressage, combined with an incredible athletic ability to jump, making him an all-around prospect.

His demeanor is very people oriented, sweet and quiet, not at all like a stud. We were able to be with him in his turnout, pet him and interact without any concerns. He is smaller than many of the stallions we've looked at, standing  barely 14 hands but with good feet and correct legs. His pretty, typey head is attractive and gives him a nice modern look, set on a well shaped neck that comes out high from a well angled shoulder. His hip and croup show good angulation which is reflected in his active and deep step-under. When turned loose, he showed us how well he can move and jump! Small he may be, but he moves better than some horses and has a powerful hind end.

He was imported to Canada in the summer 2017, after a brief breeding season in Germany. He covered only 5 mares there and a few more when he arrived in North America, leaving us in great anticipation for foaling season 2018... and he did not disappoint!

While he only had 5 foals in Germany, 2 were invited to the illustrious championship show in Lienen, astounding for a stallion's first crop of foals! And of those in North America which have been presented for registration all have been named Premium!  He certainly has a bright future as a stallion!

All in all, we were quite taken with this young, promising stallion and are delighted to share that we are expecting a 2019 foal by him out of our own Ridley (Rotspon x Walt Disney) daughter, CGF Ruella!  This foal will be her first and we are giddy with anticipation of how this baby will turn out. Stay tuned for an announcement, June 2019!

To learn more about Milky Way, visit his Facebook page - Milky Way German Riding Pony Stallion. 

Breeding Horses - Not for the Faint of Heart

Originally posted 04/15/2018

It has long been said that breeding horses is not for the faint of heart (or wallet) due to all the sad and bizarre things that can happen. And when people have said that to us, we kind of sighed, shook our head and said 'wow, we've been so lucky'.  After all, we have bred 7 foals without incident and foaled out an 8th for our aunt. Apart from some frozen doses of Hilken's Black Delight which were unusable, we have had first-try pregnancies and foals born without trouble.

2016 changed our streak of luck.

After traveling in-person to meet the German Riding Pony Golden State, it was clear to us that he was a great match to our older Hanoverian mare, Willow. We acquired Willow a few years prior from her owners, breeders of Swedish Warmbloods. With them, she had produced four Class 1 Swedish foals. Before that, Willow had been raised, trained and showed up the dressage levels in Florida. We were told she is trained to FEI (and I assure you she knows how to Piaffe, even if I've not quite figured out how to correctly ask for it!).

Willow has an older style build; heavy in bone, substance and power from behind. She is active in her hind leg and has an elegantly shaped neck; two things that Goldie doesn't generally improve upon. She is also slightly steep in her shoulder and a little hot; two things Goldie IS known to improve.  All things considered, this was a fantastic match.

The breeding process went as planned; fresh chilled arrived as ordered, Willow ovulated and on the first insemination she caught! Our vet is talented and they have been leaders in the area of artificial insemination (AI) for many years. Despite the textbook breeding, her uterine tissue tone wasn't ideal, so Willow was sent home on a drug called Regu-Mate, intended to keep her hormone levels in balance so that she didn't accidentally loose the growing embryo.

At her 14 day check, we had our black dot and her tissue still wasn't looking ideal, so she was ordered to stay on the Regu-mate for another 90 days to insure the little one's safety. At around three months, I had her checked again and sadly, she had absorbed the fetus. Very recently as well since all that was left on the ultrasound was a 'puddle' of fluid. My heart was broken. Our streak of impeccable luck had ended and we experienced first-hand the heartbreak of loss when breeding horses.

I wanted to know why this had happened and if she could be bred, ever again. After all, we had purchased her with the intent of breeding in addition to her teaching us to be better riders. So in early 2017, I scheduled a uterine biopsy. The process was fairly simple; I trailered her to the vet when she was in season (her cervix needed to be open enough to access her uterus) and Dr. Marta sent a probe in to 'snip' a cross section of tissue from her uterus. The tissue sample was sent off for analysis. And the wait began.

Several weeks later, I received a call with the results. It turns out that the tissue of her uterine wall had been scarred from her prior pregnancies. And though there was still a chance she could be bred and carry to full-term, it was not much better than 50:50. After experiencing the heartbreak of losing her foal, I couldn't bear to go through that again. I opted to retire her from breeding and stick to riding her.

Little did I know then, that luck would smile upon us. Only a few weeks later,  the phone rang and our breeding plans drastically changed. But we'll save that story for another post...

Something Censational

Originally Posted 06/19/2017

May 2017 - We took a short-notice road trip to Kansas (more on why later) and while there, added in a stop to meet one of the exciting up and coming German Riding pony stallions in North America; Fox Creek's Censational. This stallion was bred in Germany and imported in utero to Dianna Orona's Manhattan, Kansas based Fox Creek German Riding pony farm. And he is, sensational! He is likely one of the best kept secrets in North American pony breeding.

Sired by the Bundeschampion stallion Caramel FH and out of the states premium mare Die Oder Keine (by FS Don't Worry), Censational represents some of the absolute best German Riding pony breeding including Constantin, Golden Dancer, Valido, Black Boy and Der Lowe XX. Censational has a full sister in Germany via embryo transfer named Cream della Cream, and she has been very successful at competitions in Germany.

Fox Creek's Censational was born 2013 in the US and was a working 4 year old stallion when we met him. He is in dressage training with Jana (pronounced 'Ya-na') Wagner of Wally Woo Farm where we went to visit him. We arrived later than anticipated so Jana had him in cross ties for grooming. He had a very quiet and level headed demeanor but was observing us intelligently, curiously and politely engaging in our conversations.

His head is of lovely type and shape with adorably cute ears which prick well at top. A deep, dark bay, he stands on the taller side for the ponies, and has a lovely length of leg and substantial body build. This pony could easily carry a grown adult without issue!  Jana reports that he is a workman who is very professional about his job and though he notices  other horses, never steps out of line when he is 'clocked in'. She loves riding his gaits, saying he has a fantastic uphill feel to his ride and that his canter gives a fantastic feeling.

Jana walked him down to the new indoor to show him at liberty, passing other horses in barns and  turnout to which he paid no mind. Once in the bright, sunlit indoor, she turned him loose for some free movement and we were stunned...

With loft, swing and visible athleticism, he covered ground with ease. He has fancy in the front and it is equal in the back. His movement is uphill and it is most apparent as he transitions from one gait to another. His hind leg is active, showing swing and carry. He trots with his nose in the dirt, something Jana told us is a sale closer in Germany. It is not difficult to imagine him exceeding in sport!

This stallion will, no doubt, be a force to contend with in both the show ring and the breeding shed. His dam line is proven time and time again with his sire side not far behind; he has substance in his build as well as the cute pony character coupled with fantastic quality of movement. I expect he will be a very good stallion to cross on a variety of mares. The toughest part for us will be deciding which of our mares would be the best cross for him. He is available via frozen through Fox Creek Farms.

Katie and RPSI Approval

Originally Posted 06/23/2017

September, 2016 Watertown, MN.

As a foal, Katie {Ridley x MKK Worth the Wait) was registered with ISR/Oldenburg NA however, we really liked the experience with we had with RPSI and Seamus not to mention the direct connection to the German books. So when her 3 year old year rolled around, the entire team discussed and decided where to present Katie for approval as a breeding mare.  It took little time and the decision was clear - RPSI.

Thankfully, inspections were significantly closer than the previous year; less than 30 minutes from our training farm! We were able to bathe her the night before, braid her that morning, make the short trailer ride and get her settled in her stall at the inspection site well before we began.

When it was our turn, Katie was first walked in hand on the triangle, then trotted. Next, the reins were removed from her bridle and she moved about the arena of her own accord. She started with her nose on the ground, sniffing as she trotted around, then decided to canter a bit. She really didn't know what she was doing as she kept coming back to the people in the ring, and had to be shoo'd away a few times! With some decent trot and good canter work, she was recaptured (no effort needed there) and the breeding director, Otto, finalized her scores and read them aloud.

Otto's comments came fast and furious but in summation included: Good size and frame, solid in bone, good saddle position, good reach in walk, uphill trot with reach in front and the hind end catching up nicely, good looking mare who qualifies for the mare book. She measured in at 148 cm or 14.2 1/4" and her overall score was 7.1. She scored mostly 7's with an 8 for her trot and a 7.5 for her overall impression and development.  We were so proud! Not bad for our first attempt at a dressage pony.

Now that she is entered into the mare book, we will be considering which stallion to breed her to. We will share out our decision when it's made.  Until then, stay tuned for more updates from the team at Connaught Green Farms!

Seamus and his RPSI Inspections

Originally Posted 12/28/2016

September 2, 2015 - We all lived to tell the tale of Seamus's (pronounced Shay-muss) inspections.... not that it was a harrowing experience or anything but it was quite the ordeal.

We had had no previous experience with RPSI but we knew when we bred  Ella that we would want to take she and her foal to them for approval/inspections. They have a very good GRP program and, they are one of only a few that have reciprocity with the German books. As in, when a foal bred and born in North American is registered with RPSI, they are registered in Germany, held to the same standards as the German ponies; a fantastic measuring stick for any American breeder.

Sadly, the closest RPSI had historically come to our area was either a 5 hour drive East or a 7 hour drive West. When I contacted the registry to ask about a site any closer to home, it was kind of amazing!  Coincidently, there were people in the Des Moines, IA area also interested. Long story short, we settled on the Mason City IA fairgrounds (a 3+ hour trailer drive for us).

Dad and Miare (one of two sisters involved in this pony thing we do) took the truck, trailer, mare and foal down the evening before inspections. Mom and Megan (second sister) stayed at their  respective farms to do chores that night and very early the next morning. Inspections began at 9 AM and with the 3 hour drive, they had to wake, shower, chore, eat, drive to a meeting location and leave by 6 AM to get there in time. Thank goodness for Starbucks.

Although extremely hot and humid, the weather cooperated and driving was no trouble. Once we were all on-site in Mason and had paperwork complete, the final baby prep began as we were 3rd in the order of go. Miare had bathed and braided that morning and though baby Seamus's patience had been very much tested, he managed to be a good boy through the ordeal.

The nice thing about Mason City is that we didn't have to drive a ridiculous distance to get there .... the not-so-nice thing about Mason City is that it's a fairgrounds, not intended to host mares and foals running at liberty as per the RPSI inspection protocol.  The fence around the arena was about 4 feet high and not at all secure. The first mare and foal combination to go were a lovely Warmblood pair. Though it was without incident, the mare showed us all that the liberty phase of inspections was not a safe bet for this facility! The protocol was amended and only the in-hand portion of the presentation was made.

When it was our turn, both Ella and Seamus walked obediently into the arena. Both were a bit on edge but trusting us. The highway nearby was whizzing with traffic and Seamus was enthralled with all the activity. He showed himself well, but not great. The stress of a long drive the day before and a night in a strange place appeared to have caught up with them both. Despite his half effort to show off, he scored very well being awarded a SILVER PREMIUM!  Here's how the scores shook out:

• Breed and Sex Type, Quality of conformation: 7.6

• Movement: 7.6

• Total Score: 7.5

Otto's comments came fast and furious as my brain worked to process the numbers! I was a bit in shock with how well he scored, but I remember comments about his good topline, nice modern pony type and strong hind end.

More mare and foal sets were inspected along with a lovely 3 year old German Riding pony mare who was gaining her approval for breeding. After that, there was lunch, socializing, site awards and good byes. Ella and Seamus loaded right back into the trailer like pro's and the drive home was uneventful and full of smiles. This had been our first exposure to RPSI and we were very happy. In fact, happy enough to consider the organization as our base for our future breeding endeavors.

Our 2015 Colt

Originally posted 05/24/2015

Born the morning of May 20th (right on time), we are proud to share the news of our 2015 colt, sired by Manchester City out of Ella.  As we had hoped in this cross, he is showing great promise with a free shoulder, upright movement, strong hind end and a sweet and mellow personality.  He will very likely stay below 14.2 hands, thus being a perfect prospect for pony dressage.

Below are some photos of his first 4 days.  We'll share additional photo updates as he matures.  He is available for sale.  Please contact us for more info.

Of Breed or Type?

Originally Posted 05/19/2015

When people talk of the German Riding Pony, very often it is in the context of a 'breed'. But dig into some pedigrees and you'll discover this young breed is actually quite an interesting combination of other breeds of horses and ponies (Warmblood, Welsh B, Arabs, and TB), of which have been carefully selected. Pair pedigree with end result and you may find yourself considering this as more of a 'type' of pony rather than a breed.

Very often it seems, when people new to breeding select a 'breed' to produce, there is an assumption made that the animals within that breed are essentially the same so if you cross one with another you'll still produce a quality animal because, after all, it is 'purebred'. But what good breeders understand is, physical and temperament characteristic traits are what people should be looking to cross and compliment, more than pedigrees.

So while we at Connaught Green Farms are not breeding ‘pure’ German Riding ponies (GRP), in the sense of the product of 50 years in the making., we are still following a similar track What we aim to produce is an athletic pony with a reliable temperament that is physically capable of the FEI levels of the dressage sport. And while we may not have 'pure' GRP mares, we are utilizing the template from the Germans and applying the concept of hybrid vigor to create the best of both parents.

Take for example our coming 2 year old Katie. Her dam, Tess, by pedigree is a Shetland x Anglo Arab pony mare standing 13.2 hands. Athletic in her own right, with some very strong conformational attributes, Tess is also in need of some improvements in certain areas which would increase her level of athleticism

When looking for the 'best' stallion to cross, we were highly selective in choosing.  The end result is Katie, who is a very athletic mare, with a solid temperament and possesses the physical ability to do the upper level work. We plan to take Katie to approved German Riding pony  or similar type (Welsh, Connemara etc.) stallions to further improve her good traits and strengthen her weaknesses.

While it can be argued that we are not technically breeding German Riding ponies, what we are breeding the GRP-type, with an American twist.

Our 2015 Foal-in-development

Originally posted 02/06/2015

As we had planned some years ago, we have a foal that is due May 2015.  Sired by the extremely athletic Manchester City and out of our half-Arab mare Ella, this one should be fantastic.

If all goes as planned, here's what we believe this foal will be like :

- Large pony or just oversize; unlikely to go over 15 hands

- Fantastic mover with lots of flash but also true athleticism

- Very forward thinker - sensitive but level headed

- Smart but honest

- Powerhouse hind-end with a swinging, elastic forehand

- Very likely a bay, which is fine.  We don't breed for color

This is Ella's first foal so we are excited to see how she does.  Chester has only a few foals on the ground but all extremely typey, athletic and fantastic movers.  One colt born in 2014 to Fox Creek Farm was the RPSI site inspection champion with scores of 8.6 for conformation, 9.0 for movement and overall 8.8.

This foal will likely be for sale.  Please contact us if you are interested in learning more.

Welcome Willow!

Originally posted 01/20/2015

October 2013- Willow (Waldaire x Elona) is a 1997 black Hanovarian mare we purchased in late 2013. Already a proven broodmare, Willow has produced four Class 1 Swedish Warmblood foals for her previous owner.

Willow is, quite obviously, not a pony.  But, she is a very athletic, nice mare who puts a solid mind and great pushing power on her foals.  We purchased her with a dual interest; first as a schoolmaster to help us learn from her and second as a potential broodmare for one or two foals.

We've been debating over whether to take her to a pony or a big horse....and as of this post, haven't decided.  In the meantime, we've been enjoying her as a riding horse, taking her trail riding and schooling in the arena.

Whomever we decide to cross her with must help her shoulder angle/freedom, be tightly coupled across the back, have good sitting ability and not be any less athletic than she.

Stay tuned for updates on our plans for Willow.

Katie's ISR/Oldenburg Inspections

Originally posted 01/18/2015

August 2013 - Katie's ISR/Oldenburg NA inspections were a good, stressful, learning experience that came at a time when our family needed a bight spot.  The day previous to the inspections, we buried our Grandfather.  Though he had be ailing for some time, it is still a difficult process to say good-bye, recalling all the memories and hoping his spirit was at rest. A day of horses was just what we needed to help with healing.

The morning of August 27th, 2013 dawned bright and warm.  We were amidst a heat wave with high humidity and daytime high's in the nineties; not unusual for a Minnesota summer, but not at all appealing for the work ahead of us that day.

Miare and I got up early, dressed and fed the horses at our farm (the 'training' center) then packed up the dogs and headed to our parent's farm.  We had bathed Tess the night before and placed a scrim sheet on her in a futile attempt to keep her moderately clean.  Thankfully the efforts seemed mostly to pay off, as she had only one manure stain on her when we arrived.

We pulled Tess and Katie from the 'maternity ward' stall and tied Tess out in the courtyard.  First, we tackled spiffing up mom while baby ran loops around us.  Hold in your energy kid - you've got a big day, I thought. Once we finished Tess, then came the work of giving a 3-month old foal a bath.

A foal who is still learning about halters and pressure.  Needless to say, we all ended up getting partially bathed but Katie was the cleanest.  We left Katie and Tess in the barn to dry and have some downtime while we refueled with some coffee.  A little while later, it was time to braid manes.  Tess, being the bottomless sponge of attention she is, soaked it all in and lavished each moment.  Katie was braided quickly and in short segments.  Braid a little, give her a rest.  Braid a little more, give another rest.  Tape, tape, tape - rest.  This way we weren't going to sour her on the experience.

Once the ponies were ready, everyone loaded into the truck, trailer and car and headed towards Thomas Farm.  The inspections were scheduled to start at 1 PM, so we arrived around noon.  As it turns out, the inspector was none other than Dr. Christian Schacht, author of 'Sport Horse Conformation', the book who's methods we used to evaluate Tess and her prospective matches!

After checking in, filling out paperwork and making small talk, we headed back to the barn and the stalls in which our ponies were waiting (box fan blowing on them to help keep them cool).  Color me  unsurprised, both ponies had pulled an audience.  It seems that pint sized sport horses are still a bit of a rarity and ours had garnered some followers.....

When it came our turn to enter the ring, Tess, ever the entertainer, marched confidently up to the line we were instructed to stand on.  Katie followed reluctantly, taking it all in.  The walk on the triangle was uneventful.  Then came the part where Dr. Schacht said 'turn the foal loose'.  And then the fun started.

In theory, the mare handler trots the mare around the triangle, showing off her gaits.  Baby follows the mare, showing the quality of trot as well.

But in our version, Tess trots around strutting her stuff while Katie canters as fast as she can around the entire arena, ignoring what is happening with her mother, in the form of a figure 8, calling to the horses in the barn whom she apparently made good friends with.

There were tiny moments of trot sprinkled in the cantering (3 strides here, 4 strides there) and finally after several more minutes of waiting to see if she'd finally cooperate, Dr. Schacht resigned to the fact that he wasn't going to see her real trot that day.

Despite not actually trotting, Katie got an overall score of 7.9, missing the coveted 'Premium Foal' award by 0.1.  She got a score of 7.8 for conformation and correctness, a score of 7.8 for movements (based mainly on her walk since she hardly did trot) and an 8.4 for overall impression.

Though we barely missed the mark on Premium foal, it was highly rewarding and reinforcing to hear her complimented from the man whose methods we had employed to make our decision.  Katie was branded ISR and is eligible for evaluation as a 3 year-old for the Main Mare or Premium Main Mare  book when she turns 3.  Thankfully, at that time we won't be turning her loose on the triangle.

Match 2015

Originally Posted 05/30/2014

We are fortunate to say that our adventure continues!

For 2015, we have planned to match Ella with the Weser Ems stallion Manchester City. http://www.crosiadorefarm.com/stallions/manchester-city/

Manchester City is a 2009 Weser Ems, provisionally licenced stallion (he will be completing the 30 day pony stallion test this November).  His sire is a Welsh and his dam is a German Riding Pony.  He is a lovely combination of power, uphill movement and elasticity.  His short back, uphill balance and fantastic movement solidified him as the right match for Ella.

Being a small horse, Ella has a level balance, ground covering gaits and eye-catching movement.  We believe she will compliment Manchester very well.  We will be confirming this breeding in the next 30 days.

When to say 'no' to an opportunity

Originally posted 09/07/2013

We had an opportunity last year to purchase a mare for a very reasonable amount of money…think, a few hundred dollars.  She was being sold by a high school kid who had acquired her in trade for a load of hay from her breeder.  Red flag #1.

Her pedigree touted some well-respected Warmblood breeding on her dam’s side and she was sired by a decent Quarter horse stallion. Thanks to a Google search, we found footage from her original sale video which showed some lofty movement, even at a young age and a nice overall balance.  But when the filly came trotting straight toward the camera, it mysteriously moved to a shot of the arena floor.  Red flag #2.

Despite this, we drove the 2 ½ hours one way to see her in person.  She was very cute, personable, pony sized and as it turns out, very incorrect in her front legs.  To say that one front hoof pointed to the East while the other pointed to the West might accurately describe it.  It all became clear then, why the red flags.  She clearly had poor front limb conformation and the breeder did their best to hide it.  Suffice it to say, this flaw is what had led the filly to be traded for a load of hay.

We took a good look at her, spent some time evaluating her and told the seller thank you, but she is not what we are looking for in our breeding program.  She will make a kid a great 4-H project horse or even a quiet trail pony, but she was not of the caliber for breeding.

In a stressed market, such as that which we have experienced for the past several years, sometimes an opportunity is a good opportunity.  Other times, an opportunity is one that does not align with your long-term vision and goal and that's when it’s a good time to say ‘no’.

Why a Pony?

Originally posted 09/10/2013

Now there’s a good question. Why would we, or other adults for that matter, be interested in riding ponies?

For us, a bit of it has to do with our upbringing (the POA influence of our lovely Aunt Betsy) and a bit more of it to do with training and riding big horses….and the physical demands of it.

How many riders are out there being ‘out-horsed’ by the big moving Warmblood that they think they need to be competitive in the show ring?  I’ve seen and heard of more than my share.

So perhaps a better question is, why not a pony?

Ponies are certainly not for everyone.  Mention a pony to any sport horse enthusiast  in the USA and their first vision that comes to mind is a chunky, ill-behaved  Welsh or Shetland that moves like a sewing machine.  That is what most riders here know as a pony and thus are not interested in a pony for themselves as a mount.

But there is a growing segment of riders who desires ponies for a dressage or sport mount…and they aren’t children.  Think of the 50-something woman who has trained and shown big horses her whole life.  She is getting to a point where the possibility of e a 17 hand fall isn’t all that appealing, because she ‘doesn’t bounce like she used to’.

Let alone the strength needed on these modern horses to ‘put the horse together’.  Riding big moving horses takes a certain amount of strength so sometimes smaller is better. Especially if a person has to balance work, family, horse and fitness time.

In comes the horse-like moving, pony sized solution.  Get these folks the option to ride a pony that moves like a horse with the solid mind and amiable personality of a pony and TA-DA, you have a much needed solution for today’s riders.  Not only does dressage become more enjoyable, it is also more accessible for more riders.

Ponies aren’t just for kids anymore.

Phenotype vs. Genotype

Originally Posted 06/23/2013

Some people make match decisions of mare and stallion based on pedigree alone, believing that a good pedigree will make a good product….for established matches, this holds some truth.  But in general,  we don’t agree.  Genetics are a dice roll and in our opinion, failing to take into account physical strengths and weaknesses of the mare and stallion is a breeder’s oversight.   Our approach to matching takes into account both pedigree AND physical appearance, including movement.

This approach makes a lot of sense,  when you consider the ‘breed’ we are focusing on…the 50-year old German Riding pony that is founded on a combination of several other breeds, many times with a high degree of variability in the second or third generation…talk about taking a genetic gamble!   

For us, pedigree (genotype) only gives an indication of the probability of the result.  For example, if the mare’s pedigree has a history of producing well set necks, there is a higher probability she will too, but not guaranteed.  Likewise, if the stallion line is known for a quiet disposition, the likelihood that the resulting foal has a good disposition is all the higher.  But again, it’s not guaranteed!

We’re generally not of the mindset that if the horse has a good pedigree, then despite what is standing in front of you, the genetics within will produce ‘greatness’.  The phonotype plays almost a bigger role in our evaluations.  We firmly believe it would be irresponsible to see the individual for what they are; strengths and weaknesses and not just decide on pedigree alone. 

Starting with the mare, we examine her conformation.  What are her strengths or great points?  Where is she considered ‘weak’ for sport?  Loin connection?  Neck set?  Shoulder angle?  Are there aspects of her conformation that would be a deal-breaker?  If so, we won’t breed her.

Next, we’ll search out a stallion that enhances her strengths and compliments her weaknesses.  It is very unlikely that we would select a prospective match who has the same weakness.  Why double your chances for something you don’t necessarily want?

Then, we’ll look at how conformation is translated into movement and ability.  . Next, we look at size.  How tall is the mare and how tall is the stallion.  What size has each produced in the past and that gives an indication of what size we might expect from the cross. 

Finally, is there any no-go factors related to color?  We don’t breed for color, but consider it in that we would never cross our pinto mare on a grey stallion. 

It’s part art and part science, but overall we take many factors into consideration when selecting a match. With this approach, we hope to produce healthy, athletic, well-minded ponies for sport here in the states.

It's A Filly!

Originally Posted 05/28/2013

We are so excited to welcome a filly out of MKK Worth the Wait by Ridley (Rotspon)!  Born between 9:30 and 10 PM on May 20th 2013 (between thunderstorms) little Katie is one week old today. 

She is a bay with a star and a strip and 2 socks. Our goal was #1 – a healthy birthing and foal, #2 – a filly and #3 some pinto color.  Well, she is the first two out of three and we are just fine with that.

 She appears to have her mother’s tight loin connection, lovely straight legs, an ideal shoulder and neck set and the daintiest feminine head you could imagine!

We will continue to sprinkle in updates and photos this summer.  

Match 2013 - An Analytical View

Originally Posted 03/24/2013

Our impending foal for 2013 is sired by Ridley (Rotspon x Walt Disney I) out of MKK Worth the Wait.  The goal of this match is to replicate strengths and improve on our mare, aka Tessa.   As you can see from our evaluation of her conformation (below) she has many good things as well as a few 'weaknesses' as it relates to the sport of dressage.

First and foremost, her attitude and work ethic are phenomenal.  Though you can not represent this in photos, it is most important to note how willing and forward she is in her attitude about her work.  I believe many horses can compensate for conformational flaws with the right attitude and heart...and she has it!

Her overall balance is level to slightly downhill, though she does have a tendency to step deeply beneath her center of gravity.  She articulates her joints in her gaits and has some loft to her movement.  You might note how strong her loin connection is; this is a large enabler for her and one of her strong points. In addition, her center of gravity, represented by the blue line coming from where the red line following her shoulder angle and hip angle meet, is nearly where the rider sits.  Another good point.

One of her weaker points is her neck. That is to say, the length, throat latch clearance and depth coming out of her chest. We'd like to see her neck lengthened, throat latch cleaned up a bit and the neck come out higher from the chest, thereby allow her balance to naturally shift further back onto her haunches.

She stands 13.2 hands tall, with her sire being a pinto Shetland and her dam a 7/8 Arabian x 1/8 Thoroughbred. Given this information, we felt it a good bet that taking her to a small horse would still produce a foal within the pony range of 14.2 hands or less.  Therefore, we opted to breed her to Ridley, as seen below.

Ridley is a small warmblood, standing only 15 hands. He has sired many foals, most from warmblood mares, who has stayed his size.  Therefore, we felt we were not a risk for going oversize when crossed with Tessa.

He has a very pleasant overall balance with a slightly uphill tendency. His strong hip ties in well to a good back and his neck comes nicely out of his shoulder with a good length and clean throat latch.  Though it is not the most important aspect of physical ability, he has a pleasantly refined head and nice expression.  His attitude is reportedly very amiable and his work ethic very good. At last report, he has been schooling and successfully being shown in the FEI levels.

It is important to note that we spent years searching and researching prospects for Tessa.  When looking to improve on her areas we had identified, as well as maintain her strengths AND stay within height it was a bit challenging to find the right match.  Most of the pony stallions also share her same weakness of neck, and we were not about to double down on this conformational flaw.  Add to this the fact that she is extremely difficult to settle with frozen (therefore ruling out stallions from Germany or other international countries) so the search for a domestic stallion for her to cross with took some time. Needless to say, we are very thankful when we found Ridley!

As far as our main goal of this breeding, first and foremost, we hope for a healthy foal and mare! After that, we would like that this match will produce a well-balanced, athletic pony or small horse that is of good mind and attitude suitable for dressage.  A splash of color would be a bonus, but certainly not the purpose of this breeding. We have discussed retaining or selling the foal.  That decision has not yet been finalized and will be heavily dependant on the gender of the foal.  More on that at a later date.

With 7 1/2 weeks remaining, we will soon discover the results of all our hard work and analysis!!

***The conformation evaluation method used in this post is found in the book: 'Sport Horse Conformation; Evaluating Athletic Potential in Dressage, Jumping and Eventing Prospects' by Christian Schacht.