Macella's Corner I A Horse We Have Loved
magnificent horse at a show recently. My phone rang with the voice of a friend on the other end, a fellow professional, say- ing it had given him goose bumps watch- ing the young horse jump around. We immediately fell into an animated discussion about the horse’s experience, age, temperament, potential and all the various other critical components that combine to make a top horse. We most especially talked about how exciting it was to be able to develop such a talent- ed horse. When I hung up the phone I thought, there is no greater gift than pas- sion, and horse people have it in abun- dance for their beloved horses. It's impossible for me to name a single
favorite horse. I've loved so many thru the years who have been so generous and lent me their souls for a short time. Cer- tainly starting with a donkey named Sul- tan who gave me a great appreciation for everything that came afterwards! I thought it would make for some fun
reading this time to conduct a little poll around the showground’s and ask people about their favorite horses. So off I went in search of information. Toni and Colin MacIntosh and I started
walked out of the ring after jump- ing a 1.40 course on a green but
by Macella O'Neill
the day off together setting jumps in the warm-up ring and I asked them who their favorite horse was and why. Toni said she loved to watch Milton, he was magical, but for her own horses it was a little horse named Get the Picture that she paid $400 for. They were asking $600, but she con- vinced them to take less, it turned out to be her first Grand Prix horse! Colin reminisced about several horses,
including a big black horse with crazy scope that would always stop at the first fence, and then jump around clean. He placed in lots of Grand Prix with him back when a stop was only 3 faults, less than a rail! But he ultimately chose one named Pocket Money as his all time fa- vorite horse; he said that horse "made him fall in love with horse training." Ian McFarlane picks his own horse
I was so inexperienced". Amateur rider Melanie Rapp picked Cordala (lala), from among her many wonderful horses, be- cause "Lala was always so enthusiastic and athletic, I got to do so much on her and it was all fun". Nicole Bloom said "Amber, because
Spyder as his favorite because it gallops across the paddock, legs flying and whin- nying to greet Ian when he gets home after school. Gry, his mother, fondly picked a little Morgan named Charmin, she got that one from Peter Pletcher, and it taught untold numbers of people to ride and jump. Mariano Allario said Kilkenny La-
she's so sweet", while Guillermo Obli- gado immediately named Carlson, say- ing, "I went to the 0lympics, I went to the World Games, I won several Inter- national classes on him". Julie Young named Tyronne who "took me from the 3'11" to the 4'11", and he also let Stevie Sorensen, a member of this year's Young Rider Team, jump her first big courses. Finally he has just qualified Haley Stone for the 2012 North American Junior Young Riders team.” Without a moment's hesitation Carol
Wright said "Suprise. I was just a kid, I didn't know anything but I trained him at home on my own. He was just a su- perhorse. He's the yardstick I measure all other horses by." Judge Richard Wilkinson responded
sandro because, "She was so brave and let me realize all my dreams even though
"Idle Dice. He was a slinky. ‘Ike’ as he was known, made everything look easy, never been matched." Steward Sandy McKeon had to think a bit, not about the horse, but to get the details right. It was a horse named Toy Storm that she got in 1944. It was a 15.2 hand bay gelding with a cute head. She did Polo, 3 day eventing, costume classes, double bareback, swam him, reining competitions, barrel roping (yes that's correct) and was the only clear one year at the Flintridge Open Jump- ers! Trainer Beverly Jovais fell in love with
Rox Dene when she saw her jump and Marion Nelson is a fan of Mclain Ward's Sapphire. Jon Wohr had to say a horse owned by Andrew Ramsey's named Nighty that just never quit trying. The horse would win a class every time they got a new horse to try to replace him! And finally, Jeri Lu Paul instantly chose
a big Hanoverian stallion named Gan- nymeade that she had for 25 years and showed in the open jumpers. In a beauti- ful memory she said "he had eyes as big as your fist, big beautiful liquid eyes. He would lower his head down to say hello to you, and it would make you glad you were alive"
26
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84