an RPSI inspection would be held at Horses Unlimited. The inspection was just three weeks before the auction, for which she was preparing 35 horses for sale. “It was a last-minute inspection decision,” Anne explains. “We had the ability to present him here, rather than haul him some- where else the next year.” The RPSI licensing includes walk and trot on the triangle,
cantering at liberty and free jumping. The colt had never been free jumped, but he went right through the jump chute. “He jumped and came up in the wither,” says Anne. “Otto said, ‘That’s good enough for me. We don’t need to see any more.’” At that same inspection, Otto had also remarked, “He is a nice type, with a good frame. He shows elasticity in the walk and trot, and has a free shoulder. He has swing in the canter and excellent overreach.”
During the commotion of the farm’s sale preparations
that August, precocious Reefer managed to sneak half- way through a fence one night and breed a willing mare, unbeknownst to anyone. Later the mare’s new owner was surprised when she learned a foal was due, who is now a two-year-old chestnut colt back at Horses Unlimited. “It was always my plan to take him to the stallion test,”
says Anne. She sent Reefer to be started with Sandy Perez, a young horse trainer in Caballo, New Mexico. Then to learn jumping for the stallion test, in mid-2013 he went to Christian Baier of Southern Blues Equestrian Center in Col- lierville, Tennessee. While at Christian’s, Anne adds, “Reefer fell in love with a Clydesdale mare. So now he likes Clydes- dales—the big girls!”
Friends and Owners
Martha Diaz Martha and her husband Dan operate Redwind Farm in El Paso. She named it for the reddish sand of the Chihuahua desert of west Texas. This dressage trainer has been show- ing since 1994. She earned her USDF Bronze, Silver and Gold Medals on a stallion named Sparlock. He’s unusual because he is a pinto American Bashkir Curly standing 15 hands who com- peted up the levels with Martha riding him from Second Level in 1995 all the way to Grand Prix by 2004. Sparlock succeeded,
she says, because of his work ethic. “Most stallions are pretty smart and figure out real quick what you expect of them,” she explains. “I like stallions the best. I don’t have very many geldings—I think you lose something when you take those hormones away.” Martha has won many USDF regional championships,
Martha riding her stallion Sparlock, a pinto American Bashkir Curly.
competing in both Region 5 and Region 9. She currently trains and shows a half-sister to Reefer, Gitana HU (Galant du Serein x Landor S) for Horses Unlimited. This year she’s moving the mare up to Fourth Level. At the stallion test, she recognized Reefer’s quality right
away. “I called Anne to tell her that I thought Reefer would win the test. He looked really fit and mature. Everyone else looked like youngsters—he looked like a guy with a beard!” Both Fabian and Reefer are licensed in the RPSI stud- book. “They are a wonderful registry, very professional,” says
Martha. “Otto is very good with bloodlines. He knows what bloodlines are performing.”
Anne Sparks Anne started Horses Unlimited in 2000 in her hometown of Albuquerque, New Mexico. Reefer was part of her ninth foal crop. In previous years, she had as many as 19 mares foaling at her farm. Anne earned the USEF Dressage Breeder of the Year
award in 2013. Eighteen of her horses earned points in shows across the U.S. Reef- er’s sister Gracefull Rendi- tion HU and Gitana HU both contributed good scores toward Anne’s award. She has six youngsters
in training with Lisa Wilcox and Ernst Hoyos, includ- ing Reefer. Before jumper trainer Christian Baier took Reefer to the stallion test in September 2013, she asked Lisa to try the colt at his farm. Lisa is currently preparing him with the aim of showing in the five-year-old tests. Another of Anne’s homebreds, Galante HU, went
Anne gives Reefer a bath after arriving at Lisa Wilcox’s stable in Wellington, Florida.
through the stallion test in 2010. From that experience, she advised Martha to take Fabian to Oklahoma. “She and I talked about the test. I encouraged her to take her horse and to have Fabian presented. The test is helpful, because it’s good to have an objective eye,” she says, adding that she was delighted that in the end she and her friend faired so well with their “boys.” v
Warmbloods Today 21
SusanJStickle.com
Charlene Strickland
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