A big congratulations to Christine and her "Herbie" who have just won at Royal Windsor!  Christine purchased Herbie through Spanish Horses UK as a very green five year old and has trained him now to advanced and executing most GP movements as a nine year old.   Again, it goes to show how preserverance, time and patience are needed to get the most out of your horse and how relationships are also built on time and trust - Rome wasn't built in a day!

Here is a little write-up from Christine re her boy (who is available at Stud by the way). He is the sweetest boy who always tries his best in everyway and, although lightly competed, has never been out of the ribbons!

"..Hermoso has been very lightly competed and his affiliated dressage and show record are superb.  In his first Novice dressage test he got 64.69 and 65.36%, he then came out at Elementary and got 65.63% and 66.90% and recently he did his first medium test with 64.41% and on the same day his first advanced medium where he scored 65.59% showing that the more advanced work suits him.  He has started all the Grand Prix movement and he will be competing shortly at Advanced level.  In addition to dressage he has just taken up showing and in his first Ridden horse Class at Patchetts he was Supreme Champion of the whole show and on 13.3.12 at his second showing competition, at Royal Windsor - Pure/Part Bred Andalusians and Lusitanios Riding Horse - he won the class which had 24 entries.  The class was judged by Lady Sylvia Loch...." 

I am now sat in the house looking out at the rain again and wondering if it will ever end??!!  I mean, I know that Gloucestershire is one of the wettest counties in the UK, but this is just a bit silly! 

We have gone from having no grass at all to it being up to our knees and its so wet, I can't even get my lawns cut!

There have been a few breaks in the weather however, and, keeping a beady eye skywards all the while, we have managed to get out little ones out as much as possible (both human and equine!).

Two new ponies have arrived, Wispa and Casper, and the girls are just loving them.  Wispa is a little shetland mare who is, true to her previous owners words, "a delight to handle and ride but a bugger to catch" - we are loving her and my little Annabelle is just made up!  She was supposed to be for the girls to share but then a friend of mine in Spain sent us Casper to be sold as her children have now outgrown him.  They have owned him for about three years after he was originally sent there from the UK and I think he is pleased to be back on grass!

Although he stands about 13hh, Minah has decided that he should be hers and so we have been taking both the ladies for lovely walks around Cowley which has just been great!

Even though I am loving the fact that they are both riding and getting more confident and enjoying the horses, I am now starting to get a bit concerned as they want to ride the big ones aswell!!

Unfortunately, between the weather and the little ladies, there has not been much time for me to play with the new beautiful black stallion "Matrusco" who arrived just over a week ago and is sooooo beautiful!  I have managed to school him four times though (even with the rain!) and he is so lovely and honest and a real trier, aswell as being simply stunning at the same! 

I will try and get some new photos of the babies and him when the weather clears and send them to you all - if that is, it ever stops raining!  In the meantime, I will leave you with a few grey shots of "Rusco" and I on our first ride together!

For anyone looking for a stunning, kind and educated horse by the way, here is your man - even though I don't really want to let him go!!

And here she is...!!

Poor Dudosa had been crossing her legs and waiting for better weather but unfortunately, as we all all too aware at present, nature waits for no man (or horse!).

The last of our foals to be born this year from Averroes and "Judy" came into the world in the early hours of Friday morning in the middle of an "April shower" which more resembled a raging storm!!

Despite all that, she is a bouncy ball of delight, who is the sweetest, kindest and most loving little lady you could ever hope to meet!  She may not have been able to go into the field with her poor mummy on Day One of her existence but she made the most of bunny hopping and bucking around her stable and acquiring a taste for Sharrons' bottom!

The only problem with being so friendly is that, when it came to putting her out with her mummy when we had a tiny break in the weather yesterday, she didn't want to follow and wanted to stay on the yard and play!

Luckily with the help of Amanda and Karen Laudrum, who had just finished riding out with me (how very brave in this weather!), we managed to steer her to the field where mum was finally able to get down and have a well-deserved roll and the little lady was able to stretch her very long legs!

I will leave you with some of the very first shots of her taken when she was just a few hours old and will update with some newer ones when this weather finally breaks!

On a plus note though, the grass is currently a lovely colour of emerald green.....!!

I know we needed it desperately but does everyone not agree with me that this is just a little bit too much..!!??!

After months of nothing, a hose-pipe ban and threats of no grazing for the mares this year, the heavens have finally opened and, according to Sue, we had a months worth of rain in one day yesterday!

I did manage to get to Longcross and we had some good sessions, even if it was freezing outside!  Then back to Essex where we played with the Pinturero boys and I was amazed how much they had grown since the last time I saw them about six weeks ago - the grass can't be that bad!!

However, today was a different matter.  Longcross didn't happen due to the weather and so I have had to spend some much needed time indoors and on the computer updating the site (including a very exciting new Lot of Horses available in Barcelona.

I have been missing my Longcross ladies aswel and thought that I would post some of their pictures on the blog today so they can show them to friends and family and think of me from afar!

Until next week ladies, enjoy the rest.....!!

......so, I have heard - is to get on to another!!

The lovely Alteo has left me to go to his new home and I am sad. I really was liking him quite a lot (although maybe not as much as Rhiann was!) and, even in the few short weeks that he was with me, I felt we had something special, a connection if you like - it doesn't happen everyday.

Unfortunately, several big hints to his owner about how he really should let me keep his boy fell like rocks on deaf ears (ouch!!) and the lucky Lollo has purchased him to take and compete in the very beautiful and very cold country of Sweden.

He left me yesterday and I was sad, even though I still have my two "old faithfuls" Rossi and Primo to look after me and keep me happy.  I think I have just been spoiled with my three great loves and also have become just a little greedy, not really wanting to go back down to just two boys for myself!

So, imagine how happy I was when Marian called me to see if I had a stable free for the beautiful, black "Matrusco" who has been trained in Valencia and looks pretty much identical to Alteo!

With a stable coming free who was I to say no?!?  He is coming in on a sales livery basis and, in theory he needs to be sold but, who knows, maybe I will get to keep him a little longer than my last black beauty?

Looking at these pictures though, I feel he may not stay with me for long at all......... ;-(

Again BIG apologies for the delay but things have been so crazy here with all of Christine Kershaws' mares foaling down - what an exciting time!!!

Last year the ladies all went of to stud to be covered by the gorgeous double pearl stallion "Impetuoso" who stands in Alicante.  As all of the mares carry one pearl gene and are beautifully bred (half sisters from the Senorio de la Bariain Stud and from the Gaucho III line) we were very excited that we would get some lovely foals this year and, luckily, we were not disappointed!!!

Firstly, came the biggest colt the stud have ever seen from the Senorio de la Bariain mare, Gaucho granddaughter, Via.  She is a big girl standing around 17hh and as wide as a boat, but this chap is huge with so much bone and substance, a real corker!

For more information on this boy, please visit his owners website, equusvita.com, but here is a taster...

SPIRIT OF PEARL EV

A really lovely colt with superb conformation and movement. He has the very rare pearl gene and is a double black. A really great combination for any breeder. He is bred to be a Grand Prix Dressage horse. His Mother, Via, is out of Lastur, whose father was Gaucho III. Gaucho III is the number one dressage stallion in America and his half brother Invasor II won a silver medal at the Athens Olympics. Gaucho III was short listed for the American team in the 2000 Sydney Olympics, but unfortunately during the vet examination at the CDI selection trials, he suffered an accident and was badly injured.

Spirit of Pearl is an unusual colour and has exceptional breeding prospects as can breed a black horse carrying the pearl gene or a pearl/cream or a double pearl, if mated to the correct genetic combination..."

Then came the most exciting boy of all, a double pearl colt from our lovely lady Vega X, also a Senorio de la Bariain mare and Gaucho granddaughter, we couldn't believe it when he came out, he is quite extraordinary!!

Again, details of him can be seen on equusvita.com  but a little taster here - good job Christine is organised!!

PEARL OF PEACE EV
 
Pearl of Peace is literally "one of a kind" and very rare - he is a double pearl and a double black.  There are very few double pearl colts with a golden coat in the world and even fewer double pearls with a double black gene.   He is not only the first double black pearl colt to be born in England, but also the first "gold" double pearl colt. He is truly stunning to behold, with lime green eyes!
 
His conformation is perfect and even at this young age he is moving beautifully. He is bred to be a Grand Prix Dressage horse. His Mother, Vega X is out of Lastur, whose father was Gaucho III. Gaucho III is the number one dressage stallion in America and his half brother Invasor 11 won a silver medal at the Athens Olympics.  Gaucho III was short listed for the American team in the 2000 Sydney Olympics, but unfortunately during the veterinary examination at the CDI selection trials, he suffered an accident and was badly injured.
 
He will be an amazing breeding prospect with the ability to breed the most unusual and rare colours and produce quality offspring - a very rare combination indeed.  As a result of having a double black gene he can also produce black horses carrying, but not showing, the pearl gene.  He would suitable for all breeds of horses, not just Andalusians.

Then came out last little foal from Christines' mare, the more athletic Vera, who was line-bred through Gaucho to produce exactly what she is, a more "sport" style of animal. 

She gave us the most amazing filly foal who is just so elegant and perfectly formed with incredible movement.  A little diamond in amongst two big bruisers, she is just the sweetest thing you have ever seen in your life and I am truly smitten with this little lady!

Again, details of her on equusvita.com, but a little taster...

ESSENCE OF PEARL EV

A really beautiful filly with excellent conformation and movement. She has the very rare pearl gene and is a double black. A great combination for a breeder. She is bred to produce Grand Prix Dressage horses or go to Grand Prix herself. Her Mother, Viernoles, is incredibly well bred. Viernoles’ Father is Lastur, son of Gaucho III and her Mother is Bizarre X, who is the mother of Gaucho III, so she is a half sister to one of the most famous American dressage horses. Gaucho III is the number one dressage stallion in America and his half brother Invasor 11 won a silver medal at the Athens Olympics.
Gaucho III was short listed for the American team in the 2000 Sydney Olympics, but unfortunately during the vet examination at the CDI selection trials, he suffered an accident and was badly injured. Essence of Pearl is an unusual colour and has exceptional breeding prospects as can breed a black horse carrying the pearl gene or a pearl/cream or a double pearl.

And lastly, I will leave you with a picture of "daddy", who is looking forward to meeting his ladies again very soon!!!

The blog has, yet again, been haunting me.  My promise to write "tomorrow" was thwarted by bad weather, a work overload and then Easter, my apologies yet again!

So, I will try to have a little "catch-up"!

After landing at Stanstead where I was very kindly collected by Sue Stokes' son Ben, we made our way to Stock, just near Billericay in Essex and had a lovely afternoon playing with her horses.

Sue has two lovely mares who have been used as broodmares all their lives and have bred some amazing quality babies.

Now however, Sue has decided that their breeding days are over and they have been transformed in to two riding horses, one at the age of ten and the other at the age of, I think I am right in saying, fifteen!

True to the character of the Spanish Horses, they have both taken to it like ducks to water and are actually having a great time, proving especially to be super safe out hacking (probably because they have lived out for most of their lives!).

These two ladies are for sale and so please feel free to visit there pages on the site or follow the links below:

http://www.spanishhorsesuk.com/manzanilla.html

http://www.spanishhorsesuk.com/habana.html

So, after playing with the ladies, we decided it was time for the boys!

Sue has managed to breed to incredible young men from Habana and a stallion we previously owned called Pinturero XX.  These guys are now rising two and three years old and are great field buddies, although they will have to be separated in the near future.

These boys have been handled but not really trained in any way shape or form so are very sweet and trusting but knew absolutely nothing at all, they had not even been tied up, let alone in an arena!!!

So, we decided to try to train them in hand (eternal optimists that we are!!) and the results are below:

Theses guys are also available for sale and are featured on the website but I will leave you with some photos and promise to update again soon with details and photos of my Longcross ladies and Chrissies' class on her new boy "Larios"!