August 2011

A lot has happened in the past few months! Gallod Arwenna is now owned by Janice Edelman, an experienced dressage rider and the primary patron of a handicapped-riding program in Richmond, Indiana. Arwenna will be her dressage partner, but will also have a part-time job being a therapeutic riding horse. What a wonderful compliment to the intelligence and versatility of this breed!

We've purchased a breeding to North Forks Brenin Cardi for next spring! We'll be using him on Gallod Seren Nos. We think that this will be wonderful cross, complementing Sara's Llanarth breeding. Sara's colt from last year, Banquo Caradoc, is maturing very nicely. He is now in the awkward yearling age and growing fast. He is now for sale, but I am hoping we will have him long enough to see him under saddle. He moves very much like his father, Gallod Brenin.

Rhiannon and I have resumed our work in dressage. My goal is to be competing at First Level next spring. (I've been taking very good care of my back this summer!) A close friend, Kelly Gage, has just earned her Bronze Medal with her Welsh Cob and that has inspired me to now set that in our sights.

Rhiannon's daughter, Banquo Gwenhwyfar, had a beautiful Sec. C colt this spring, sired by Courtway Formal Attire. Given the uber-cool name of Clarwood King Zuko, he is being shown this summer by Christine Fisher and her family.

Banquo Lady Valerie (Ginger) will be started this fall by Stonegate Farm's Sara Waymire. She is a very experienced trainer, primarily associated with the Quarter Horse world (reining and ranch horse versatility) and comes highly recommended. We think it's important to have a trainer who is grounded in performance—no matter what the discipline. Ginger is now a bit taller than her dam, Brynarian Morwena. She is deep, deep, deep, and wide. Of the four daughters, she looks the most like her dam. We are very much looking forward to seeing her develop as a riding partner.

February 2011

I just received this email from Brenin's new owner. He is doing very, very well and we are very proud of them both!

Hello,

Just wanted to give you an update on Brenin. We took him to his first show this past Sunday. It was a local GDCTA recognized show and he did Intro A and Intro B. Just wanted to see how he would act at a show and he was amazing. Everyone loved him and he got a 69 on his first test and a 68.7 on the second test. He got first place in both classes out of at least 10 horses. The judge just loved us as a pair which makes me so happy. He also got an 8 for gaits and 8 for impulsion :) I attached a few pictures from the show. We also took him on his first real trail ride yesterday to Kennesaw Mountain and he was a rock star just loved it. Trotted and cantered on the trails happy as can be!! He has a great future to come. I will keep you updated.

Kelsey Barber

January 2011

Arwenna is returning to Legacy Farms this weekend. I'll be riding her several times a week, until she is sold, to get her in shape for the coming season. She'll be competing at Training Level. Rhiannon will be following her next month or sooner. My goal is to qualify at First Level for Regionals with her this summer.

Cary (Banquo Caradoc) is growing! His mature color has come in as a bright bay. However, below his knees and hocks, it seems he has inherited his sire's roaning, so that it looks like he has silver legs above his stockings. It will be interesting to see how he sheds out later this spring.

We have decided on a location for an all-weather arena to be installed this spring: just east of our woods, along the south edge. It will also make for a great background for videos and photos.

November 12, 2010
Gallod Brenin is just back from the trainer's in Knightstown. He will be finished in December under Ken Levy at Legacy Farms in Noblesville. He is offered for sale.

Arwenna is filling-in for Rhiannon. She is doing wonderfully at Ken's during her three-week "refresher". We have made the decision to offer her for sale. She is trained and she is just a delight to ride—very, very light in the bridle. She is wonderfully friendly and loves people. There is a link to her video on the sales page.

Sara's colt, Cary, is growing very quickly; he's three months old today! He is now getting his own feed and hay — which both he and Sara appreciate. Cary is definitely bay — I'm thrilled! He seems to have the quiet and calm temperament of his dam.

Mary's Brenin will be coming home to us for his retirement from cross-country and dressage with my niece in Cloverdale, Indiana. He LOVED cross-country! We're looking forward to having him home again.

July 1, 2010
A back injury in late May sidelined me for the next month and a half. It was tough on everyone. However, my physical therapist was wonderful-extremely knowledgeable-and over the past month, I've gotten better and better. I'm not 100% yet, but I can do almost everything that I used to now. On to the cobs...

Sara looks to be almost full-term, but hasn't dropped yet. We check her carefully every morning and evening. Rhiannon is getting fat—too much grass and no work for her these past weeks—but that's about to change! Arwenna, Ginger, and Dougie are fine. I'm going to start working Rhiannon this weekend and see how my legs hold up. If it goes well, we'll resume our training. I also plan on getting Ginger and Dougie familiar with lunging and the equipment.

The weather has finally gifted us with a dry spell!!!! Hay—beautiful, sweet hay—is being cut as I write this! We thought it would never stop raining!

March 14, 2010
Preparation for the competition season has begun! I celebrated my spring break this past week with do-it-yourself dressage intensive at our instructor's barn (Ken Levy's Legacy Farm) in Noblesville. We took Rhiannon there for three days and had a lesson every day. I was thrilled with how much we both improved. By the end of our third lesson on Monday, Ken suggested that competing at First Level this summer is now a possibility. It was very, very heartening to hear that from him! (Arwenna--who will be 6 this year--will also be going to Ken's for two weeks in late April or early May for her own dressage intensive.)

I haven't decided on our show schedule yet, but will post it here as soon as possible. Last summer, we ended with a score of 65.6% for Training Level, test 1. My goal is to get that same score for First Level, test 1.