December 31, 2009 As we bid adieu to 2009, we have lots to be grateful for and want to wish you and yours a very happy, healthy New Year filled with love, peace, good friends ... and a bit of prosperity wouldn't hurt!

We are currently on foal watch since Juno "looks" like she's about ready to pop (she's actually due the 10th of January).  Sooooooooooo ... HAPPY, HAPPY ... we'll be back next year!

December 21, 2009 - Ashley (Gary's daughter) came to visit us for a few days before Christmas ... and her favorite past time is sky driving ... so she and her father went to Houston and she jumped out of a plane.  Now, in my humble opinion, I don't understand anyone wanting to jump out of a perfectly good plane BUT then again, she probably feels the same about her nutsy relatives who have horses, parrots, dogs and cats!  Thought I'd share a photo of one of her dives ... amazing, eh?

December 5, 2009 - CONGRATULATIONS to Erika-West Danque on her purchase of Juno's first born colt, Chancellor!  We're thrilled that he's gone to such a good and competitive home PLUS we'll be able to watch Chance as he grows up and goes through training!

October 29 - November 1, 2009 South West Dressage Championships (SWDC) were held at the Great Southwest Equestrian Center, Katy, TX in conjunction with the 2009 GAIG/USDF Region 9 Championship.  This was Izzy's first exposure to a show of this magnitude and for a youngster, she took things pretty much in stride ... that is until the tornado warnings, 40 mph winds and pounding rain that made the metal roofs sound like we were in a washing machine with bad ball bearings!  Not much fun for any of the competitors, 2 legged or four legged!  So much drama!  In any event, she did her test wide eyed (that's an understatement) and alert, although not in her normal, relaxed fashion earning her lowest score to date at 64.2 ending up 9th out of 22 competitors in the SWDC.  She was in the same test (T4) in the afternoon (very wet, muddy, sloppy but not storming down rain) and earned her very best score to date at 72.0 earning her the High Score Champion award on November 1st.  Go figure!  This was a great learning experience for us all ... and she has earned her first score towards the Regionals in 2010!  CONGRATULATIONS to all who attended!

October 19, 2009 - Thanks to our good friends, Sue Steuer and Donna Chiocca who both flew in from Illinois to lend support and helping hands ... and to Sherry White, Graystone Farms who endured the dramas involved with getting everyone ready for two inspections within a 7 day period ... whew ... sure glad all this is over for another year!   MAJOR thanks Sherry, Sue & Donna ... we couldn't have done it without your help!

Ana Isabellah (Autocrat x Inschallah (Furioso II)) - Mare Performance Test = 7.88!  Definitely had the best canter of the bunch and just three years old!  She was simply wonderful completing the MPT and her first mare inspection on the same day. Her inspection score was 7.66, making her the High Score Hanoverian mare and now an Elite Mare Candidate.  (Gary is proud to bursting ... he chose Izzy when she was only 6 weeks old and she's been his 'baby' ever since!)  Can't forget to say a BIG HUGE THANKS to our friend and trainer, Erika-West Danque, who got Izzy ready for her test, rode her beautifully and is doing so well with her in the show ring!  WAY TO GO, ERIKA!

Dolce Rhosa (pictured left) our Oldenburg (Routinier x Donnerschwee (Welt Hit II)) - was accepted and placed in the AHS MMB with a 7.33.  We purchased Rhosa from her breeder, Sherry White, Graystone Farms when she was just 18 days old.  Her personality and extravagant movement is simply amazing!

We also presented our TB mare Miller Proof (H.E. Miller x Raise a Spy) and she was approved for AHS with a 7.16.  Millie is half sister to our Miss Miller whose Weltmeyer colt, Widget, was AHS 2008 site champ colt and 2009 Wolkentanz I colt, Wolkenbruck, who looks like a mini Wolkentanz.  We have had very, very nice comments from the AHS and GOV inspectors on both of our thoroughbred mares.  If you are interested in breeding to a very nice TB stallion, please check out Dan Carter's horses at JbarD Stables in New Mexico.  H. E. Miller is the sire to both Miss Miller and Miller Proof.

We are so proud of all our mares ... but can't leave out our stunning colt, Wolkenbruck "Wall-E" (Wolkentanz I x Miss Miller xx (H.E. Miller xx)) - who looks like a mini-Wolkentanz!  He is going to make someone a great partner in sport!  Flexible, athletic, great mind, kind eye, beautiful with 3 solid gaits.  Can't ask for more!

A very special thanks to Mary of Creek Colony Ranch for hosting the AHS inspection and Rebecca Pennington from Sonesta Farms for all her efforts; big thanks to the inspectors, George Walker and Vanessa Carlson and of course, Hugh Bellis-Jones, AHS Executive Director for keeping us all on track!  Thank you, thank you!

October 12, 2009 - Happy Birthday, Holly!  Dramas, dramas, dramas!  We were scheduled to go to Canaan Ranch (Fulshear, TX) for the GOV inspections but weather has sure complicated things.  They've had such a huge amount of rain by Canaan that they didn't have enough stalls for outside horses (we had five being transported).  Quick change of plans, thanks to our trainer Erika-West Danque who allowed us to use her covered arena so we could still present our horses to Holly Simensen.  We couldn't have pulled all this together without the help or our good friend, Sherry White, Graystone Farms, who flew in from Ohio for both the GOV and AHS inspections!  Many, many thanks!

Rue des Reves - "Desi" our black filly by Starlight out of Rosoenna (Rosier x Werner 007) - was awarded the German Oldenburg Verband Premium award.  She has already started getting her winter fuzzies ... sure hope that doesn't mean we're in for a full blown winter!  We are retaining this filly for our breeding program.

Dolce Rhosa by Routinier out of Divali (Donnerschwee x Welt Hit II) was also placed in the MMB with an overall score of 7.5 and given the Mare of Distinction award. "Rhosa" was praised for her beauty, modern type, brilliance and extravagant gaits!  We purchased Rhosa when she was 18 days old and couldn't be happier with her!  Rhosa was bred by Sherry White, Graystone Farms.

Miller Proof xx was not only placed in the MMB but earned a high enough score to be given the non Oldenburg Mare of Distinction award.  Holly Simensen praised "Millie" for her very uphill movement, big trot and free moving shoulder, stating attributes rarely found in Thoroughbreds.  Holly Simensen went on to say that Millie carried herself more like a warmblood than a TB.

Luna Llena by For Utah II out of a TB mare was placed in GOV's Pre Stud Book II. This athletic, attractive chestnut mare, "Luna" was bred by Judy Weiss of Belly Acres in Flagstaff, AZ.

And we can't overlook the lovely gelding presented for registration:  Nunlikem aka "Skeeter" by Nassau.  Skeeter is owned and bred by Barb Van Liew and we should see lots more of him in show season 2010.

September 27, 2009 - Texas Dressage Fall Classic II Izzy needed one more score for Materiale and we decided to put her into another Training Level Test 4 for the experience.  It was a very long trailer ride, huge facility and I think Izzy had just had enough.  She never "settled down" the entire time and it was reflected in her scores.  She earned a 62.4 (156) in T4 and 73.2 in Materiale.  No excuses ... we are extremely proud of her but I do believe that the stress of traveling every weekend in a month was a bit much for this 3 year old.  We'll see how she does the end of the October at the Championships!

September 20, 2009 - Windy Knolls Dressage Fall Show II - Izzy earns a (170 points) 68.0 in her Training Level Test 4 and a 73.00% in Materiale!  This means that Izzy has qualified for the Regionals (Region 9) in one weekend!  Way to go, Izzy & Erika!  We are sooooo proud of you both - four classes - four blue ribbons!  WOW!  So exciting!

September 19, 2009 - Windy Knolls Dressage Fall Show I - Izzy earns a (173 points) 69.20 in her Training Level Test 4 and a 73.50% in Materiale!

September 5-6, 2009 - The Houston Dressage Society - Laborious Day show in Conroe was to be a Izzy's first schooling event!  She took everything in stride so we put her into her first Materiale Class for a 74.7%.  A huge thanks to her trainer, Erika-West Danque for adjusting her schedule to give Izzy this opportunity.

June 5, 2009 - Winessa is pregnant!  We are thrilled to death ... this should be a stunning foal by Harvard!

June 1, 2009 - Winessa's ultrasound was inconclusive if she's pregnant ... will take her back in a few days ... oh the suspense of it all!  If she's not in foal, we won't breed again this year ... it's gotten too late and hot.  We'll put her under lights in November and get an earlier start in 2010.

May 25, 2009 - Wakaluba (pictured right with Kareen) is confirmed (12 days) in foal to Dancier!  Due to needing to reduce our responsibilities in Germany, this mare is for sale in foal.  She can stay in Germany or be imported to the U.S.

May 19, 2009 - A FILLY!  Our long streak of only colts has ended!  Rosoenna has blessed us with a BEAUTIFUL, black filly by Starlight whom we have named Rue des Reves (Street of Dreams) and will call her Desi!  She's a keeper and we couldn't be happier!

May 17, 2009 - Miss Miller has a stunning Wolkentanz colt (keeping our all colts history intact ... ).  He's chestnut with a broken blaze and a beautiful eye!  He was born during a thunder storm so we've named him Wolkenbruck (which translates to cloud burst) and his barn name is Wall-E.

May 16, 2009 - Winessa was bred to Harvard - we're keeping our fingers crossed for this match!  (So much for getting her bred earlier in the year!  *sigh*)

May 12, 2009 - Wakaluba was bred to the very popular stallion, Dancier!

May 1, 2009 - Step by Step confirmed (21 days) in foal to the stunning stallion, Blue Hors Romanov!  Due to needing to reduce our responsibilities in Germany, this mare is for sale in foal.  She can stay in Germany or be imported to the U.S.

April 26, 2009 - Winessa was bred to Rosario - this is a proven cross since she already has a licensed son by Rosario ... Rhapsario!

April 9, 2009 - Step by Step (pictured left with Hex on the Beach) has been bred to to Blue Hors Romanov.

April 7, 2009 - Wakaluba welcomes her 3rd foal (pictured right), a stunning, black Florencio colt, Flirtini ... a real beauty!  BIG thanks to Kareen Heineking-Schütte, DVM, German Horse Connection, for her help, photos and friendship!

March 12, 2009 - Juno has a confirmed fetal heartbeat (Starlight)!  Now if only the rest of our mares were this cooperative!

March, 2009 - we have taken our just turning 3 year old, Ana Isabellah (Autocrat x Inschallah (Furioso II)) to our trainer Erika-West Danque ... Izzy is such a "big girl" now and taking all these changes in stride (first time away from home too).  Not sure if it's harder on Gary or Izzy!

February 25, 2009 - Step by Step welcomes her Hotline colt, Hex on the Beach - what a charmer and accepted for the Elite Foal auction in Germany!  Wahoo!  Our very special thanks to Kareen Heineking-Schütte, DVM, German Horse Connection, for always going the extra mile when taking such great care of our girls (and boys).

February 16, 2009 - Juno was checked and there is a black dot ... yeah!  Another Starlight foal in the making!

January 31, 2009 - We put our mares under lights in November in hopes of breeding in February or March for earlier foals (our summers are just tooooooo hot and humid).  Today, our Holsteiner (GOV approved) mare, Juno, has been bred to 2008 Dressage at Devon Triple Crown Winner, Starlight.  Fingers crossed that she read the book!

January 3, 2009 - Rosa Canina "Rubi", Free Agent "Frankie" and Rockafella "Rocky" left today to go to their new home in Sanford, NC.  Continued success, Susie!

January 2, 2009 - Luna has returned to Walkabout Station after being in training with Susie Wiedman for 10 months.  She is an amazing mare!  Well done, Susie!  Thank you!

January 1, 2009 

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