Ridin', Reinin' and Writin'

In 2002, I wrote a short article about Duchess, a mare I had just lost. I called it "One Good Mare". One good mare had founded a dynasty of good horses. One good mare had been with me 34 of her 36 years on this earth. One good mare had left an impression on me that would last a lifetime. When I penned that little piece, I thought the phrase would apply to only one mare in my life. I might have to rethink that.

I bought Peppy Del Cielo in 2000 as a yearling and promptly named her Prima (She would always be first!). She was a untamed little thing and we had a few arguments. She didn't want to be caught and she had no intentions of letting me pick up her feet. Several days and mutiple patient lessons later, I could do anything with her.

Everything about Prima screamed reining - her breeding, her conformation, her willingness to please. I had great plans for her . . . but it was not to be. In the fall of her yearling year, she developed a neurological condition caused by a parasite. Thankfully, with drug treatments and many hours of my own brand of physical therapy, she regained her coordination and I trained and rode her but, after careful consideration, I decided not to show her. She had not made a complete recovery and I was not confident that she could stand up to the rigor of reining shows. I turned her into a broodmare. She would take the long way to prove herself. She would have to produce horses that perform. No problem.

In my barn now are two stallions: Running With Wolves and Walking With Wolves. In another barn in Alberta, is another - Wildwood Liberty. All three are extremely talented, good-looking reining horses, two proven and one a promising prospect. Running With Wolves has a 2008/2009 performance record; Wildwood Liberty entered the pen last year to earn a performance record; Walking With Wolves will be competing in reining futurities this year. Paired with three different sires, Prima produced all three. All three are extremely talented. All three will be showing this year. Next year, all three will be eligible for reining derbies. Picture it. Three stallions out of my mare competing in 4,5,6 year old Derbies in the same year! Can it get any better? It might...

If statistics mean anything, Prima's 2009 filly, Wildwood Mistral, has a 100% chance of excelling in the reining pen. I hope she sells to someone who will promote her. But then again, why wouldn't they?

I didn't breed Prima last year (go figure...), but in 2011, with three of her progeny competing in reining derbies, she will drop yet another well-bred, drop dead gorgeous, athletic foal. She deserves the same tribute as Duchess because . . . she is one good mare.