She's Perfect!

Posted by Sharon Labels: , ,


A week ago today I welcomed a new life into the world. My good bay mare, daughter of Destiny, granddaughter of Tamarac, great-granddaughter of Mahogany and great-great-granddaughter of my beloved Duchess, foaled out the first of a sixth generation of that ‘Dynasty’.

Since I live alone, I foal out my mares by myself and I can assure you that, in the middle of the night, at the moment of delivery, I always feel a bit of panic (My vet told me there would be something wrong if I didn’t!). At the moment ‘no turning back’ I say a little prayer that all will go well. As many of you know, last year did not … which has increased my anxiety level.

This time, though, I was not alone. By some twist of karma, a friend was passing through on a work assignment in the area and was visiting – not just any friend but a fellow with broodmares of his own and who, at one time, boarded them with me. Many is the time we foaled out a mare in the still of the night! As soon as Rod arrived last Sunday evening I told him Legacy would foal that night.

“Do you want me to call you only if I need you or do you want me to call you anyway?” I asked him. He quickly answered that he would like to share the experience with me as we had done so many times years before.

As I predicted, Legacy went into labour about 3:00 AM. I called Rod.

Legacy’s delivery was not easy. I needed help and, against all odds, I had help to deliver a beautiful bay foal at 3:50 AM. As Rod and I stepped back to allow mare/foal bonding, he commented that we had worked together with very few words and knowing just what the other one was doing and how to do it. I had not thought about it at the time but he was right. We had both dropped into the roles we needed to without even thinking about it. 


Every one of this foal’s matriarchal ancestor’s first foal was a filly. I was sure this one would be a colt. Not so. Following the pattern of her ancestors, Legacy’s first was a filly. And she was perfect.

Not so Legacy. She needed immediate veterinary attention so, after finding a driver (Rod had to go to work!), I rode in the trailer with both of them to the vet in Williams Lake where we spent the rest of the day, Legacy expertly attended to and the little filly playing and sleeping on the lawn.

I am happy to say, Legacy is on the mend. I would have probably lost my mare had I not made that trip.

Riding in the back of the trailer for 100 km, I had lots of time to think. I could not decide on a name for the newest edition and I mulled over the possibilities, never quite satisfied with anything I could come up with. It was only yesterday that the name became clear. She had really already named herself! Every time someone asked about the foaling, I prefaced the account of Legacy's problems with “The baby’s perfect but…” Finally it dawned on me. Her name is "Perfect" . . . and, since I wanted to use something to signify the 6th generation, her AQHA name will be "Wildwood Perfect Six".

Big handle for a little filly but she’s up for the challenge. After all, her daddy is Walking With Wolves and he’s always been up for any challenge.

And while I wait and worry about the next mare to foal, who is at day 366 gestation today, I am falling in love with this one-week-old, pretty bay filly. How dangerous is that? Or is that just perfect...

Wildwood Perfect Six at one week

The legacy continues...

Posted by Sharon Labels: , , , , ,


In the early hours of May 7th, my good mare, Legacy (Wildwood Legacy Lace) foaled out a beautiful bay filly. While every foal is a miracle and every foaling a landmark event, this one was more special and more noteworthy than most. This filly is the first of a sixth generation Wildwood mares. Here's how it goes: 

Duchess and I at CFR 1974

In 1968, I bought a two-year-old mare from Doug and Nancy Dear in Montana. Her name was Ma Dear but I immediately called her Duchess. Race bred (sired by Pasamonte Paul out of a Classy Bar mare), powerful and athletic, she was to be my next barrel racing mare. That she was – she took me to a CCA championship and the Canadian National Finals – but what I didn’t know is that she would found a dynasty of Wildwood horses. Duchess lived to be 36 and was with me for 34 years. She lived to see four descending generations.






Wildwood Mahogany
In 1979, I bred to Duchess to my stallion, Seco Top Moon (a black son of Top Moon) and she foaled out a bay filly, Wildwood Mahogany. I trained Mahogany and both my daughter and I
showed her in a wide variety of classes from halter to reining.





 

Wildwood Tamarac
 
Now hooked on reining, I bred Mahogany to Solanos Peppy San and, in 1987, she foaled out Wildwood Tamarac, a sorrel mare with undeniable talent, sweet personality and a fantastic disposition. I trained and showed Tamarac in reining competitions in Saskatchewan, Alberta and BC as well as many reining demonstrations. She was my first futurity reining horse! Tamarac is not only an important link in this dynasty; she is also a key element in the gene pool of many my Quarter Horses.




Wildwood Destiny

Since I wanted a foal from this good mare, I bred Tamarac and, in 1993 she gave me Wildwood Destiny, a bay filly sired by Podoco (grandson of Doc Bar with strong King breeding on the bottom). Like Destiny’s maternal ancestors, I trained and showed her. She was a dream to ride!

By now I knew I was building a dynasty! Tamarac produced six fillies in a row before producing a colt. At this point, my focus was the maternal line as I had access to sires with performance records so I was thrilled to have so many fillies from such a good mare.





Wildwood Legacy Lace packing

Not to be undone, Destiny foaled out five fillies in a row when she entered the broodmare band. The one I selected to keep was Wildwood Legacy Lace, a bay daughter of Listo Pollito Lena born in 2003. Like the rest, she went into training but, although she is a finished reining horse, I showed her only lightly, mostly because I moved and had to make a choice which horse to show. I did use Legacy trail riding, packing and as a wonderful quiet lesson horse.



Wildwood Legacy Lace and the new generation.
 Last year I bred Legacy to my stallion, Walking With Wolves and in the quiet hours of the morning of May 7th, Legacy presented me with the next generation of this Wildwood Dynasty – a beautiful, strong, healthy bay filly that taxed her mother’s strength (and mine!) to the maximum. She's perfect and she carries the genes of five great mares that I have raised, ridden, shown and bonded with. It seems like this new addition to the dynasty should have a name befitting the occasion but I have not settled on one yet. If I can’t find one that connects the dots, I will call her Shiraz. She’s bold, full-bodied and, like a fine wine, better with age.

It’s interesting that the first foal for all of the mares in this maternal line was a filly. Even Mahogany, who went on to produce several colts, had a filly first. Duchess, Mahogany, Tamarac, Destiny, Legacy and now little Shiraz. The legacy continues…