December 4, 2023

I meant to tell you about my good friend, Donna Davis for years but there is so much to tell, I got discouraged writing it. Donna lives in Alabama and we first met in 1994 when she bought a weanling filly by Ima Cool Skip from us. The filly was less then 3 months old and we weaned her by putting her on the trailer and hauling her to Alabama. Her nickname was "Frosty the Snowman" Well, Frosty ended up third in the World with Donna showing her. From then on, we sold her several horses including Clueman who was Reserve World Champion and "Herbie" by Kid Clu out of Miss Bunny Tardee who was third as a baby. Over the years we have partnered on several horses, including Exceptionist and I have bought several horses from the Davis's In my opinion, there are not many people who can do what Donna can do with a horse. I remember she got disgusted waiting for a vet to come to check her mares for breeding so she bought an ultrasound----not a clue how to work it. She called me and Mike and I were out to eat and I told her what to do while I was sitting on a bar stool drinking a beer. Now she does all her breeding work herself. Her trophy room is amazing and she has raised some great individuals in her life. It seems she has the ability to match her mares with the right stallions to produce winners. One of the recent ones was Hippiesandkowboys who was World Champion this year. Over the last few years, she has sold her weanlings and as much as she used to enjoy showing them, I asked her why she quit? Her answer was that she enjoys trail riding and that if she were going to show she would want to fit her horses herself and that is a full time job. I don't know how many hours Donna and I talk on the phone every week discussing horses and trying to figure out who to breed what mare to. I feel that I am very lucky to have such a good friend as Donna Davis and I hope someday we will be able to solve all of our "horse matching" problems.

December 3, 2023

For many years our industry has been in search of an outcross stallion. Our genetic pool has become so concentrated and it is time to add different bloodlines to it. Yesterday, Terry Bradshaw Quarter Horses posted that they had purchased a stallion who "fits that bill. BRTSendingMyRegards is a 16.3, gray all panel NN stallion who is the 52nd AQHA Supreme Champion. This is an honor that is bestowed on only a select few horses. He is Beduino and Dash For Cash bred. BRTSendingMyRegards, affectionately known as "Dragon" has a speed index of 96, was undefeated at halter including a World Championship, and achieved the rest of his points in Heading, Heeling and Ranch Riding. In fact, according to his breeder, Dr Bob Story, when he was a foal, several of the top quarter horse trainers tried to buy him for a halter horse. Unfortunately, he was only bred to 13 mares the year after the completion of his Supreme Championship. I think we are very lucky that Terry and Tammy Bradshaw purchased the horse and he will have the chance to finally stand to outside mares. I, for one, am anxious to see him in person and I expect great things from his foals in the future. Finally, we have a horse with conformation who can contribute not only to halter but also to the roping, ranch riding, barrel racing and every other performance event you choose. Dr Bob Story told me that his disposition is second to none. I think this horse is going to make a big impact on the future of our industry.

December 1, 2023

I am so happy that I donated a bench at Shamrock Heights Golf Course in New London, Wisconsin in memory of my father, Dr HC Schmallenberg. It was just finished and I have not seen it yet. My dad was such a big influence on my life. He grew up the son of a blacksmith and put himself through college and medical school. After he graduated he returned to New London and opened his practice and after 50 years he retired. During that time, he delivered over 5000 babies. I guess I inherited my love of horses from him. When he built the house in New London, he tore down the one that was on the lot but left the barn because he wanted his children to have horses. Now, you wonder what this has to do with me and my horse business. When Mike and I got married, we really didn't have much money. I had quit teaching school and he was a Wisconsin assemblyman making I think about $36,000 a year. The horses had to make up the difference. Dad bought Royal Tailwind for me for the sum of $3500. We ended up selling him for $50,000. With that money we bought land. Then when I stopped at Homer Danielson's in Iowa and saw Impressivist I knew this horse was something that would be successful. The problem was that we did not have the $40,000 that the Danielsons wanted for him. I will never forget Mike and I going out to eat with my dad and Mike (being a good politician) giving him the sales pitch to lend us the money to buy the weanling. He did and fortunately I was able to sell 2 yearling fillies within 2 months and we paid him back. I don't think we would have been as successful in the horse business if we didn't get the help of my father. I just thought a memorial bench at his favorite golf course would be something very nice.

November 30, 2023

What a shock yesterday when I read on Facebook that Randy Ruhlman had been in an accident and is on life support. This really hit me hard as I realized that you never know when the Lord has plans to take you. I consider Randy a great friend of mine. He has hauled horses for me many times over the years. He is one of the "good guys" who will do things for you without being paid to do them. For instance, years ago, when he delivered a horse, he noticed that my outdoor feeders were not the best so he offered to bring me a feeder from Paul Taylor's tack shop in Texas. Lo and behold on his next trip north there was Randy with a feeder. And, he wouldn't take any money for bringing it to me. Another time, a good friend Larry Krieger from Michigan gave us the Ellis Quarter Horses sign that hangs on the front of our barn. I called Randy and when he was in Michigan he hauled the sign to Wisconsin, again not charging me. We need more people like that in the horse business. I am praying for Barbara as she has some really tough decisions to make in the next few days. I guess this is a "wake up" lesson for all of us------you never know what the next day brings so live your life to the fullest and don't forget to be thankful for good friends.

November 27, 2023

Ellis Quarter Horses in winter.

November 25, 2023

There is a lot of white in my bloodlines. Wilma (Classically Kool) has white spots all over her body and if you notice the produce of some of my mares have quite a bit of "white trim" Well, I think it is coming from Miss Bunny Tardee's breeding. As you know she was sired by Tardee Impressive but her dam was sired by Sonnys Nightshade. This is a picture of Sonny Side Up, a full brother to not only Sonnys Nightshade but also to James Caan, Sonnys Sensation, Mr Sonny James and Ever So Sonny (the dam of Temon) These horses were sired by Sonny Dee Bar and out of Kims Bonanza. Sonny Side Up was a crop out and registered only as a paint. If you go back on the pedigrees of many of our current horses, you will find relatives that are crop outs. After all, many go back to Old Fred, one of our foundation sires.

November 24, 2023

I was alone yesterday and enjoyed watching my Packers beat the Lions. Friends brought food so I had plenty to eat. I also spend some time thinking about the past and some great memories. One of them was before I met Mike and of course it was about horses. Bob Hembrook from Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin bought a young stallion from Bill Moomey by Coys Bonanza. His name was What A Bonanza and he was a 1964 son of Coys Bonanza and out of a King bred mare. Bob really promoted this horse and hauled him for high point in the nation, which he accomplished. I remember the trailer race and one time Bob drove all the way to Georgia and was so tired he fell asleep in his truck and missed the class. Many times Rick Skelly would travel with him as he was hauling for high point youth. Mike and I became good friends with the Hembrooks. Mike always called him "Jim Bob" as he was a really good guitarist and we loved to listen to him play. If you went to his ranch, everything was called "What A" There was "What a John Deere" for his lawn mower, What a Truck for his truck and so on. Bob initiated a huge horse show in Madison, Wisconsin and horsemen hauled in from all over the nation Of course, it was called the "What A Bonanza Extravaganza" and I even showed at it. Not that I did that well. The classes were huge and everyone expected What A Bonanza to win----however another son of Coys Bonanza, Pute Cee Bonanza was Grand Champion. Pute Cee was out of a thoroughbred mare. He was bigger and much more elegant than What A Bonanza. Bob retired his pride and joy and bred a lot of mares to him. We bred Rainbow Gold a daughter of Smarty Pants to him. When she was in foal, we sold her to Joe and Linda Banks from Virginia and we became great friends with the Banks. They came to visit and of course we had to go and see the Hembrooks and What A Bonanza. I remember that the stallion was not very tall so Bob had a breeding chute made which was about 4 inches lower so he could breed the taller mares. Back then everything was live cover. I think Mike and I ended up buying that chute but never used it. Those were fun times in the horse business. I bought a full sister to What A Bonanza called Chiquita Bonanza. She was absolutely gorgeous, a dark brown filly but she had off set cannon bones. I guess that is something that sticks in my mind as it is one of the things I look at when looking for a horse to buy. I am running out of memories but will try to catch up on those I can remember.

November 23, 2023

Thanksgiving, 2023 and I think about how my life has changed over the years. I am thankful for wonderful parents who gave me the opportunity to live my life as I wanted to. I am also thankful for a wonderful husband with whom I built my dream business. Added to that, how lucky I have been to raise horses that I was proud of and the sale of them, provided us with a good lifestyle. And, finally I am thankful for my many wonderful friends who have been there for me . Today I received some wonderful calls and messages and they made me feel really good. I even got a call from Tommy Thompson, our ex-governor and we had such a nice visit about old times. Then my dear old friend, Ronnie Salmons called and gosh, I realized that it has been almost 40 years since he brought his mare from Missouri to breed to Impressivist. Finally all the private messages from so many of you. I am a very lucky person to have you in my life and I want you to know how much I appreciate it.

November 9, 2023

Sitting here by myself this morning watching the World Show and thinking back about how things have changed. The World Show was always the highlight of my horse year. I would meet friends from all over the world and we would have a great time watching the show, celebrating wins and of course partying at night. Those days are gone but the memories remain. The crowds were big and we cheered for our friends. We made so many new friends. "Back then" there were two horse sales going on---one on the fairgrounds and one at the Heritage Place. A lot of driving back and forth to watch the horses show and the sales. And then afterwards, to meet friend at the Steak and Ale and then to Chishoms for line dancing and just having fun. I am so happy that I was able to participate in that excitement and wish that things could go back to that again. Now the show is so drawn out and the class numbers are so small that it is almost too expensive to show at the World and too long to be away from home to attend. The sales are gone and I guess we are just resolved to watching it on the computer.

November 5, 2023

How about a "feel good" story for today. Three years ago, I had become good friends with Mario Toledo, a man who loved horses. Mario did not have any of his own horses but became great friends with Scott Trahan. In fact, Scott and Kelly Trahan invited Mario to stay with them for quite sometime so he could enjoy being around horses. During that time, a bay colt was born by Scott's stallion, Evincible out of Milans Touch Me. Mario was so excited about the colt so his barn name became "Mario". Unfortunately, Mario developed an infection which took his life. One day, another good friend and fellow "Villager" Jim Henricken called and he was so excited. He asked me if I had seen the picture of the colt that Scott Trahan had posted. He told me that the colt was NN and he just had to have him. Unfortunately, Jim's wife, Sandy developed cancer and Jim could no longer devote his time to horses. He sold him to a wonderful lady who I have never met, Julie Murst Behrens. All this while, "Mario" who by now had the registered name of Evincing was in the capable hands of Tom and Mary Robertson. Beginning as a weaning, Evincing developed an outstanding show career, winning the Breeders Halter Futurity, the Congress and the World. Julie is not set up to stand a stallion and since my good friend, Vicki Livasy lost I Em The One, she was the perfect place for this young horse to make a name for himself. I look forward to watching the horse go from an outstanding show horse to a breeding stallion under the very capable hands of Vicki Livasy. And, knowing Vicki, Evincing will have every chance to prove that. Our industry is in need of another good NN stallion.

October 31, 2023

If you see this cute little guy at your door today, he is just asking for treats. Gabriel prefers orange slices but he really isn't fussy----any treat will do.

October 25, 2023

A few days ago, I saw pictures of Maria Frazer's beautiful filly and noticed that the mother was a dun mare. Asking Maria, I found out that the mare was out of Kids Royal Clu, a mare that I sold Jackie Hardwicke from Australia and that brought back some wonderful memories. Years ago, Mike and I ran monthly ads in the back of the Quarter Horse Journal. In 2002, one of them had two foals featured in it. I received a phone call from Jackie Hardwicke who lives in Australia and that started a wonderful lasting friendship. Jackie bought the 2 foals for Don Burke, who had a television show. In fact, Don and his cameraman even came to Wisconsin to visit. Over the years, we sold Jackie many horses including Exceptionist and An Obsession, Shanes Night Lady and Kids Royal Clu. We also kept the horses she bought from others at our place until they could go into quarantine. Although I never went to Australia, Jackie came to the US several times and we of course went to "horse events" I got to meet her daughter Kylie who is now an incredible equine veterinarian in Australia and also her Mom and sister, and her friend, Jackie James. At the World Show, we met our good friend, Lanis Noble and Grace Berton. One of the pictures I am posting is of Jackie, me, Lanis, Grace and Kylie. The other picture is of Jackie taking videos of the classes. Then our trip to the Iowa Breeder Halter Futurity with Jackie's sister, Jeanette and Jackie's mom. I still think about us sitting in the stands at the sale and Jeanette leaning over asking me if she bought a colt could I keep it until quarantine. Well my idea of a colt and Jeanette's were entirely different. She bought Trademark , a stallion. As it turned out the horse had a great disposition and he was no problem at our place. We also had a fun time at the racetrack with Jackie's mother picking most of the winners. Another fun trip we had was when Jackie and Jackie James came over and we drove to Kentucky. Needless to say, I was a bit nervous as the Australians drive on the other side of the road, but we did make it. I don't think I laughed so much as I did on that trip. It was truly one to remember. It is sad that so many of my good friends have gone other ways. Jackie sold her fantastic group of horses and now concentrating on breeding and showing Italian Greyhounds. And, as I would expect, she is at the top of her game in that field also. Recently I noticed that she is getting involved with race horses. Knowing how successful she is at everything she does, perhaps I should get "on that bandwagon" too.

October 20, 2023

Well, today the Packers play the Broncos and we may need a little help from some of our favorite cheerleaders. One better be wearing her "lucky earrings" and the Chicago Bear fans really need to cheer for the Packers today.

October 19, 2023

I went outside and gave Fred (Classically) a treat this morning. As you know, he is a 5 panel NN stallion by Kids Classic Style and out of Miss Bunny Tardee. In fact, he is the last living horse out of Miss Bunny Tardee, the mare that started my whole program. Fred has been "living the life of a retired horse" since I lost my husband, Mike. It was just too much to collect and ship semen and he is too much a part of the "family" to sell. So, Fred lives outside with a shelter watching his girlfriends. His beautiful long mane is now short and dirty but he doesn't seem to mind. My wonderful friends in Germany, Marko and Judith Kaiser continue his legacy with 2 daughters of his and 1 granddaughter. Last week, the girls did both Fred and me proud again. Penny (It Had to be U), who is by My Intention and out of Wilma who is by Fred won all four of her yearling mare classes and received all of the Reserve Championships. Betty (My Secret Luv) who is by Fred and out of Bonnie (CJ Miss Cool Tardee) won all four of her aged classes plus all the Grand Championships in Open Mares. Last but not least, Cookie (Move Over Darling) who is by Fred and out of Malibukini who is out of Shanes Lady Romantic won all four of the amateur aged mare classes and garnered 3 of the 4 Grand Championships. This was the last show of a very successful show season for the Kaisers and it was the German National Championships.

October 14, 2023

One day in 2016 as I was sitting at my desk, I received a phone call. The conversation went something like this “. This is Marko Kaiser and I am calling from Germany and I am interested in buying Cookie, the filly by Fred out of Malibukini. We visited for a bit and I gave him a price. He told me that he would call me back. I bet it wasn’t half an hour later and he called and bought her. Now, in the past I have sold quite a few horses to Australia but this was my first to Germany. That phone call opened up a wonderful relationship between me and Marko and Judith Kaiser. When they finally got Cookie who they named Move Over Darling to Germany, she was a yearling. Under Marko’s excellent fitting, the mare won every horse show they showed her in. We kept in touch and I enjoyed hearing of their success. Move Over Darling became an Open and Amateur Superior Halter horse. Two years later, Bonnie (CJ Miss Cool Tardee) had a palomino filly by Fred (Classically). Marko called when she was a couple days old and wanted to buy her. At that time I had no idea that we would have to put CJ Miss Cool Tardee down so I told him that if she tested 5 panel NN I would sell her. Surprisingly she did, and the Kaisers owned another of my horses. This one who we called Betty they named My Secret Luv. Betty has certainly made an impact on German horse shows. She too is now a Superior Halter horse in both Open and Amateur. Last year, the Kaisers bought Penny, the 5 panel NN filly by My Intention out of Wilma (Classically Kool). Penny is also making her mark on the German Quarter Horse Shows. On Friday she was first under all 4 judges and Reserve Champion under all 4 judges at the big International German Championships. Not to mention that Betty ( My Secret Luv) also garnered all 4 wins and was Grand Champion Open Mare under all the judges. And, how can we forget Cookie (Move Over Darling). She won the Amateur Aged Mare class under 3 of the 4 judges and had 3 Amateur Grands and 1 Reserve. In addition to these 3 mares, the Kaisers have bought 2 other mares from me and last but not least, Barney, the 2023 stud colt by My Intention out of Wilma (Classically Kool) I have high hopes for this colt and can't wait until next year when they show him. Thinking about it, the Kaisers now own 6 of my horses and I have only 6 left (of course I also have Gabriel, the donkey) What a wonderful friendship I have established with my German friends and I would like nothing better than to visit them next year when their 2 foals arrive out of the Telesecret and Kid Coolsified mares they bought. As I get older it brings me so much satisfaction to hear stories like this of successes with horses that I have raised. Instead of posting win pictures of the 3 "Kaiser mares" I thought it would be fun to post their baby pictures.

October 7, 2023

Tomorrow will be the "Celebration of Life" for Jil Hinds. It was around 1994 that I received a phone call from Jil and she was interested in buying a horse. I am always skeptical about people having too many horses so I quizzed her and she had an old black mare named Wingra. I will always remember that name as it is on the water towers around Madison, Wisconsin where Mike worked when he was in the Senate. Well, I ended up selling her Blondy as we called her. She was a young mare by Impressivist out of a real good daughter of Blondys Dude that I had gotten from Lona Wolfe. For those of you who remember Lona, she was an AQHA judge and a very respected horse woman. Jil decided to breed Blondy to Ima Cool Skip and I still remember how she sold the resulting foal for good money over the phone to some people in Michigan. Jil was as good a sales person as I have known. Her father Bobby Hinds had been a professional boxer and he started a company called Lifeline, a very successful company featuring athletic training equipment. Jil and I became good friends and she traveled with Mike and I to the World and Congress Shows. She was there when Exclusivist won the World. When we rushed to get to the airport, I saw and bought a yearling filly, Prophetic Win from Robin and Cliff Bales. It was a bit hard to tell Mike when I got home that I had bought another horse. Since Jil's father was in the exercise equipment field, I talked to Jil about coming up with a product for horses. She agreed that it was a good idea and since her father had the connections through his business, we were able to contact John Williams in Nevada and consequently came up with Muscle. In fact it was Mike who came up with the name. We named the company Equinox and Jil started selling the product nationwide. It really took off and we added Muscle Max to the inventory. Eventually Mike and I sold our share to Jil and she renamed the company Lifeline Equine. Jil became very successful and added Copperquine to the products. Over the years, Jil and I had our ups and downs. I could never understand how her life could be so complicated. She loved and idolized her father and it was as if she was lost when he died. We had renewed our friendship and she was so happy to finally have her own property and her horses. When I fractured my knee, she messaged me and wished me a speedy recovery. I find myself regretting that I didn't keep in touch with her more after that. I guess I just got tied up in my own recovery. Honestly, I think the death of her parents was something she just couldn't handle. Mike always called her "Jilmeister" and she referred to me as "Dee" I will never forget Jil Hinds. She played a big part in my life and I regret that I did not reach out to her these last few months. This picture is of a "happy Jil" with Blondy that she sent me years ago.

October 2, 2023

Dan Fox posted a memory of A Classic Edition and it really got me thinking about how lucky Mike and I have been in the horse business. Let me tell you the "story" of A Classic Edition. Remember when I bred mares to Kids Classic Style and the first year I was so happy when I didn't get a buckskin? Well, the second year, we got 2 buckskins a palomino and a bay. One buckskin filly became a World Champion Buckskin mare, the palomino stud colt became a World Champion Palomino, the bay was Kids Classic Gal who we kept and then there was A Classic Edition. Her dam was Cooleah by Ima Cool Skip. I remember when Ryan McKillips came and bought her for Jim Sancken. And I also remember when Travis Sancken showed her at the Youth World and he was so surprised when one of the ringmen told him he was World Champion. The Sanckens sold the mare to Gwenn Zimmerman who continued to show her and made her a World Champion. From there she was sold to Dan Fox who took her to the highest level. She amassed a total of 902 halter points and 94 performance points. She was an AQHA Champion, had Superiors in Halter, Performance Halter, Heading, Heeling, and Calf Roping. I find it outstanding that after her show career she became a great producer. Her son, CR First Edition became a World Champion and her daughter, She Got the Guns is the dam of Dan's many times World Champion Stallion, CR PeaceMaker. There have been many people over the years who bought and those who still buy my horses who take them to high levels in showing. I love to live vicariously through them.

September 1, 2023

The last few years my friend Richard Kaufmann cut down several trees on our property. However the stumps interfered with grass cutting. Joe Cowling bought this awesome stump grinder that goes on his Skid Steer and yesterday he demolished the stumps. The machine is amazing and it will be so nice to have “clear sailing” with the lawn mower. I have the best neighbors.

August 29, 2023

Kids Classic Style was unique. He was huge, buckskin, had incredible muscle but still had some faults that were hard to overlook. I first saw him at the World Show when he was a young horse. I remember the audience loved him and they would cheer and applaud when he would place well under a judge and boo when he didn't. It was hard for me to overlook his faults but I couldn't help but love him because of all the natural muscle he had and how huge he was. He eventually became a World Champion, My good friend, Carri Ehrich took this picture of him when we were at the World Show in 1999. Kenny and Kara Mills bought him and stood him at Doug Tallents in Whitesboro, Texas. I called Doug and told him that I was interested in breeding to "Bucky" but that I was afraid that I would get a buckskin and I didn't want one of those. He told me that the horse really didn't throw buckskin and that most of his foals were bays so I bred two mares to him. The following year I got a chestnut and a bay. After seeing my babies, I decided that I would breed 4 mares the following year. At that time Bucky was very popular and was breeding a lot of mares. Doug was excellent with handling semen and he was always able to get me semen. I remember once he told me that the horse's semen lived a long time so he sent me semen on Wednesday that had been collected on Monday. I received it on Thursday and bred with it and my mare got in foal. The second year, I didn't think I was so lucky on color. Of the four foals that were born, I had 2 buckskins, 1 palomino and a bay. It was that year that I found out how much people liked "color" in their horses. Those four foals were A Classic Edition, a many times World Champion, Miss Cool N Stylin, a two time World Champion Buckskin mare, Western Sundown, a World Champion Palomino and Kids Classic Gal, (Janie) the bay NN mare I chose to keep. I continued to breed to Kids Classic Style when he moved to Halvorson Ranch in Oklahoma. Wayne and Rebecca were also great to work with and I never had trouble getting my mares in foal and I always was able to sell the offspring of Kids Classic Style for good money. Tom Scheckle owned Kids Classic Style at the end of his life and I was able to buy frozen semen from him. I had no trouble getting Cooleah in foal to him and guess what----I wanted so bad to get a buckskin filly. But as fate would have it, I got a chestnut stud colt. When I think back how in the beginning I didn't want color in my horses and now a "colored horse" often sells better than one that is not colored. I still have Fred (Classically) by Kids Classic Style and out of Miss Bunny Tardee. We bred him for a few years and now he spends his time in an outside shelter enjoying life. My two daughter of his are my primary broodmare---Wilma (Classically Kool) who is out of Rebecca (You Bet Im Cool) and Pebbles (Kool to be Classic) who is out of Bonnie (CJ Miss Cool Tardee) Both mares are full sisters in blood. I have raised 3 fillies out of Wilma and look forward to the first foal out of Pebbles next year.

August 22, 2023

Nine years ago today we put our beloved Molly dog to sleep. She was 14 years old and cancer got the best of her. Mike and I loved this dog like a child since we never had any children. Rita Crundwell told me that we needed a dog and she gave us a Corgi pup. There was something wrong with the puppy and we had to put her to sleep. We felt terrible and Rita said she would give us another. Well when the female Corgi had her pups, lo and behold, while they were at the Congress, their helphad let Rita's good miniature Australian Shepherd out and he bred the Corgi. So what a surprise when the puppies came and they did not look like Corgis. Rita said we wouldn't want one but Mike picked out a merle female and that was Molly. Robert Schmitz brought the puppy to his place in Fond du Lac and Mike and I picked her up, Our first sight of Molly was her trying to keep up with Robert's dog in the deep snow with her short little legs. Well, as you can imagine we came to love our dog. She was so smart----got kicked by a horse as a young dog and from then on we didn't have to worry about that as she was very careful around horses. She potty trained herself and never had an accident in the house. Molly was especially attached to Mike and she went everywhere with him. The girls at McDonald nicknamed her "Blue Eyes" If I were looking for Mike, I would find him and Molly on the golf cart checking things out. Our trips were limited to car trips because heaven knows we couldn't leave Molly at home. She would sit on the counsel between us and sometimes go to sleep on our laps. Molly was a very expensive "free dog" Twice she had to go to the Emergency Center. Once she drank a little anti-freeze and the other time our good friend Richard Kaufmann brought out some pork bones from his pig roast and Molly ate too many and they blocked her intestines. Both times the vets thought we would lose her but she managed to pull through. Dickie called her a $10,000 dog and we probably spent more than that saving her. At night we would spend our nights throwing her ball down the hallway while we watched television. You would have thought she would get bored chasing it and bringing it back but she didn't. It was such a sad day when we took her to have her put to sleep. She just couldn't beat cancer and it was not fair to let her suffer. We both vowed never to get another dog as we couldn't take the heartache of losing one. Molly Ellis was special and her monument is next to Miss Bunny Tardee in my front yard.

August 20, 2023

In 1978, Mike and I sold Royal Tailwind to Warren NancyWarren Ploeger but we retained 8 breedings a year to him. In 1981, An Elegant Lady was born to Miss Gypsy Roan. Gypsy was a roan mare by Kays Roan and she crossed really well with Royal. She is the mare who taught me about producing mares not necessarily being show mares. When she was in Iowa being bred, Warren took her to a horse show to fill the aged mare class and she placed last. But, I bet she outproduced most of the other mares in that class.

"Pebbles" as we called the roan filly had quite a start in life. We were worried about her foaling with no one there to watch her. Joe St Clair was working for the Briggs at that time so we hauled her over to their place which was 2 miles from us. That night, Mike and I went out to eat with Denny and Carol Briggs and Gypsy decided to foal. The filly was not positioned right and Joe called Dr Robert Gay and he came and the two of them delivered the baby. Of course, there were no cell phones at that time so when we came back from eating, we got to see this beautiful roan filly. Pebbles developed into a gorgeous classy filly so we decided to show her at the World Championship Show in Oklahoma City. Our good friend, John Schulz owned Reds Double Sonny who was high point pleasure stallion in the nation and John Lawrence was taking Sonny to the World Show. John Schulz decided to take his trailer so we went with him to the show. We also hauled another mare by Royal Tailwind that we had sold to a man and he was going to have someone haul her home from there. However, a funny twist to the story----his trainer who was a beautiful girl flew up her and bought the mare for him and she was an expensive mare. When we got to the show, we met the new owner who had his son with him. He took us aside and told us that he did not want his wife to know he had bought the mare and his son would tell her, so he couldn't even go over to the stalls and look at his new purchase. We ended up hauling her back to Wisconsin and he made arrangements to send her to a trainer from there. Back to Pebbles (An Elegant Lady) and the World Show. The plan was to have John Lawrence, a good friend of ours who normally showed our babies in the futurities show Pebbles in the Weanling filly class. Of course we were so excited as this was the first horse we took to the World. I remember Mike and I sitting in the coliseum and watching the class---I don't think I will ever forget it. Back then the classes were huge (probably more than 20 horses in the class) and I remember thinking that I sure hope she placed. As they started calling out the places, I was happy every time they called out a number and it wasn't hers. However, when they got below 8th place and they still hadn't called her number, I started to worry that she wasn't even going to get a ribbon. I thought please let her get something and as each placing was announced, I kept getting more discouraged. Finally they called her number and she got 4th. We were overjoyed----after all coming from Wisconsin with a "home fit" baby and placing 4th at the World was unbelievable for me. When we went back to the stalls with her, a couple was waiting for us and they wanted to buy the filly. We ended up selling her for what we thought was a great price. We celebrated and even bought Mike a Stetson hat for $150. He wore it at the show but never wore it after that. I guess I just couldn't make him in to a "cowboy" Over the years, I have raised several World Champions but that was the only time we actually took one of our own to the World Show.

August 19, 2023

I think I am too old for the stress of sending horses to Germany. All I know is that I slept great last night but am still tired today. Let me tell you about the experience. First of all, Kimberly Knotek from IRT (International Racehorse Transport) has been wonderful. I found out that she is actually a Wisconsin girl. She coordinated everything for the trip and kept me "up to date" The horses were picked up Thursday morning at 5:45 AM. Dr Kathrine Fox came and helped with the loading which went very smoothly. The hauler was very knowledgeable and it really didnt take long. The horses traveled to Chicago and were unloaded at the IRT facility. After inspection by the USDA officials they made their way to the airport and were loaded on a 3 horse carrier which was then placed on the plane. Kimberly kept me informed as to what was going on and even sent me a flight alert so I could watch the plane travel across the sea to France. Once there, Marko Kaiser picked them up in Franfort and after a few hour drive they were at their new home near Dusseldorf, Germany. I felt sorry for Barney as he was used to sleeping a lot and he was on his feet for a long long time. This morning I received a video of Barney out with his sister, Penny (It Had to be U) and his aunts, Cookie (Move Over Darling) and Betty (My Secret Love) Poor little Barney had never been with any horses except his mother but he just continued to eat grass and the horses checked him out but left him alone. As you know, I have not been able to do much handling of my horses so Marko will have his hands full training him. One thing is that he is a very smart colt and very easy going. I will be anxious to see him and am certainly looking forward to the 2 foals that TF Kids Cover Girl and Secret Champagne have next year. Marko and I have a bet as to which will have the best one but I am not telling you my pick. It is hard to believe that the horses could leave Neenah, Wisconsin at 6 AM on Thursday morning and arrive at their new home in Germany during the day on Friday.

August 17, 2023

A bittersweet morning for me. One third of my horses left for their new home in Germany. Marko and Judith Kaiser are going to love these horses. Because of my injury, I have not been able to do much with Barney the colt but he is very smart and nothing seems to bother him. This is not the best picture of him but it is all I could do yesterday with the brace on my leg. Barney is NN and is sired by My Intention out of Wilma (Classically Kool) I will be anxious to see him once Marko Kaiser has him fit. Heather, TF Kids Cover Girl is also NN and is sired by Kid Coolsified out of Fashions by Mister by Mr Conclusion. She is in foal to Secret Gunfighter. Last but not least is Secret Champagne. She is NN and sired by Telesecret out of Bonnie (CJ Miss Cool Tardee) She will have a foal by Speechless next year. The Kaisers are wonderful people and love their horses so I know these horses will have a great home. Still, it was kind of hard to see them leave.

August 15, 2023

Look what I have!!! Hopefully this will prevent me from stumbling over the hose and almost killing myself. Now if it were just one time, I would call it an accident but since it happened two times I guess the doggone hose was meant to go. Thank you for the recommendations-----several of you mentioned this one and it is a bit hard for me to pull right now but I am sure I will love it after the brace is off. By the way, I saw the orthopedic doctor yesterday and 10 more days and I will be able to take it off for good. I forgot how hard it is to not be able to function in my normal way. Soon, back to handling horses again..

August 8, 2023

Most of you know the "story" of my horses and how Miss Bunny Tardee is the foundation of them. I was lucky enough to own 2 daughters of hers by Ima Cool Skip. One of them was Rebecca (You Bet Im Cool) and the other was Bonnie (CJ Miss Cool Tardee) I sold Bonnie to Carri Eurich as a weanling and she raised Caribbean Kid out of her. When Carri dispersed her horses, another good friend, Joanna Strickland from Mississippi bought her. Joanna bred her to Telesecret and she would tell me how much in love she was with the filly that she named Secret Champagne. Unfortunately Joanna was diagnosed with brain cancer and she leased some mares to her farrier. Joanna struggled for several years and before she died, another good friend of mine, Monte May was able to buy Champagne and a couple other mares from Joanna. Champagne was in foal to the farrier's stallion and had a beautiful palomino filly by him. I kept thinking about Champagne and wanted her in the worst way. I talked myself into being realistic and wanted to find the mare a good home with people who would love her like Joanna did. First in mind were my German friends, Marko and Judith Kaiser. I have watched the way they treat the horses that I have sold them over the years and they already own another daughter of Bonnie's (CJ Miss Cool Tardee) That mare is Betty (My Secret Luv) who is winning everything in Europe. Well, the Kaiser's decided to buy Champagne and her barn name is now JoJo after Joanna. Soon she will leave for her new home in Germany. I almost forgot to mention that she is in foal to Speechless, the great stallion owned by Terry and Tammy Bradshaw. I believe this will be an outstanding cross and I am so excited to see the foal next year. I still have Bonnie's filly by Fred (Classically) and the Kaisers will have her other two fillies, My Secret Luv and Secret Champagne, both of them 5 panel NN. Believe me, if I were younger, JoJo would never leave Wisconsin. You know how much I love my horse and this one is special to me.

August 4, 2023

In 1995 I met Bill and Ann Lanning. We sold a colt by Mr Conclusion to Edgewood Farm and from that time on we became good friends. Ann told me that they always wean according to the moon signs and believe me I had had so much trouble with weaning over the years. Up until that time, we even went so far as to hang mattresses on the walls of the stalls and the babies would dive into them. Weaning was the most dreaded time of the year. I started calling Ann and she would give me the best times of the month to wean and believe me, I would listen to her. It resulted in no stress on either the mare or the foal. Well, this year Barney was 4 months old on August 2 and that date was one of the "weaning dates" Since I am cripple with my fractured knee, I cannot handle the horses. That day, Dr Fox came and drew blood and micro-chipped the horses that are going to Germany (including Barney) When she was finished around 3:30 Leah Gloudemanns and Bob Luebker took Wilma (Classically Kool) out of the stall and put her outside in a shelter. Barney was left by himself. The stall where he was had a camera so I watched him from the house. He whinnied a bit but never ran around. He ate all his grain and by 8:30 I saw him lay down. The next morning he was sleeping when I looked at him and he had cleaned up all his feed. I don't think I have ever had a baby wean so well. Wilma is a little upset but nothing bad I have a big fan blowing on her. I know that Bill Lanning is going through a bit of a rough time right now and I pray daily for him and also for Ann. They are wonderful people and have certainly made my life much easier. I took these camera pictures when I first weaned Barney at 3:30 and at 8:30 when he decided that he was tired and then again the next morning.

August 1, 2023

Two weeks ago, I finished feeding in the barn as I do daily and was walking down the aisle when I stumbled over the hose. Since I am not as agile as I was when I was young, I fell face first hitting the cement floor with my face and body. Luckily it was on the side of my face or I would have knocked out my teeth and broken my nose. I couldn't get up and thankfully I had my cell phone and called my good friend and neighbor, Katie Samuelson who came to my rescue. By that time Bob Luebker showed up and they insisted that I go to the emergency room at the hospital. I didn't want to but Katie scared me about a blood bleed and dying so I let her take me. Well, after 6 and a half hours I was released to go home on crutches. The good news is that I did not have a concussion, nor broken ribs but I did fracture my knee. So, life has changed for me. I have this big brace on my knee and after seeing the orthopedic surgeon on Monday, I do not need surgery but I do need to keep this brace on as the knee is fractured but the bones are "in place" I I am so bored with television and not being able to be with the horses but I am so thankful that I have such wonderful friends who have stepped in to help me. Remember when I bought the retractable hose years ago but it just didn't wind up fast enough for me. Well, I am on the search for a better one as this is the second time that I have tripped over that hose on the ground. I guess I am trying to even out the sides of my face as the last time, it was the other eye that was black and blue.

July 16, 2023

Last night I sat down to watch the Milwaukee Brewers baseball game and it was delayed due to the weather. So I opened up my latest issue of the Equine Chronicle and sat down to enjoy it. The first thing I saw was this beautiful tribute to Iem The One that my good friend and his owner, Vicki Livasy submitted. To be honest, it brought tears to my eyes because I know how much she loved that horse. He was a great one and I remember how impressed I was when I saw him as a foal at Clark Rassi's Many of you already know Vicki but let me tell you how she came into my life. Many years ago, the webpage server I used didn't pay for his sites and I lost all my pictures and information. That is why you don't see many pictures of my older horses as babies. Out of the blue, I received this call from Vicki and she offered to do my web page. Well, I have been so impressed with her work and we have become great friends. By the way, she just updated it again so if you are interested in seeing the things she adds to it, check out www.ellisquarterhorses.com (Basically Sandy's news because I haven't sent her updated mare information) I am looking forward to getting together with Vicki and my other "Villagers" at the Breeders Halter Futurity. Isn't it amazing how some people just come into your life and become great friends?

July 15 2023

I am sitting here this morning and it reminds me of waiting to open Christmas presents when I was a child. MJK Horse Transport is going to bring me a mare this afternoon. Most of you know that my horse program is based around Miss Bunny Tardee, a daughter of Tardee Impressive out of a daughter of Sonnys Nightshade. She was born in 1986 and we lost her in 2010. The picture I posted of her was when she was 20 years old. Until the last few years, I had Rebecca (You Bet Im Cool) and Bonnie (CJ Miss Cool Tardee) both by Ima Cool Skip and Fred (Classically) by Kids Classic Style out of her. Unfortunately I only have Fred left. The two daughters are the foundation of my program. I have Wilma (Classically Kool) and Ellie (Elara) out of Rebecca and I have Pebbles (Kool to be Classic) out of Bonnie. Rebecca (You Bet Im Cool) never left our place and we had to put her down last fall. We sold Bonnie (CJ Miss Cool Tardee) to Carri Ehrich as a baby for $50,000. Bonnie produced Caribbean Kid for Carri and also Cool Caribbean Miss. When Carri got out of horses (and went to the dogs) she sold Bonnie as an old mare to a good friend, Joanna Strickland from Mississippi for $25,000. Joanna raised a filly out of her that she loved by Telasecret. Whenever I talked to Joanna she would bring up "my sweet Champagne" as she called her. Unfortunately Joanna developed brain cancer and she died last fall. Joanna was a great horsewoman and raised Casino Cool by Ima Cool Skip and some other great horses. Mike and I were able to buy Bonnie (CJ Miss Cool Tardee) back from Joanna and we raised 2 beautiful palomino fillies out of her by Fred (Classically)---- Pebbles (Kool to be Classic) and Betty (My Secret Love). I still have Pebbles and we sold Betty to Marko and Judith Kaiser in Germany. Now, you wonder what I am getting at and how this relates to today. Well, Secret Champagne by Telesecret out of Bonnie (CJ Miss Cool Tardee) will be arriving at my house today. My good friend, Monte May was able to buy the mare from Joanna before she died and I bought her from him. Now, you all know that I am not buying horses at my age so I had to think of a great home for this mare. There were several friends I thought of but decided that Judith and Marko Kaiser from Germany would give her a great home. They already own her half sister, Betty (My Secret Love) and I totally trust them with my horses. In fact, with the purchase of Champagne, they will own 5 of my Miss Bunny Tardee horse family" and I only have 5 left. I will certainly post pictures of Secret Champagne after she settles in a bit and before she leaves for Germany. She is 5 panel NN.

July 13, 2023

I am a proud breeder this morning. My wonderful friends, Felisha and Russell Ellis and of course their son Dylan were World Champion Palomino Geldings in Youth, Amateur and Open at the Palomino World Show. A Cool Magnum is by Supernatural Magnum who is by Supernatural Fella (the stallion I sent pictures of to Russell by mistake) and out of Cool to be Classic, who is by Kids Classic Style and out of Cooleah. Cool to be Classic is a full sister to A Classic Edition, the mare that Dan Fox made famous. Horses have made me some wonderful friends and the Ellis's are #1friends. Things like this are mean so much to me-----great horses and great friends.

June 30, 2023

About 35 years ago I met Grace Berton at the World Show and we have been friends ever since. Both Grace and I sent take them to Southgate to be bred to Ima Cool Skip. One of Grace's resulting foals was Sir Cool Skip--mine was Cooleah. Mike and I visited Grace in Petaluma, California many years ago. What beautiful country in the heart of wine country and Mike really enjoyed the drive along the ocean highway. Well, Grace sold her place a couple of years ago and moved to Sweeden, Kentucky. It has always been her dream to live in Kentucky. Not only did Grace move but so did 70 head of horses. Those who know me, know that I do not leave Neenah Wisconsin often, but I did want to visit Grace and see her operation in Kentucky. So, I met my friend, Mary Mancini and Dr Bob Story in Louisville and Grace, Mary, Bob Story and I visited Kenny and Kari Bradley and saw Sail on Sailor. What a beautiful stallion he is and their place is absolutely gorgeous. We left with custom engraved bottles but not before they joined us for a wonderful dinner. After eating, we drove the Grace's place. I can see why she loves Kentucky with it's rolling hills. Grace has some great mares, Sir Cool Skip bred of course and some really nice foals out of them. We stayed at Grace's that night and since we were in Kentucky, the three of us toured Churchill Downs in Louisville the next day. If you haven't been there it is a sight worth seeing, especially for us "horse people" That night we stayed in Lexington, Kentucky. During the night my phone kept sending alert notifications so I turned it off. The next morning I rode down the elevator and a lady asked if I was in the tornado shelter last night. Heck, I had no idea there was a tornado close and slept through the whole night, The next morning, we planned to visit Winstar Farm, the home of many great thoroughbreds. My neighbor and good friend, Jack Cowling told me that his niece, Ashley Tackett has worked there for 16 years and that she would be happy to show us around. What a wonderful tour we had as we got to see the barometric chamber, the mares and foals, the stallions and the race track, besides going on the regular tour. Dr Bob Story really enjoyed it as he has worked with race horses all his life. It was a tour I will never forget. After a wonderful meal that evening with Seth and Victoria Davis, they drove me to Louisville to fly out in the morning. Good thing I am a light sleeper because the hotel forgot my wake up call. So here I am---back in good old Wisconsin where the smoke from the Canadian fires creates a hazy look to the atmosphere. It was great to get away but it is always good to get back home.

June 22, 2023

I still have my "special Tammy Bradshaw signed" bottle of Bradshaw Bourbon.

June 20, 2023

It's that time of the year again when "Polly Peony" blooms. Many years ago Mike and I and our friend Richard Kaufmann went to a horse sale at James Kifer's in Alabama. We met Terry and Karen Sartain and Lanis Noble there. Lanis and I looked over the horses and I picked out the mare that I thought was the best mare in the sale. She was sired by Obvious Prophet and was in foal to Kid Clu. She had been been consigned by Jim Snow. Mike was ready to go and was sitting in the car with Molly, our dog. I was still at the sale sitting with Lanis and Karen Sartain. Well the mare came into the ring and Lanis started to bid. We were partners with him in Exceptional Quarter Horses. He kept bidding and lo and behold we were the high bidders at $42,000. So when I went over to the truck and told Mike, his response was "There in no way you bought a horse for $42.000. I had to convince him that it was true by showing him the sale receipt. Needless to say it was long ride home. Well, the next year the mare laid down and had a gorgeous filly. I mean this was one of a kind filly and I was so excited about it. We named her Polly. But, as fate would have it, the filly broke her front leg in one of our muddy paddocks. At that time, I had cameras in the stalls so everyone on the internet could watch the mares foal. That is another story because I would get calls complaining about mice in the stalls and other things. One of the callers was Roseann Albert from out East. She called me at 2 in the morning and woke me up to visit right after the Prophet mare foaled. When I posted that we had to put the Polly down, the next day we received this peony plant and Roseann sent it from her hometown. She told me she kept the "sister plant" So of course I named the plant "Polly Peony" after the filly. Every year the plant blooms but I have lost touch with Roseann. I am posting a picture of the Kid Clu filly we named Polly and the peony plant.

June 18, 2023

I have a beautiful pasture that I thought would be a great place for 2 mares. It has an automatic waterer in the shelter and they could eat grass all summer. So, a couple weeks ago I moved them there. Fred (Classically) is in a smaller dry lot with a shelter and he was not happy because he could not see "his girls" So we moved the girls back into their dry lot. Yesterday I had the brilliant idea to put Fred in the big pasture. He could see his girls in the dry lot and I can move them onto a grass pasture with no shelter during the day. Fred loved it but when I went out last night to check on him, where do you think he was? He was in the shelter eating hay. I guess he just doesn't realize how good the grass is. I did snap a couple of pictures of the "big boy" who is now 15 years old. Remember when he had that long beautiful mane and we kept his mane and tail snow white? Well, he doesn't look that way anymore but he is happy.

June 15, 2023

Seven years ago, I had just posted pictures of a gray filly that we named Cookie. She was sired by Fred (Classically) and out of Malibukini by Malibu Ken out of Shanes Lady Romantic. I received a phone call from Marko Kaiser from Germany and he told me that he wanted to buy the filly. That phone call has resulted in the Kaisers buying several horses from us and I love watching the accomplishments of these horses. When I posted pictures of Barney, my NN stud colt by My Intention out of Wilma (Classically Kool) I had several people interested in buying him. In fact, I was in the process of completing the sale to a really nice man when Judith Kaiser messaged me that it was going to be her birthday and that Barney would make a really nice present. I told her I did not think they needed a stud colt but guess what---Barney is going to Germany. I am going to be excited to watch this colt as he grows and matures as I predict he will do great things in Germany. I took new pictures of him on Tuesday and you will see how much he has changed since the last pictures I posted. So today is Judith Kaiser's birthday and she is just recovering from surgery so join me in wishing her a happy birthday and a speedy recovery.

June 11, 2023

When I was a young girl, my father bought 2 Mobo Broncos and my brother and I had so much fun riding them. Let me tell you a little about them. They were made by D. Sebel and Co Ltd of England in the 1940s. The material is a pressed metal with a mechanism inside that makes the horse move forward by pressing on the stirrups. There are wheels hidden in the hooves. Well, I am a marketplace shopper and I found a box fan on the local site. While I was at the place I noticed a Mobo Bronco overhead and asked the owner about it. He said someone owned him money and he took the horse for payment. I couldn't stop thinking about that horse and the next day I called and made him an offer which he accepted. So now I have a remembrance of my childhood along with all the beautiful horses I got from my good friend, Linda Becker. Pretty soon there won't be room enough for me in the house but I do have plenty of empty stalls.

June 10, 2023

I had two beautiful mares out of Miss Bunny Tardee (by Tardee Impressive) and both were sired by Ima Cool Skip. You all know about Rebecca (You Bet Im Cool) and most of you also know Bonnie (CJ Miss Cool Tardee) Unfortunately I lost both of them but there are 2 fillies out of both of them and I am so proud of them. I own Rebecca's two--Wilma by Fred (Classically) and Ellie by My Intention. I also have one of Bonnie's offspring here and that is Pebbles (Kool to be Classic) by Fred. The other mare our of Bonnie by Fred is owned by my great friends, Marko and Judith Kaiser in Germany. I just heard from Judith and Marko showed Betty (My Secret Love) at the Luxembourg International Horse Show this morning and she was first under both judges in Amateur and Open and garnered all the Grands. In fact, Betty has not been beaten yet. Now her full sister Pebbles is outside eating grass and enjoying a life of leisure as she is in foal for the first time. It is things like this that make it fun to get up every morning and enjoy life.

June 5, 2023

Judith Johnson mentioned about giving Regumate with a regular syringe. The problem with them is that they have a rubber insert and dry out after a few uses. I suggested a breeding syringe which does not have the rubber inside. Years ago, I think it was the Regumate company that had these dose syringes and they are the clear choice. They fit on a small Regumate bottle and dose 10 cc with each squeeze. No more getting Regumate on your hands. If you are able to find one, I highly recommend them as it has been a "life saver" for me.

June 4, 2023

Wilma (Classically Kool) and Barney by My Intention.

This morning let me tell you about two stallions that I bred to in the past--Temon and Coosa Lad. I can't remember any of the offspring by these horses that I had so I must have sold them. Both stallions had wonderful owners. Dee Bartek became a good friend and she would join us at the World Show along with the "girls" Temon was sired by Mr Sonny Money and out of Poco Coeds Te N Te, a great daughter of Te N Te. To be honest, Temon really wasn't my kind of horse. He had a bit of length to his body and he could have had a prettier head. Besides that he only had one testicle. I can remember his daughter, Forever My Temon and how excited we were for Dee when she won the World. This mare was not only a show horse but she was also a great producer as she was the dam of Mr Elusive. In regards to Coosa Lad, Allen and Kay Neubauer were wonderful owners and I really enjoyed visiting with Kay. The horse was very pretty, He was sired by Coosa and out of Johnette Skip. There were many halter horses sired by him and also many pleasure horses. Both of these stallions were NN. I think he was very typical of he Coosa offspring----beautiful headed, deep bodied but lacking in the hip department. I wish I would have taken pictures back then. Perhaps some of you have more insight into these two stallions.

Happy birthday MARY MANCINI-----a big part of the "village" We have so much fun with our group. Here's looking forward to several fun trips this year and NO buying any horses. Well, maybe one or two. lol

June 3, 2023

Happy birthday to a wonderful friend----Joe St Clair. He has always been there for me and I can always count on him. In this day and age there are few people like Joe. We have been friends for more years than I want to admit.

May 29, 2023

Yesterday my good friend, Katie Samuelson came over and insisted I take pictures of Barney. The weather was perfect but by myself it is hard to get good pictures. Barney (named by Paul Stewart) is going to be 2 months old next weekend. He is NN and sired by My Intention and out of Wilma (Classically Kool) He is nominated to the Breeders Halter Futurity and the WCHA futurities and he needs to find a new home. I cannot have another stud to take care of. Fred (Classically) is not problem but little boys can be trouble. lol

Barney has a new home and I am so excited about his new owners. Thanks so much for the many inquiries I had on him. He is a really nice colt but Fred is enough stallion for me.

May 28, 2023

I am sooo proud of my "German kids" Marko and Judith Kaiser have given them a wonderful home in Germany and the "girls" are doing fantastic in the show ring. On 'Saturday at the big German show, The Bavarian Championship. , Betty (My Secret Luv) won all the open classes and Cookie (Move Over Darling) did the same in the amateur. Both of these mares are 5 panel NN and sired by Fred (Classically) Betty is out of Bonnie (CJ Miss Cool Tardee) and Cookie is out of Malibukini. Of course "Daddy Fred" got extra treats this morning. Not only do I have great customers in the Kaisers but I also have wonderful friends. That is what makes this horse breeding so much fun.

May 27, 2023

I thought this was a pretty picture of the 2 two year old fillies----Nicky on the left and Ellie on the right. Both are sired by My Intention. Nicky is out of Wilma (Classically Kool) and Ellie is out of Rebecca (You Bet Im Cool) so Ellie is Nicky's aunt.

If any of you are wondering what Gabriel is doing these days, well he is now buddies with Pebbles (Kool to be Classic) Pebbles is NH and is sired by Fred (Classically) and out of Bonnie (CJ Miss Cool Tardee by Tardee Impressive) She is also a full sister to Betty (My Secret Luv) who Marko and Judith Kaiser own in Germany. If you remember we got Gabe as company for the orphan Charlie and when Charlie left, he became a companion for Pebbles when we weaned her. After that he was with Rebecca until we had to put her down and then with Nicky ( the two year old) I had to take him away from Nicky and put him with Janie until we had to euthanize her. So, Gabriel is back with Pebbles. It amazes me how much my horses love him. The two old girls had to have him in their sight at all time and Nicky still whinnies for him when I lead him past her stall. The sad thing about all this is that I think Gabriel is a little depressed. He still thinks about Naomi Kreider, the little fat donkey of Julie Kreiders. Someday perhaps he will get to see her.

May 26, 2023

Another picture perfect day in Wisconsin and the two year old sisters are in the pasture scratching each other. Both are sired by My Intention. The one with the profile is Nicky who NN and is out of Wilma (Classically Kool) and the other is Ellie who is NH and out of Rebecca (You Bet Im Cool) I guess it is "all in the family" as Wilma is also out of Rebecca.

May 25, 2023

A "family gathering" on an a beautiful 60 degree sunny day in Wisconsin. On the other side of the fence is Ellie (Rebecca's two year old filly) on the left and Nicky (Wilma's two year old filly on the right) And on this side of the fence is Wilma and her little boy, Barney who is taking a nap. Wilma and Ellie are half sisters and Nicky and Barney are full brother and sister. Wilma is sired by Fred (Classically) and out of Rebecca (You Bet Im Cool) and the other three are sired by My Intention.

May 21, 2023

What a beautiful day in Wisconsin and everyone is happy. We moved Fred's girls to a pasture so he can see them again, It amazes me how much weight he could lose in a week. Well, the girls and Fred are happy which also makes me happy.

May 20, 2023

Fred (Classically) tonight. He is 15 years old, NN and the last foal out of Miss Bunny Tardee and sired by Kids Classic Style. I moved his girls to the pasture and he is not happy as he cannot see them. Guess I will have to figure out something because I just can't have Fred unhappy.

May 19, 2023

I came across 2 pictures of Mr Elusive that someone took and sent me years ago. I don't even remember where he was at that time. Even though they aren't the best pictures, I thought you would enjoy seeing them.

May 18, 2023

After losing my 2 "old mares" I guess I just haven't felt like taking pictures but know that I have to start doing it again, So, yesterday I tried to take pictures of Barney (named by my good friend D Paul Stewart) but as you all know it is very hard to get good pictures. I will keep trying and promise a profile picture soon. Barney is NN and is sired by My Intention and out of Wilma (Classically Kool) He is 6 weeks old now.

May 17, 2023

Mothers Day was not a very happy day for me. On Monday we put Janie (Kids Classic Gal) to sleep. She was the last of the "old girls" as I owned her mother and her grandmother. I loved this mare and she was so good to me over the years. It is kind of like the end of an era as the only horse I have left from Miss Bunny Tardee is Fred (Classically) and he is now 15 years old. Everyone that visited loved Janie as she had the most gorgeous head and disposition. It is hard to get old and see the horses you loved and cared for have to be put down. I am posting pictures of Janie as a baby, a yearling and an older mare. She is buried next to Rebecca (You Bet Im Cool) on our property.

May 15, 2023

The beautiful "Frau Heather" (TF Kids Covergirl) who will be joining her other Wisconsin friends in Germany. I love this mare who is sired by Kid Coolsified and out of the great mare, Fashions by Mr by Mr Conclusion. Fashions by Mr had 426 halter points. Besides being a World Champion and High Point in the nation, she is also the dam of Ima Mr Cool Skip, a stallion I loved. Marko and Judith Kaiser are going to love this mare, not only for her looks and pedigree but she is also the sweetest mare to be around.

May 14, 2023

Mother's Day, 2023 and I am sitting here reflecting on my life. I lost my mother in 1974 but I still have wonderful memories of my childhood and growing up with her. I am the oldest of 4 children and I guess my love of horses was inherited from my father as his father was a blacksmith. I think about the difference in todays children verses the times we were brought up in and to be honest, I am happy I was able to enjoy those more carefree times. Watching mares with their foals and the way they look after them reminds me of the way parents treated their children back then. It is funny how some things make an impression on you. About a week ago, Mike Hughes posted a poem that he wrote that really got me thinking. I have never met Mike but he is the owner of Wild Horse Fudge in Texas. I thought I would share it with you and I hope it has the same impact on you.

Moments Alone

by Mike Hughes.

There are times when you are alone, and have time to think.

Have you noticed the thoughts are not humorous, but down right frank.

Like your parents want you to come by and visit for awhile,

But you're just so busy, and you'll do it later, and then leave them with only a smile.

And you know, your folks understand that you want to be successful real bad.

Sure they understand, because after all, they are your mom and dad.

After all, if it weren't for them, we wouldn't be here.

And they are only asking for a little time; something to bring them cheer.

You are their all; you are their everything.

You are their winter and summer; their drought and their rain.

They took their time to get you out of the nest.

Is it not fair now that they should be put to the test?

They molded you into whatever you might be.

Is it not fair now for them to want to see.

What their finished product is, and share it for awhile?

All they are asking for payment is a small visit, a hug, and a smile.

We keep promising ourselves we will stop by just as soon as we get the time.

Just as soon as we get the time; that's the same old story, same old song, same old rhyme.

And now, after Mom and Dad have gone.

And we find ourselves sitting here all alone.

We find that we would eagerly trade a lot of those busy times that we had for just a few moments alone with Mom and Dad.

May 4, 2023

When I woke up this morning, I had a message from Judith Kaiser that Betty (My Secret Luv) won all her classes and all the Grands at the big show in the Netherlands. And one of my memories that popped up on Face Book this morning was a picture of Betty as a foal and her dam, CJ Miss Cool Tardee (Bonnie) She is the last foal out of Bonnie as we had to put her down. Marko and Judith Kaiser from Germany bought Betty when she was a very young filly. She is 5 panel NN and has grown into a huge gorgeous mare. She is the last foal that I raised from Fred (Classically) and I am so proud of her. Time goes so fast as Betty is now 3 years old. I couldn't have found better owners of my horses than the Kaisers. They are people who really care for their horses. I guess I will go outside and give Fred (Classicallyl) a treat for siring such a gorgeous mare.

April 28, 2023

It has been quite a while since I wrote about some of my past horse experiences so I thought why not tell you about my relationship with Tardee Impressive. Homer Danielson brought Bunny Nightshade to breed to Impressivist and Miss Bunny Tardee was less than 2 weeks old when I first saw her. I was in awe with the amount of muscle she had and I followed her development and loved her ever since. She hurt her eye as a two year old and Homer took her to Iowa State where they were not able to resolve the issue and ended up removing her eye, At that time there were several trainers who wanted to show her but the eye issue made her a broodmare. Homer brought her to Wisconsin to breed to Impressivist as a two year old and Mike and I ended up buying her. So, a couple years later, Mike and I went to Iowa to look at mares for Dudley Pillow. We stopped to visit Bob Lee and he showed me his mares at 6 in the morning in the bitter Iowa cold weather. I loved them. Bob suggested we partner on breeding them and he made a list of stallions he liked. On the list were My Conclusion, Obvious Conclusion, Tardee Impressive and Sierra Te. My choice was Tardee Impressive as I had Miss Bunny Tardee who I loved. We agreed and bred the mares to Tardee. We got 4 gorgeous foals, Arazzi, Azarri were the stud colts and we had 2 palomino fillies. We liked the foals so much that we even hauled the mares to California to rebreed them. I became good friends with Bill Morris and Mike and I flew to Canadian Texas to visit him and Sue. What a great experience that was. Bill was branding calves and we got to watch that and that evening we went to a dance in Canadian. Bill had to take a bottle of liquor as they did not sell liquor at the dance but you could bring your own, Over the years, Bill and I became good friends and he and Bill Edmundson came to visit us. Bill Morris loved th Azzari horse and we sent him to him along with a Sonnys Security filly that Bill Edmundson bought out of one of our partner mares, Trouble Yes. After the government seized Tardee and sent him to Will Woods place in Texas, Mike and I went to Texas and I finally got to see the horse that I was so infatuated with. I can still remember Will leading him out of the stall and he had a massive front end. Of course at this time he was getting a little age on him but to me his hip did not have the mass and carry down to match the front end and he was out of balance. I came to the conclusion that my pride and joy, Miss Bunny Tardee got her massive front from Tardee Impressive but her hip and hind quarters from her dam, Bunny Nightshade as the mare by Sonnys Nightshade had an outstanding hip, deep heart and short back.

April 14, 2023

"Baby Barney" at 10 days of age. Our weather finally got warm so he was able to go outside for the first time yesterday. Poor thing had been confined to his stall until then. I think he made up for it yesterday but setting a new running record. He is NN and sired by My Intention and out of Wilma (Classically Kool) I had decided that I cannot keep anymore horses so since he is a boy it will be easier for me to let him go to a new home.

Old age has finally caught up with me. It seems as though all of a sudden my knees are aching and even my hands hurt. I guess I have to face reality and realize that I have to slow down a bit. However, just watching my 13 day old colt Barney playing in the sun gives me so much pleasure. I can't imagine not having a foal to enjoy every year so I have come to the conclusion that I am only breeding one mare this year. The one I have picked is Pebbles (Cool to be Classic) She is a maiden mare and is sired by Fred (Classically) and out of Bonnie (CJ Miss Cool Tardee) who is by Ima Cool Skip and out of Miss Bunny Tardee.

April 12, 2023

I took this picture the other night of the moon and my flagpole was in the foreground. I think it is a neat picture.

April 7, 2023

The world has lost a great horseman and a wonderful person. Reece Burchell from Australia could not beat cancer and he left the world to be with the Lord. I marvel at the outpouring of friendship and love from the many Australians whose lives he touched. I have never met him but when Jackie Hardwicke was still in quarter horses, I had the opportunity to talk to him and of course heard so many stories from Jackie of how talented he was with the horses and showing. I did send a pair of cowboy boots that he wanted and ordered to Australia for him. Cancer is such a devastating disease and why we can't come up with a cure for it is beyond me.

April 4, 2023

I can't remember how many years it has been since I have been sick but last weekend I felt exhausted, had chills and was almost nauseous. So on Sunday I told Bob Luebker for the first time I was not going to the barn and I would tell him what to feed. The night before I checked Wilma (Classically Kool) as her udder was quite full but no wax. She was due to foal on April 9 (my Easter filly) About 9 o'clock pm I went to the barn and watered and noticed that Wilma was laying flat out. She got up and I checked her---no discomfort and no wax but for some reason I moved her out of a matted stall to the stall I wanted her to foal in. Our course, I didn't put any straw in the stall as I was sure she wasn't gone to have the filly. I did leave a light on for her but Bob stopped out later and turned the light off. I looked at my phone a couple of times during the night but nothing. In the morning I told Bob what to feed and a few minutes later he called and said "Sandy you better come out here. There is a baby running around in the stall with Wilma" I rushed out and sure enough----unfortunately it is not my filly but a healthy baby boy instead. Now after raising horses all these years, how did I miss this foaling? Wilma never waxed, in fact she never sweated or even got the stall or her tail wet. Now to tame the little guy as momma is quite proud of him. I ask myself what I did differently to get a stud colt. After all, Georgia Snow sent my semen from My Intention and wrote "Fillies Gone Wild" on the box and Wilma foaled early. The only answer is that a had a blue halter on her as you can see in the picture. Next year----I am trading all my blue halters for pink ones.

March 23, 2023

Lately I have been thinking about the state of our world today and it makes me happy that I was born in a different time. A few days ago 2 wonderful people who own the cheese factory where I get my cheese were shot and killed. The same day another woman was killed in another nearby town. And, when I turn on the television all l hear are more killings around the country. What in the world has happened to us since my youth? When I grew up I walked to school every day with no fear of being molested or run over by a motorist. We rode our horses in the streets of New London and played cowboy and Indian in the park and in the cemetery. It was customary to play baseball in the street and never fear getting hit by a car. We never locked our cars or even our house. As I got older and became a school teacher, the thought of the students not respecting me never entered my mind. I could tell high school seniors to behave and they would listen to me. I feel sorry for anyone who is a teacher today with the toxic situations in the schools. Why do you think this has happened? I wonder if it isn't the change in the way we were brought up. "Back then" our parents raised the children and the discipline was different. Now days most of the time, both parents work and the upbringing is left to others. I guess I really don't know the answer but I am happy for my wonderful youth and to be honest, I feel sorry for the younger generation. This is a picture of me in my "fancy outfit" on Butterscotch. My dad took the picture in our back yard.

March 6, 2023

Well despite threats to my friends if they posted that yesterday was my birthday, Donna Davis must think she lives far enough away from me and betrayed me. lol Thinking about it, I guess the alternative to birthdays is really not that good anyway. So, I want to thank so many of you for your comments and private messages. I am so lucky to have such wonderful friends. I couldn't ask for better friends who live near me. Since I lost Mike, they bring me food and we have so much fun going out together. Then there are my Face Book friends who I enjoy sharing my "stories" with and talking "horse" on the phone and through messages. All in all, I feel as though I am a very lucky person and I want you all to know that I appreciate you being in my life. As you can see my love of horses goes way back and it still exists today. This is me and Sailor, my palomino gelding that I enjoyed riding when I was a young girl.

March 2, 2023

A few days ago, I heard from an "old friend" Mary Langdon. She and her husband TJ are living in Florida. In fact they live close to another old friend and classmate of mine, Sandra Murphy. Of course, Mary and I started reminiscing about the old days when we would meet at the World Show. During the conversation she mentioned that her husband, TJ had been at Dudley Pillow's years ago and had some pictures. Of course, I had her send them to me. If you remember, I think Dudley had more influence on my horse knowledge than anyone else. I guess it was because we discussed horses on the phone daily---conformation and bloodlines. I am going to post the pictures that Mary sent me and tell you a little about Dudley's place in Mississippi. Mike and I visited him and he of course gave us the big tour. His home was magnificent---a true Southern plantation and it was named Willow Glenn. He and his beautiful wife, Janie and their children lived there and he raised cotton and soybeans. The pictures I am posting are of the horses at Willow Glen. Dudley also owed land across from Vicksburg along the Mississippi River. Of coursed Mike was very interested in what he told us about that land. It was where the Union army camped during the siege of Vicksburg during the Civil War. I wish I had paid more attention to the history but I was only interested in the horses. Mike of course being a history buff, was fascinated with Dudley's stories and the artifacts that were found on the land. Huge levees were build and Dudley kept many of his horses there. They would swim in the Mississippi River to cool off from the heat. I probably have some of this wrong but it is the way I remember it. I will post the information I know under each picture. Remember that these pictures were taken at Willow Glen and not on the levy.

February 28, 2023

Today is a special day because it is my good friend Donna Davis' birthday. I don't think there are or have been many days that Donn and I don't visit on the phone Over the years I have watched her become successful raising world class halter horses. I don't know how many world Champions she has raised or shown. Both of us believe in the power of good broodmares and matching them with stallions that will compliment them. Her small group of mares is as good as any ones and they prove it by their produce. Not only is Donna interested in halter horses, she also loves riding and of course, the horse she rides has to be a good one. She is pictured here on Whiskey, her "heart horse" I told her that she needs to get back to showing again and her response was "but it would interfere with my trail riding"

February 23, 2023

We had a major snowstorm the last two days. In fact 16 inches of snow and blowing besides. Everything was shut down yesterday but my very loyal helper, Bob Luebker showed up in the morning. Now Bob has a full time job in a mill and works 12 hour shifts. Yesterday be finished at 6 in the morning and came out to clean stalls, help me check a mare and feed outside horses. He went home around 10 AM to sleep. I had semen coming via plane and I am not a good nigh time driver, especially with the blowing snow. Bob got up and made the trip to the airport for me. Luckily the plane it was on was the only one not canceled although it did get in late. We were able to breed the mare and luckily Bob was able to drive to his home in Neenah. This morning he showed up at 8 am as usual and plowed and shoveled snow and cleaned stalls and outside shelters. We also had to ultrasound a mare.

I am so lucky to have Bob Luebker in my life. He showed up at our place 39 years ago and has been helping ever since. He will and can do about anything out here. I wish our younger generation would have the work ethic that he does.. It is kind of sad how things have changed over the years and it is so hard to find good people who are willing to work.

February 19, 2023

A few days ago I posted a picture of Sacred and told you that I would tell you a little story about her dam, Miss Katy Cool. Mike and I would go to Oklahoma City for the World Show for several years but Mike was not interested in horses so he would tour the city and see the sites while I looked at horses. I do remember the time that I saw Jerry Wells standing in the warm-up pen and to me Jerry was an icon. I pointed him out to Mike and Mike said let's go and meet him. I was so embarrassed as he walked right up to Jerry and introduced himself and me. Of course, Jerry was so nice and he made me feel comfortable. Our good friend, Dudley Pillow from Mississippi would meet us at the World and Dudley and I would watch the show and attend the sales. Back then, there were two sales----one at the fairgrounds and one at Heritage Place. We would drive back and forth to see the horses we wanted to see sell. That is where we met Grace Berton, who became a great friend. She brought horses from California to sell. At this particular sale she had 2 awesome yearling fillies and they brought good money. One of them, Jim McKillips bought for Percott Corp. which is located in Wisconsin. Well, back to Miss Katy Cool. Dudley bred probably 25 mares a year to Ima Cool Skip. He would haul them to Southgate Farm in Louisiana where Skip stood. Dudley had such a great personality and he became friends with Mickey Gunthrop who managed Southgate. In 1991, Southgate consigned several yearling fillies to the Heritage Place sale. I have always thought that one of them was Miss Katy Cool. I remember that they had several fillies in pens and Dudley and I really liked Miss Katy Cool. There was a lot of confusion at the sale and when the filly went through the sale ring, Dudley bid on her and ended up buying her for a really cheap amount. I think it was $3500. After the sale, Mickey Gunthrop realized the mistake and Dudley gave the filly back to him. We always talked about that when Sacred was winning as she was out of Miss Katy Cool. Dudley would say that if he owned her she would be living on his plantation and never have the chance to be the great producer she became. Those World Show times were so much fun and so educational. A group of us would eat every night at the old Steak and Ale----Doug Tallent would join us and we would of course talk "horse".

February 18, 2023

I woke up this morning to these awesome pictures that Marjorie Gallardo sent me of her newborn stud colt by Hes So That. If you remember I sold Righteous Indulgence to Marjorie. I had told her that I thought the mare would throw color, Righteous Indulgence is by Righteous Mister and out of The Sharpest Edge by Mr Conclusion. She is a mare I bought from Wade Yager and Heather Olson. I kept the mare here last year and bred her for Marjorie. When I "thought" she would throw color I never expected to see color like this. Needless to say Marjorie is thrilled beyond belief as she is a "paint person" I will be anxious to see how the little guy grows and develops. Right now I love what I see.

February 6, 2023

Last night I watched our friend and fellow horseman, Terry Bradshaw on Who's Talking to Chris Wallace on CNN. What a wonderful interview and I strongly suggest that if you didn't see it, you check out your "on demand" and watch it I just can't say enough about it so you will have to watch it yourself. It was heart warming and yet very entertaining.

February 5, 2023

Our horse community is wonderful. On Tuesday I called Select Breeders in Aubrey Texas and was told that due to the ice storm they had not been able to get to the office since Monday but hopefully on

Wednesday that would be possible. I needed frozen semen shipped to Wisconsin. Wednesday morning I got a message from Scott Trahan telling me that High Point Performance Horses had collected Evincible and that even though Fed Ex wasn't picking up, Christi Christensen was planning to drive the semen to Fed Ex in Dallas. I asked if he thought I could work something out and he gave me Christi's number and I messaged her. She called back immediately and told me that they had someone at Select Breeders at that time picking up semen and if mine was ready she would pick it up and Christi would drive it to Fed Ex with hers. Awesome, I thought and when the semen arrived in Memphis, I gave the mare Desorelin to make her ovulate. Little did I realize that the flights weren't getting out of Memphis. So on Friday I watched the Fed Ex site and it said the delivery was to be made by noon----then by the end of day. I sat in my office all day as it required a signature and I was here alone. I was able to get in touch with a very nice person and she told me that it would not get out of Memphis that day but would be delivered Saturday. So, in the middle of Friday night I looked at the Fed Ex site and saw it was in Appleton, Wisconsin and then I noticed "to be delivered Monday by end of day". No way was that going to work so I intended to be at the Appleton Fed Ex office and retrieve it as soon as they opened. I "assumed" that would be 8 AM, but it was 9 AM. I rushed home with the container of frozen semen and checked the mare at 10 o'clock and she still had the follicle. My wonderful veterinarian Dr Katherine Fox drove here and inseminated her just after she ovulated. My trustworthy and loyal help, Bob Luebker had plans to go out to eat with his wife that night but he came back after and we lavaged and infused the mare. Now hopefully this mare will be in foal with 13 year old semen.

January 14, 2022

I always heard what a great horseman George Tyler was. Cindy Buchanan posted this great story about him and I thought I would share it with you.

Cindy writes: 

We can’t let the Fort Worth Stock Show end without mentioning George Tyler... a great horseman and a real character! Mr Tyler was the ring steward for the halter classes at Ft Worth for many years. Back in my youth when I first started showing, George was the highlight of showing a halter horse at Fort Worth - no matter if you won or got the gate his humor and continual movement and grouping of the class was a show in itself!! One of my fondest memories of the Fort Worth Stock Show.

A little bit about this legendary horseman …

**George Tyler, or “Mister George,” as he was affectionately known by Jerry Wells, Larry Sullivant, Frank Merrill and countless others, appreciated fine horse flesh.

Tyler knew horses and was linked to some of the greatest in the industry. Tyler bought the best, made it better and then made a profit. He made his first horse trade, in his hometown of Gainesville, Texas, when he was 13. He made $35. By the time he reached high school age, Tyler was trading horses and roping calves for a living. Soon, he started a bullfighting career, and even clowned alongside the singing cowboy Gene Autry.

Keeping a promise to his mother to give up bullfighting, Tyler discovered the brand-new American Quarter Horse Association and began fitting and showing horses. He fit and showed the King Ranch show string and also exhibited Hank Wiescamp’s Skipper W-bred horses.

“He could tell more about a horse at 100 yards than most can at 10 feet,” said Sullivant. “George could walk around any horse and tell you his good and bad points in about three seconds.”

Because of his keen eye, Tyler became one of AQHA’s most valued judges, and throughout the ‘40s, ‘50s and ‘60s, he officiated shows across the country, where he was variously described as “quick, brilliant,” and, “honest and fair about his evaluations.” He served as ring steward for the Southwestern Exposition and Fat Stock Show in Fort Worth, Texas, for more than 25 years. He also judged the first All American Quarter Horse Congress in Columbus, Ohio, entirely by himself.

Tyler had the opportunity to own and show some of the best Quarter Horses in the industry. In partnerships with Matlock Rose, G. B. Howell, Lester Goodson, Rex Cauble and B. F. Phillips Jr., Tyler had a hand in showing some 11 AQHA Honor Roll horses. Horses that he is associated with by either owning or exhibiting include Poco Bueno (Tyler showed him at halter), Leo San, Stardust Desire, Peppy Belle, Miss Jim 45, Leo San Siemon, Ricky Jane and Drifting Bar.

Tyler was a shrewd horse trader, but his mentor, Arthur O’Mary, taught him not to pass off nags as quality stock. Throughout his life, Tyler searched for quality, but would just as well quickly turn around and sell it.

“He was the smartest horseman I ever knew,” said Rose, “and the best friend a man could have.”

Tyler died in 1983 and was inducted into the American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame in 1998.

February 3, 2023

Wind chill -20 today and I had to ultrasound a mare in the cold barn. Trying to warm up in the warm office and thinking about our first breeding season, 1973, standing a stallion. The stallion was Impressivist and he made me realize that some horses are photogenic and some are not. He definitely was and our good friends and neighbors, Barbara and Dick Waltenberry were able to capture some awesome pictures of him. We advertised monthly with a full color page in the Quarter Horse Journal and had an awesome Journal artist who designed the ads. The response was overwhelming and we bred 100 mares a year for 2 years. Now, that was before the time of shipped semen so the mares had to come to our place. The first year we were full the first of February and we had portable stalls in both outside shelters as we kept the mares under lights. I remember thinking that we would breed these mares and they will go home before the next group arrives. WRONG---some didn't settle and some -people wanted to leave them here longer. Mares came from all over the country--Washington, Canada, Texas, Virginia, MIchigan to name a few states. Mike and I knew nothing about collecting a stallion but we found Howard Nelson who had worked at ABS, the big bull breeding place in Wisconsin. He drove here from Mauston which is about an hour away every other day. Diane Baier and Joe St Clair were here also, along with Bob Luebker and a few other young guys. Dr Gay from Hortonville was the vet. Bob still reminds me that we would start cleaning stalls in the morning and finish by the end of the day. Every day we would go to McDonalds to eat and I can still remember what each of us had and it was always the same thing. Looking back, it was a lot of work but I sure met some wonderful people and many of them are still friends today.

January 29, 2023

Last evening a good friend and fellow "Villager", Dr Bob Story was inducted into the Oklahoma Quarter Horse Association Hall of Fame. For those of you who know him, I don't have to tell you what kind of person he is. But, let me concentrate on his association with the Oklahoma Quarter Horse Association. A little background: Bob attended Oklahoma State University to pursue a degree in Veterinary Medicine. OSU approached him to implement a horse production program which had been absent for 14 years. During that time, the Oklahoma Quarter Horse Association asked him to serve as advisor for the 1978 Oklahoma Quarter Horse Youth Association and prepare them to compete in the AQHJA World Show in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Bob attended the 1977 show and reported back to the board of directors. A member of the board expressed doubt that they could ever beat the Texas team. Well, that was all Bob needed. He recruited great professionals like Jerry Wells, Dale Livingston, Laureen Mc Kenzie and Neil Gwaltney to coach the participants. At the show he had a large banner and the whole Oklahoma team was required to sit under that banner and cheer for each other. At the end of the competition the Oklahoma team had accumulated enough points to become World Champions. In the fall of 1979, Story had been accepted into Vet School so he planned to coach the team only one year. However, the same board of directors member considered the win a "fluke" so Bob decided to show him and the team won the World Championship again. Last night, many of the team members flew in from all over the country to celebrate Bob's induction. From what I understand they had such a wonderful time reuniting after 45 years of not seeing each other. I will post some pictures that Nancy Wells posted of the event. For those of you who don't know Dr Bob Story, you are missing knowing a wonderful horseman and a fantastic individual who is always there to help and advise. In the future, I will tell you about his life with horses and how he made a Supreme Champion quarter horse.

January 15, 2023

Watching Terry Bradshaw's video the other day got me thinking. When Mike and I got married in 1971, I had quit teaching school and relied on the horses for my income. At that time I had Bar Fly Bailey a AAA AQHA Champion and a few mares. I advertised in the back of the Quarter Horse Journal and was able to sell quite a few of his foals. Mike, meanwhile was in the Wisconsin State Assemble and his salary was only $48,000 a year. We bought our original 15 acres of land and made monthly payments to the bank of $129.86. Luckily the horses were good to us and through selling them we were able to buy more land and build Ellis Quarter Horses. My father helped us by lending us the money to buy first of all, Royal Tailwind and then Impressivist. The picture I posted is of Mike and me the day we brought Impressivist home. Both of these stallions made us money and through selective breeding and being very good at buying stud fees in the stallion service auctions, we were able to raise some high dollar foals and sell them for good money. You ask what is the point of this? Well, thinking back if we didn't have the help of my father we never would have been able to accomplish what we were able to do. Terry and Tammy Bradshaw have given so many small breeders the opportunity to be able to breed to high class stallions at a very reasonable price and I commend them for doing that. Talking to a good friend of mine from Mississippi who booked several mares to their stallions during the $500 new breeders special, he told me that at that price he could afford to breed all of the mares instead of only one and leave the others open. Sometimes I wonder if back then we would have had the money to pay $5000 to breed to Impressive, what my horse business would have been. Kudo's to the Bradshaws for helping so many small breeders get their start in the horse business.

January 8, 2023

Well, tonight is the "big night" for the Green Bay Packers---win over the Detroit Lions and they are in the playoffs--- lose and all is over until next year. A few years ago my good friend and awesome graphic artist, Vicki Livasy sent me these pictures of Fred (Classically) when the Packers were playing the Lions then. I hope poor old Fred doesn't have to come out of retirement to help the Packers get a win today.

January 7, 2023

One of my good friends and a great horse woman passed away yesterday. Joanna Strickland from Yazoo City, Mississippi lost her battle with cancer. Joanna owned Casino Cool, a 1994 NN stallion by Ima Cool Skip out of a daughter of Quincy Feature. I met Joanna through Dudley Pillow and we kept in touch all these years. Joanna would call me her "sister" and we were so much alike in our love of horses. If you recall, Joanna is the one that I bought Bonnie (CJ Miss Cool Tardee) from several years ago. I was happy to hear that my good friend, Monte May ended up with Bonnie's NN daughter by Telasecret.