December 28, 2021

I received a phone call from Bill Edmundson this morning telling me that Bill Moomey passed away in his sleep last night. Bill was 95 years old. What a "hero" he was to me. Whatever he did in life, he was good at. He is a Hall of Fame athlete, a renowned artist, an amazing author, a rodeo cowboy and an outstanding breeder of quarter horses. Bill bought Coys Bonanza and made him an AAA AQHA Champion.

Coy produced some of the best horses in the industry "back then" I think of Bill as being an extremely smart horseman. He bought the top mares in the country and bred them to Coy's Bonanza and did not stand the stud to outside mares. The foals were priced the same and he always had a waiting list to buy them. He also hired Bill Edmundson to show the young stallions and Bill made them high point halter horses in the nation. I knew him personally and bought a filly from him and was also able to breed a mare to him in later years. So many of our great horsemen are gone and it seems as though some of our industry is gone with them.

December 27, 2021

Oh my---look at this beautiful gift I received from Susan Tonniges!! She and I are Facebook friends but I had never had any contact with her. I found out she designs pillows with pictures on them and this is one of "precious Gabriel" on a black velvet pillow. Her company is called Walkin Hat Ranch Custom Pillows. Susan and I had the nicest visit on Christmas Day and I found out that she used to have a donkey who was also quite a character. She now lives in Mesa, Arizona. I am sure that we will continue to keep in touch in the future as we have quite a bit in common.

December 25, 2021

For those of you who don't believe in Santa Claus, let me tell you that he does exist and that he is a GREEN BAY PACKER fan!!!! What better way to end a Christmas Day than enjoying a Packer victory this afternoon.

I am sitting here thinking about my Christmas and how it has changed over the years. When I was a child, I looked forward to the "coming of Santa" and all the presents under the tree. After Mike and I were married and my father and mother passed away and my sisters moved away, the Ellis family became "my family" and we spent Christmas with them. Now that Mike is gone and I am alone, I am so very thankful for all the wonderful friends I have, both here and all over the World. Face Book has brought me in contact with so many of you and I look forward to reading your posts. It is almost as though I know you personally. I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas and let us not forget the true meaning of Christmas. This is a picture of my brother who passed away, my sister and me with Ginger, my pony in front of our house in New London, Wisconsin.

December 24, 2021

Gabriel and the rest of us at Ellis Quarter Horses wish you a very Merry Christmas.

December 17, 2021

Nikki looks like she could be pulling Santa's sleigh. If only she had a wreathe around her neck, she would depict the true Christmas season.

December 15, 2021

Well, the promise of pictures of my other filly are on a "weather delay" Today in Wisconsin we have dense fog which will end around noon and we are expecting record high temperature in the 50's. However, tonight rain will start and winds could gust as high as 70 mph. Our beautiful snow has already turned to ice and mud. I bet Clara (Righteous Indulgence) and Heather (TF Kids Cover Girl) will be looking forward to going to their new homes. Clara to Florida and Heather to Germany.

December 14, 2021

I love my 2 fillies by My Intention. Yesterday our weather was finally conducive for picture taking and both Leah Gloudemans and Bob Luebker were here. When I am alone, the fillies follow me so picture taking is not possible. This is Nikki, the NN March filly out of Wilma (Classically Kool) The next chance I get, I will try to get pictures of Ellie---Rebecca's (You Bet Im Cool) little girl. These fillies make life so enjoyable for me.

December 13, 2021

Three years ago, I wrote a story about Touchdown Kid being inducted into the WCHA Hall of Fame. Well, after watching football all day yesterday, I thought it an appropriate story to retell. In visiting with Don Falcon, I found out how Touchdown Kid became a “Falcon” and how he got his name. He was born in 1995 and was bred by Jim Dunn, a great horseman. The colt was sired by Kid Clu out of Lady Review, a palomino daughter of Impressive Review. After weaning him, Jim took the colt to Ross Roark to be fit for the fall futurities. In September of that year, Don Falcon who lived in Montana was left at home alone because his wife. Berta Falcon and daughter, Dawn Falcon Causey were vacationing in Costa Rico. On a whim, Don bought a plane ticket to Dallas to “look” at horses for the weekend. Point to be made, never leave a horse lover at home alone. Don stopped at several places and one of them was Larry Sullivan's, the ranch where Ross was training horses. While he was there, he saw Touchdown and couldn’t get him out of his mind so he got up the next morning and met Ross at the barn to have another look. Of course, the colt looked even better in the morning and Don asked if he was for sale. Ross didn’t think Jim would sell the colt but Jim priced him and being a “horse addict” like most of us are, Don made the deal. That was early on a Sunday morning and Don had the rest of the day to spend as he wasn’t flying out until Monday morning and he knew he better not go and look at more horses. Since his favorite football team, the Denver Broncos were playing the Dallas Cowboys. he thought maybe he would go to the game. As he got out of his car, a scalper approached him and Don forked over $100 for a ticket, hoping the ticket was real and not in the nose bleed section. To his surprise, it was right on the 50 yard line, 10 rows up and right behind the Denver bench. As he was sitting there, he thought, “This has got to be a dream-----I am sitting in the Cowboy stadium, my hero, John Elway, the Bronco quarterback is only a few yards in front of me, and I bought a horse named Touchdown Kid” If that was a dream, reality soon set in and his next though was----what was Berta Falcon going to say? He could hear her words, “YOU WENT WHERE, DID WHAT, BOUGHT A HORSE AND PAID WHAT?" We all know that feeling and thankfully everything turned out fine and Touchdown Kid became the outstanding horse he was destined to be. I think it is so refreshing to hear the stories behind out horses. Unfortunately, the Falcons never took many pictures so there are very few of Touchdown Kid. The one pictured as a weanling is with their daughter, Dawn Falcon Causey who showed him at the World. The other picture is the original that was taken in Montana from which all the pictures we see of him were taken.

December 12, 2021
Rebecca (You Bet Im Cool) and Gabriel enjoying the wonderful winter weather in Wisconsin.

December 11, 2021

Bee Play, a 1955 stallion. He was the grandsire of Pretty Impressive and the great great grandsire of Miss Bunny Tardee. Note the strong topline on him and his produce. Also note the size, 14.3 with a weight of 1260. It amazes me what has happened to our quarter horses over the years with the influx of the thoroughbred breeding. To be honest, I kind of like this short strong backed look that we had back then.

December 5, 2021

This cold winter morning as I walked out in the barn, who was sitting in the back looking at me? My cat. Now I am not a real cat lover but in 2013 there was a tiger cat sitting on a post near the shelter and I happened to take a picture of it. Well, 9 years later, the cat is still here. She has one ear clipped so evidently she has been neutered (and there have been no baby kittens all these years) I can only get about 4 feet from her but I always put cat food out on the front porch and a heated water dish in the winter. Well, I guess after all these years, she has decided that it is more comfortable in the barn than outside so when the weather gets bad like it is today, she crawls under the back door and makes herself comfortable on the hay. I hate to admit it but I really like this cat and I guess after 9 years she must like being here.

December 3, 2021

Fred (Classically) in his winter outfit.

November 24, 2021

What an incredible interview with Dr Bob Story. I met Dr Bob a few years ago and for those of you who know him, I am sure you will agree with me that not only is he a wonderful person but he is also a "wealth of knowledge" with horses. I am certainly looking forward to the next interview and I bet you will be also.  Click here to watch the video.

November 14, 2021
First snow of the season but I am sure it won't be the last.

November 10, 2021

Yesterday I had a new experience. My neighbor Jack Cowling invited me to ride in his combine while he combined my corn. I found it amazing that each row was picked and Jack said it was because they follow the way it was planted. I even got to see 2 deer that ran out from the field. Now, let's hope the price of corn continues to rise. Farmers definitely are the "backbone" of our country. Jack told me he has been working until 10:30 at night and up again at 4:30 in the morning. At least our weather has been good this year and farmers have been able to get their crops in before it snows.

November 9, 2021

Wow---my friend, Cindy Buchanan posted this story of Doc Bar this morning and I find it so interesting. This stallion was so important to the cutting horse industry. 

Cindy wrote: Horse of the day.  Doc Bar - I found this young photo of Doc Bar in the Jan 1963 QHJ. Thought it very interesting, he had been Grand Champion Halter Stallion at the Cow Palace. No mention of cow cutting ! lol On a serious note though, it is very interesting how things evolve if horses are given a chance to show you what they excel at rather than being bred for one specialized event and pounded into that one small pigeon hole. Doc Bar was bred to be a race horse but was too small to run with bigger, stretchier horses - he became the ultimate sire of cutting horses. I'm sure that breeding for a game changing halter horse was the furthest thing from their minds when they bred Lucky Bar to Glamour Bar and came up with Impressive. It would be nice if we could start breeding for good Quarter Horses again and let them tell us what they want to do !!

November 7, 2021

Don't worry Packer fans. Help is on its way. If Jordan Love can't deliver, either Fred or Brett Favre are standing there to help.

November 2, 2021

Cold here in Wisconsin this morning. In fact there was ice on the outside water buckets. Wilma (Classically Kool) is enjoying the grass before the "white stuff" covers the ground. Wilma is my NN double bred mare by Fred (Classically) out of Rebecca (You Bet Im Cool) She is 16.3 and going to have a "filly" (I hope) by My Intention next year. This will be the first one she has carried as Nikki, her filly from this year was an embryo transfer. Needless to say, I am a bit nervous about foaling her out.

November 1, 2021

November 1 and the cold weather has arrived in Wisconsin. Even Gabriel is "feeling his oats" this morning.

October 31, 2021
What a great time we had last night at the Vinland Fireman's Raffle. It was great to get together with all of our neighbors and I even won a $100 gift certificate on the raffle. I am not used to staying out that late as my Apple Watch kept telling me that it was past my bedtime.

Don't be afraid if this little guy shows up at your door today. He is only looking for treats.

October 25, 2021

21 year old Rebecca (You Bet Im Cool) NN mare by Ima Cool Skip out of Miss Bunny Tardee by Tardee Impressive.

October 23, 2021

Last weekend my sister, Susan Cundiff came to visit as she wanted to golf at Shamrock Hills Golf Course in New London, Wisconsin,   which was our hometown.   I met her and we had a "trip down memory lane"  First we visited the cemetery where my family is buried.  Then we checked out our old schools and Hatten Memorial Park, a beautiful park where I used to ride my horses and the New London Bulldogs played football.   From there we drove along the Wolf River, remembering my dad's boat house and the wonderful trips we took on the boat.  Then a bit down from the boat house was the land where he built a barn for horses.  We drove past it because the vegetation had grown up and it was hard to see from the road, but we spotted it.  Susan, said, let's walk in and see what it looks like.  Wow, it looks just like it did all those years ago, complete with the 2 hole outhouse adjoining it.  Finally I had contacted Theresa O'Brien Pichelmeyer who now owns the house we grew up in and she graciously invited us to tour the house.  What wonderful memories.  The original railings going upstairs are still there as is the chandelier that hung in the dining room.  I was amazed at how small the rooms are as when I was young, they seemed huge.  The little nook where the phone sat at the bottom of the stairs was still there and I can even remember the phone number.  It was 11-R and my dad's doctor's office number was 11-W.   Susan even took a picture of me standing by the milk chute.  If I wasn't home by curfew, the door would be locked.  But I figured out that I could climb through the milk chute into the kitchen and sneak up to my bed.  It was great to "go back"  We played baseball in the street and got our sun tans on the flat aluminum roof over he garage.  Great memories that I will never forget.

October 11, 2021

Rebecca (You Bet Im Cool) and Gabriel sharing feed.

October 9, 2021

I have never met Cindy Buchanan but have always heard about her and her expert knowledge of horses.   She picked out Obvious Conclusion as a foal at Edgewood Farms and has been associated with some of the great horses in our industry.   Recently she has been posting some of her favorite horses on her Facebook and I was especially impressed with this mare.   Look at the profile, heart girth, hip and neck set on this mare and tell me what there is not to love. I quote Cindy Buchanan:
     "This is a three year old filly I bought from Joe Taylor in 1983.  Her name was Slip Model , a 1980 mare by Slipa Cord by Slippa Cord out of Mexicali Model by Spanish Ruler.   I never showed her but I thought she was outstanding. She raised me two real good fillies by Obvious Conclusion, one black and one buckskin.  I priced her to a man for more than I thought he would pay and he bought her.  It just about  broke my heart .  One of my bigger regrets in the horse business was letting her get away but there was always feed to buy and vet bills to pay.  Her  black filly went to Brazil and was their equivalent to a World Champion Halter mare."

October 6, 2021

When I posted pictures of Shanes Lady Romantic and some of her produce a few days ago, my good friend Vicki Benker sent me this picture of Twice the Romance. Vicki is the one we sold Twice the Romance to and she and I have remained friends ever since.   After Dudley Pillow passed away, I flew to Mississippi and my friend Lanis Noble and I went to the Pillow Plantation to evaluate the horses.   We had already bought Shanes Lady Romantic and Shanes Night Lady from the estate.  I can still remember walking out in the group of beautifully headed young mares and my eyes immediately fell on one gray mare.  She was taller than the others and so gorgeous.   Of course we had no idea how she was bred but knew we were going to own her.    After much searching, we found out she was sired by Shanes Bake and out of Shanes Lady Romantic.  She is typical of Dudley's breeding program if  you look at her pedigree and how many times she traces to Ima Cool Skip.  I guess you would say she is "inbred"  I also posted a picture of her dam, Shanes Lady Romantic, the first time I saw her and of Shanes Bake, Twice the Romances's sire who is now  21 years old and owned by Jeffery Webb.       I guess it was  the success of Dudley Pillow's and Hank Wiescamp's programs that influenced me to breed half brother to half sister.    I must say that I have been happy with the results that I get.

October 3, 2021

You know how I believe in the "mares side" of a pedigree.   Well, today let me tell you about a mare that Terry and Tammy Bradshaw own.   Her name is Shanes Lady Romantic and it is hard to believe but she is now 21 years old.  Romantic is an NN daughter of Skips Shane and out of How D Romantic, who was a full sister to How D Poco Lynn and How D Billie Jack.  They were sired by Tee Jay Roman and out of How D Jacklynn who was a granddaughter of Poco Lynn, a great mare.   I remember when Dudley Pillow bought How D Romantic from Howard Dahloff and he was so excited to get her.  Many of us remember her full sister, How D Poco Lynn and Dudley liked Romantic better because she had a pretty head.  Dudley had to leave How D  Romantic at Dahloffs as Howard kept the foal she was carrying.  That foal was How D Nifty Dude and he accumulated 255 points and became a World  Champion.  Dudley loved Romantic and Donna Davis showed and won a lot of futurities with a colt out of her by Ima Cool Skip.  When Dudley died, Lanis Noble and I bought two gray mares from the estate, one of them being Shanes Lady Romantic who was sired by Skips Shane and out of How D Romantic.  We did an embryo transfer on the mare and recovered an embryo.  I was supposed to give the mare a prosto shot to bring her back in heat but it was late and we didn't plan to breed her again anyway.  Eleven months later, Bob Luebker came running to tell me that there was a baby in the stall with Romantic.  Evidently she had an additional embryo that we didn't recover with the flush and the mare was so deep hearted, she did not show her pregnancy.   The filly was huge and I traded Lanis out of her.  Lanis named the filly Malibukini as she was sired by Malibu Ken.  "Juliet" as we called her produced 3 beautiful foals for us---Exceptionalee, a double registered by TD Kid, Sterrling by Ima Cool Skip , and Move Over Darling (Cookie) by Fred (Classically).   Shanes Lady Romantic also produced Twice the Romance by Shanes Bake  who in turn produced Telorah Lu by RF Telestar.  Telorah Lu is the dam of the World Champion stallion, Whoisit.    What a great producing line of mares.   Malibukini's last foal, Move  Over Darling (Cookie) is now in Germany and is a Superior Halter mare in both Amateur and Open besides garnering many International Grand Championships.  She is owned by my good friends, Marko and Judith Kaiser.

September 20, 2021

Ellis Quarter Horses "from above"   My good friends, Joe and Caryn Zimmerman from New York visited this weekend and Joe took some pictures of our place with his drone.  When I look at them and see how it all started from a bare hay field and how over the years we built as we could afford it, I marvel at how much Mike and I actually did over the years.  You can see the many paddocks and pasture and also the quarry on the corner of the property.  And of course, there is Lake Winnebago across the road.  You can also see our corn field and our hay field in the pictures.  It has been a wonderful 50 years here.  I only wish that Mike could be here to enjoy it with me but I am sure he is looking down from above at everything that is going on.

September 19, 2021

I am so  happy to announce that TF Kids Covergirl will be getting  a great home with Judith and Marko Kaiser in Germany.  I love this mare and in my opinion she could not find a better home than with the Kaisers.  "Heather" as I call her is 5 panel NN  mare and she as correct and pretty as you could want a mare.  Her sire is Kid Coolsified and her dam is the great mare, Fashions by Mr by Mr Conclusion.  I am sure many of you older horsemen remember Fashions by Mr as she was high point amateur mare in the nation in 2000 besides being a great producer including the dam of Ima Mr Cool Skip.   Heather  will be staying with me and the Kaisers will select a 5 panel NN stallion to breed her to before shipping her to Germany.   So,  I really don't have to face the reality that she is leaving for a few months.

September 10, 2021

I am sure many of you have dealt with hoof abscesses.  Well, when I brought Wilma (Classically Kool) in the barn on Saturday afternoon, she walked in on 3 legs and when she got to her stall, she laid down.  As you can imagine I was devastated as I thought perhaps she injured her stifle or broke something.   I called my wonderful veterinarian, Dr Kathy Fox and she was out of town and suggested I call Dr Sarah Peters and not wait until the weekend was over. Dr Peters and her handsome husband showed up on Sunday morning and diagnosed Wilma with a hoof abscess and wrapped the hoof.   My farrier Scott Bruecker came on Wednesday and was able to open it up.  But, today is Friday and the leg is still swollen.  I am afraid the abscess may come out the hoof line also.  Poor Wilma, she is such a baby anyway and then to have this happen to her, she really doesn't know what to think.

September 6, 2021

Ellie---March NH filly by My Intention out of Rebecca (You Bet Im Cool)

I am so lucky that I have two fillies out of Rebecca (You Bet Im Cool) to replace her when she is gone.   Wilma (Classically Kool) has grown into a 16.3 plus NN mare.  She is sired by Fred (Classically) making her a half brother, sister cross.   Wilma is carrying her first foal for next year.   And then there is little Ellie, my NH filly by My Intention.  Both of these mares bring me so much joy and give me something to look forward to.

August 23, 2021

Since I have been posting my "family of horses" I thought that I can't forget Pebbles (Cool to be Classic) She is the only NH mare I own and she is 3 years old. Her sire is Fred (Classically) and her dam is Bonnie (CJ Miss Cool Tardee) Bonnie and Rebecca are full sisters so Pebbles is a full blood sister to Wilma. And, Pebbles is also a full sister to Betty (My Secret Luv) the 2 year old owned by Marko and Judith Kaiser in Germany. So the "Ellis family of horses" consists of Rebecca (You Bet Im Cool), Wilma (Classically Kool) Pebbles (Cool to be Classic) Fred (Classically) and the two My Intention fillies.

August 22, 2021

Today marks 7 years since we lost our dog, Molly.   She was like a child to Mike and I.  She and Mike would do everything together around the farm.   Molly was a "mutt"  Well, when we got her she was---now she would be called a "designer dog"   Her mother was a Corgi and her dad a miniature Australian Shepherd.   At night Mike and I would take turns throwing a tennis ball down the hallway so that Molly could retrieve it and bring it back to us.   Whenever we went on trips, Molly would go along, sitting on the counsel between the two of us.     Every morning Mike and Molly would drive into Neenah to get the newspaper and stop at McDonalds where the girls would affectionately call her "one eye" as she had one blue and one brown eye.   For being a free gift from Rita Crundwell, Molly turned out to be an expensive dog.   She needed hip surgery and she also had two visits to the Animal Referral Center.   Once she ate some anti-freeze and the other time she "over ate" pork bones from Richard Kaufmann' pig roast.   Mike said and I agreed that we would spend every dollar we had to save that dog.  But, as we all know, old age caught up with her and she was finally diagnosed with cancer.   It was a sad day when Mike and I took her to the clinic to have her euthanized.   We vowed then never to get another dog as we couldn't go through that heartbreak again.

August 18, 2021

Move Over Darling (Classically x Malibukini), Multiple European Champion and International German Champion, Superior Halter Open and Amateur.

August  18, 2021

In keeping with the "family of my horses", this is Wilma (Classicallyl Kool)   She is by Fred (Classically) and out of Rebecca (You Bet Im Cool) She stands 16.3 and is NN.  Both her sire and dam are out of Miss Bunny Tardee  so if genetics are anything like farming, breeding her to an outcross stallion should produce a good one.  I love this mare and intended to get a better profile picture of her today but we unloaded hay and it was also hot and humid.  I think her filly Nikki by My Intention  looks a lot like her. Wilma  is carrying her own foal by My Intention for next year.   That will be an exciting experience foaling her out as she thinks she is still a baby herself.

August  17, 2021

It is hard to believe that 11 years have passed since we put Miss Bunny Tardee to sleep.  Every morning when I come out of the house, I see her monument and it brings back so many memories. She was sired by Tardee Impressive and out of Bunny Nightshade by Sonnys Nightshade by Sonny Dee Bar.  I first saw Bunny when Homer and Clark Danielson brought her dam to be bred to Impressivist and she was on her side.  She was only a week old but I loved her.  The Danielsons bred her dam as a 2 year old and she had Miss Bunny Tardee at 3 years of age.  She was small but so compact and she had major muscle.  The Danielsons also had a filly by Impressivist out of Pandarita Three that they were very excited about.  That filly was Grand Champion at the Iowa Breeders Futurity in 1986 and Miss Bunny Tardee was 4th.  Now, in my opinion there was no comparison in fillies.  As a yearling Miss Bunny Tardee came into her own.  Several big time trainers wanted to show her, however she hurt her eye and Homer took her to Iowa State to have surgery on it.  She got an infection in it and ended up losing the eye.  The Danielsons then decided that they would breed her and they brought her to our place to be bred to Impressivist as a 3 year old.  The following year they brought her back here to foal and the filly she had was born with a hole in its heart and had to be put down.  Of course, having the mare at our place made me want to own her more than ever.  I was able to work out a deal and I gave them  stud fees and "secret money" that Mike didn't know about and finally ended up with her.   I could spend all day just looking at her as she had grown to a massive 15.3 and  her muscling was incredible.  Her back and heart girth and her thin high neck set were outstanding.   At that time there was no shipped semen so I hauled her to be bred to Noble Tradition, Mr Conclusion, Obvious Conclusion, Kid Clu and Ima Cool Skip.   After shipped semen became available I bred her to Ima Cool Skip and Kids Classic Style.  She was a great producer for us and the only 2 foals she had that were shown were World Champions.  Her last and final foal was Fred (Classically), who was an embryo transfer.   Miss Bunny Tardee had 5 fillies by Ima Cool Skip.  Cool Miss Tardee was a World Champion and none of the others were shown.  Only Rebecca (You Bet Im Cool) is still alive as we lost CJ Miss Cool Tardee last year.  So, that is the foundation of my horse program.   I feel lucky to have had Miss Bunny Tardee in my life.   She was special to me.  Unfortunately when my computer crashed I lost picture of her as a young mare so this picture is of her at 24 years of age.

Rebecca (You Bet Im Cool) and her "child" Gabriel.

Betty ( My Secret Luv)
2yo filly by Classically out of CJ Miss Cool Tardee

August  16, 2021

As most of you know, Rebecca (You Bet Im Cool) is the foundation of my breeding program since her dam, Miss Bunny Tardee passed away 11 years ago tomorrow.   Rebecca was named after Rebecca Halvorson as she is sired by Ima Cool Skip and the Halvorson were standing him at the time she was born.   I thought for sure she was HH as she had so much muscle but her DNA came back NN.   Over the years we had many opportunities to sell her but I convinced Mike that she was what I was always wanting for my program.   She is still my "heart" horse.   Leah Gloudemans helped me take pictures of her today as I think she still looks good for 21 years of age.   I have 2 replacement fillies out of her---Wilma (Classically Kool) and Ellie, my weanling filly. Rebecca is difficult to get embryos out and we did not get one this year but I guess if I don't try, I will never get another so next year---I will try again.

August  15, 2021

I have met so many wonderful friends from all over the world through Facebook.   Let me tell you about two of them.   In 2016, I received a call from Germany and it was from Marko Kaiser.  At that time we had a 3 month old weanling filly by Fred (Classically) out of Juliet (Malibukini).  We named her Cookie.  Marko told me he was interested in buying her and I gave him a price.  He told me he would call me back shortly and he did and agreed to buy the filly.  She stayed here for quite some time as we had trouble shipping her to Germany and Marko wanted to be sure she made the flight in good shape.  That began a great friendship between me and Marko and Judith Kaiser.  Cookie, who they named Move Over Darling became a Superior Halter horse in both amateur and open and Marko loves that mare.  Well, 2 years ago, Bonnie (CJ Miss Cool Tardee) had a palomino filly by Fred (Classically)   We named her Betty.   When I posted pictures of her at about a week old, I received a call from Marko and he asked if he could buy her.   I told him that if I tested her and she came back NN, I would sell her to him.  To be honest, I never thought she would.  Well, she did and Betty was sent to Germany.  If you remember I posted pictures of her flight and arrival.   Last Thursday, Betty, who the Kaisers named My Secret Luv, went to her first horse show.  I even got up at 1:30 AM to watch it.   Now this wasn't a little horse show as it was the European Championship which is like our World Show.  Horses from all over Europe showed and guess what------------Betty (My Secret Luv) not only won her class under all 4 judges but she was also the Grand Champion under all of them.   Not to be outdone, her big sister, Cookie (Move Over Darling) who is now an aged mare won her class under all 4 judges and was Reserve Champion under 3 of them.  I am so lucky to have such wonderful friends as Marko and Judith Kaiser.  They love their horses and spoil them with watermelon.  After this year they plan to breed Cookie but I am sure Betty will continue her "winning ways"   Fred (Classically) is very proud of his two daughters and so am I.

August  13, 2021

Wilma (Classically Kool) is showing her "baby bump"   This will be the first baby she will carry as Nikki, her filly from this year was carried by a recipient.  I feel like a nervous mother dreading foaling her out as I would hate to have anything happen to her.  Wilma is my NN, 16.3  hand mare by Fred (Classically) out of Rebecca (You Bet Im Cool) and I think she thinks she is still a baby.   She is bred back to My Intention.

July 27, 2021

This week is the annual EAA Air Adventure in  Oshkosh, Wisconsin.   It is a very busy time for our area.  I guess  you could compare it to the World Championship Horse shows we all look forward to every year.   The EAA will bring in over 500,000 visitor from 80 countries and there will be over 10,000 planes.   Of course the weather doesn't seem to be cooperating as it is raining, hot and muggy.   Hopefully as the week goes on it will get better.   I will try to get some pictures of planes as they fly over our place and I especially like the Goodyear blimp.   Bob Luebker  took one of the lawn mowers and wrote Ellis Quarter Horses Welcomes EAA in the field across the road.  But, we really don't know what it looks like since we are also at ground level.   Not that I am  nervous, but I sure hope he spelled it right.

July 26, 2021

I would say that weaning went well---it has been 36 hours since  Ellie who is by My Intention out of Wilma (Classically Kool) was separated from her recipient mother.  She is eating great and we put her outside in a big pasture this morning.   Ever since I started weaning according to Ann Hunnicutt Lanning's dates, I have had no problems.

July 25, 2021

It is a beautiful day and I convinced these 3 NN mares to leave their shelter and fan for one quick picture.   You all know Janie on left (Kids Classic Gal) Righteous Indulgence in the back and TF Kids Cover Girl on the right.

Rebecca's  (You Bet Im Cool) 2 fillies this morning.   They both have bellies.   Ellie's is from weaning and Wilma's isfrom the baby she is carrying for next ;year.  Ellie is sired by My Intention and Wilma by Fred (Classicallyl)

July 24, 2021

Look at pretty little Nikki (My Intention out of Wilma)   Not a care in the world.  Little does she know that in about an hour she is getting weaned and will no longer have her mother to keep her company.

July 22, 2021

I love my 2 fillies to My Intention.   Not only do I enjoy looking at them but they both have a disposition second to none.   Today, Nikki is 4 months old and her days are numbered with her mother.  According to Ann Hunnicutt  Lanning the weaning period is July 23-27 so she better learn to be a "big girl" fast.  I took some pictures of her and actually "tried" to take videos, which I need more practice at.  Nikki is a big girl, standing 13 hands but then her mother is Wilma (Classically Kool) and she is close to 17 hands.   Hopefully I will figure out how to post a video with these pictures.  Well, I guess I don't know how to add a video.

July 17, 2021

How fast things can change.  I wrote this 3 years ago today and 3 days from then Mike passed away from a massive heart attack.  I guess the saying that we need to enjoy life every day because we never know when things will change.   I have great memories of a wonderful life together with him.

July 14, 2021

To all my Appaloosa friends----I think Gabriel is an Appaloosa!   We discovered that he has spots on his butt.   So how do I get him registered?  Either that or he is just trying to impress John Kreider's donkey, Naomi as the Kreiders raise Appaloosas.

July 10, 2021

Nothing prettier than watching 2 NN mares on a beautiful Wisconsin afternoon.    Righteous Indulgence on the right and TF Cover Girl on the left.

As fly season has arrived in Wisconsin due to the tremendous amount of rain we have had lately, I thought I would show you something which makes my horses much more comfortable.  Many years ago, we put screen doors on our barn and I love it.  Not only do they keep the flies away but I am also comfortable leaving the big doors open at night, knowing that animals can't get in the barn.  The front door slides just as the big metal door does and the back door is on hinges.   It's the little things in life that make life easier. 

July 8, 2021

Last night while I was watching the Milwaukee Brewers game, I received a message and this picture from John Schmahl.  This picture is from a long time ago and I am holding Tiffany Tailwind, a two year old filly by Mr Tailwind out of Jakes Jewel by Little Jake Hudson.   It is too bad it isn't in color as I am wearing my pink Comfy jacket.    I have a lot of great memories as a young girl with the Schmahls---from showing at halter, pleasure and even barrel racing.   The Schmahls owned and stood the stallion Bonanza's Champ, a son of Coy's Bonanza and John was also our AQHA national director.   What great memories I have of those days.  I guess I will just have to think hard and tell you about some of them.

July 7, 2021

I have always been an avid football fan but since the Covid pandemic I have also watched baseball and professional basketball.   Last night I saw my Bucks lose to the Phoenix Suns and an old memory came to mind.   Mike and I used to advertise horses for sale in the small picture ads in the back of the Quarter Horse Journal.  We had a black yearling stallion sired by Ima Cool Skip  One day the phone rang, and when I answered a voice said "This is Tom Chambers and I want to buy your horse"  In talking to him I found out that he played basketball for the Phoenix Suns.  I told him the cost of the horse was $20,000.   He then told me that his girlfriend wanted the horse and he didn't want to lose the girlfriend.   Of course I told him he could buy the horse and he said he would send a cashier's check to pay for him.   When I hung up the phone and told Mike, he immediately left the house and drove to the book store to buy a magazine to find out who Tom Chambers was.   The funny part to this story is that Mike went to the state capital the next day and told his fellow senators about the deal and offered to show them a picture of the horse.  One of them said " We don't want to see a picture of the horse, we want to see a picture of the girlfriend that Tom Chambers would spend $20,000 on a horse for.

July 6, 2021

Rebecca (You Bet Im Cool) and her "child" Gabriel enjoying the shade under the tree.

July 4, 2021

Happy 4th of July from me and all the furry friends at Ellis Quarter Horses. Of course, Gabriel can't be left out of the 4th of July celebrations. Here he is sporting his patriotic hat.

July 4, 2021

Yesterday was kind of a sad day for me.   I was driving "Little Red" my 2008 Cobalt down the road and all of a sudden all of her dials started jumping and a light came on which said "check traction system"   I made it home and parked her.   Now, she only has 237,000 miles on her so why did she act up like that?   Let me tell you her story.  Mike and I were looking for a truck and I was at Jeff Barth's in Fremont helping Dr Katherine Fox with an embryo transfer.  Jeff owns Sunset Curve Auto so I asked him if he had any trucks for sale.  He said no but he did have a nice car.  I was interested and I asked him what color it was.  His reply was "what color do you want it to be"? and I said red.  Well, that it was and Mike and I bought "Little Red"   She was a great car, no problems except Mike backed into the John Deere  Gator twice and Scott Kelnhofer's garbage container once so the back bumper was slightly dented.  In 2017 we bought a black GMC Terrain Denali but I continued to drive "little Red"   Our friend, Richard Kaufmann replaced the bumper on the Cobalt with a blue one and she became a great "political car"   All she needed was a little white accent to be red, white and blue.   All of my friends keep telling me to drive the Denali but I am more comfortable in the Cobalt.   In fact, I didn't even know how to run the air conditioning in the other car.   Well, since Pat at The Shop Auto Repair can't get Little Red in until next week, I am forced to drive "big Black"   And, guess what-----I think I am going to enjoy driving a nice car.   It is funny how I get set in my ways and comfortable with the status quo.

A big 4th of July weekend coming up and Gabriel and Rebecca (You Bet Im Cool) are getting ready for some fireworks. Gabe is sporting his new "patriotic cap"

July 2, 2021

I am happy to report that Ellie is doing great after being weaned 4 days.  Ellie is sired by My Intention and out of Rebecca (You Bet Im Cool).  Yesterday I started putting her in the paddock next to her big sister, Wilma (Classically Kool) and she just ate grass.  This is the reason that I love weaning by the moon signs when  Ann Hunnicutt Lanning tells me what days to do it.

July 1, 2021

I am getting ready to watch the Milwaukee Bucks game and since it is such a beautiful night, I thought I would try to "sneak up" and take a picture of the 2 NN mares that are in the pasture.  The front one is by Kid Coolsified and the rear one is by Righteous Mister.  Both are out of daughters of Mr Conclusion.   I say "sneak up" as they are so friendly that when they see me, they come over and that makes it hard to take a picture.   I really like both of these mares.

June 23, 2021

Nikki was 3 months old yesterday so even though there is no sun today, I thought I would take some pictures of her.  She is NN and sired by My Intention and out of Wilma (Classically Kool) who is by Fred and out of Rebecca.

June 23, 2021

Now this makes me nervous.   My "pride and joy" Ellie taking a nap under her recipient mother, Cinnamon.  Last year when we finally recovered an embryo out of Rebecca (You Bet Im Cool) by My Intention, none of my 3 recipient mares cooperated with her timing wise and we had nowhere to put the baby.  My wonderful veterinarian, Dr Katherine Fox timed  her daughter, Bailee Fox's mare along with the group and Cinnamon took the embryo.  Being a maiden mare, we really didn't know what to expect but Cinnamon has been the most loving mother anyone could ever want.  I am so thankful that I have this filly and that I had friends who came through for me to make it happen.

June 22, 2021

Fred (Classically) wanted me to take a picture of him so that you know he is still alive and well, despite being covered with mud.

June 20, 2021

Today is Father's Day and as I am alone today and cleaning stalls, I have been thinking about how lucky I was to have a father that taught me to be who I am today.  He grew up the son of a blacksmith and worked his way through medical school to be a successful doctor and businessman.   As a child I was able to enjoy horses and fishing and traveling and a great education.  I feel so lucky to have had him in my life.   
Then on the other side, I think of people who did not have a father who instilled in them the values that we needed as children.  In fact, some grew up without a father in their lives and some even had abusive fathers.   I truly appreciate being one of the "lucky ones" Sometimes when I drive and look at different houses, I question what my life would be like if I was born into that home.  I guess it is something we all think about.  This is a picture from Mike and my wedding of my father walking me down the aisle.

June 17, 2021

It's that time of the year when "Polly Peony" blooms.   For those who don't know her story, let me tell you.   Years ago, we put cameras in our stalls so that people on the internet could watch our mares when they foaled.  It was helpful because we had no cell phones to view cameras on back then.   I had to be careful when I went  to the barn as people could see me and I certainly didn't want to be seen in my nightgown.  We had some very interesting "watchers"   I remember one time there was conversation because they saw mice in the stall and they were afraid the mice would hurt the mare.  I would get calls at all times of the night with "false foaling" alarms.  I even had one lady call me at 2 am who told me she had PSM and couldn't sleep so she thought she would call.   Well, one year we had a beautiful filly born by Kid Clu out of an Obvious Prophet mare and she was my pride and joy.   The "camera watchers" followed her progress and I talked to several of them on the phone.  One of them was Roseann Albert from out East.   Unfortunately in the spring when Polly, the Kid Clu filly was about 6 weeks  old, she met with an accident and we had to put her to sleep.  We had  a lot of rain and she was out in one of the little paddocks which had a lot of mud in it.   She turned wrong and broke her leg.   To my surprise a few days later, a big plant arrived.  It was from Roseann and she told me that she had kept the "sister plant"   We planted "Polly Peony" in the front yard where Miss Bunny Tardee and Molly the dog's monuments are.   Every year, the plant produces beautiful flowers but only for a  short period.   It is just another example of all the wonderful people I have become friends with but never met from all over the world.

June 16, 2021

Ellie----March 10 NH filly by My Intention out of Rebecca (You Bet Im Cool)

June 15, 2021

Took a few pictures of Nikki this morning.  She  was born March 22 and is by My Intention and out of Wilma (Classically Kool)   She is going to be huge like her mother.

June 13, 2021

Wilma's (Classically Kool) NN filly Nikki, by My Intention.   She is 83 days old today and she is going to be big like her 16.3 mother.   I couldn't be happier with my 2 fillies.   Not only are they fun to look at but they are also the sweetest little girls to be around.

June 7, 2021

Just a little girl and her ball.

June 4, 2021

Today is the wedding anniversary of two of my friends who are also my neighbors, Kimmy and  Mark Biggar.   Every Memorial Day for the last few years, they have come over and planted beautiful flowers  since I don't have a "green thumb"   I will show you pictures as the plants grow and bloom  over the summer.

Ellie---March 10 filly by My Intention out of Rebecca (You Bet Im Cool)

June 3, 2021

Happy birthday to a great friend---Joe St Clair.   He has always been there for Mike and I and we have some pretty good tales to tell from over the years.

Pictures of my 70 day old, long awaited filly by My Intention out of Rebecca (You Bet Im Cool)   When I was at the World Show in 2006, a group of friends and I went to Russell McIntosh's where I saw a weanling stud colt that I loved  and I  vowed that someday I would breed Rebecca to him.  Jim and Georgia Snow bought him and his name became My Intention.    Well, after trying for 10 years to get my "dream baby", this year Ellie was born and she is everything I hoped for.  I could spend all day watching her and she is also the sweetest little girl to be around.

May 29, 2021

Nikki---9 week old NN filly by My Intention out of Wilma (Classically Kool)

It is easy for me to stay at home and watch my two fillies by My Intention.   This is Nikki, the NN one out of Wilma (Classically Kool) She is only 9 weeks old today but she is huge.   I guess I shouldn't be surprised as My Intention is a big horse and Wilma is 16.3.

May 26, 2021

Over the years I have "met" some wonderful friends through Facebook.  One of them is Linda Becker.   I started noticing her posts and admiring  her amazing carousel horses and coin operated horses.   And she also has the cutest skunk pet, Olivia.     Linda has a heart of gold as she donates proceeds from the sale of many of her things to various rescues.  And may I add, she also makes the best  turtles I have ever eaten.  I first bought a Marrita Black bronze from her and then proceeded to fill my home with some of her other horses, one of them from the Wrigley Estate. I remembered she had a wagon wheel table made by Randy Steffin and I kept thinking about how nice it would look in my office.  Well, thanks to Linda and to JC Heiberg who delivered it to me , it now has a permanent place here.   I had heard of Randy Steffen and did a bit of research and found out he and his wife, Merrily are great "rodeo people"    The table needed a little work and my good friend, Richard Kaufmann stained it and leveled it and I bought a tempered glass top for it.   Needless to say, I love it.

May 16, 2021

Today let me tell you about a really good friend of mine who has always been there for me----Joe St Clair.  I think I met Joe around 1972.    He owned a horse and I realized then what a great love he had for horses.   I was able to get him a job helping John Schulz who owned Schulz Concrete  Company in Appleton, Wisconsin and he also had some good quarter horses.  Joe would spend his time working with the young horses and fitting them for halter besides starting them riding.  Mike and I were with John Schulz when he bought Reds Double Sonny from Warren Ploeger in Schaller, Iowa.  Sonny became the high point western pleasure stallion in the nation in 1980 and Joe is the one who broke him and taught him the basics.  Joe was instrumental in starting many of the colts for John, including Sonnys Black Gold who won the All American Congress.   In 1978, Joe went to work for Dennis and Carol Briggs who were just starting in quarter horse halter horses.  Joe picked out several really good horses for them including Miss MBJ Dream, a great mare by Mr Impressive and also Sugar Ray Sonny, an own son of Sonny Dee Bar.   We had some great times showing horse back then.  John had a huge rig with a semi.  I remember when Joe and I were going to a horse show and we stopped for gas and Joe and I went into the trailer to check on the horses and locked ourselves in.  What a laugh he had, especially when Joe had to crawl through the window to open the door.  There are so many stories I could tell about those showing days.  Once we went to Crown Point, Indiana where we met Heinie Hendley who was showing is pleasure horses.  The show was not very big so we decided to follow Heinie to Kentucky to a bigger show.   We drove all night and got there in time for the halter classes.  I remember tying our horses to the trees while we got them ready to show.   Another time, we were showing in Iowa and we had John Schulz's big rig.  Well, as I came down the stairs at the motel in the morning, I passed Joe going up them.  He had been out partying with Bob Lee and a group of people all night.  He told me that I would have to drive the big rig as he could hardly stay awake.  I immediately told him that there was no way I could drive that rig and that Mike Ellis would kill him if we didn't get home.   Needless to say, he drove like a pro and I kept him away talking the whole way.  After we bought Impressivist and the stallion was a coming 3 year old, Joe came back to help us with standing him at stud.  We bred 100 mares each of two years and that was when there was no shipped semen.  We had quite a crew with Joe, Diane Baier, Howard Nelson who did the  collection, Bob Luebker and me.  We started in the morning cleaning stalls, collecting the stallion, putting horses outside and it seemed as though the day would never end.  However, every noon we would go to McDonalds and eat and visit.  I still remember wheat everyone ordered.  That was a very busy time in my life but one that I never regret.   After we sold Impressivist,  Joe went to work for Mary Lou Robinson, a prominent attorney.  She bought some great horses including Conclusive Lee and A Likely Conclusion.  Joe worked with the halter horses and also started the young riding horses.  At that time, he did a lot of showing.  Joe has another talent other than horses and it is cooking.  From 1993 to 2000 he opened a very successful restaurant and got away from the horses for a bit.  Then in 2000 he went to Arizona where he cooked for a huge ranch and worked with the  cattle.  During that time, several of his recipes were published in cowboy magazines.  After his stint in Arizona, he couldn't stand to be away from horses and moved to Colorado to help Joe Taylor with his horses.  Then in 2012 his stepfather became ill with cancer and he moved back to help his family .  One day I was brushing Molly, our dog and someone walked up on our porch.  I had no idea who it was and even glancing at him I did not recognize him until he opened his mouth to talk.  There stood Joe and what a great time for him to come back.  He started helping us again with Fred (Classically) and the breeding.   I don't think there is anyone as gentle with colts as Joe and he seems to have a "way" with them.  Since I lost Mike, Joe has partnered up with Big Daddy Quarter Horses in Waupaca, Wisconsin where he is in charge of the cattle, horses and all the farm work.  I think we still talk daily and I know that if I ever need anything, all I need to do is call him and he will be there.   It is so good to know that I have friends like Joe St Clair.

May 14, 2021

Snapped a couple of pictures of horses you haven't seen for awhile.   Pebbles (Cool to be Classic) who is by Fred (Classically) out of Bonnie (CJ Miss Cool Tardee) is now 3 years old.   Nikki, the NN baby filly by My Intention out of Wilma (Classically Kool) is now 7 weeks old.   Hopefully with the nice weather we are having I will get more pictures soon.

May 11, 2021

Looking at Rebecca (You Bet Im Cool) today as she is grazing with her companion, Gabriel, it amazes me that she still has so much muscle definition at 21 years of age and NN besides.   Sure wish I would be half as fit as she is at my age.

May 9, 2021

So if you are almost 2 months old and you get a big ball to play with, what do you do with it.   Well, first of all you try to bite it and then if that doesn't work, you roll it with your foot.  Still no action, so now you decide to lay on it and if all else fails, perhaps jumping on it will destroy it.   I really enjoyed watching my little filly with her ball this afternoon.

May 7, 2021

Many of you remember Sterrling, the 5 panel NN gray stallion by I Gotta Cool Secret out of Juliet (Malibukini)  who was by Malibu Ken out of Shanes Lady Romantic who is owned by Terry and Tammy Bradshaw.   We sold him to Enrique Molina of Mexico as a yearling.   When they showed him he was Grand Champion Stallion at their big horse show.   Since then, he has been breeding mares and he is becoming quite a sire.   From what I hear he also has been under saddle for about a year.   Leonor Yberri posted this recent picture of him.   It always makes me happy when horses we sell turn out to make their new owners happy.

May 5, 2021

Nikki---6 week old NN filly by My Intention out of Wilma (Classically Kool)

May 4, 2021

Let me tell you about one of my best friends, Lanis Noble and his stallion Speak of Me.    I met Lanis when he bought Impressivist from Mike and me and he and his son came to Wisconsin to pick him up.   From that time on, we remained the best of friends, talking on the phone daily about horses.  Unfortunately Lanis lost Impressivist after 2 very successful breeding seasons .   Lanis, being a smart businessman, had always told me that a black NN stallion would make a lot of money as many people love black horses.   In 1992, Mike and I were in Alfaretta, Georgia attending Vic Matthews horse dispersal sale.  It was a  way for Mike to get me to go on a trip and he could visit his brother in Columbus, Georgia.  There were some great horses in the sale and many of the "big time breeders" consigned horses to it.  During the weekend, Danny Salsman who was there had a heart attack and they had to take him to the local hospital.  Everyone who knew Danny was very concerned but things turned out fine for him.   Back to the horse sale-----while I was looking at the horses, I noticed a black NN son of Sierra Te in the sale.  His name was Speak of Me and he stood 16.1.   I thought to myself that this was the exact horse Lanis was looking for so I tried to call him.  Unfortunately I was not able to reach him and heaven knows, I did not need a black stallion.   Gordon Hannigan who was putting on the sale bought the horse for himself.  On the Monday after the sale, Lanis called Gordon and he was told that four people had tried to buy the horse from him and Gordon had sold him to David and Karen Smith.  Lanis tried to  contact them but the Smiths never returned his call.  They took the stallion to a show and a mare came by and the horse reared up and cut his head.  Karen then decided that she didn't need a stallion for a pleasure horse and decided to sell him in the 1992 World Sale.  Lanis joined me and others at the World Show and he and his friend, Richard Parker went to the sale while I watched the halter classes.  The bid on Speak of Me went to $15,000 and Lanis noticed that David Smith was running the bid against him. I am sure he was trying to get his investment back.    Knowing Lanis, he wasn't going to stand for that and closed his sale catalog and quit bidding.   His friend, Richard told him "don't lose this horse for $500".   Lanis made one final bid and he owned the stallion.  Tom McBeath hauled Speak of Me back to Mississippi and put 60 days of riding on him.   Then came fall and Lanis ran an ad in the Southern Horseman to stand Speak of Me at stud.   He had a small place outside of Jackson where his brother Calva and his dad lived.  This is where he stood  the stallion.  Every other day, Lanis would drive from work in Jackson ( he was a stock broker)  to the farm to collect and ship the semen.  From the one ad in the Southern Horseman, he bred 56 mares the first year and had 23 booked for the next year before the year was over.   His theory that people loved big black NN stallions proved to be true.  The second year , he bred 83 mares and the next year 99 mares.  The following year, he had 85 mare bred before May 4 when his brother Calva was killed in a car accident and Lanis didn't accept any mares after that date.  He decided to sell everything and get out of horses.  By everything I mean the place, all of his equipment  (I bought his ultrasound) and all of the horses.   I have always been amazed at how fast he was able to disperse of everything.   Speak of Me was sold to Joe Hutchins who continued to stand the horse at stud.  Lanis did a fantastic job of marketing Speak of Me and he treated his customers so well, many of them came back year after year.   Speak of Me went on to sire many wonderful halter and pleasure horses.   Lanis was right when he had the idea that a 16.1 well bred black stallion would be very successful as a money making venture.  Speak of Me was a 1989 Black NN 16.1 stallion by Sierra Te out of a daughter of Zippo Pat Bars.

May 2, 2021

Well, Gabriel had his feeling hurt as I cut him out of the picture with Rebecca.   He wants to show off his masculine physique for Naomi Kreider, his "girlfriend."

Beautiful Sunday morning in Wisconsin so I thought I would take some pictures of Rebecca (You Bet Im Cool).  At 21 years old and thinking that I would lose her last year due to a torn meniscus,  she looks and feels better than she has for years.  It is hard to believe that she is NN with all the muscle.   I am sure you all know that she is sired by Ima Cool Skip and out of Miss Bunny Tardee by Tardee Impressive.   As I was leaving the pasture, I snapped a quick picture of Ellie, her daughter by My Intention.   I suspect she will look a lot like Rebecca when she matures.   She will be 2 months old on May 10.

April 30, 2021

A year ago I posted this story and it renewed an old friendship with David Stone.   His wife, Evalee Stone sent me a picture of How D Billie Jack, the horse that Dudley Pillow really liked.    I will repost the story for you.  Scott Peterson  posted an article about David Stone from Florence, Alabama.   I also knew David pretty well through his association with Dudley  Pillow and we were there at the World Show in 2000 when DS Roman Kid Clu won the Aged Stallion Class.  David wanted Dudley to breed some of his mares to Roman but he was not Dudley's type of horse.  But David did have a stallion that Dudley  loved and his name was How D Billie Jack.   He was a gray horse, standing over 16.1 with tons of body by Tee Jay Roman out of How D Jacklynn.   If you remember the story I told you about Terry and Tammy Bradshaw's mare, Shanes Night Lady, you may remember that her dam, How D Romantic was a full sister to Billie Jack.   Dudley bred several mares to Billie Jack and also bought a few daughters of his.    Grace Berton also hauled two mares all the way from California to breed to him.   I intended to breed a mare also and paid my $300 stud fee but it never happened.   You know how I baby my mares and David only pasture bred the stallion.  You had to have your mare at his place by February 1 when he turned him out with them or the stallion would not accept any  other mares to his herd.  How D Billie Jack produced some great brood mares.  Grace Berton still has a daughter of his and she is one of her best producers.  And, when I  would go and visit Jerry and Gwen Clarke Vawter, I was always in awe of their big Billie Jack mare.   It is a shame that the Tee Jay Roman bloodlines are about gone as they added so much bone and structure to our modern day horses.  This is a picture of How D Billie Jack taken at David Stone's place when the stallion was still alive.  He stood well over 16 hands tall.

Since I mentioned the article that Scott Peterson posted last year about David Stone and then told you about David's stallion, How D Billie Jack, I thought perhaps you would enjoy reading the article too.
HOMEGROWN: David Stone defies the odds to breed and raise a world champion stallion on tiny area farm
Brandon Webb Feb 4, 2003 
PETERSVILLE -- David Stone is a dew sweeper.By 6 a.m., the spindly man usually emerges from his crusty mobile home and makes his daily 200-yard jaunt to a musty red barn.This day is no different. Stone has work to do. There are horses to feed. Chores to tend to."If it’s daylight, there’s something to do. Most times, when it’s dark, too," the salty 58-year-old says. "There is always a fence that needs mending or a stall to strip. Seems like there’s always something broke."  Stone chuckles and says his life consists of too much work and not enough sleep. The gray hairs that have infiltrated his bristly mustache, callused hands and deep lines etched into his face seem to validate his claim.There is so much more, however, that defines Stone. He is a self-described hillbilly, with an affinity for Louis L’Amour westerns and George Strait’s pure country sound, though he admits he has a soft spot in his heart for Shania Twain.He’s a meat and potatoes kind of guy who enjoys the occasional Mexican dish. He doesn’t drink or smoke but does harbor a temper that sometimes evokes a profane word or two.He’s a Ford man through and through, though he hopes no one sees him tooling around town in a beat-up Chevy pickup. And he isn’t a material man. His most prized possession is a belt buckle.You can’t manufacture character like that.Stone also is a world champion quarter horse breeder. He is a modest man of modest means that would be the last to celebrate himself. But he can’t help taking pride in kicking a little harmless dirt in the faces of the multimillionaire breeders who are staring up at him. Because what transpired in November 2000 in Oklahoma City was not only a victory for underdogs everywhere, it was Stone’s reward for 31 years of tirelessly pursuing a dream.  

A horseman’s revelationStone says matter-of-factly that he was born into horses. As a child growing up in Texas, he shadowed his grandfather, who raised racehorses. It left a deep impression on him and sparked a fondness for horses, which was put on hold after being commissioned into the Army’s infantry division in 1968. A tour of duty in Vietnam took a severe toll on Stone’s body. Corneal burns and abrasions from shrapnel caused him to temporarily lose his eyesight. He’s deaf in his left ear and requires a hearing aid in his right ear. The resulting equilibrium problems cut his horse- riding days short. So he took an interest in quarter horses, which are stock horses used to cut cattle from herds, and began breeding them in 1969 with an emphasis on quality, not quantity.It was, however, merely a hobby. "I’m smarter than I look," says Stone, who graduated from the University of North Alabama.By day, Stone earned more than $50,000 a year as a radiochemical lab analyst for the Tennessee Valley Authority. Yet, something was missing. He soon realized what it was."Life’s too short to not do what you want to do," Stone says, drawing a deep breath. "I’ve always been a guy that didn’t want to look back at what might have been."I was getting long in the tooth and not in the best of health. TVA was offering early retirement in 1996 and I figured if I wait any longer, I’ll never be able to achieve my goals."Those goals centered around horses.Stone continued drawing income from his military medical retirement and his early leave from TVA. Though he had been a serious breeder since 1974, for the first time in his life, he set out to make a living breeding quarter horses.
Stone’s big breakJerry Vawter is to quarter horse breeding what Jack Nicklaus is to golf and Richard Petty is to stock car racing. His is the most respected name in the industry. So when he calls, people listen, Stone says."He called and said he understood I had some real nice brood mares and that he’d like to buy one," Stone recalls. "Everybody in this industry wants to sell to Jerry because of his reputation. Word of mouth is vital in this industry. If word gets out that you sold to Jerry Vawter, your business can skyrocket."In 1994, Stone invited Vawter to his farm off Rasch Road under one condition: There were two brood mares that he would not part with under any circumstances."When he got here, I didn’t tell him which ones they were, but he’s the greatest horseman I know," Stone says. "To show you how good an eye he has, he scanned the lot and zeroed in on one of the untouchables."I said, ’Oh no, Jerry. That’s one of the ones you can’t have.’ "He said ’OK,’ and kept looking. Pretty soon he singled another mare out of the herd and said, ’Don’t tell me she’s No. 2!’ I told him that was No. 3, but I’d let him have her."Little did Stone know that selling that mare for $15,000 would be the catalyst for his championship quest. Vawter asked Stone if he would deliver the mare to Texas. For that kind of money, Stone didn’t hesitate to agree. Vawter, however, had another request."He told me to load up the other mare - the first one he spotted -- and bring her with me, too," Stone says. "I told him again that I didn’t want to sell her. He said he knew, but he was going to do something he rarely ever did: give me a free breeding off Kid Clu, one of the most decorated stallions in history. He thought that mare would give birth to a world champion."That breeding, which spawned DS Bright Kid Clu in 1995, was the push Stone needed to become a serious player in the industry."When I saw Bright hit the ground, I said ’Wow,’ " Stone remembers. "I had never seen a horse that good. Still haven’t. So, a year later, I paid for a second breeding with Kid Clu."

Tragedy followed by Triumph Stone had no idea at the time how important a decision he’d made. Bright became sick in August 1998. Stone took the horse to Auburn University, where veterinarians performed exploratory surgery and discovered an inoperable tumor."I didn’t want him to suffer, so I put him down," Stone says, voice cracking. "It was the hardest loss I’ve ever had." Stone turned his attention to the second stallion. It showed every bit as much promise as its older brother had."When I saw Roman stand up and stretch for the first time, moments after birth, I knew he would be special," Stone says. "Not for any reasons that would be noticeable to the ordinary eye. There’s a fine line between a good and great horse. But to a horseman, there’s a perceptible difference. "When I looked at him, I knew he was the real deal." Stone began grooming Roman for the American Quarter Horse World Championship  - a task that took its toll."It made for long hours," he says. "I was out in the field at 2 o’clock in the morning with the headlights on, stacking hay. Then I had to get up in the morning and do it again."I did that and did that and did that and ran myself down."The inflammation reminded Stone that he wasn’t invincible."Of all the injuries that I had in Vietnam, I never once thought I was going to die," Stone says. "But when I got sick with pneumonia, it was the first time I was really scared in my life. I shriveled up to nothing."When Stone emerged from the hospital in April 1999, he realized he was too weak to prepare Roman for a world championship bid. In August, Stone was notified that Roman had accumulated enough points at shows throughout the year to earn an invitation to the AQHA World Championship.Stone’s immune system, however, was badly deteriorated. He called Vawter, hoping his mentor could recommend someone to continue working with the horse. Vawter said there was only one guy: an up-and-comer named Jason Smith. Smith, like Stone, knew there was something special about Roman the moment he first saw him. "Within 15 minutes, that horse was on my truck," says Smith, who insisted Roman be shown at the 1999 quarter horse Congress, the world’s oldest and largest Quarter Horse show. He returned home with two trophies and later added a prestigious Reserve World Championship.Still, Stone longed for more."The ultimate success in this industry is a world championship," he says. "Everybody strives for it. Very few people get it."In November 2000, Roman returned to Oklahoma City and triumphed over 23 other stallions competing for the Open Aged World Championship, no small feat. There are more than 4 million quarter horses registered in the United States.

Industry takes noticeThe victory sent a wave through the industry, according to Vawter."I think there were a lot of people that knew (Roman) was going to be a champion sooner or later," he says.But to think a breeder like Stone could pull it off against the odds he faced is nearly unfathomable, he said.The major quarter horse-breeding outfits sit on hundreds of acres in Texas, Oklahoma and California. The multimillionaires who own them build elaborate ranches, complete with paved driveways and heated stalls.Stone operates on 35 acres in Alabama. His driveway is gravel. His barn is cold."The thing I’m most proud of is the fact that whether it’s 50 or 100 years from now, somebody, someplace, somewhere is going to say, ’Looky here, somebody from Alabama in the year 2000 won a world championship.’"Nobody can take that away from me. I made a tiny scratch in AQHA history."There are people who breed horses all their lives that would give anything to win a world championship, Stone says, while proudly showing off the ornate belt buckle that goes to the world champion owner. "Money is no object to them. They buy the best brood mares to pair with world-class stallions and never even place in the Top 5." What is Stone’s secret? Being an owner as well as a breeder, he says."Ninety-nine percent of horses advertised in here were purchased by their owners," Stone says, thumbing through a quarter horse trade magazine. "I didn’t go out and buy him. I bred him. I raised him. I pulled that little sucker out of his momma."I don’t show anything that has not been born on my farm or that I haven’t raised."The best mares that you’ll ever have are the ones you breed yourself because you know all the genetic flaws. You have to be your own best critic and hard on yourself." Out to pasture Stone retired Roman to stud following his world championship. With breeding season set to begin Thursday, Stone figures to begin reaping some of the rewards of the victory. He already has 100 mares lined up to breed with Roman at $2,000 each. That kind of business prompted Stone to board Roman at a facility near Atlanta capable of handling the volume.Stone receives 18-20 telephone calls per day, which has prompted him to carry a portable phone around in his jacket, "otherwise I wouldn’t get any work done," he says. Some calls are from well-wishers congratulating him on his newfound success. "I had someone call me the other day and say, ’Hey, when are you coming off that ... cloud?’ And I said I hope ... I never do, because I’m enjoying it too much. It took me 30 years to get here." Most are from breeders wanting to hire Roman. He’s even had an inquiry about buying the horse."A man called from Salt Lake City wanting to know what the bottom dollar for Roman would be," Stone says, grinning. "I told him the asking price is $1.5 million. "He said that’s a lot of money. And I said it sure is, but this is my dream." Stone did decide to do something for the prospective buyer, who had purchased a brood mare out West for $100,000. He gave him a free breeding with Roman. It was a lesson he learned years before from Vawter."I did it because my next objective is to breed a world champion sired by Roman," Stone says. "If he does, that $1.5 million asking price will give way to a mint."The future of Stone’s business is Roman’s offspring. "I’m going to really promote them," he says. "There will probably be four foals. I’ll also show Roman’s sister this year and foals off other two studs. So, the future looks bright."Even if the money from his newfound success begins to roll in, Stone is adamant that he won’t change. He swears he won’t pave his driveway. He’ll still eat cereal for breakfast. He’ll still drive that old pickup. And he’ll still live in a trailer."I live like a pauper, but tangible things have never meant much to me," Stone says sheepishly, staring at the numerous trophies that litter his floor, coffee table and desk. "A lot of people wouldn’t even live in a mobile home, but this is my dream. This is what I’ve always wanted to do."His only regret is that he doesn’t have anyone to partake in his success."Sometimes I get a little sad because I don’t have anyone to share all this with," Stone says, staring out across his pasture. "But loneliness has only hit me once: when I won the world championship."It really hit me because it was the biggest moment of my life and I didn’t have anyone to share it with - to really share it with."Stone is twice divorced.   "If I ever marry again, it’ll be to someone who feels the way I do," he says. "This is a lifestyle. You can’t say, ’Well, let’s not feed the horses today. Let’s take off to Nashville.’ A lot of women don’t understand that."I dated a woman two years ago that I really liked. After about a year, she said, ’David, we need to talk.’ "She said, ’Everybody, at one time or another, has to put their toys away. You can’t do this forever. Sooner or later, you’ve got to get on with life.’"I said ’Well, let me tell you something. I do care about you. I’ve come about as close as I could to loving a woman. But you said it all when you said it’s time to put your toys away.’"I told her when I was 90, I’d still have a horse. I’ll always have a horse. "If I have to put my toys away, you might as well dig a hole and put me in it. My life would come to an abrupt halt and have no meaning.

April 26, 2021

I have been telling you about the horses in Rebecca's (You Bet Im Cool) pedigree and this picture popped up on my memories today.    This is Cool Miss Tardee as a yearling.   She was an HH full sister to Rebecca and also to CJ Miss Cool Tardee (Bonnie)  I remember when Wayne Halvorson flew to Wisconsin to look at her.  I was a nervous wreck as  it was the first time a "big name horse person" had come to see one of our horses.   Wayne was wonderful, we looked at horses and he took videos and pictures.   He called the next day and Curtis Pilot, who owned Ima Cool Skip bought her.   Cool Miss Tardee went on to be a World Champion and a World Champion producer.  Thinking about it, all three sisters who were by Ima Cool Skip and out of Miss Bunny Tardee were World Champion producers.

Five days ago I told you about Rebecca's (You Bet Im Cool) sire, Ima Cool Skip.  Today will be the story of her other side of the pedigree, Tardee Impressive as Rebecca's dam, Miss Bunny Tardee  was sired by him.  In 1990, Mike and I flew to Omaha, Nebraska to visit his sister.   Since Red Oak, Iowa was right across the river, I talked Mike into also going to see my good friend Bob Lee and see his horses.    We stayed overnight in Red Oak and Bob and I talked horses.  Since our plane was leaving early the next morning, I met Bob at his farm at sunrise.  Now, it was winter and the temperatures were way below zero and the wind was vicious as we stood outside and looked at his mares.   We decided to partner and breed 5 of them to Tardee Impressive.  We did this for a few years but unfortunately  with all the foals we raised, only 2 of them were fillies.  I became infatuated with the Tardee foals and continued to breed to him.  Bill and Sue Morris stood Tardee and we had to  take our mares to their ranch in Canadian, Texas  to breed.  I remember talking to Bill and he told me that I had to meet Jorge Valdez, Tardee's owner at the Solid Gold Futurity.   Well, as Mike and I stood on the rail and the colts came to the  sideline before being placed, Bill said to me "I guess you aren't going to get to meet Jorge today as the feds came and arrested him for drug dealing"   The government confiscated all of his property including his horses, Tardee being one of them.  They decided that standing Tardee Impressive to the public would help them recoup some money so they stood him at Will Wood's ranch in Texas.   Mike and I even went to see him when he was there.  From what I remember, he was a big horse, had a lot of muscle and a massive front end.  I thought he was a bit long bodied and lacked a bit in the croup and hip carry-down.  I guess that is the reason Miss Bunny Tardee crossed so well with him as her dam, Bunny Nightshade was extremely short backed and she had a huge hip.   Tardee Impressive ended up standing in California and believe it or not, Bob Lee and I even sent a couple of mares there to breed to him.   I cannot think of another stallion other than perhaps Kids Classic Style who had as much raw muscle as Tardee Impressive.

The "Kids" had fun yesterday.   My good friends Pat Roch and Sandy Schreiner brought a ball for Fred (Classically)   Well, I immediately knew what Fred would do with the ball-----destroy it in one bite.  So I gave it to the little ones and they totally enjoyed rolling it around.

Not the best day for taking pictures but since Nikki is a month old, I thought I should show you a few pictures of her.  She is NN and is by My Intention out of Wilma (Classically Kool)   She has long legs and I think she will be huge like her mother.

I am in love with Rebecca's (You Bet Im Cool)  filly by My Intention.  She is 6 weeks old today.

Yesterday I posted a story about my "pride and joy" Rebecca (You Bet Im Cool)   Today I am going to tell you about my long relationship with her sire, Ima Cool Skip.   The first time I saw Skip was at the World Show when he won it as a weanling.   I can still remember how he looked with that huge hip and all that muscle.  In fact I thought he looked like a miniature of the statue on the World Champion trophies.   Ima Cool Skip was sired by Skipa Star and was out of Susie Impressive by Impressive Image out of a Skipper W and Showdown bred mare, Suzy's Honey.  Back then, I was breeding to the popular stallions in our industry but my good friend, Dudley Pillow kept renewing my interest in Ima Cool Skip.  At that time, he was standing at Southgate Farms in Louisiana  and this was before shipped semen.  Dudley was able to get a major discount if he bred over 15-20 mares to him so my good friend, Grace Berton and I took advantage of his deal.   We hauled mares to Dudley's in Mississippi and he would take them to Southgate to breed and pick them up when they were in foal.  When Skip was sold and went to Halvorson Ranch in Oklahoma, I continued to breed to him.   This started a lasting friendship between me and Wayne and Rebecca Halvorson.  I can remember that I had Miss Bunny Tardee there and she had twin embryos.   Dr Carroll waited until the last possible time to give her a shot to abort them and lo and behold she only had one left.   Now, that was a great day.   When Curtis Pilot who owned Skip moved him to Robbie Rainiers in Missouri I continued to breed to him, but by then I was able to get shipped semen.  I became great friends with Robbie and of course his office manager.   I will never forget the day that Robbie called to tell me that Ima Cool Skip was dead.   That was the end of an era for me.   Over the years, I have had several daughters of Ima Cool Skip, including Cooleah the dam of A Classic Edition and Bonnie, the dam of Caribbean Kid.   The only one I have left is Rebecca (You Bet Im Cool) and she is 21.   She and I are growing old together.   Ima Cool Skip was a Superior Halter Horse and a 3  time World Champion.  He sired 33 World Champions and 33 Reserve World Champions.  I think his true value was as a broodmare sire as in my opinion, we needed that heavy muscled horse to compliment our modern thoroughbred look.   I am posting 3 pictures.   The first is Ima Cool Skip as a young horse, the  second is one that Carri Eurich took when we were at Halvorson Ranch in 1999 and Skip was 15 years old and the last the two hats that Wayne and Rebecca Halvorson sent me and I am proud to have in my office.

Yesterday I posted some pictures of my two My Intention fillies that I love.  Today I thought I would tell you a little about Ellie's dam and Nikki's grandam, Rebecca (You Bet Im Cool)   I think you all know that Rebecca and I have been growing old together.  She is now 21 years old and I am not going to tell you how old I am.  This picture was taken when she was younger and she does not look that good now---and neither do I.   The first picture is of her as a foal at 10 days of age.   When she was born, I though for sure she was HH as she had so much muscle.   But then, I had bred Miss Bunny Tardee by Tardee Impressive who was NH to Ima Cool Skip, who was also NH.   Wayne Halvorson had flown to our place during the previous summer and bought her full sister who was HH and made her a World Champion,   Well, this foal had more muscle than the HH one, so I assumed she was also HH. I decided to name her Rebecca after Rebecca Halvorson.  I remember the day standing by the fax machine as the HYPP results came in and to my disbelief, the paper with Rebecca's results said NN.  I immediately called Wayne and we decided that there must be a mistake so I tested her again.  Being a bit tricky, I did test her under the name of my sisters riding horse.   Again she came back NN.  It was then that I decided she would never leave our place.  When she was a yearling, several horsemen came and offered to buy .  I was adamant and even though we could have used the money, I talked Mike into letting me keep her.  One group even flew in and offered to buy her, keep her for two years, make her a World Champion and give her back to us.  To me, not having any children, it just gave me pleasure to go out and look at her, knowing that she was mine.  Rebecca had always been sound until December of 2019.    One day she came in on three legs, not putting weight on her one hind leg.  After X Rays and ultrasounds, the vets discovered that she tore the meniscus in her stifle.    Dr Katherine Fox and Dr Sarah Peters did stem cell therapy and laser treatments on her.  She needed to stay in her stall for months and thank  heaven for Gabriel, the donkey.  She fell in love with him (I think she thinks he is her baby)  She gets very upset if she can't see him at all times.  We had to cut part of the  wall down between two stalls so she can keep her eye on him.  After seeing My Intention as a foal, I had decided that I wanted to breed Rebecca to him and I started in 2011.   Over the years that followed we got some embryos but they never "made it" so when Ellis was born this year, my long awaited dream finally came true.   I really have to thank Jim and Georgia Snow for sticking with me all these years.  This year, Rebecca seems to be more healthy than she has been for a long time (thanks in part to Gabriel her companion)  so I think I am going to venture forth and try to breed and flush her again.   Wish me luck with that.   Tomorrow I will tell you about my long time relationship with Rebecca's sire, Ima Cool Skip.

Didn't want you to think that I don't love my other filly so I went out and snapped a few pictures of her this afternoon.   Her name is Nikki and she is 3 weeks old.     She is also by My Intention and out of Wilma (Classically Kool)   Now if you remember Wilma is a half bother, sister cross as she is by Fred (Classically) and out of Rebecca (You Bet Im Cool) who are both out of Miss Bunny Tardee by Tardee Impressive.

My "long awaited" filly by My Intention out of Rebecca (You Bet Im Cool) at 5 and 1/2 weeks old.   A memory popped up today where 10 years ago today the embryo out of this cross did not make it in the recipient so you can see how long I have been waiting to get this little girl. Ellie, 5 and 1/2 week old filly by My Intention out of Rebecca (You Bet Im Cool)

I thought maybe I should post a picture of Fred (Classically) so that you know he is still alive.    Excuse the mud and his beautiful long mane doesn't look that good anymore but he is enjoying living outside and watching his girls.

Easter Sunday and what a beautiful day it is.  I only wish Mike could be here to enjoy it with me.   We both loved this time of the year and I always told him that I didn't want to die in the spring as that is my favorite season.   Thinking back to my childhood and wonderful memories.  On Easter Sunday we would go to "sunrise service" at the church and I had a new outfit to wear.  It was such a beautiful time of the day to celebrate our Lord's rising from the dead.  Today, I didn't go to a church but that doesn't mean that I don't believe----I just worship on my own.  All of my horses are outside and I plan to spend the day relaxing and enjoying them.  My wonderful neighbors will bring me food and as usual, I will eat too much.   I hope all of you have a very wonderful Easter and I want you to know how much I appreciate your friendship.

Since I have been taking pictures of the "family" today,  I better include one of Rebecca (You Bet Im Cool's) baby, Gabriel.   I can't believe how attached she is to him.   She will not let him out of her sight and has a fit if she can't see him at all times.  We had to cut half of the wall down between them so she can see him.   By the way, I hope Naomi Krieder notices  how much he has been working out over the winter and what "buff" shape he is in.

Well, I thought as long as I am taking pictures today, I would take a few of Rebecca (You Bet Im Cool).  She is NN and one of the last of a dying breed as she is sired by Ima Cool Skip and out of Miss Bunny Tardee by Tardee Impressive.   She is 21 years old this year and she is the dam of Ellie and also the granddam of Nikki, as Wilma (Classically Kool) is also out of Rebecca.   I thought I would lose her last year as she tore her meniscus but the old girl is doing pretty good.   Here's hoping I will be able to get another embryo out of her.

Wilma (Classically Kool) 16.3 NN mare by Fred (Classically) out of Rebecca (You Bet Im Cool) making her a half brother, sister cross with doubling up on Tardee Impressive. Picture taken 4-3-2021.

I am so "in love" with my two little "My Intention" fillies.  Yesterday despite the fact that it was still cold, at least we had some sun and the ground was dry so I was able to take some pictures of them.  First of all, I am going to show you Rebecca (You Bet Im Cool's) filly, "Ellie"   If you remember, my wonderful veterinarian and friend, Dr Kathryn Fox foaled her out for me and she brought her and her wonderful recipient mother Cinnamon to me last Sunday.   Being of the "old school" I love muscle on my horses and this filly has it in spades.  She was 3 weeks and 1 day old on these pictures.

This is "Nikki", my other My Intention filly. She is an embryo out of Wilma (Classically Kool) If you remember, Wilma is a half brother, sister cross and by breeding her to My Intention, I added a bit more Tardy to the pedigree. Nikki is going to be huge like her 16.3 dam. She is 11 days old on the pictures. I absolutely love this filly too.

Sometimes it is good to go "back home"   My first filly is still in New London, my hometown but will be coming to me soon.   The other day I thought that after I stopped to see her, I would stop at the cemetery where my family is buried and also drive by some of the places that hold great memories for me.   I remember playing "cowboy and Indians" in the  cemetery with our ponies and riding down the road to Poppy's Rock and having fun riding around it.   Our house in New London still looks the same except that the big oak trees that lined the road are gone.   The barn that my dad left when he tore down the original house is still there.  That is where, I kept "Ginger" my pony.   Driving down the street, the barn that he built for my horses on the 2 acres in town is gone and the new high school uses the land for an athletic field.  I drove past the high school where I had so many good memories and also the church and grade school that I attended.   The cross that my dad put on the church in memory of his father is still there.  Driving through town, the bank that he and friends started is still there and so is his office building.   I wonder what he would think as "back then" doctors were not fans of chiropractors and a chiropractor has covered the big stone sign that says "Schmallenberg Building" with his sign. I took a picture of the hospital where he worked and the "old part" is still there but they have added on a new addition.    I also  drove past the radio station that my dad started for my brother and it is still there.   I have so many great memories from my youth.   I plan to go back again and check out more of the "old places."

Well----look what I woke up to at 3:33 this morning!   I looked at my camera and there stood a beautiful foal.  Patty (the recipient) was 22 days overdue and I sent a picture of her bag to my good friend, Donna Davis last night.   She told me she was 5 days away from foaling so last night was the first night I didn't get up every hour and look at the camera.   I am absolutely in love with this FILLY!!!     She is sired by My Intention and out of Wilma (Classically Kool) who is by Fred (Classically) and out of Rebecca (You Bet Im Cool).   In my opinion, this is line breeding at its best as the filly's dam is a half brother, sister cross crossing twice on Tardee Impressive and My Intention has Tardy Too in his pedigree also.   And, by the way, the "real mother" Wilma was snoring in the stall across the aisle.   I guess it pays to be a "prima donna"     Well, anyway I am absolutely thrilled with my two fillies this year.   They were definitely "worth the wait".

What could be more satisfying than seeing a 3 day old filly and a beautiful young lady.   Bailee Fox came home from the Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design where she is a third year student to see the new filly and her mare, Cinnamon.   Bailee showed "Cin" for 11 years winning many awards.  She was kind enough to let me use her as a recipient for Rebecca (You Bet Im Cool) and My Intention's "little girl"   This is the first foal that Cinnamon has had and you couldn't ask for a better mother.

Many of you know that I have wanted a foal out of Rebecca (You Bet Im Cool) and My Intention for a long long time.  When I saw My Intention as a weanling at Russell McIntosh's in 2006,  I knew I wanted to breed Rebecca to him.  So, I started shipping semen from him in 2011 and those of you who have bred to him, know how outstanding his semen is.  Sometimes we would get embryos that wouldn't make it in the recipient and other years we just didn't get any.  Well, last year I asked Jim and Georgia Snow if they were willing to try one more time as Rebecca was 20 years old.  That time was the "magic time" as we harvested a Grade 1 embryo.  The problem was that my recipients had ovulated before Rebecca so I really didn't have any mare to put it in.  My wonderful veterinarian, Dr Katherine Fox, without telling me had timed her daughter, Bailee Fox's mare, Cinnamon with my mares and guess what----last Wednesday night, Cinnamon foaled a baby sired by My Intention and out of Rebecca.  Dr Fox had volunteered to foal the mare out as she is a maiden mare and another wonderful friend, Jen Corcoran, who lives down the road from Dr Fox offered her beautiful barn complete with cameras so that Cinnamon could foal with the vet right down the road.  I stayed up all Wednesday night watching Cinnamon on my phone and finally at 4:30 in the morning,  my long awaited baby was born.  I held my breath as Jen and Dr Fox treated the navel and then stood up and announced that it was a GIRL!!!!!!    For a year I quarantined at home thinking that I just had to stay healthy in order to see this happen.  I will get lots of pictures of "my little princess" as soon as I get her home.  Again, I want to thank all who made it possible for this dream to come true for me----Dr Katherine Fox, Bailee Fox, Jen Corcoran, Jim and Georgia Snow and of course Cinnamon.

I have decided that keeping my birthday a secret is impossible.  I threatened many of my friends to not post it but little did I know that a "memory from a year ago" would show up on Face Book.   I want to thank each and every one of you for the wonderful birthday wishes.   To be honest, since I lost Mike and have been quarantining at home for a year, you, my Face Book friends have kept me going.  I love reading your posts, sharing your highs and lows and feeling like I am a part of your lives.   Since I have completed my Covid vaccines, I am looking forward to this year and getting to see many of you again.   Presently I am anxiously awaiting the birth of my (hopefully) filly and I guess the time is coming when I should start checking mares for breeding this year.   Thank you all again for the wonderful birthday wishes and also for just being my friends.

My friend Cindy Buchanan posted this story about Leo and I thought I would repost it in case you haven't seen it.   W.C. Rowe was  thoroughly annoyed with the railroad people.  How could they lose anything as big as a boxcar?   Hadn't they assured him when his possessions were loaded in Oklahoma that everything would arrive safely in New Mexico some time the next day?   Where was the confounded boxcar now?   Finally he found it.  The heavy doors rolled back to reveal the total chaos created as the car was shunted back and forth in various railway terminals.  Household goods were strewn everywhere.  A husky sorrel Quarter Horse stallion stood forlornly with a set of bed springs circling his neck like a giant rectangular wreath unceremoniously thrown over his head.  This was Leo, the proud racehorse who would become one of AQHA's all-time leading sires.   Leo was bred by J.W House of Cameron, Texas and was foaled in 1940, the year the AQHA was organized.  His sire was Joe Reed II by Joe Reed.   His dam, Little Fanny was also sired by Joe Reed.   Leo first made a name racing for John Tillman of Pawhuska, Oklahoma.   He defeated some of the best horses of the day at 220 yards and held the 300 yard track record at Pawhuska.  Tillman then declared Leo "open to any horse that would come to Pawhuska and run" and even with all sorts of imposed handicaps Leo reportedly won 20 of 22 match races.  "He has always had a wonderful disposition and he had the heart and ability to come from behind and outrun horses with big names"   Tillman said in a 1953 issue of The Thoroughbred Record.   While area residents acknowledged Leo's greatness, they weren't going to continue losing money to Tillman so he opted to sell the horse to EM Salinas of Eagle Pass, Texas.   Evidently Salinas too had trouble finding competition for Leo as he leased him out to be raced in Mexico.   Little is known of Leo's campaign across the border other than it ended when he injured his front legs in a trailer accident.  After recuperating in the barn of Helen Michaelis of Eagle Pass, who was the second executive secretary of AQHA, Leo was purchased by WC Rowe who returned him to Pawhuska to service his small band of race bred mares.  When Rowe moved to New Mexico, he shipped Leo in a makeshift stall inside a so-called "immigrant car" which carried everything from livestock to furniture.  Of course that is how Leo ended up in the pitiful predicament with bed springs around his neck.  When Rowe realized that he was not set up for a horses breeding operation he sold Leo to his friend, Gene Moore of Fairfax, Oklahoma.   Moore not only did a little ranch work on Leo but he also let his eight year old daughter ride him.  "He was one of the best cowhorses I have ever thrown a saddle on" Moore told The Thoroughbred Record.  But then a mare kicked him in his stifle and Moore was ready to sell him.   "It  (Leo's stifle) had swelling on it about the size of your hat" said Bud Warren of Perry, Oklahoma, Leo's next owner and salvation.  "His old left knee had a big knot on it too (from a trailer wreck in Mexico) and he was pretty crippled up"   Warren said that when he paid $2500 for Leo in 1947, people thought he was the biggest chump in Oklahoma.   But he knew something they would soon find out.  Warren owned two outstanding two year old fillies that Leo had sired at Pawhuska in 1944.  About the time Warren's check was clearing the bank, Leota W equaled a track record at 220 yards while winning the Oklahoma Futurity in Tulsa.   The other filly, Flit, came in second.    Leo's stifle injury healed and Warren doubled his stud fee to $100.   By 1951, Leo topped the list of sires of two year old Register of Merit qualifiers.  In 1952, his daughter, Mona Leta was Champion Three Year Old racehorse.  In 1952, Miss Meyers won the overall World Champion title.  The following year, Palleo Pets was Champion Stallion and Bobbie Leo was Champion Two Year Old Filly.  All told, 12 of  Leo's get set a total of 22 new track records, eight more equaled track records.   But his progeny did more than win at the track.  Sixty nine earned halter points, 46  earned performance points, and 24 were AQHA Champions.  They also excelled in rodeo arena.   Leo died at Warren's ranch at the age of 27 in 1967.   There is a statue of him at Leo City Park in Perry, Oklahoma.   Both Warren and Leo were inducted into the AQHA Hall of Fame in 1989.

Happy birthday to a great friend of mine, Donna Davis  We have been through some great times over the years and I have enjoyed watching her success in the horse world.   I keep thinking I need to write the "story of Donna" but it will have so many episodes I don't know if you will get tired of reading about them.   All in all, she is a wonderful friend and I wish her a very happy birthday.

Today I am going to tell you about The Solid Gold Futurity.  John Narmont of Illinois started the Solid Gold Futurity in 1984. It was held every year in Springfield, Illinois.  John was able to get the state of Illinois' legislature to appropriate funds to finance it. He convinced them that it was a major boost to the economy of Illinois because of the many people who came from all over the United States to participate in it and he was right as it attracted so many people.   I think that some of our current futurities such as the Breeders Halter Futurity, the Big Money Futurity and the World Conformation Futurity resemble it other than that the Solid Gold was financed by the state of Illinois. There was a lot of advertising going on with the event. I remember that many people had license plates with the name "Solid Gold" on them and I still have a gold pin with a picture of the state of Illinois and Solid Gold Futurity on it. John gave it to Mike because he was a Wisconsin State Senator.  Since the prize money was sponsored by the state, participants could win a lot of money and they also had gorgeous trophies that they awarded to both the horse that won and was reserve and also to  the stallion owner whose stallion sired that colt. There were some pleasure classes but most of the event centered around halter. Most of the classes had over 50 entries and some had a lot more. It was nothing to stand out there for hours while it was judged. I remember my good friend, Russ Nagel had to go to the bathroom during a class and someone had to hold his horse while he was gone. I think they had 5 judges but I am not sure anymore. All in all, it was a big big event. It was nothing for someone to bring several babies and come away with close to $20,000. I know that my good friend, Donna Davis would usually leave with over $15,000.  At that time we owned Impressivist and he had many entries in the futurity.  I can count 7 trophies in my office from it---most of them for being the stallion owner. one of them is the first design and the rest are an upgraded design but they are all huge and gorgeous.   I remember the wonderful times we had in Springfield and some of the great horses I got to see there as babies. One in particular was Noble Tradition.  Jim Fuller had him  and he was incredible I think he won under all 5 judges. I know I was immediately a fan of his and bred to him as soon as he was old enough.  I also got to see Sheza Perfect Clue as a baby. I remember all the muscle definition on her and also that she was a bit shakey in her legs. Another colt that was there as a baby and who I really liked was Touchdown Kid. He did not place real high  due to the fact that he was one of the younger colts in the class, but he was so balanced and so pretty that I couldn't help but like him. I am sure there are many more great ones that got their start at the Solid Gold Futurity. I was just told that Sparkling Conclusion won it as a yearling and I also remember Lois Layne winning it as a yearling. At the time of the futurity, I was breeding several mares to Tardee Impressive and dealing with Bill Morris. I had also talked on the phone to the owner of Tardee Impressive and had planned to meet him while in Springfield. Well, Bill Morris was showing a colt in the ring and as he stood along the rail waiting for the placings, I leaned over and was visiting with him. I asked about Jorge Valdez and he told me that I wasn't going to meet him that day as the federal agents had just arrested him in Springfield and taken him to prison on drug charges. Boy, was I in shock. Those were fun times and  thanks to our new futurities, the halter horse business seems to be reviving.  
. I know it will never be like it was "back then" but our industry certainly needs a boost and I look forward to this year when I will be able to  attend the big futurities again.

A few days ago I told you about PDS (Dandy Dee Gal) and how we got to own her.  Some of you know that she is the mother of Janie (Kids Classic Gal) so let me tell you a little bit about her.  It is hard to believe that Janie is 17 years old this year.  Time really goes fast.  It seemed like yesterday she was born.  Janie is sired by Kids Classic Style and was one of two embryo that  we flushed the same time out of Dandy Dee Gal.  The first was a palomino colt that we sold to Terry and Karen Sartain and he became a World Champion Palomino.  His name is Western Sundown.  And then there was Janie.  She was the cutest baby with those big eyes, and that little dished face.   I remember taking pictures of her running around in the big field with her little halter on.  At one time we sold her to a person in Australia but she never left our place.  When Donna Davis, Lanis Noble and I bought Exceptionist back from Chris Black in Australia I was able to get Janie back in the deal.  After all, being around her how could I let myself send her away.   By the way, let me tell you how Kids Classic Gal got to be nicknamed Janie.  My good friend, Dudley Pillow's wife was named Janie and she is a beautiful dark haired woman.  Well, it was only fitting that I named this beautiful filly after her.   Janie has raised some awesome foals over the years and they all have had her exquisite head.   She is living the life of leisure here and I don't know if at my age I will ever breed her again.  For those of you who have visited here,  I am sure you remember seeing Janie.

Today I am going to tell you the "story" of Henrietta (Miss Carri Clue)    Some of you have heard this story before.     Henrietta was a 1998 NH mare by Clueman who was and HH  by Obvious Conclusion , out of Miss Bunny Tardee.   Her dam was  Prophetic Win who was by Obvious Prophet out of Impress Me Win by Impressive.   I bought Dottie (Propehtic Win) as a yearling at the World Show.  She was owned by Cliff and Robin Bales and had places in the top 10 in her class.  Jil Hinds and I were hurrying to get to the airport and happened to walk down Jason Smith's aisle.   Well, Dottie was cross tied and I took one look at her and fell in love.  She was not big but had a gorgeous head, her neck could have been longer but it tied in high and her back was outstanding, as were her heart girth and hocks.  Robin wanted to buy a weanling filly but felt terrible about selling Dottie.  So I bought Dottie on the spur of the moment----you know how you are on a "high" when a horse you raised wins the  World and that is what happened.  A Mr Conclusion colt we raised was WC Weanling stallion.   When I got home Mike had a fit about me buying a horse and all I heard for months was "we didn't need another horse and why did I  spend all that money to buy her?"   When Dottie was 3 years old, I decided to breed her to Clueman (Big Al as everyone called him)  Now, back then people didn't know much about HYPP and Clueman was HH and Dottie was NH.   Since we owned both mare and stallion and I wanted to cross them with each other, I decided to do it.   Well, this is where Miss Carri Clu got the name of "Henrietta"  We were live covering Clueman and believe me, he was not an aggressive breeder.  He would look everywhere instead of at the mare.  I think he enjoyed the  cats playing in the  hay more than he did breeding.  At that time, Dr Travis James Henry was our vet and he was helping us with the breeding.  Dottie was ready but Al was not very interested.  Finally he decided that he would breed her.  Dr Henry was holding the mare and when Big Al went to jump, he scared her and she bolted forward.  We tried everything to get her to stand.   Finally the stallion mounted her and again the mare started to move forward.   Dr Henry grabbed her ear, twisted it and even resorted to biting it. Thank heaven we got her bred.    From that time on, we decided that when the foal was born, it would be named either Henry if it was a boy or Henrietta if a girl.  When Dottie was in foal, Carri Ehrich came to visit and decided she wanted to buy Dottie.  I gave her one price for the mare alone and another for the mare in foal.  She decided to just buy the mare as the foal could be HH.  I didn't blame her because what are the odds of breeding NH to HH and not getting an HH foal?   The next year Carri called to tell me that Dottie had a filly.  I asked her what she looked like and all she could say was that she was pretty and had huge forearms.  We immediately tested her for HYPP and she tested NH.   I brought the  filly, now called "Henrietta" back to Wisconsin from Iowa after she was weaned.  She stayed here and then as a yearling, I had some big time trainers visit and they tried to buy the yearling.  I sent pictures to Carri as I figured she should have first chance if I sold her.  Henrietta, who was named Miss Carri Clu after Carri, made her way back to Rock Rapids, Iowa.  There she became a great producer for Carri.  The mare was not huge but she had so much pretty and so much muscle.  She was the dam of Exceptional Candy, who was NN and had more muscle than most NH horses.  When Carri decided to get out of horses and raise Bernese Mountain dogs, she sold Henreitta to Barb Deale .   Barb kept her a few years and sold her to Brandon Kay  where she lived out her life.

Today let me tell you about Dandy Dee Gal who we called (PDS)   In the summer of 1996, I was having trouble with my barn automatic fly system so I called Larry Johnston from Iowa who sells them.     In the course of our conversation I asked him if he knew of any good mares as he traveled to many horse farms in the Iowa area and maintained their systems and I also knew that there were many good mares in Iowa.   He thought a bit and then told me that he had seen a really good young mare at Bernard Fairchild's in Linn Grove, Iowa.  Bernard had the stallion Dandy Seeker and I always loved the Goldseeker Bar bred horses.  I called Bernard and his son, Dave sent me a video of Dandy Dee Gal.   At that time, Dandy Seeker was dead and the Fairchilds were promoting his son Dandy Dee Bar.  This stallion was producing some great pleasure horses.  I really liked the mare on the video but thought that I needed to go and see her in person.  I talked Mike into going on a "vacation" to Iowa and we made the trip to Linn Grove.   We arrived that evening and went out to see the mare.  In my lifetime there have been very few times that I looked at a horse that gave me an "inner thrill"   We were in an old barn and when Dave led Dandy Dee Gal, that is how I felt.  There in front of me  was this 15.3 mare with a beautiful head, short archy back, and huge hanging hip.  I knew then and there that I wanted her but I had a little problem.   PDS as they called her (which  stood for Pretty Darn Special) belonged to Arlene, Bernard's wife and another problem was that she was priced higher than I had the money to spend.    I told the Fairchilds that we were going to go to our motel but would be back in the morning.  Mike and I had a nice meal (at Taco Johns) and all the while I was plotting as to how I could buy the mare.   In the morning we went back to the farm.  When they got the mare out again, I liked her even more that I did the night before.  After visiting with them, they  told me they would take $12,500 for her.   That was a problem as I did not have that much money to spend.  Of course, Mike who was not a horse person was not aware  of our conversation as he was in the vehicle studying his politics.  You know how us  "horse women" are ---I had  some "secret money" but I did not have that much.   The Fairchilds were wonderful people and after a lot of begging, they agreed to sell me the mare for $10,000.   What a happy girl I was on the way back to Wisconsin and Mike had no idea what I paid for her.   PDS turned out to be a great producer for us, producing a World Champion along with many other really good horses.  I had to put her down at age 24 as she had trouble getting up and I was afraid she would get down outside in the freezing weather and we wouldn't be around to find her.  I still have one of her daughters, Janie (Kids Classic Gal) and she has the beautiful head and big hip PDS always put on her foals.  On a side note, when I got PDS home and sent pictures of her to Dudley Pillow, he decided we needed to take a trip to Linn  Grove Iowa and look at the other horses that the Fairchild's had.   By that  time, he was enthused about the Leo Goldseeker horses and Dandy Seeker and Leo Goldseeker were half brothers, both by Goldseeker Bars.  Dudley and I met in Iowa and went out to see the horses.    It was very cold the  time of the year that we went and I don't think Dudley had ever  experienced cold like that.   Dudley ended up buying the  dam of Dandy Dee Gal (PDS)  She was a  16 plus mare by  Dandy Seeker and she had a  split in he  hoof.   from an injury.  Dudley gave her the nickname "Two Toes"   Her real name was Ima Seekers Gal.   He also bought another filly by Dandy Dee Bar.   Mike and I eventually ended up buying "Two Toes" from Dudley and he told me she was not longer Two  Toes  as her hoof at grown out.   Those were times when you  could find good horses at different places in the Midwest.  Iowa and Nebraska had a lot of great ones that most people didn't even know existed.  Today the only new horse flesh I see is when I go to the Breeders Halter Futurity or the World Show or on Face Book.   Some day I will tell you about my  other "escapades" buying horses but this is enough for today.

In Wisconsin, we have had a long cold spell with wind chills 35 below zero.  So what do the local people do for entertainment?   Go sturgeon spearing on Lake Winnebago.  A steady line of vehicles pulling shanties have been going past our place for the last few days.  The season started today and lasts for 16 days or until the limit has been reached.   For those of you who aren't familiar with a sturgeon, let me tell you a bit about them.  They are between 7 and 12 feet long and weigh over 100 pounds.  Some of them can reach 100 years of age.  Lake Winnebago which is across from our place is one of two places in the United States that allows sturgeon spearing.   There are 1000's of  ice shanties on the lake during the event.  Now, my idea of fun is not sitting in a small space with a heater and a can of beer and staring down a hole in the ice waiting for a fish to swim by.  But, I guess those people wouldn't get excited about watching a halter class at a horse show.  Our local bars are busy and there will be tents and bands on the lake.  At least with this cold weather, the ice is pretty thick so no one should fall in.  I will post some pictures so you can enjoy seeing the event.   On a side note, Bob Luebker, drilled some holes on our water quarry and tried to catch a fish the other day.  I will post a picture of Bob too.

You know how we all have our "it's a small world" stories?   Well, here is one that just happened to me.   My sister, Susan  and her husband, Ed Cundiff are in Florida and they stopped to visit a great friend of mine, Mary Mancini.   A few days ago, they called and Susan said that the wife of Jim Puplava,  their financial advisor in California's mother had horses.   Well, you know how it it----I thought she probably had some backyard horse or pony.   To my surprise one of the horses she owned was Magnolia Gay.  Those of us "older horse people" certainly know of that mare.   She was a 1970 mare and  had 941 halter points and 72 performance points.   She is the  all time leading halter mare in AQHA history besides being an AQHA Champion and a World Champion.  Magnolia Gay  was sired by Magnolia Pay by Magnolia Bar and out of Deena Gay by Gay Bar King.  Imagine my surprise to hear this so I had my sister get some more information about the mare.   
This is what she found out:   Duane Noble who was married to Barbara, Jim Puplava's wife, Mary whose maiden name was Mary Best tells this story.  "I wanted to buy my wife, Barbara a horse.  She had never owned a horse before.   I saw an ad in the Quarter Horse Journal about a 2 year old that Norman Ruback had for sale so I called him   During the course of the conversation, Norman said "Why don't you buy Magnolia Gay"?   Duane said "I  can't buy her---she's one of the most famous horses in the country" and they hung up.   Barbara overheard the conversation and said "What's this Magnolia Gay""   Duane told her about the mare and she said "Well, you said I could have a horse"  They went to the Quarter Horse Congress.  Barbara Noble who was 5 feet tall stood there when Jim Wilke pulled the  blankets off Magnolia Gay.  She walked under the mare's neck and said "This horse is mine" and that's how they  bought Magnolia Gay.    Barbara thought that if she was such a good  show mare, she must be a good broodmare so they retired her and started raising foals out of her.  She had 12 foals with 9 performers.  Her most noted offspring was Noble Tradition by Impressive.   I  asked my sister to see if we could get some "pictures of her that the family took while she was a broodmare"    I will definitely post the pictures  when I get them.

I am going to tell you about Dudley Pillow's "breeding program"   I can still remember when Skips Shane was born.  Dudley called and was so excited about him.  He was what Dudley was breeding for.  Shane was sired by Ima Cool Skip and out of Regers Kitty who was by Leo Goldseeker and out of Regers Lady Skip by Skip Em Bar out of Excuse Bay Lady.  Dudley named him "Shane" after the movie Shane.  This stallion became the center of his breeding program.   Dudley always told me that he was more like his dam than he was by Ima Cool Skip.  I had Regers Kitty here for several years when he bred her to  Impressivist and I loved her.  She was very short backed, had a huge hip and heart girth, high and thin neck but it was not exceptionally long, and a gorgeous head.  She stood about 14.3.  Skips Shane was not a big horse either.   Dudley would say that Doug Talent referred to him as "Dudley's little horse"   Dudley built his program around this horse and he did as Hank Wiescamp did by breeding half brother to half sister and then breeding the resulting fillies back to Shane.  He established a very uniform group of horses.  Most of them were not big but they had gorgeous heads, great backs and huge hips.  He loved the cherry sorrel color that most of them were.   Dudley believed that if a foal was born out of a mare of another color and the resulting foal was sorrel, it would resemble Shane more than the mare.  Mike and I went to Dudley's one time when there were 3 newborn foals on the ground and I had never seen such baby doll heads and big hips on foals.  They reminded me of stuffed toys.   The way Dudley handled his horses was that he would have the mares and foals in one pasture and the open mares in an adjoining one.  He would move Shane back and forth daily between the two pastures so that he could cover the mares that were in heat.  Shane was such a good natured stallion.  Dudley did not care when the foals were born-----in fact  he didn't care if they were bred in September or October, just so they got in foal.  He was devastated when he lost Shane.  I remember when  he called me and told me he found him dead in the  pasture.  Dudley continued his program with sons of Shane, such as Shanes Bake and Shanes Gray Bake, but things were never the same for him.   By the way, Jeffrey Webb owns Shanes Bake and the old horse still looks great at 21 years of age.   After he lost Shane, he did venture into breeding to outside stallions.   Dudley did not believe that NH horses had more muscle than NN horses.  Every time I would mention it, he would tell me about one of his mares who was a World Champion daughter of Impressive.   She had a filly by Sonnys Security and the filly was HH.  Dudley would say "look at her---she is HH and doesn't have a muscle on her"   Dudley and I would exchange videos and when he sent me one it was just like being there with him.  He would tell me their good and bad points as though I was standing next to him.  Consequently I learned a lot about conformation.  When shipped semen came into existence, Dudley never used it.  He would tell me that I needed to breed my mares to Shane and I asked him how I would do that as he didn't collect him.  He told me he would send the semen in its "original container" meaning he would send me the stallion.  Sometimes I regret not doing that but then if Shane would have died at our place, I could never have forgiven myself.  I miss those days talking to Dudley Pillow and sometimes even today I think back about our conversations on pedigrees and conformation.  He told me that of the mares I owned, I only had two that were capable of having great stud colts.  Those mares were Miss Bunny Tardee and Cooleah.  He was probably right as I had lost Miss Impressive Step by that time.  I could go on and on about Dudley Pillow and perhaps I will tell you about some the many stories he told me.

Kim Walton posted a picture of A Classic Edition on her site and consequently Dan Fox and I started "visiting"   For those of you who don't know, Dan is the person who bought and showed "Cassie" to all of her accomplishments and Mike and I were her breeders.   She was sired by Kids Classic Style and out of Cooleah.  Dan owns a gorgeous bay stallion, CR Peacemaker who is a World Champion.   "Peacemaker" is a grandson of A Classic Edition and sired by Solaris.  But, on the bottom side of his pedigree, his dam is sired by Western Gunslinger and out of A Classic Edition.  Well, in the course of our conversation I remembered that Brian Ellsworth had told me about a mare that his farrier wanted to sell.  Her name is Miss GQ Amazing and she is a 5 year old,  16.2 NN  mare by TheAmazingGunslinger and out of a mare with 105 and 1/2 halter points.   And, she has produced 4 foals with a total of 216 and 1/2 points.   Well, "Lucy" as they call her is no slouch in the show pen herself as she has 75 halter points with 17 Grands and 12 Reserves.    The thing that appealed to me about this mare is that her sire is by Western Gunslinger and Dan's stallion's mother is also by Western Gunslinger.   You know how much I love  line breeding.  And besides that, Mary Mancini, Vicki Benker, Joe St Clair and I really liked her when we saw her at Brians as a 2 year old.   When I sent Dan her picture it didn't take long for him to decide to buy her.   I will be so anxious to see the cross with CR Peacemaker and so excited to see the foals that are descendants of A Classic Edition.

It has been a "long year" quarantining at home.  I made the decision that at my age, I cannot afford to get the Covid virus.  Consequently I have not been socializing with my friends or attending various events such as the BHF and World Show that I enjoy so much.  Hopefully I will be able to get the vaccine soon and resume my life as it was.   I keep telling myself that it will all be worth it when I get to see my March foals.  Yesterday, a package arrived for me and it brought tears to my eyes.  This beautiful pencil sketch of Rebecca (You Bet Im Cool) as a foal was drawn by Maria D'Angelo and sent to me by my good friend, Debbie Schmitz.  What a wonderful surprise and I will treasure it forever.  Life can be hard sometimes but there is definitely "light at the end of the tunnel"  Thank  you, my Face Book friends for making this time in my life bearable.

I thought today we needed a little reminder of a horse that  had so much to do with our modern quarter, paint and appaloosa horses.  The one and only THREE BARS (TB)

In an age of hot-blooded, hair-triggered racehorses, Three Bars' easygoing disposition was something of an anomaly. The Thoroughbred’s even temperament was one of the reasons he succeeded as a sire.
Bred on James N. Parrish’s Midway, Kentucky, farm, Three Bars (TB) dam, Myrtle Dee, and two other mares were bought by Jack Goode, Ned Brent and Bill Talbot in the spring of 1940. Just days after the purchase, Myrtle Dee foaled a good-looking chestnut colt. The men named the foal Three Bars, hoping he would pay off like a slot machine.
Goode placed the colt in race training as a two-year-old, but leg problems kept Three Bars from winning until he was 3. He was injured as a 3-year-old and spent most of 1944 recuperating. Three Bars returned to competition and finished the year with three wins in four starts. However, the last race was a claiming race, and Toad Haggard and Stan Snedigar took ownership of Three Bars for $2,000.
The partners hauled the stallion to Phoenix, Arizona, with the intention of breeding him to Quarter Horse mares and racing him. Hearing of the Thoroughbred, Sidney H. Vail traveled to Phoenix to inspect the stallion for breeding purposes. Liking what he saw, Vail bought Three Bars for $10,000 in 1945.

Walter Merrick of Oklahoma knew he'd hit the jackpot when he started breeding mares to Three Bars. He persuaded owner Sidney H. Vail to let him lease the stallion for three breeding seasons, 1952-54. Instead of breeding 12 or 15 mares a year, suddenly Three Bars was breeding 70. After the lease was up, Merrick hauled his best mares to wherever Three Bars was standing.
"I was criticized very sharply for introducing a Thoroughbred into the Quarter Horse industry," Merrick said. "Some people thought it was going to ruin the breed."

From 1945 to 1963, Three Bars sired 554 foals. His stud fee went from $100 in 1945 to $10,000 in 1963. His Thoroughbred progeny include Lena's Bar, the dam of Easy Jet; Lucky Bar, the sire of Impressive; and Rocket Bar, the grandsire of Dash For Cash.
Three Bars' American Quarter Horse sons include:
- Lightning Bar - AQHA Champion and Hall of Fame horse who sired 148 foals, including Hall of Famer Doc Bar, whose foals earned 8,894 points, nine world championships, four reserve world championships and 31 AQHA Champions. They have also earned more than $3,213,000 with the National Cutting Horse Association.

- Sugar Bars - halter point earner and Hall of Fame horse whose foals earned 9,896 points. He sired 36 AQHA Champions. Sugar Bars is fourth on the all-time leading sires of AQHA Champions list, followed by his sire Three Bars (TB).
- Gay Bar King - cutting money earner whose foals earned 2,729 points.
- Zippo Pat Bars - Hall of Fame horse whose foals earned 113 performance Registers of Merit. One of his most famous foals, Zippo Pine Bar, was an AQHA Champion who sired foals who earned 29 world championships and more than 74,000 points.
- Goldseeker Bars - AQHA Supreme Champion with foals who earned 5,580 points. He sired two world champions and two reserve world champions.
Debate over permanently registering the progeny of Three Bars and other Thoroughbreds in the 1950s created a severe rift within AQHA. The "bulldog" men, some of whom helped write the original description of a Quarter Horse, grudgingly accepted the inclusion of Thoroughbred offspring after the proponents of Three Bars formed their own breed registry.

On April 6, 1968, two days shy of his 28th birthday, Three Bars died from a heart attack at Merrick's ranch in western Oklahoma, where he had returned to stand the 1967 season.

At the time of his death, he was the all-time leading sire of racing ROM qualifiers, of AAA runners and of money earners, his get having earned $2,857,781. He was inducted into the American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame in 1989.

I was alone over the weekend and besides watching football for two days, I also had some time to think about many things.  Looking out my office window at the beautiful snow cover, I thought about how  Ellis Quarter Horses came about.     In my lifetime, I have bought 3 stallions and they all contributed to the improvement of our place.  First of all, when I was teaching in Montana,  before I met Mike, I bought Bar Fly Bailey who at that time was a AAA race horse.  That was when I still rode horses and  and I made him an AQHA Champion with his points being in racing, western pleasure and halter.   When I moved back to Wisconsin and met and married Mike Ellis, we bought 15 acres of bare land and proceeded to build Ellis Quarter Horses.  I was breeding Bar Fly and selling the colts to generate income.   Kay Moody Daniels from New Mexico contacted us and wanted to buy him.  We sold him for the whopping sum of $15,000 and with the money bought 15 acres of land.  The next stallion Mike and I   bought was Royal Tailwind.  I fell in love with him as a baby and my father gave us  the $3500 to buy him.  He injured his leg and the scar prevented him from showing.  When his first 3 foals arrived, Warren Ploeger from Iowa came to visit and was so impressed with the fillies, he offered to buy him.  That was a great deal for us as we were able to pay my dad back and also in the deal get 8 free breeding a year with  $5.00 a day mare care.  With the money, we bought more land and added an indoor arena to the existing 36 X 81 building.   I spent my summers hauling mares back and forth between Neenah, Wisconsin and Schaller, Iowa as that was before shipped semen.    One day on my way back from Warrens,  I stopped at Homer Danielson's place in Iowa.  Homer had been with Warren when he bought Royal.  Well, I fell in love with a baby colt by Impressive.   Looking back, I think the thing that drew me to the colt was that he was out of a Mr Tailwind mare and I was in love with Mr Tailwind.    Well, this was not a cheap colt as the stud fee on Impressive was $10,000 at that time.  Mike and I didn't have a lot of money  but I convinced him that the colt was a good investment and he agreed to talk to my father about lending us the funds to buy him.  I still remember the night we took dad out to eat and Mike being a great politician convinced him that this horse would make money for us.   The price on Impressivist as we named him was $40,000.   Well, it all turned out good as I was able to sell two young fillies by Royal Tailwind within a few months and pay my father back.    Impressivist was a very photogenic horse and Dick Waltenberry, who  is my neighbor  took awesome pictures of him.  It was then that I realized that some horses photograph well while others do not.   We ran monthly ads in the Quarter Horse Journal  and bred over 100 mares a year to him for two consecutive years.  That was also before shipped semen.   The foals were winning the futurities and we made many friends that I still have contact with to this day.   A few years later we were approached and asked if we would sell the stallion and after much thought, decided it would be the best thing for us to do.   We sold him for a lot of money and Lanis Noble who bought him  became one of my best friends.    With the funds from the sale, we continued to improve our place and also bought more land.  Those were the days when horses brought good money and were easy to sell.  I think about someone trying to do what  we did back then and I think only in a rare instance can it be done.  Times have really changed.   I do wish the horse business could be like it was but as I get older, I realize that in my opinion it will never be.

What an exciting Green Bay Packer game yesterday.  All of my horses were happy and then I saw poor Gabriel.  He looked so depressed and I wondered why.  We watched the pregame show so we could see Terry Bradshaw and that was the problem.  Terry had a svelte, young donkey on the show who was very much in shape.   I told Gabe that Terry and Tammy Bradshaw's donkey should be an incentive for him and John Krieder's Naomi to get in shape,.  After all summer is coming.

I am waiting for the "bad weather" to come tonight and was thinking about some of the horse sales that we had years ago.   A friend of mine, Janee Anderson Howells  sent me several old sales catalogs and I also have many of my own.   I thought periodically you would enjoy seeing some of them and we could discuss the sale.    I will start with this 1984 Wiescamp--Schoemaker Breeders Sale.   Interesting to note, that my good friend, Dr Bob Story was the chairman of Sales Management and that Joe Taylor was an advisor.   Leon Freeze, Ron Berndt and Scott Strong were the ring men.   The night before the sale there was a cocktail party and there was also a shuttle service to and from the sale.   Look at the prices that some of these horses brought back then.  In the future, I will post other great sales that we had in our industry.  I think the mare Skipperette whose photo was taken in 1954 be competitive today.   In any event, I would love to have her as a broodmare.

January 13, 2021

Today let me tell you about my website, www.ellisquarterhorses.com.   I am not very computer literate.  "Back then" friends thought that I should have a web site as I was standing a stallion and selling horses.   So, a good friend of mine and a "computer guru"  Rexine Kellerhall designed one for me.   She is a very talented person and I loved the web site.  The only problem was that it was through a server that I became good friends with and I actually bought my stall cameras from him.  Well, lo and behold he didn't pay for the services and one day out of the clear, my web site was gone, along with all of my pictures.  
Of course, I couldn't get in touch with him as his phone was disconnected.   I didn't know what to do.  Then out of nowhere, I received a message from Vicki Brilley Livasy, someone who I had never met before and she offered to revive the web site.   And, she has been updating and designing it ever since.  I absolutely love the way she adds little graphics to the pictures.    I don't know if there are many people that I know who have more ambition than Vicki. You horse people probably know her as the owner of Double L Acres.     She stands two very outstanding stallions, I Am The One and Telechrome and does a fantastic job with them.  She collects the stallions by herself and also breeds her own mares.   And, for those who know her, she is always upbeat and willing to help anyone besides being a very good business woman.   A few years ago, she became part of our "Village" and we love it when we can go places and see horses.   Hopefully this year, we can start doing it again.   If you aren't familiar with my webpage, please take a look.   The updates are on "Sandy's News" and the picture she used of Wilma (Classically Kool) to introduce the page is awesome.   If you are interested, the older news  is readable if you click on 2020 news and before.

Thinking back to horses that gave me the greatest thrill in my life and 3 of them come to mind.   The first and the best was the birth of Rebecca (You Bet Im Cool) in 2000.  I will never forget standing in the stall as Miss Bunny Tardee delivered her.  When she stood up, I saw all that muscle and that hanging hip and all I could think of was that I was the luckiest person in the world to own her.   Well, she is still here with me after all these years and I still feel the same way about her.    The next big thrill was when Skeeter (Miss Impressive Step) backed off the trailer.  A customer traded her as yearling to us for 2 months of fitting on his weanling filly by Impressivist.  What an outstanding filly she was with her short back and all that muscle and being NN besides.   I never thought when we made the deal, I would get a mare that looked like she did.   Her owner thought she was too small.   Skeeter was by Sir Impressive out of a Big Step bred mare.  She was NN and we sold 3 colts out of her for a total of $575,000.    Unfortunately we lost her to colic at an early age.   The last time was when I bought Jackie (Luvin Pizzazz) sight unseen from Kelly Schuring.   She had told me I would not be disappointed and when she backed off the trailer, I  immediately loved her.   She was sired by Misters Pizzazz and out of Crystal Mingo by Mr Conclusion.   We lost her to a freak accident and only were able to get one foal out of her.  I am sure many of you have horses that have left a lasting impression on you just as these three have for me.

Another beautiful day in Wisconsin and Leah Gloudemans and I couldn't help but take more pictures of the horses with the hoarfrost in the background.   This is a picture of THREE  of my favorite horses.   Wilma (Classically Kool) on the left and Patty ( Ticky Tacky Patty Wacky) on the right.  And the third favorite is the one hiding in Patty's belly which is out of Wilma and by My Intention.   Jim and Georgia Snow promised me a filly and I sure hope they keep their promises.   As you know Wilma is a half brother sister cross and in looking at her pedigree, I discovered that Kid Clu is also a half brother, sister cross as Obvious Conclusion and Conclusives Lace are both by Conclusive.

Our Wisconsin weather has been great so far this winter.    It has not been very cold and the last few days, have been beautiful.   The hoarfrost has been on the trees and it has been foggy during the day.   Leah Gloudemans and I thought it would be pretty scenery to take pictures so out we went in the snow.   As you know Leah is an excellent photographer so I gave her the camera and I kept the horses away with a whip.   This is Pebbles (Cool to be Classic)  She is now a 3 year old and is a half brother-sister cross as she is by Fred (Classically) and out of Bonnie (CJ Miss Cool Tardee)   Both parents are out of Miss Bunny Tardee by Tardee Impressive.   Pebbles is getting to be a big girl.

As I walked outside this morning and looked at the closed gates with the fog surrounding them, I thought  "At last 2020 is over and a New Year begins"   I don't think I want another year like 2020 has been.    I spent several months nursing my two old mares and unfortunately lost Bonnie (CJ Miss Cool Tardee)  Then the virus came and I chose to isolate as I can not afford to leave these animals and this place.    It has been a long haul and I don't know how I would have made it without all of you, my friends who I keep in touch with through Facebook.  Many of you I have never met but I do feel as though I know you.   Thank you for that and as I opened the gates to our place,  I hoped and prayed that  2021 will be a fantastic year for all of us.