Latest Updates at Home Again Farm
We still have some wonderful young horses for sale at the moment — from a lovely coming two year old gelding to a high quality 2009. Please see the sales page for details.
May
Our last foal for the year has arrived — an ET foal by Fidertanz out of Wolkenstanza. This is the 4th of this very consistently excellent cross for us and it did not disappoint. Meet Feather, a beautiful strong and elegant bay filly who looks like she will rival her big sister Fifi.
Rohanna, Kabibi and Frolichkeit were all leased to Prosperity Farm for 2010 foals. They have all foaled successfully and will soon be rebred. I will be breeding both Kabibi and Frolichkeit to Hotline. That stallion's first foal crop is starting under saddle this year and the youngsters seem to be stamped with excellent rideability, willingness and potential. Hotline is not a "foal maker," but he is becoming known as an excellent riding horse sire. The youngsters can lack type and pretty little heads, but they make it up when they hit three years of age and offer their riders 100%. So, with that in mind, Hotline is back on my go to list as a sire.
I am still undecided about who I will be breeding Rohanna to this year. She had a lovely bay Danone I colt for Prosperity Farm this year. If I had that semen in stock, I would be tempted to repeat the breeding. Stay tuned.
I also hope to rebreed Rubizza to Fabuleux this month. So far her breedings have not gone well, with two cycles of annovulatory follicles. I am hoping that bad luck will change very soon.
Congratulations to Tracy Rowe McEwan (MI) on the purchse of Wowdacious (Wolkentanz I/ Rubin Royal/ Donnerhall). Tracy has developed many horses to the FEI levels and I look forward to seeing her and Wowser coming down the centerline at Grand Prix someday soon. Wowser arrived safely in Michigan and can be seen below looking very happy. (5/4/10)
April
I have some new pictures of Fifi, Wolkenstanza's 2009 Fidertanz filly. She just gets better and better! This filly is the epitome of uphil and powerful, expressive movement.
On March 14th EM Wolkenstanza was bred again for a second embryo transfer foal, this time to Stedinger (the sire of two of Wintermaske's foals). It was thrilling to get an embryo the following week, which, do date is doing well. EMC Dominique had to live up to her big sister Stanza's breeding success and also presented us with an embryo from a breeding to the gorgeous young Bellissimo M son Benidetto this month. With any luck, I will be bring home the three ET recipients after they all are safely 60 days in foal. (4/30/10)
March
Wowdacious and Wunderboy went off into the big world to a breed show, where Wunderboy qualified for the regional finals and both learned about lengthy trailer rides, new places and covered arenas. What good boys. Many thanks to Andrea Hayden of Prosperity Farm who prepared and presented them so well.
Wunderboy above and Wowdacious below
EM Wintermaske was successfully bred to Bugatti Hilltop on March 15th for a full sibling to her wonderful firstborn filly EM Ballerina. EM Diva was successfully bred back to Blu Hors Romanov on the 23rd, for a full sibling to her two previous Romanov fillies, Rara Avis owned and bred by Prosperity Farm and Romanesque, her 2010 filly bred by me. EM Wolkenstanza was successfully bred to Rousseau on the 25th for a repeat of the breeding that gave us the most exceptional 2009 colt Reflektion. That was an embryo transfer breeding, as Stanza continues in training. To date, the recipient mare is holding onto that precious embryo. (rev 3/30/10)
February
I attended the American Hanoverian Society's annual convention in Concordville, PA in early February. The meeting had the bad luck to be held the same weekend that a historic snow storm hit the area, bringing blizzard conditions that prevented us from visiting Hilltop Farm for a free jumping demonstration. As ever, the AHS folks rallied and the meeting was a very useful and interesting time, despite the challenges that weather presented. I was honored to be part of a roundtable discussion on the last morning of the convention, along with fellow breeders Barbara Schmidt (Bridlewood Farm, KY), Linda Mendenhall (Hof Mendenhall, MA) and Edgar Schutte (Rainbow Equus, CA). The subject was "The Path to Success: Genesis, Missteps and Revelations." Ably moderated by Dennis Moore (who could easily be a professional Sunday morning news show moderator), the discussion was well received and fun to be a part of. I hope that future meetings will offer the same thing again with different participants, as it was fascinating to hear others perspectives and experiences and to share with them and learn from them. (rev. 2/9/10)
It is always fun to hear from the people who now own the horses I have bred. I got a report from Laura Wayman who owns HAF's first born foal, Dazzler by Der Radetzky, who is now 14 years old. Dazzie is working on his tempis and playing with piaffe and passage. He is Laura's heart horse and for that all I can do is rejoice. See him below with his proud owner.
EM Diva presented us with her fourth foal and second filly on Sunday February 21st. Romanesque is a beautiful and correct bay filly by Blu Hors Romanov. At this point she looks like a keeper, but time will tell. See a couple pics of her at less than 24 hours old below. Say tuned for more as she grows. (rev. 2/22/10)
January
Dominique made her dressage showing debut at the Ocala Winter Dressage show January 16 and 17th. She was very worried and unhappy the first day, missing her friend who was back at the barn. After a rocky first test, Domi won her next two tests (FEI four year old test and Training Level 4). She learned a lot and received very good comments and scores.
Latest updates May 12, 2010