Latest Updates at Home Again Farm
I have just finished re-designing and updating the entire website. Please let me know if you see any errors or missing links. Also the guest book is back in service after being very ill. It even offers the option of making your message private. Please sign it and let me know what you think of the new site!
We have many young horses for sale at the moment — from a lovely coming two year old gelding to two really high quality 2009 colts. Please see the sales page for details.
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 hrses 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.
December
Congratulations to Jane Gaskill, Arkansas on the purchase of Fantastica. Jane's trainer Amanda Bailey will be starting and campaigning Fanny, and later she will be Jane's personal dressage horse. I could not hope for a better situation for Fanny and look forward to her progress with Jane and Amanda.
November
Congratulations to Andrea Hayden on the purchase of Well Worth It, a full sister to our outstanding mare Wolkenstanza. Worthy joins other Home Again Farm homebreds Ballerina and Soliloquy at Andrea's Prosperity Farm in Williston FL.
Congratulations to Adrienne Drennan of Micanopy FL on the purchase of Rosabella.
Congratulations to Jeffrey and Holly Taylor of Ohio on the purchase of Royal Don.
October
I hosted my eighth Hanoverian inspection October 14th. Wolkenstanza won the MPT with a 7.66. She recieved an 8 for rideability, 8.5 for gaits (walk 8, trot 8.5 and canter 9). As expected she's no jumper and made a 5 and 6. So she is now an Elite mare. She really wowed the crown when she was warming up free. I have never seen her trot as huge or suspended.
Dominique passed her MPT with a 7.11, despite being asked to do things that she had never done before. She only made a 5/5 in jumping, but she made a 9 on rideability. She is now an Elite Candidate, and I am so very proud of her.
My foals were given extremely wonderful remarks, with foal after foal being pronounced the sort of type and movement that we should be trying to produce. It was a confidence builder to see all of them move so well and it was gratifying to see how calmly and confidently they handled being in a totally new environment. Pictures and video coming very soon!
Wolkenstanza has won the 2009 USDF Horse of the Year Mare Award and placed 2nd in the 4-5 year old mare Materiale award, missing first place by .2 percent. This was the first year that I was able to show her at enough shows to qualify for HOY, so after years of having scores that might have given her the award, it was delightful to finally win it!
September
Wolkenstanza and Dominique were shown at the Sunshine Sporthorse breed show and breed series region finals in September. On Saturday, Wolkenstanza was shown in hand and in Materiale, winning her mare class, the Mare Championship and Mature Horse Championship, with an astronomical score of 89.9, and an 8.6 on conformation, 9.2 for walk, 9.2 for trot and 9.5 for overall impression. In Materiale she made an 82.5 winning her class. She also won the Hanoverian class with an 87.9.
Dominique showed in the 3 year old filly Materiale classes both days, her very first time off the farm, first show, and only under saddle since mid-summer. She won her class with 75.3 on Saturday and 73.5 on Sunday. I was so proud of her. She never put a foot wrong, learned about being ridden in a group away from home, learned about slumber parties away from home, learned about being braided and seeing lots of new stuff (including other horses behaving badly). It was a great experience for my girl!
On Sunday, Wolkenstanza continued her winning ways, winning her Materiale class once again and being named the Finals Mare Champion for the second year in a row.
July
Wolkenstanza and Soliloquy went to their first breed show for 2009 this month. Stanza was shown in Materiale where she won with the incredible score of 86.2! The judge told us to lock her stall door. She then won the mare championship with an 83.5. Soliloquy won the filly championship. The judge was the very well respected Bill Solyntjes. (rev. 7/23/09)
Rubizza brought in the 4th of July festivities with a filly by Londonderry worthy of all manner of fireworks and parades. Lilyana is a tall, elegant young lady who at 28 hours of age looked more like a five day old foal. She is already people loving, coming up for scratches and hugs. See her in the picture below, and read more about Lilyana on her own page.
Lilyana 28 hours old saying hi
Wintermaske will be bred sometime the week of July 5th to Londonderry. Hoping that this breeding will be successful!
Wolkenstanza's ET breeding to Fidertanz is successful so far. She was bred a 2nd time for another ET, this time with Stedinger. We flush on July 9th — my fingers and toes are firmly crossed!
Maya reports that Dominique is proving to be quite the protégé under saddle. She raves about her quickness to learn and to please. After less than a month under saddle she is showing great balance in the trot and canter and a wonderful, happy and generous attitude. Pictures coming very soon. (rev. 7/7/09)
June
Breeding is well under way and this year has not been terribly kind. Three embryo transfer attempts to rebreed Rohanna to Wolkentanz I failed. This year my partner Andrea Hayden with Prosperity Farm has leases to breed Rohanna, Kabibi and Frolichkeit. With 8 foals from 2009, I figured fewer for 2010 might be a wise move. Andrea was successful in breeding all three and is expecting a Danone from Rohanna, another Wolkentanz I from Kabibi and a Hotline from Frolichkeit. I was successful in breeding Diva to Romanov. Wintermaske was bred to Stedinger and was in foal, but lost it at about 40 days. I will try to rebreed her soon. Stanza has been bred to Fidertanz for another ET. She double ovulated and I await the flush with great anticipation, hoping for two embryos.
Rubizza has gone to Prosperity Farm where she is due to foal in late June. I am so anxious to see her next foal, as she is bred to Londonderry, a new and exciting cross.
Dominique is being started under saddle by my trainer Maya Sniadecky, who is raving about her easy temperament, willingness to learn and work and potential. I'll get pictures of her under saddle soon, but here is a confomation picture of her as she was just turning three — a solid 16.3 hands.
Wolkenstanza remains in training with Maya, and we will show her in hand and under saddle lightly through the fall.
The 2009 babies are just sensational. I have never had such a high quality foal crop and am enjoying watching them develop so much. Pictures below and on each of their pages:
Fifi — Wolkenstanza's Fidertanz filly — definitely a keeper!
Wunderboy — Wintermaske's Wamberto colt — shedding into a very elegant fellow
Reflektion — Wolkenstanza's Rousseau colt continues to thrill me with his uphill way
Wowdacious — Kabibi's Wolkentanz I colt — his name says it all — if he was black he would be long gone
Rosabella — Frolichkeit's lovely Rascalino filly — her price has been lowered, as I have too many babies — someone should snap this little girl up
I have new pictures of my older youngsters too.
Fantastica is growing into a beautiful lady. She is two years old and will be ready for work next year. She is so much like her mama Rubizza. I am thrilled with her.
Also developing beautifully are the 2008 geldings.
Royal Don continues to develop into a very leggy and elegant boy. His hindleg is quick and his shoulder free.
Hot To Trot is starting to leave his gangly side behind.
Fidelio was sold in May and has gone to Oregon. Here he is with his new owner Leah Moore. We miss our beautiful black prince, but could not be more pleased with his new home.
March
The babies are almost all here. The first of the two Fidertanz embryo transfers from Wolkenstanza arrived April 5th, while Stanza was competing at a dressage show! Meet Fantom, an elegant fellow who is very nearly a clone of Fidelio, Stanza's 2008 Fidertanz foal.
Fantom, a colt by Fidertanz (above)
Next to arrive was the second ET from Wolkenstanza. The two Fidertanz foals are the result of a double ovulation, so I suppose they could almost be considered twins. Meet Fifi, Stanza' beautiful new daughter by Fidertanz.
Fifi, a Fidertanz filly from our beloved Wolkenstanza (above)
Next to arrive (and our last foal until Rubizza's Londonderry comes in June) is a gorgeous filly by Rascalino out of Frolichkeit. Meet the beautiful and sweet Rosabella.
Rosabella, Fro's new Rascalino filly, above
March
Arriving in a flurry of activity were two on the same night (March 28th) — a colt by Rousseau out of Wolkenstanza (an embryo transfer foal) and a colt by Rousseau's son Wamberto out of EM Wintermaske. Here are Reflektion and Wunderboy.
Reflektion by Rousseau, above
Wunderboy by Wamberto, above
On March 26th, Kabibi presented us with a simply gorgeous chestnut colt by Wolkentanz I. Here is Wowdacious. Stay tuned for more pictures on his own page soon.
Not to be upstaged, two more mares foaled on March 28th! Wolkenstanza's Rousseau foal arrived by embryo transfer. The surrogate mama Missy did an outstanding job carrying this big baby for Stanza. Meet Reflektion at less than 12 hours old — named because he is an absolute mirror image of his mama Stanza, complete to the feather whorl in the middle of his forehead. Stay tuned for more pictures on his own page very soon.
A few hours later Wintermaske finally produced her Wamberto foal. Winter held onto this baby boy for 368 days, but he is well worth the wait. He was born a little thin, but within hours was making up for lost time in the grocery department, nursing vigorously. Meet Wunderboy very soon on his own page.
And here is an updated picture of our new full sister to Wolkenstanza, Well Worth It. She just gets more and more beautiful.
Wolkenstanza went to her first two dressage shows this month. Showing at Craning Level, a very green Stanza is pulling 70s. She began very afraid of the other horses in the warm up areas, but by the second day was handling busy warm up quite well. We will show her a few more times this year and then work toward the five year old FEI Young Horse test for 2010.
Only other breeders can understand how gratifying it is to be connected again with a horse that they bred and the lost touch with for a time. Royal Destinie was my first homebred filly's first foal. She sold as a yearling and then sold again two times before landing in her current home. By serendipity alone I found her. She is now owned and adored by Amanda Paris of North Carolina. Royal and Amanda are a match made in heaven. Royal is schooling Third Level, has her changes and has been quite successful in NC in dressage. According to Amanda, her 2008 end of the year awards include: first in second level NCDCTA HOY, 3rd in first level states, 2nd in second level states, and 5th in the Hanoverian Society for first level. Good going Amanda and Royal!!!
Obviously the love is mutual
January
Rohanna presented us with a beautiful black filly by Wolkentanz I on January 24th. She is a full sister to our outstanding young mare Wolkenstanza. Here she is soundly sleeping on her first day in the world. Please visit Well Worth It (Worthy) on her own page.
The mares are getting close to foaling. All look wonderful. Below are the three embryo transfer ladies. Left to right are Missy (carrying a Rousseau/ Wolkenstanza foal), Mama's Poundcake and Shine On (each carrying Fidertanz/ Wolkenstanza foals):
Below is the beautiful Kabibi (Rubin Royal / Donnerhall) in foal to Wolkentanz I:
Our new puppy is growing up and learning to be a good girl. Trixie at 7 months showing off her new trick — sitting and staying.
Latest updates February 23, 2010