Fall update

At long last, it finally seems a little like fall and are we ever enjoying the lovely mornings.

We had great luck at the IALHA National Show. The first class of the show was PRE 2 & under fillies and our Niza, pictured here, won! On Sunday, under a different Spanish judge, Niza again won the 2 & under filly class and best overall young filly competing against the weanling, yearling and 3 year old winners and reserves.

Macanuo also had a good show. 3rd in the PRE 3 year old stallion class but first in the ANCCE 3 year old class and best overall young male against the weanling, yearling and 2 year old winners. He also won the 3 year old futurity class so I won $1,971.00 which sure helps on show expenses.

Wanapum got a mind-blowing 86 on his functionality test which is part of the 4, 5 and 6 year old PRE championship. He was therefore crowned Nat'l PRE Junior Stallion for functionality and ended up Reserve Nat'l Champ of the overall class.

Lots of other happy news, too. Welcome to Lisa and our new boarder, Chistoso. It is amazing that I just asked aloud that the right owners and horses would come for boarding and I've been so fortunate to have several people and horses that blend in beautifully. Perfeita headed last week to New Jersey and her lovely new owner called to describe how after her long trip, Perfeita unloaded to snow such that she must have thought she was arriving on a whole other planet! I am excited that Paladin was chosen by a fun sounding owner and will ultimately be heading to South Dakota, so he'll get to experience snow also!

Great friend Lesley Harrison was here after the show for a few days and then had a short visit with Sherry and Henry from Australia and Malen which I enjoyed.

Big news is that we today had Macanuo gelded. He is related to too many of my mares to justify leaving him a hormonal stallion not being bred often. All of the serious inquiries I have had would want a gelding so perhaps this will aid in his finding his perfect permanent home. He is such a dear personality with so many great conformational attributes that it was a tough decision. I think what tipped the scales was that now we have a few riding boarders, I can just imagine the fun Mac and Valente can have trailering and heading out on trail rides and schooling shows that just seem impossible with the stallions. So hoping to make a much better life for Mac, I took the veterinary step---my vet kept asking me if I was sure as he raves about how great Mac is! So a few weeks to heal and then under saddle he goes resulting in no-doubt a great riding horse.

The other big news is my new weanling colt from Ami MacHugh is heading my way this week. I haven't seen video, only a couple of snapshot photos and haven't met in person but I have no doubt I'll be in love before he even gets down the trailer's ramp. His name is Kairo and he is black, the son of Kianto and Alegria AK. His full siblings are awesome, including IALHA Nat'l champs, Klickitat and Doña. I have huge dreams of what he'll produce with some of my mares, including my Gitano daughters, Niza and Otamisia.

As if I needed anything else to look forward to, we are starting to watch Habana and Bielsa who should be foaling in the next couple of weeks.

Happy halloween to all and best wishes for your fall and beginning of winter to be mild and beautiful.