The Blarney Fall edition. North West Sport Horse Breeders association Show. agm Financials. the irish Horse Fair

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1 The Blarney 2009 Fall edition North West Sport Horse Breeders association Show agm Financials the irish Horse Fair Royal Dublin Show - the teenage experience an Opinion Shared - What to breed for in a Sport Horse Vet s Corner - Sand Colic and MORe... Member News Regional Reports Board News Calendar Forms

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3 The Blarney - Fall The official Newsletter of the Irish Draught Horse Society of North America Inc. Next CONTENT Deadline: DECEMBER 05, ANNUAL YAERBOOK EDITION See Page 3 - Calendar for updated The Blarney Yearbook Deadline Co-Editors: Judie Framan - JAFraman@aol.com Kate Triplett - theblarney@irishhuntersandjumpers.com Advertising/Design/Production: Laurie Monroe 9885 NW 127th Court, Ocala, FL (352) / blarney@grafxbylaurie.com The IDHSNA Inc. is a North American organization recognized and approved by the IDHS Ireland and the IHB, to register Irish Draught and Irish Draught Sport Horses. The Blarney is the official newsletter of the IDHSNA and is published quarterly. The Blarney assumes no responsibility for the truth or accuracy of the advertisements contained herein. Statements, opinions, and points of view expressed by the contributors and advertisers are not necessarily those of The Blarney staff and/or the IDHSNA Inc. We reserve the right to edit any editorial materials received and deny placing advertising or written material that is deemed damaging or contrary to the goals of the Society. The Blarney is copyrighted by the IDHSNA Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be re-printed in any form without the written permission of the IDHSNA Inc. Subscriptions: The Blarney is included with most memberships. Non-members may subscribe to The Blarney for $30 per year. Contributions: Articles, photos, news items, and horse show results are always welcome. Contact the Editors at the addresses listed above. Advertising: Advertising rates are available from the editor, online at or in The Blarney OFFICERS & Directors at large President: Larry Robbins / kilronan3@yahoo.com Vice President: Charles Yates / charles@tullycrossfarm.com Secretary: Lyn Lindstrom / tllindstrom@earthlink.net Treasurer: Sarah McMullen / mcmullenfarms@yahoo.com Directors: Brianne Sells / briannes@aol.com Fleur Bryan / fleur@parkmorestud.com Jim McGinty / jmcginty3@comcast.net IDHSNA Registration Services: Priscilla Menard 4037 Iron Works Parkway, Suite 160 Lexington, KY Phone: (859) / Fax: (858) Information Officer: Rachael Cox HC65 Box 45 Pleasant Mount, PA Phone: IDHSNA-1 / info@irishdraught.com Member Services Coordinator: Priscilla Menard 4037 Iron Works Parkway, Suite 160, Lexington, KY Phone: (859) / Fax: (858) idhsna@hotmail.com FRONT COVER PHOTO Cradilo In the Barn (see story on Cradilo and Amy Hunter on Page 21). Photo courtesy Karen Young. From Our President... by Larry D. Robbins, IDHSNA President The time has flown by, and I cannot believe this will be my last report for the year. As the year comes to a close, I would like to bring to your attention just a few of the highlights from this past year. First, I wish to mention that this year the IDHSNA became the Title Sponsor for the United States Eventing Associations (USEA) Future Event Horse (FEH) series. Your Board was able to make this happen in less than two weeks, and I am still amazed at how it all came together. The USEA has more FEH Series classes and championships set up this year than they anticipated, thanks to volunteers from within our Society who stepped forward to make this happen. This is (in my opinion) a first big step in prime time for advertising the Irish Draught and Irish Draught Sport Horse. Second, your Board of Directors has approved the formation of a Breeding Committee. This is a critical first step to get us headed in the right direction in keeping better records of the Irish Draught herd. The Breeding Committee will report back to the Society on how we are doing in sustaining our breed. Third, I wish to report that we as a Society have participated, as sponsors, at more equestrian events than ever before. It should also be noted that you, the membership, are successfully participating at these and other venues - which goes to show that if we make the effort to get our horses out, people will stop and take notice. Our Society has horses competing in just about every discipline, and the response to our horses is wonderfully positive. Fourth, we have more new people getting involved and volunteering, and we need to keep this momentum going. If you are not helping now, I would ask you to call a board member and ask how you can be more active. Look for a committee or volunteer to work on a show. These are just two of the many opportunities that we never have enough support for. And last but not least, I want to let everybody know what a really terrific job your Board of Directors has done for you this year. They have put in countless hours to keep us headed in the right direction. So please, when you have the time and opportunity, be sure you thank them for all their hard work and the personal sacrifices they have made, to be the best representative for you that they can be. In closing, I wish to thank you for your support this year, and I am looking forward to next year. BLARNEY DATES - ANNUAL EDITION ADS DUE 12/01/2009 CONTENT DUE 12/05/2009 DEVELOP/REVIEW 01/12/2010 APPROVE 01/15/2010 PRINT/MAIL 01/22/ Fall Edition - T he Blarney Page 1

4 2009 IDHSNA Board of Directors & Notices... executive OFFiCeRS: President Larry Robbins White Marsh Lane Lovettsville, va (h) Vice President Charles Yates 2450 Frizzellburg Road Westminster, MD (h) Secretary Lyn Lindstrom 1399 S.W. Clevenger Lane Port Orchard, WA (h) treasurer Sarah McMullen Sylvan Place Magnolia, TX (h) (f) DiReCtORS at large: Jim Mcginty 2301 S. Millbend Drive The Woodlands, TX (h) Brianne Sells Yellow Schoolhouse Rd. Round Hill, va (h) Fleur Bryan 1279 Bates Lane Smithfield, KY (h) RegiONal CHaiRS: Central Region (IL, IN, IA, KS, MN, MO, MI, NE, WI, ND, SD, Ontario, Manitoba) Susan Jensen 91 Flint Drive, Lake Barrington, IL (h) Southwest Region (AZ, CA, CO, NM, Nv, UT) Shirley Kahlert 1531 N. gurr Road Atwater, CA (h) Northwest Region (AK, HI, ID, MT, OR, WY, WA; British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan) Jess Walker 221 Maplewood Lane Cocolalla, ID (h) Northeast Region (CT, ME, MA, NH, NJ, NY, OH, PA, RI, vt, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Quebec) Cori Oehley 108a High Street Upton, MA (h) Southeast Region (AL, DE, FL, ga, KY, MD, NC, SC, TN, va, Wv) Sue Rowdon P.O Box 78 Hartwood, va (h) South Central Region (TX, OK, AR, LA, MS, Mexico) Bill Appel 101 Sena Drive Metairie, LA (h) elections... NOMiNatiON information Nomination Forms, Nominations Acceptance Forms and Pen Portraits are due no later than November 1, 2009 to Lyn Lindstrom. Pen portraits should be no longer than 300 words. Please see Pages 25 and 26 for the Nomination Forms. attention all WRiteRS / PHOtOgRaPHeRS Do you have a special Irish Draught horse story you want to share? Do you know an ID or IDSH that deserves more notice? What Irish Draft breeders, trainers and riders would you like to see interviewed? Do you have advice you d like to give about breeding or showing Irish Draught horses? Have you already published an article you d like to share with a wider audience? Do you have a really great photo that the world should see? IDHSNA is creating an author/article bank to help publicize the qualities and achievements of the breed. Tell us a little about yourself and your involvement with Irish Draught horses and describe the kinds of articles you have written or would like to write. Or send in articles or photos you d like to share with a larger audience (be sure to give us permission to use them). Many thanks for helping us spread the word about our magnificent Irish Draught horses. SUSaN JeNSeN susan@bellwetheririshdraughts.com Page Fall Edition - T he Blarney

5 In This Issue... From the President BOD Contacts IDHSNA Calendar Financials Membership Report Region Reports North West Sport Horse Breeders Association Show My Perspective - The Irish Horse Fair Member News Royal Dublin Show - The Teenage Experience vet s Corner - Sand Colic An Opinion Shared - What to Breed for in a Sport Horse IDHSNA 2010 Nomination Forms IDHSNA Member Advertising Order Form IDHSNA Stallion Service Auction Form advertiser index Oak Hill Farm [Bridon Irish Draughts, LLC] Inside Front Cover Kleary Field BenMar Farm Hunter s Trap Farm Adsagsona Farm, LLC Inside Back Cover Late Breaking News: The IDHSNA Annual Show had good representation from the South East, North East and Central Regions. Thank you to all competitors, supporters, member attendees, volunteers, show committee personnel and the public who attended... It was a great show and you ALL made it possible! Please watch for results, photographs and more in the upcoming 2009 annual edition of the Blarney! If you are interested in advertising in our fabulous Annual Edition, don;t forget to contact Laurie Monroe at blarney@grafxbylaurie.com to reserve your space... Please be sure to complete a reservation form - found on page 27 of this edition! idhsna Calendar OCtOBeR st - Stallion Auction Entrants Info Due 1st thru 4th IDHSNA Annual Show, va 1st - Nominating Committee Report to Members 31st - SWR Performance Award Deadline 31st - Deadline for Budget Items to Treasurer, Review of all Committees, Programs, Policies etc. NOVeMBeR st - Record Date, Independent Nominations Due 10th - Ballots go Out 15th - Budget Due DeCeMBeR 2009 NOTE: all 2009 foal registration due to avoid late fee 1st - YEARBOOK The Blarney Advertising Deadline 5th - YEARBOOK The Blarney Content Deadline 1st - IDHSNA 2010 Calendars mailed to 2009 members and available for purchase 10th - IDHSNA Ballots Returned 15th - Year End Award Cards Due 15th - IDHSNA Stallion Reports Due JaNUaRY st - Membership Fee Due FeBRUaRY 2010 Feb 15-Mar 7 - Stallion Service Auction MaRCH st Annual Show RFP Let Date 10th - Spring The Blarney Advertising Deadline 15th - Spring The Blarney Content Deadline 11th Annual Show RFP Intent to Bid Letter Due 31st - Memberships Considered Lapsed april st Annual Show Proposal Deadline 23rd - IDHSNA Office 3rd Anniversary, KHP MaY st Annual Show Final Proposal Due JUNe st - RFP Annual Show Review Committee begins review 1st - Deadline for Inspection Applications 30th - Board Announces 2011 Annual Show Selection 30th - Nominating Committee Appointed JUlY th - Summer The Blarney Advertising Deadline 15th - Summer The Blarney Content Deadline august st - Nominating Committee Nominee Deadline SePteMBeR st - IDHSNA 2010 Calendar Photos Due 10th - Fall The Blarney Advertising Deadline 15th - Fall The Blarney Content Deadline TBD - IDHSNA Annual general Meeting Scheduled TBD - Inspection Schedule Begins 2009 Fall Edition - T he Blarney Page 3

6 Financials Treasurer s Report - October 2, 2009 So far, 2009 has been a steady year for the Society in the realm of finances. Since becoming Treasurer in May 2008, we have made great strides in efficiency and accountability of our financials. JANUARY 1 THROUGH AUGUST 31, 2009 Balance Sheet Attached, you will see our Balance Sheet and Income Statement for the year through the close of August accounting. I am pleased by our positive net income to date of $7, Our Balance Sheet currently shows the following cash on hand: $ 4, NE Region Account (Restricted) $ NW Region Account (Restricted) $ 3, Chase WEG Checking (Restricted) $ Chase WEG Savings (Restricted) $ 4, SE Region Account (Restricted) $ Paypal Account $ 4, PNC KHP Office Account $17, Northern Trust Account $20, PNC General Operating $55, TOTAL We are carrying two receivables: $3,000 of seed money that we expect to be returned at the conclusion of the Annual Show; and $29,681 relating to the prior Tilton embezzlement. As Sue Rowdon posted to the Notices list, we expect to receive $17,000 cash toward that receivable by October 7th, and an additional $14, to be paid over time to us after it is obtained by Sacramento County. Thanks to Sue and everyone involved for their efforts in recovering this money. We were pleased to see an increase in Membership dollars this year ($16,870) and another strong year for Registrations and Inspections ($30,717). Additional sources of income in 2009 were the Stallion Service Auction and 2009 IDHSNA Calendar. Both of these items will be returning in 2010 and will contribute to next year s income stream. Our MSC, Priscilla Menard, has done a wonderful job of working with me to account for payments to the Society and increasing the efficiency and accuracy of our accounting. Many thanks to her! The new check scanner we had installed a few months ago has been a great asset to us both. I will be working with the Board and Finance Committee in the next month to finalize the 2010 Budget. We hope to continue supporting Regional events through advertising and sponsorships. With all that said, I welcome your comments, questions, and suggestions at any time. Please feel free to contact me via any of the methods listed below. Respectfully Submitted, Sarah McMullen, IDSHNA Treasurer Sylvan Place, Magnolia, Texas cell / fax mcmullenfarms@yahoo.com Page Fall Edition - T he Blarney

7 Financials - Profit & Loss... AS OF AUGUST 31, 2009 Profit & Loss 2009 Fall Edition - T he Blarney Page 5

8 idhsna MeMBeRSHiP VieW Numbers audited to August 20, 2009 Membership Report and Notices Honorary lifetime Single Family Farm Junior Renewed Non-Voting Voting Voting Voting Voting Non-Voting INT CE NE NW SC SE SW totals idhsna life MeMBeRS Elizabeth Drake (34) Maggie Tyler (47) Brianne Sells (56) Brian gwartz (100) James W. Cogdell (111) Sue Rowdon (270) Rachel Cox (304) Patricia Orgas (311) Jutta Heinsohn (377) Laurie Monroe (378) Charles Yates (511) Marion g. georgiev (522) Karen Cobb (883) Susan Yates (914) James B. Keogh (993) Patrick J. Flannery (1117) Melissa Cason (1119) Andrea Duncan (1178) Lisa Kemp (1199) idhsna FaRM MeMBeRSHiPS Playland Farm LLP (184) Diane Player Dunhallow Stables (585) Dona Pledge & Scott Lowe Lisette & Mary Anne Healy (641) Blackberry Ridge Farm LLC (643) Tracy and Debbie Donns Kilronan Irish Draughts (679) Michelle & Larry Robbins Bridon Irish Draughts (908) Brianne Sells Kilfani Farm (946) Barbara Zylbert & Todd Saldinger Mac Bradaigh Farm (1130) gerard Brady & Margaret Smith Bit O Magic Farm (1151) Cindy Allen Shamrock Farm/Heart Mountain Irish Draughts (1168) Stanly & Suzanne Peters idhsna FaRM MeMBeRSHiPS (con t) Tapestry Farm (1192) Sharon & Travis Boothe Orkney Endeavors, LLC (1223) Lisa Parent and Christine Washburn Top gun Stables, LLC (1246) Colleen Spencer & Ann O Donnell Whelan of Clare Farm (1251) Herbert E. & Linda Buhl III IT S NOT TOO EARLY TO RENEW YOUR MEMBERSHIP! get A JUMP-START ON EvERYONE AND SHOW YOUR SUPPORT FOR YOUR IDHSNA. HAvE YOU REgISTERED YOUR FOALS YET? get YOUR REgISTRATIONS IN WELL BEFORE YOU NEED THEM!! ALWAYS THE WISE CHOICE... alert - STALLION OWNERS: THE IDHSNA IS RUNNINg THE STALLION SERvICE AUCTION AgAIN IN 2010 AND WE ARE SIgNINg HORSES UP NOW!!! IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN DONATINg A BREEDINg, PLEASE USE THE FORM ON THE INSIDE BACK COvER OF THIS EDITION OF THE BLARNEY. Page Fall Edition - T he Blarney

9 Regional Reports... NorthWest Region report Jess Walker, North West Region Chair, August 2009 We in the NW have had a busy summer. The foal crop has proved to be nothing less than absolutely gorgeous. Manu Forti s Touch Down has done a fine job during his first year of producing offspring. Ann Cummings has progeny of Snowford O Donnell out in training for dressage and doing well. Lucy and Chris Stevenson s daughter, Anna has started showing their young horses. Ballinakill Glory IDSH. Photo courtesy Lucy Stevenson. We have been soliciting local Event organizers to think about hosting FEH series at their venues starting in My goal is to have at least 2 for the 2010 season. Rebecca Farm was a huge success for the Irish breed, as Ballinakill Glory once again took first place overall in the CCI 3*. She had the lead from the beginning and never let it go! We were well represented by many Irish Horses. Jaunty Star from Canada did an excellent job and was the only RID at the Event. Thank you to all the donations received to make this year one of the best representations from the Irish contingency that Rebecca Farm has seen. Our booth was spectacular, thanks to Angela Dringman, Lucy Stevenson and daughters, Guy Decorte, Bill Appel, Saorise Irish Draughts (Ted & Lyn Lindstrom and Dale Skrivanich), Jim McGinty, and Liz McFarland (I hope I haven t forgotten anyone). We were graced by a visit from Gina Miles. Unfortunately, she was unable to bring McKinlaigh. Also present was Amy Tryon, Capt. Mark Phillips, and Tremaine Cooper, to name a few. Rumor has it that Rebecca Farm has put in a bid for the World Cup Finals for the near future! The USEA was present but so busy with the event and hosting a continuing education class on Course Design, Emily Daily and Josh Walker were unable to stop by this year. I, however was fortunate enough to be able to take advantage of the class and attend the 3 day seminar. It was an excellent class with instructors Mark Phillips and Tremaine Cooper. I walked away with the knowledge to design cross-country and Stadium courses. After an apprenticeship and a final test, I can become certified. Kate Triplett has been very busy coordinating, planning, suggesting and accomplishing getting an Irish Hunter division included for the NWSHBA show in September. This has undoubtedly been a huge undertaking, and we appreciate her efforts. It promises to be great fun and another opportunity to show off our pure and partbreds to the other horse breeds out there. This show is typically a dressage show and so is very competitive for our breed, as most exhibitors don t know who we are. But the comments received do say they like the Irish horses! One of our members has a terrific story to tell about her Irish horse. Adena Ray. See Member News for more. NorthEast Regional Report Cori Oehley September 17, 2009 The Northeast is proud to report that the Denny Emerson Irish Horse Event was a great success. The 14 clinic riders all agree that Denny s two-day clinic far surpassed their expectation. The positive, supportive energy was contagious to all who attended. Our guests, Aidan O Connell, Noel Mullin, and George Chapman contributed to the authenticity of the event. The people and horses made it powerful and important, Tamarack Hill made it majical, Denny and May Emerson made it a dream come true for us all. Denny was very impressed with the IDHSNA members as well as fascinated by the education our guest from Ireland had to offer. Thank you Tony Lambert, for guiding me threw every step of way including my connection to Ireland. Ann Morss and Sarah Batzing not only brought Aidan O Connell; they supplied us with enough Guinness to put the stamp of validity on the weekend. Good job Annie and Sarah. Lorrie Abrams, Michelle Robbins, Pam Martin, Sara Batzing, Sjana McClure, Nanette Levin, Fiona Pater, Jenn Ferree, and Tim Doyle were the IDHSNA members who had horses participate. Several other members traveled long distances to audit. The nonmembers with Irish Draught bred horses were flocking to Brianne Sells to learn more about their horse s bloodlines. Membership/registration packages were all gone by the end of the weekend. We appreciate our South East contribution so very much. Nanette Levin was able to get copies of her new book, Turning Challenging Horses into Willing Partners, as a special edition, hot off the presses for our event. The book will be available to the public in January Inspections are October 6 at Tahuri Farm in Upton, Massachusetts. Early birds will get a demonstration at 10:00 am and the inspection will begin at 12:00 noon. A reception for the inspectors will follow at my home in Upton. All are invited Fall Edition - T he Blarney Page 7

10 Regional Reports... As a final and very personal note, thank you, Denny and May, for taking a chance with me. You allowed me the freedom to take my vision and develop it into an event that, with your experience and guidance, exceeded expectation. It was an honor and a privilege to work with you. SOUTHEast Regional Report Sue Rowdon - September 17, 2009 It seems like just yesterday, I was looking forward to summer activities in the SER. The months have sped by and our members are busy legging up for fall. Cubbing has started, end of competition year dressage shows are scheduled, eventers are practicing to move up a level, trail riders are looking forward to the end of horsefly season! We had an adventure this summer. Our IDSH, Overdraft (aka Dan), was a test horse for the new slow motion digital gait analysis video taping that will be an integral part of the new service offered by the Marion DuPont Scott Equine Medical Center. The technicians kept saying how impressed they were with his attitude toward this new experience. He wasn t bothered by the treadmill, the dark room and bright lights, or the strange equipment around him. It only took him a few minutes to catch on that we wanted him to keep his chest up to the chest bar so he stayed within camera range. The biggest problem we had was remembering to spell walk or trot so Dan didn t change his gait too early when the videographer wanted the tech to change the treadmill speed. Gotta love the Irish Draught brain! The 2009 IDHSNA Annual Show committee has been working feverishly to put on a great weekend for all to enjoy. So I hope you will Come, Show, Learn, Network, and Party with fellow Irish Draught enthusiasts at the Virginia Horse Center, Oct 1-4. Southwest Region REPORT Shirley Kahlert, Southwest Region Chair stoneleigh@clearwire.net / Page 8 Blue Suede Shoes, ID Mary Anne Healey and Lisette Healey of Ride Irish have a lot going on right now. Lisette will compete on Coronea Son at Twin Rivers at the end of September at Training level and get the youngstock Blue Suede Shoes, Louise, and Podrick ready for the FEH at Twin River. Louise and Podrick are both by Coronea Loughine, an imported Irish Draught Sport Horse. Blue Suede Shoes is a purebred colt by Bridon Beale Street and out of Mac s Hero. Mary Anne is getting ready for hunt season with the Red Rock Hounds in the Reno Nevada area. She plans on hunting Mia Hero and Macs Hero, both purebred Irish Draught mares. Lisette speaks with clear enthusiasm on the Louise, IDSH subject of Irish Draught and Irish Draught Sport Horses. She comments, The Irish horse is born a domesticated people pleaser. From day one, this large leprechaun wants to be in your pocket, be brushed, and help you clean Conor McMahan, IDSH paddocks. All of this is good, providing you let them know they are horses, not your oversized canines. She continues, My love for the Irish horse lies with their wonderful minds and great intelligence. Being that jumping is a natural discipline of Conor McMahan, with mother Molly this breed, training for jumping comes very easily to them. Because they are so intelligent, these horses take care of themselves, therefore taking care of their rider. They are a hardy horse, having ample bone without being course, making them strong and balanced. The Irish horse is athletic and intelligent, mak- Podrick, IDSH ing them great Three Day Eventers, Show Jumpers, and Field Hunters Fall Edition - T he Blarney

11 Regional Reports... Tim Beckman of Santa Fe New Mexico is equally enthusiastic about his Irish Draught Sport Horse colt, Conor McMahan by Seamus Coille Mor (RID) out of Chance s Molly McMahan (TWHBEA) Conor is 15.1 hands at two years and two months, and as Tim states, built like a little tank. Tim continues, he is calm, gentle and willing and shows great potential. He has a wonderful extended, floating trot and breaks to a slow smooth canter. Conor s story has a poignant side. His dam, Molly, was Tim s main hunt horse who died of cancer a year and a half ago. Tim comments, Conor is all I have left of her legacy. I hope in four or five years he will be my main hunt horse. We are certain, with such athletic parents that he will be. Quick Roundup: Orlyla Ramey continues to compete on Galanta, and recently presented a freestyle at a benefit for disabled riders. Cindy Romero continues to compete with JP Young, and Karen Young of Kleary Field Farm reports that they did well in jumpers at the Labor Day Woodside show. Connie Arthur of Lone Tree Farm will compete Bridon Beale Street in the upcoming October Event at Woodside. South Central Region Report Bill Appel, SC Region Chair shapel@bellsouth.net / We are very excited to host our regional inspection at Crowndale Farm on October 9th. Thanks to the Lurixes for hosting us again this year. We will have several fine horses there, and invite y all to attend to learn and visit with us. Please contact me if you would like to attend or have any questions. We have several regional horse trial events coming up this fall at Greenwood (Weatherford, TX), Meadowcreek (Kosse, TX), Pine Hill (Bellville, TX), and Holly Hill (Benton, LA). We will report our member s success at those in the Yearbook Blarney issue. The McMullen s of Tiogar Farm in Magnolia, TX, are happy to report that their mare, Harkaway Diamond Lass RID (by KEC Double Diamond out of Misty River Lass), is recovering splendidly from colic surgery. Their vet (who submitted the sand colic article for this issue) removed 100 lbs of sand from her! He says she should be fully functional by November and able to ride, jump, and breed. Debbie Fullilove of Deanfield Farm is happy to report that her mare, Fossa Queen RID (by Holycross out of Correen Chestnut), is in foal to her stallion, Braveheart RID (by O Leary s Irish Diamond out of Kilbline). Fossa Queen s previous owner, Beth Limbert, is extremely excited that this mare eventually has the opportunity to make her contribution to the purebred herd. Fossa Queen is 17 years old, and, all going well, this will be her maiden foal. We welcome all members to add us as a friend on Facebook. Look us up under South Central Region of the Irish Draught Horse Society of North America. We are so excited to already have 40 friends! Lastly, with football season upon us, I have to say Geaux Tigers for LSU! 2009 Fall Edition - T he Blarney Page 9

12 North West Sport Horse Breeders Association Show... by Kate Triplett Thursday, September 3, dawned cool and crisp. Good weather to haul horses. We loaded up two broodmares with their foals in the big trailer, and the two-year-old gelding in the little one, and hit the road for Spanaway, Washington, and the 2009 NW Sporthorse Breeders Association s annual Breeder s Classic shows, where we would meet with our trainer (hauling two older geldings!) over the Labor Day weekend. This is a USEF, USDF and USH- JA rated event for national points and USDF Region 6 and USHJA Zone 9 standings. It is primarily a youngstock show, showing in-hand, with some Materiale classes for the threes and fours. Friday, Saturday and Sunday are all run as separate shows to give competitors the chance to get in three sets of placings/points before four judges in one weekend. Hunter day was double judged! This year, Friday was added for Hunter Breeding classes, which we were all excited about! Several of our incredibly generous IDHSNA members supported the show with donations of money and goods to sponsor and award the classes, and not just for the Irish horses. One donation was of enough leather halters and leads to award the first place horse in EVERY Hunter Breeding class. These acts of generosity really blew the Board of NWSHBA away. braided and initial cleanup done by showtime. Sleep??? Not likely. I was up Friday night until 2AM grooming and Warrior s Marque (IDSH) by Braveheart (RID) x Worldly Remarque (TB). Shown by Jessica Wisdom. Photo courtesy Carolynn Bunch Photography. prepping, and putting the most beautiful set of Irish rosette button braids into Ollie s mane for the next day s exhibition. Poor Kip, our teenage helper was my intrepid right hand for grooming. His introduction to sporthorses came with our Irishbreds, and he fell for them wholeheartedly. After seeing the gamut of warmbloods exhibited at this show, he announced afterward that his sights are now set on the Irish horse - another convert to the Cause! Dreams Come True (IDSH) by Snowford O Donnell (RID) x Always Pleasing (TB). Shown by Jennifer Stevens. Photo courtesy Carolynn Bunch Photography The IDHSNA was well represented at this show, as Director at Large Jim McGinty, former Director at Large Jennifer Stevens, current Executive Secretary Lyn Lindstrom, and Northwest Region Chair Jess Walker all came to attend and, in some cases, to show horses! The Board of NWSHBA asked if we could provide a speaker for the Saturday night dinner, and I volunteered Jim. He graciously complied and gave a lovely talk on the history of the Irish Draught, to a round of applause and many comments afterward. The working crew had our grubby little hands full with prep and care of all the stock, which included: three mare and foal pairs, one yearling ID filly, one large size RID stallion, one two-year-old IDSH gelding, one three-year-old IDSH gelding, and one five-year-old RIDSH gelding. Rick and I, and Kip and Jennifer, showing, and ALL of us (including a couple of other friends and one of Rick s clients!) doing horse holding in the warm-up, grooming, braiding, rebraiding, washing, mucking, walking, trying to catch up to ourselves. Thank goodness Jess and Jim Walker were self contained and Gabriel was SUCH a good boy! The Friday classes were set back to the late afternoon because of a warmblood inspection taking up the first half of the day, which did give us a chance to get most of the horses Page 10 When Jennifer Stevens left for home Saturday night, it left a huge hole in our handler line-up. Let me tell you all that this lady is a real live PRO at showing. We handed her our big gelding Dreams Come True IDSH, who at 17:2hh-plus is a lot of horse to keep up with. She ran him to a blue ribbon in Hunter Breeding over a local big gun RPSI STALLION who was handled by his professional owner. Jennifer also did yeoman s duty on our big broodmare Always Pleasing, who was not at all pleased to be showing this year and was rather a handful. Her huge powerful filly by Ollie, Pretty Please, handled by Kip, won several blues and was very well received by the judges. O Donnell s Tahoma (RIDSH) by Snowford O Donnell (RID) x Snookie s Girl (TB). Ridden by Saacha DeAmborossio. Photo: Carolynn Bunch Photography Braveheart RID son Warrior s Marque IDSH (named Wampum by Rick) 2009 Fall Edition - T he Blarney

13 North West Sport Horse Breeders Association Show... did us proud. He was last year s IDHSNA In-Hand I Champion, and so far this year, he is the colts and geldings Champion for NWSHBA in Dressage Breeding classes. This beautiful big bright bay will be putting the Irish Draught Sport Horse on the map in our region. He really got the attention of everyone there with his style and substance. This is a world class colt in any lineup. Lyn Lindstrom s five-year-old IDSH gelding, O Donnell s Tahoma, did very well, winning his Hunter Under Saddle classes. He was also well-received in his Hunter Breeding in hand class with another blue ribbon. Trained and ridden by Saacha DeAmborossio, he was immaculately turned out and beautifully presented by Saacha. Our stallion, Manu Forti s Touch Down RID, AKA Ollie, met his first purebred foal, Saoirse s Abhailli (owned by Lyn Lindstrom and Dale Skrivanich), the filly we were all praying for from Mac s Colmerin RID, she is absolutely ADORABLE! I am totally smitten. What a gorgeous and perfect filly this one is in every respect. Everyone who saw her, regardless of breed affiliation, was captivated by her verve and sheer cuteness. Ollie was entered in only one class, the Purebred Irish Draught DSHB class, and was received well by the judge per her comments. As usual, that big grey horse (Ollie) drew crowds of visitors to our little Irish Row, and opened eyes for many and doors for a few to understand more of our breed. His three daughters made their papa proud! Pretty Please (IDSH) by Manu Forti s Touch Down (RID) x Always Pleasing (TB). Shown by Kip Worley. Photo: Carolynn Bunch Photography. It made our show to have other passionate ID owners attending. Even better was sending them home with the Irish Draught Dressage Championship Ballyduff trophy sponsored by Arena Rehab Specialists (Rick s business). We were REALLY missing Jennifer in the Group classes on Sunday. Taking in three entries each for Breeders Group, Produce of Dam and Get of Sire, we were kind of a patched together crew by that time! The nice weather of Saturday turned truly ugly. Sunday dawned to a series of terrific squalls, gusting gale winds and rain so dense it poured off the trailer tops like Niagara Falls. Barns were surrounded by small lakes! Our Irish horses splashed and pawed in play, while the other breeds leaped in panicky avoidance. Mud-spattered and soaked, but happy, we finally packed up everything, and loaded the horses and headed for home. We feel that finally the Irish Draught has made a dent in the awareness of our NW sporthorse community. by JENNIFER STEVENS My name is Jennifer Stevens, most recently Web-Mistress for the IDHSNA website and previously a Director at Large. I had promised Kate and Rick earlier in the year that I would come to Seattle to help with the NW Breeder s Classic; however, in May I fractured a rotator cuff that took a long time in healing. Finally, in August, I got the okay from the Doctor to resume activities, so I booked my flight to Seattle. Most people who ve been around me long enough know I just don t do simple vacations. My vacation started on August 27th with a little side trip to Indianapolis for the GP Motor Races. After watching motorcycle racing for most of the weekend, I got home on Wednesday night with just enough time to do laundry and repack my bag for Seattle the following day. I had the good fortune of Jim McGinty arriving earlier in the day from Texas, and he offered to wait until I arrived from Minneapolis to share a ride to the show grounds. The remainder of Thursday was spent getting Manu Forti s Touch Down (RID) by Touch of The Blues (RID) x Kerryoak Lady Dawn (RID). Shown by Joshua Lacy. Photo: Carolynn Bunch Photography. Last but FAR from least, I was so happy to greet Jess and Jim Walker from Idaho and their super ID colt, Pairadox Gold Coin Gabriel (Steeped in Luck RID x Ducal State Emblem RID). Jess is the IDHSNA Northwest Region Chair, and it is a LONG trip down for them. Gabriel is going to be a very nice stallion, already showing a magnificent front and great underpinnings, with lovely movement and a wonderful quiet and kind disposition. Gabriel scored well in his classes, placing respectably in Hunter Breeding Friday and winning the Purebred Irish Draught (DSHB Individual breed) class Saturday, and handing Jess the Amateur Handler blue as well. Just a super wellbehaved boy! We really enjoyed having Jess and Jim for stablemates. Keepsake s Cleaseaiocht (ID) by Snowford O Donnell (RID) x Suma s Keepsake (RID). Shown by by Kip Worley. Photo: Carolynn Bunch Photography Fall Edition - T he Blarney Page 11

14 North West Sport Horse Breeders Association Show... settled in and horses prepped for the showing the next couple of days. Hunter Breeding Friday turned out to be a wonderful day with the weather cooperating and the horses putting their best foot forward, earning many top placings. They were definitely giving the warmblood breeders a run for the money. Saturday started out rainy, but then again, it is Seattle. Horses were needing only a few minor touch-ups to refresh braids from the night before. Today was the Dressage In-Hand portion, again our Irish horses came through against the warmbloods with good scores and top placings. They drew quite a few people back to the barn to inquire more about the breed. Wampum was king in the barn, earning top regional honors against tough competition. It was truly a wonderful way to end the day. Unfortunately for me, though, there was still one more day of showing left. I had to leave on a 1am flight back to Minnesota, followed by 4 hours of driving to catch up with the rest of family on the annual family fishing trip. So while Kate, Rick, Kip and everyone else were just starting to get rolling again with another day of showing, I was in a fishing boat with rod in one hand, beverage in another and finally catching up on some sleep, as had to be back at work on Tuesday, the day after Labor Day... I d rather be at a horse show! BY JESS WALKER Everyone who passed by the stall with the large black bay with a star and his little mate the miniature, asked, what kind of horse is he? Irish. Oh, that explains why he is so calm, they said, he is an Irish gelding. No, I said. He is a 2 year old colt. Oh, he must be used to this show stuff. No. I said, This is his second show. Ever? Yes, ever. Where did you come from? Idaho. How long a trip is that? About 6-7 hours. Wow and he is this calm? Would you mind taking him out of the stall so we can see him? Either Jim (my husband) or I took Pairadox Gold Coin, aka Gabriel, out many times. He took it all in stride, all /2 HH (and 9-1/2 or 9-3/4 bone, Jim McGinty says) no worries, people walking behind, touching, milling, talking loudly, then laughing heartily at his little friend, Hot Rod the mini. People seemed very taken by his coloring, and conformation, but the Irish temperament was the single most often expressed compliment he received. We made friends from Canada stabled on the other side of us. They owned Canadian Warmbloods, also very nice horses. They knew of Steeped In Luck RID (Gabriel s sire). It was nice to hear them say that his sire had passed on his best traits. Our end of the barn was always very busy and a happy place to be. Everyone was helping each other, listening to Jim McGinty s tales of the Irish horse, trying to get Kate to stop and eat...to no avail!! Here Jennifer, can you hold this one for a second? We need 6 people for the next class to hold horses! Oops Hot Rod has broken loose! Hold Gabriel while I run and catch him! Still, days after the show is over, I am getting s from the Northwest Sporthorse Breeders Association show committee thanking the IDHSNA for sponsoring so generously, participating so enthusiastically, and sharing Jim McGinty and his knowledge of our lovely breed with all who attended. The comments I heard just after the Saturday night dinner and speech were more than complementary. A Hanoverian Page 12 Pairadox Gold Coin (ID) by Steeped in Luck (RID) x Ducal State Emblem (RID). Shown by Jess Walker. Photo: Carolynn Bunch Photography breeder of great repute, and well known to me, came up afterward and said she was very taken by all the information she got out of the presentation. It was the most interesting information I have heard in a long time, she said with her thick German accent. The weekend was an excellent example of our horses speaking for themselves in their ability to win the ribbons, show their love of humans, and take all the excitement in stride. LOOK AT US! WE ARE THE IRISH HORSES, IT IS POURING DOWN RAIN AND WE LOVE IT! It did rain hard Saturday and Sunday! We look forward to next year! WEG Committee report by Fleur Bryan As we approach the 1-year-to-go mark, I attended an update at KHP for a very interesting and animated discussion amongst all the members of the National Horse Center. We now know that we, the IDHSNA, are approved for Demonstrations and will shortly receive our dates and times for the Demos. We also know that there will be 24- hour shuttle service for grooms and accredited volunteers to feed and care for the horses. We appear to have a prime location in the Equine Pavilion at this time, and I look forward to leading our Society and our Horses to the Games. Provisional opening hours for vendors are 10 am to 7 pm; however, there will be some nights that a later finish is required. Volunteer accommodation was discussed briefly, and many people have offered to rent rooms in their homes to make the trip affordable. I should have more information on these options after the October 7th update Fall Edition - T he Blarney

15 My Perspective - The Irish Horse Fair... By Noel Mullins ( It may have been in Vermont in the USA, but The North Eastern Branch of the Irish Draught Horse Society of North America had a distinctly Irish flavour about it. Given the title of The Irish Horse Fair, for the three days an Irish ballad group and Irish dancers performed in the background. The backdrop was spectacular also as the famous Vermont trees were starting to turn their usual Fall colours of bronze, gold and yellows, which attracts nature lovers and photographers from all over the world before what is known as the Stick Season sets in when all the leaves have disappeared. American Irish Draught Horse breeders are passionate about the breed, and they are keeping the name of the Irish Draught Horse and the Irish Draught Sport Horse alive on a Continent that has every conceivable breed of horse available for owners and breeders to choose from. Because of the sheer size of the country, exhibitors travelled very long distances to support the show in an area that probably has the least number of Irish Draught horses. The President of the IDHSNA, Larry Robbins, drove for 12 hours from the State of Virginia with his wife Michelle and four horses. They established Kilronan Irish Draughts in 2003 and have mares by Glenlara RID, Rockrimmon Silver Diamond RID and Annaghdown Star RID, the latter which was bred by Tony Murphy from Dundalk in County Louth. They also provided one of their Irish Draught Horses for a demonstration at Rolex in April this year. Ann Morss who has a mare by Grange Bouncer RID travelled 8 hours from the Genesee Valley near Rochester near the Great Lakes to support the event, and Jane Clay made the journey from Ontario in Canada with her mare by Foxglen Himself RID, which was bred in the USA. The chairman of the North East Region and organiser was Cori Oehley, who ran a wonderful event; and she was delighted with the turnout, as there are fewer breeders in the surrounding area than in Virginia, Maryland or North Cross country course at Denny s facility. Carolina. She was disappointed that she did not have time to enter her own Irish Draught colt, Kilronan s Image by Moorpark Image RID, whose damsire is Glenlara RID. Another colt that was shown was Bridon s Mr. Brightside RID by Glenlara RID whose dam sire is Heather Breeze RID. The event was held at Denny Emerson s Tamarak Farm. Emerson has an impressive CV as a former US event rider and winner of a Team World Championship Gold Medal at Burghley in 1974 riding his horse Victor Dakin, and also the only eventer to also win a Trevis Cup Buckle for endurance riding. He was subsequently inducted into the USEA Hall of Fame and considered one of the 50 most influential horsemen in the USA of the 20th century. Emerson stands an Irish Sport Horse stallion Formula One by Beau Royale TB out of Crokoon Lady ISH bred by Anthony McMahon in County Clare. He and his wife May spend the summer teaching in Vermont before moving the whole operation down to his Winter farm at Southern Pines in North Carolina. Ann Morss, Cori Oehley, Denny Emerson, Aidan O Connell and George Chapman. On Saturday night, Aidan O Connell gave his audience a first hand account of the different riding styles of racing, showjumping and cross country riding. For many of the audience, it was their first time to meet someone that had ridden in the Aintree Grand National, and they were fascinated with the account of his experiences. On Sunday night after dinner in the nearby Idlewood Restaurant, Noel Mullins gave a PowerPoint presentation overview of his recent book The Origins of Irish Horse Fairs & Horse Sales, in addition to a series of photos of all the Irish Draught Classes at the recent RDS Horse Show together with breeding details. Many of the audience expressed interest in attending the RDS Show next year. A two day riding clinic was hosted by Denny Emerson which included flat work, showjumping and cross country jumping. George Chapman judged the latter for standard of jumping and how horses covered the ground. Emerson then gave a display on one of his advanced horses. This was followed by a demonstration by two advanced Adain O Connell. riders, Ariel Grald, and Sue Berrill, with a commentary by Denny. Potential buyers were then able to view a parade of Irish Draught Horses, Sport Horses and Young Stock for sale. In preparation for judging the following day, George Chapman gave a clinic on preparing horses for showing. He also delivered a very informative talk on how he judged conformation, movement and step by taking two horses and making comparisons on all the finer points which the competitors found fascinating. Given this information, competitors got busy preparing for the following day. In the In Hand Class George Chapman pulled in Tim Doyle s yearling filly Dirty Kate Corbin by his own Irish Sport Horse stallion Donnybrook Ellis Island by Happy Ending RID. Doyle who founded Donnybrook Farm in Connecticut in 1999 specialises in breeding Irish Sport Horses using proven winning thoroughbred mares. In the 2 & 3 Year Old In Hand Class Kilronan Irish Draughts won it with Kilronan Killara RID by Glenlara RID. Kate Cassidy could not hide her delight in winning two classes with Glidawn Diamond Sienna by Glidawn Diamond which was purchased in Ireland by Cassandra Ladd. The 5 & 6 Year Old Ridden Class was won by Pam Martin s Padi s 2009 Fall Edition - T he Blarney Page 13

16 My Perspective - The Irish Horse Fair... Classic Reunion RID by Mountain Pearl RID who has returned to stand at Paddy Meehan s yard in County Sligo. She was ridden by teenager Jess Oehley. Lorrie Abrams picked up the Green Horse & Rider Class with Orchard Hill Diamond Pearl RID by Rockrimmon Silver Diamond RID. The runner up was Boston resident Tony Lambert son of Jack Lambert from Wexford with Bridon s Loughlara by Glenlara RID. Other Irish Draught Sport Horse classes were the Pre Novice won by Nicole Dianna with The Chameleon by Hi Pappa and the Novice Class honours going to Ariel Graid with Practically Perfect by Cradillo. Some sales were recorded subject to passing a veterinary examination, one in particular a steel grey Irish Sport Horse by The Luck of the Irish RID bred by Ann Morss and ridden by Aidan O Connell for Sjana McClure-Barry who buys her horses mainly in County Limerick where she has hunted occasionally for many years. A significant number of new members signed up to the Irish Draught Horse Society during the show which was probably helped by information brochures that Alison Corbally Director of Breeding and Programmes of Horse Sport Ireland sent out to the show. Cori Oehley commented that in America the Irish Draught Horse breed because of the draught horse term are often imagined to be like Clydesdales and Shires by those who may have never seen one performing. When they do they are instantly attracted to the breed. She feels that they need to get more Irish Draught Horses into the hands of professional rider so that they can be seen performing in top competition level, then she feels that the market could really expand in America and as a result increase the number of owners and breeders. Such were the success of the clinics and the show that Aidan O Connell and Denny Emerson plan to hold a clinic for event riders in Ireland. By Pam Martin (eventing neophyte) In May my phone rang, it was Michelle Robbins, are you going to the Denny Emerson clinic?, hmmm, no I don t think me and my truck can do a twelve hour haul, oh, no problem, we ll put Classic on our trailer, it will be fun. And so began my adventure to Vermont. The clinic was the weekend after my 40th birthday so I justified the trip as my present to myself. The cool air of Vermont was a refreshing change from humid Virginia. After settling in the horses at Denny s Tamarack Hill farm we were quickly escorted into their house for a welcome dinner. The fire was roaring and the smell of lasagna reminded us of just how hungry we were. There was a nervous excitement about the days to come as we exchanged introductions and the living room quickly filled with riders from all over the northeast. The three gentlemen from Ireland arrived and all eyes quickly turned to them. Aidan O Connell entertained us with stories, limericks and song. Aidan, George Chapman and Noel Mullins fielded questions about the Irish horse and fox hunting with colorful stories and jokes. My favorite quote of the evening was when Aidan quipped, Dressage is what an Irishman does between the stable and the first fence. As I looked about the room I could hardly believe I was sitting with four such incredibly talented and knowledgeable equestrians. It was truly humbling to be sharing a meal with these four men. Far too soon it was time to blanket the horses and check into our lodging. Our accommodations were with a former eventer turned dressage enthusiast named Robin. Robin s farm was everything you would picture from a Vermont painting. White farm house with a large front porch, split rail fencing around lush green pastures and a lovely wood barn. They say it is easier to breathe in Vermont and I d have to agree. We decided on a departure time for the next morning and we all went to bed tired from our long travel day. Page 14 Saturday broke clear, cold and sunny. I decided to watch the first group s lesson to get an idea of what to anticipate. Denny gave a riding demonstration, effortlessly jumping 3 6 and spoke about how the canter was the fundamental for a successful jump. He then instructed us on rider position and how it was critical to obtaining a correct jumping effort, referencing Mike Plumb and Sally Swift. Denny was very kind and patient only asking each horse and rider team to do what was appropriate for them, but pushing them to expand their skills. Soon enough it was my turn. Denny briefly warmed us up in the ring over a few low fences then it was time to face (play scary music here) the ditch. I was in a group with two other ladies both of whom were experienced eventers on seasoned horses. Then there was me, the fox hunter with five dressage lessons. The first two ladies jumped the ditch with grace and style and I was told to follow in behind Janet at the trot. Wishing I had a stirrup cup or at least some full seat britches, I dropped in behind her. At the last possible second my mare saw the ditch, used her nose to stop and sent dirt flying on Denny. With a little encouragement and another lead we leaped across and conquered our first ditch. After hopping it a few more times to ensure the lesson was learned he headed out to the next obstacle (more scary music) the bank. Denny s bank is built as a large square sitting on top the ground. Ideally, you will jump up, canter across in one stride then jump down. As usual, the first two ladies made it look effortless and smooth. Denny suggested I walk my mare up to it as this was new to both of us. As I m approaching the bank Denny remarks, If she gets up there and doesn t want to jump down, be sure to turn her around and go back the way you came, I don t want her flipping over backwards. Flipping over backwards?! That had never crossed my mind and now I was seriously reconsidering the trip. Just about the time I expected Classic to stop she hopped up on the bank. Oh sh*t!, we are on top!, Oh sh*t, oh sh*t, we re jumping down!! Oh my God, we are down! I m still on the horse! We were sent to do the bank two more times and it became smoother, better and more fun each time. Two huge accomplishments and it s only been 30 minutes. Off to the cross country course! The cross country course was more in my comfort zone. It s not the hunt field, and there still was no port, but I had higher expectations of our success. We were instructed to jump a tabletop, canter down a slight hill, turn right, then back up hill to a slant then continue up hill, sharp right turn then over a small log with fairly steep slope for the landing. The only thing that made me pucker a bit was the log with the slope landing, but after the bank I was feeling more confident. Sure enough we all made it through this drill fairly easily then it was time for the upper cross country course Fall Edition - T he Blarney

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18 My Perspective - The Irish Horse Fair... Denny s cross country course is absolutely breath taking. You stand at the top of the upper course and acres of green rolling hills with beautiful jumps are spread out beneath you. I can only imagine what the sight is once the leaves begin to put on a show. Denny instructed us on the course and soon enough it was my turn. I tried to remember his comments on the first two rider s trips and incorporate them into my own. Deep breath, canter and down slope to a red slant, Classic took a small peek at it, but we were over and hitting the gas to make it up the enormous hill to two logs with flowers set as a one stride in and out. Then it was half halt time as we swung left and down hill to a roll top then to a coop in shadows next to the woods. Big sweeping turn left and again on the brakes down hill, then balance, up a bank and one stride to a log. Ok, the mare and I are starting to get a bit winded now, suck it up, canter on and over the last coop! OMG!! We just did our first cross country course! There was only one obstacle left to conquer the water jump. I arrived at the water jump before the others as Classic was puffed up with pride and power walked the entire way. Next we were instructed to trot through the water complex. Classic and I went last and our trot turned into a canter this should have been a bit of foreshadowing for later. Next we trotted through and jumped a small X out, again all three horses seem to be comfortable with the idea. Dang, we just about got this water thing licked! Finally, we were asked to canter to the X and jump into the water. Ok, I was hoping to trot it first, but heck we ve made it through so much already, how bad can it be? Apparently, on take off Denny saw that spark in Classic s eye that indicated I was about to go for a flume ride and barked, lean back!, lean back!. I soon realized why. My now overly confident mare made a tremendous effort over the X and about landed about 6 into the water jump pitching me out of the saddle. As I was enjoying the cool water splashing my face as it bounced off my horses legs I contemplated Denny s next words, stay in the saddle!, stay in the saddle!. Yes Denny I agree, falling off in front of everyone in the water does not appeal. OK, time to sit up, straighten myself and finish the canter out of the water complex. Needless to say we were sent again to jump in and again the mare made another huge effort into the water. This time I was ready and leaned WAY back making a smooth entry and avoiding the need for water wings. With that we wrapped up our afternoon on the cross country course and rode back to the barn smiling. Two more sets of riders conquered the cross country course that day. Afterwards, back at the barn a spontaneous tailgate of brie and wine brought several of the ladies together before dinner to swap stories and tell lies. Cori again, outdid herself by providing a wonderful BBQ chicken dinner with all the fixings under a white tent next to a picturesque pond. It was a perfect setting to compliment a perfect day. After participating and watching such a fun filled afternoon I was reminded of Aidan s quote from the night before, A warmblood will look at an obstacle and figure out how to get out of it, an Irish horse will look at an obstacle and figure out how to get over it. I couldn t agree more! Page 16 Sunday was stadium jumping day and I was thrilled to have Aidan O Connell in my group. Aidan was riding a talented grey gelding by It s the Luck of the Irish that had been used as a whipper-in s horse. Denny started the fences out modestly, but soon the complexity of the course and the size of the fences increased. The big message of the day, sit and wait for your horse to jump and close your hip angel and if in doubt, leave your horse alone! We were treated to another riding demonstration by Denny on his Irish horse, Loftus Fox a 60th birthday present to himself. This time Denny stressed dressage work, a correct canter and using a pole on the ground as a means to develop a three stride eye. Next we enjoyed stadium and cross country demo rides by Sue Berrill (Greylock Farm, Brownsville, VT) and Arial Grald (med student at UVM) on their lovely Irish sport horses. The afternoon kicked off with a parade of seventeen Irish horses with a brief bio on each being read. George Chapman demonstrated how he would evaluate two horses presented in hand and gave pointers for in hand showing. All too soon it was time to head to back for quick showers and dinner at the Idlewood restaurant. Dinner was greatly anticipated and tales of the day were told while live Irish music played amongst friends both old and many new. Noel Mullins educated and entertained us with a slide show of photos on the origin of the Irish horse, the Irish horse fair and thrills and spills of fox hunting in Ireland. With an early wake up planned for Monday s show I headed out with my new BFF Janet to blanket and tuck in the horses. The evening had quite a chill to it as we scrambled in the dark still in our heels to put sheets on our mares. Monday got off to a bit of a late start as our Irish guests enjoyed themselves into the morning hours with the fantastic Irish band. The show was a great success with the in hand classes competitive with many fabulous horses. The Irish hack class was a popular last minute addition and the jumping classes provided great entertainment to the crowd. Aidan O Connell did not get to show on Monday because his horse was SOLD to a new Irish horse enthusiast on Sunday! The riders were always encouraging and supportive of one another and it was heart warming to hearing the cheering from the crowd as a rider was encourage to get her young horse, that had only taken it s first jump the day before, around a seven fence course. Foals to experienced show horses with beginners to seasoned pros all came out and demonstrated the willingness and versatility of our wonderful breed. There is so much to tell about this incredible weekend that it is hard to get it all in words. First a huge thank you to Cori for arranging such a fantastic event. Her attention to detail in making this more than just a clinic was amazing! The three Irish visitors each brought so much knowledge about horses, hunting, and Ireland it was a true privilege to share time with them. Denny Emerson was kind and patient, yet pushed each one of us to reach new levels. I was finally able to place some faces with names and I made many new friends as well. It was encouraging to hear that several people attended who will be joining the Society. Many of these same folks saw the value in registering their horses, one will even be going to the trouble of DNA testing. Noel Mullins will be writing about the event and it will be published in two Irish magazines. Finally, there were people who attended as spectators from as far away as Canada! The educational booth ALWAYS had a crowd around it and I heard several people inquiring about horses for sale, and met a few touring the barns asking all kinds of questions. I think this event is a wonderful example of not only a fundraiser that the membership enjoyed, but a terrific way of spreading the word about our lovely animals and helping support the breeding farms. I wish you all could have been there as the jokes and laughter were plentiful and new friendships made. I was truly proud of our membership and how they conducted themselves before such distinguished guests. I d also like to take a moment to thank Larry and Michelle Robbins who were kind enough not only to put me and my mare up for the night at their lovely farm, but to then also transport us 12 hours each way. Had it not been for their generosity and kindness I never would have gotten this incredible opportunity. I hope our Society continues to support such fantastic events and that each of you get the chance to participate in something so rewarding! 2009 Fall Edition - T he Blarney

19 Members News... Steeped in Luck Fall Accomplishments Steeped in Luck is owned by Keith and Elizabeth Douglas of Pairadox Farm in Camlachie, Ontario, Canada. In August , RID stallion Steeped in Luck (by Mount Diamond Flag out of Steeple View) traveled out of province to compete in Quebec at the Equine Canada Gold Beaulieu International Dressage Classic. Steeped in Luck was introduced to some new competition when he travelled out of province to compete in Quebec. He and rider/trainer Olympian Tom Dvorak did a fine job with little preparation time after an injury held Steeped in Luck back for a few weeks. The recuperation time combined with Tom s absence (Tom travelled to Kentucky with Canada s junior and young rider teams to compete at the North American Young / Junior Riders competition) make their achievements in Quebec quite commendable. Steeped in Luck and Tom managed to come back to Ontario with the RESERVE CHAMPIONSHIP!!! hunt field for Skip Crawford, the Master of the Potomac Hunt Club in Potomac, Maryland. In the off season he competes and is evented in the Maryland and Virginia areas. Mattie won the yearling partbred class at the 2007 IDHSNA Annual Show and came in 4th at Upperville in 2008, while Conor won the Grand Champion Purebred class with me showing him! oryla ramey & galanta, ca Galanta is going well. We did a Grand Prix Freestyle exhibition at a benefit lunch for disabled riders recently. Shows have been great. I was showing as an Adult Am. because the open division in So- Cal is the majority of the USET team however, had my last two shows as an AA in July and August. Galanta won the Cal Dress Soc. SoCal AA PSG Championship class in July, and he was also AA FEI High Point of that show which was at the LA Equestrian Center. Then in August he won the Cornerstone PSG Championship class in the AA division again at the LA Equestrian Center. The next show, my first as a professional which is pretty exciting, is at LAEC in October. Best Wishes to ALL Irish Draught horse owners! OH MONTANA! In September 2009, Steeped in Luck became Ontario s Third Level Dressage Champion in Open Competition! After qualifying for the Ontario Dressage Championships, Steeped in Luck and Tom Dvorak have done it again - they WON THE CHAMPIONSHIP! However, this year it was at the third level! Last year, Steeped in Luck and Tom Dvorak were Second Level Champions. These championships are classified as Equine Canada Gold shows. Congratulations and a big thanks go to Team Dvorak! Melissa Mysing, Mt. Hermon, La I am proud to report that my 3-year-old IDHS filly, Breezy Matilda Diamond (aka Mattie)by Dandelion Diamond Rebel out of a TB mare made her foxhunting debut not long ago. We participated (lightly and slowly) in a hunter pace on day one and went cubbing the next morning. It was her very first time out, and we were asked to lead the second flight field. I knew she was up for it because she is so sensible and quiet. Sure enough, we were out about 2 hours, viewed twice, and she did a very impressive job. Jaws were dropping as she crossed several creeks and ditches and led the field at the Hardaway Whitworth Hunt club, located outside of Demopolis, AL. She had been going under saddle a total of 9 weeks prior to this hunt meet AMAZ- ING!!!!! Breezy Matilda Diamond (IDSH) by Dandelion Diamond Rebel (RID) x Hadlley Maid (TB) Mattie is a chip off her sire s block, Dandelion Diamond Rebel RID (aka Conor). Conor leads the Liz McFarland and Sue Rowdon riding in the Gravelly Mountains of Montana. Liz is on an IDSH by O Leary s Irish Diamond and munching grass behind us is an IDSH by Banks Fee Daniel. Sarah s Stallion Adventures One of the best parts about becoming a board member of the Society is the people and horses I ve gotten to meet through my various involvements. My husband, Mike McMullen, and I have certainly come to really love and appreciate the breed over the past 3 years, now owning a 2 ½-year-old Sport Horse (Slew O Diamonds by Prescott s Diamond RID out of Slew s Pennant xx) and a 7-year-old purebred mare (Harkaway Diamond Lass by KEC Double Diamond RID out of Misty River Lass RID). We are very fortunate to live 45 minutes from Deanfield Farm, home of Debbie Fullilove and the RID stallion, Braveheart. Debbie has become a good friend, and we are some of their biggest fans now. In mid-august, I took my non-irish mare down for Debbie to help us start jumping. While there, she threw my husband and me up on Braveheart to take a spin Fall Edition - T he Blarney Page 17

20 Members News (con t)... Now, I have not ever been around stallions. I knew Braveheart was quiet from the ground with Debbie on his back, but I wasn t sure what riding him would be like. Mike has had more stallion experience, but with crazy quarter horses and the like, so he was more nervous than I was. Braveheart (RID) by O Leary s Irish Diamond (RID) x Kilbline (RID) Turns out, we had nothing to worry about. Braveheart was a perfect gentleman, taking things slow and easy with us both at first. I got on and off three times, each time feeling more comfortable and getting the feel for him. By my last ride, we were jumping. Or should I say, soaring. I could not believe the power as he launched over the little jumps we had set up. He was a bit offended by the height, so made it more fun be taking off a stride or two early and clearing the jump by a foot or two. When we landed on the other side, I felt like I d just ridden a rocket ship. He is so controlled though and made me feel so safe. Debbie laughed that she s put all ages on him, from 7-years-old to 68-years-old. I could not have asked for a better experience for my first stallion ride. Debbie finally coaxed Mike up there as well, but he took it a little easier and enjoyed moseying around. Not two weeks later, the first weekend in September, I had the opportunity to fly down and spend a long weekend with Laurie Monroe and Jutta Heinsohn in Ocala at Adsagsona Farm. I ve gotten to know Laurie through my work on Society projects and the Blarney, and Jutta owns my mare s sire, the RID stallion KEC Double Diamond ( Oisin ). Laurie and Jutta were such gracious hosts, and Ocala truly is a horse-lover s paradise. Not only did I get to shadow Jutta at lessons and watch her do training rides, but I got to use Oisin (an upper-level dressage horse) as my schoolmaster for several lessons. Oisin, like Braveheart, has it all power, presence, movement, temperament. In person, he almost doesn t look real, with his coat gleaming copper in the sun. He was also a perfect gentleman with me, listening and allowing me to learn. He was so much fun to ride, and I was amazed by how comfortable I felt on him in a short time. My experience overall showed me again why this breed is so special. Here are two very different stallions, but both containing the amazing qualities you d want in any horse. I feel so blessed to have been able to ride and interact with both of them. WONKA - The story continues... (editor s note: Adena Ray and her husband Denny live in Arlington, Washington. Wonka and his full sister are IDSH, by Corcullen RID out of Djinn Chaser (JC). He has a crooked leg. It s the one that was tangled up with his twin. He s never going to be a eventer (like his sire), he s never going to be an extreme athlete (like his dam). His gaits are a bit uneven, although they re fine once he warms up. Still, he s not perfect. We tried to sell him, but nobody wants a horse that isn t perfect. Okay, if he s going to stay here, he needs a job. I had already trained him to drive, so I thought What the heck, I ll teach driving lessons and use Wonka as my lesson horse. And so I did. Monica has been taking lessons now for a few months. During those few months, I have discovered something about Wonka. HE IS A TEACHER. When Monica does something wrong (and she s new so she does!), Wonka lets her know. He doesn t do anything unsafe, but he makes it absolutely clear to her that she s not doing it right. And then, when she does it correctly, he rewards her with outstanding performance. How outstanding? Very. Wonka - in harness - loving his job! He adores having a job (and actually pitches a fit when others get hitched and he doesn t). He s stayed sound, despite the deviated leg (which isn t all that bad). His trot has an uneven cadence until he warms up and then his rhythm is steady/even. He naturally works from his hindquarters - probably because he instinctively knows his front end isn t as good. Will he stay sound? Who knows. I guess the same can be said of any horse. The best I can do for him is to give him a job he loves (and can excel at). There is no doubt in my mind what that job is: he teaches. Only the gifted can teach. And, as you can see from the photos, he does teach. Gotta love the Irish! KEC Double Diamond (RID) by Glidawn Diamond (RID) x Ballyard Katie (RID) Welcome to the late foal Saoirse s Abhailli - ID Filly owned by Lyn Lindstrom and Dale Skrivanich. By Manu Forti s Touch Down (RID) x Macs Colmerin (RID) Page 2009 Fall 18 Edition - T he Blarney 2009 Fall Edition - T he Blarney Page 18

21 Members News (con t)... the StORY OF CRaDilO and amy HUNteR Hi. My name is Amy Hunter. I am a hunter-jumper trainer currently living in viroqua, WI, a little farm town in the middle of nowhere (about two hours northwest of Madison) with beautiful countryside, friendly people and a whole lot of cows. And here I quietly sit, conducting my little teaching, training and breeding business, and every once in a while, we go to a horse show. Then life gets a little more interesting, because I bring along an Irish Draught stallion by the name of Cradilo. And Cradilo and I casually saunter into some of the most prestigious horse shows in the country, and compete in the largest grand Prix against the top riders in the world. For those of you who don t know Cradilo, he is a 17.1 hand 1,500 pound plus, 16-yearold red chestnut stallion, with plenty of chrome and a strong presence. Though we are still very much in the beginning phases of learning to successfully manage this level of competition, we re there; and we make a pretty good showing most of the time. We almost always get around, usually with a rail or two here or there. And every once in a while we find that elusive perfect round, a very difficult accomplishment at this level for newcomers, and then we win. That happened to us for the first time this summer; we won the Midstates Summer grand Prix in Mason City, Iowa in June. When we don t win (which obviously, up to this point, has been most of the time), other than the financial aspects of keeping things going, we still win, just by being there. Why? Because riding at this level is a life time dream that I had basically given up on, after several decades of trying. I realized the chances of finding a horse capable of this league, especially with limited resources, were practically non-existent. And I also realized, even if you could get there, the odds of being competitive and thus being able to keep it going financially, were even slimmer. You ve got to understand, we are often riding against those with nearly unlimited resources and tremendous experience in the form of both rider and horse. They often have the top horsemen and trainers in the country backing them up. And let s remember, I live in viroqua, WI and make my living off of this industry. Not too many top grand Prix trainers hanging around here. And unfortunately, other than a horse named Cradilo (whom I lease from friends that support me beyond reasonable comprehension), there is no trust fund. Yet we win every time, because when I step in to the ring on Cradilo, the entire crowd silences. They don t know who we are or where we are from, but something about this horse demands respect. Yes, he s really big; and yes, he gallops around the field like a war horse lunging in Cuddles photo by vpdigital.net Cradilo and Amy Hunter. Photo courtesy Mary Jo Walsh. Cradilo in an RID Stallion by Kildalton gold RID x Brehan Lass RID Fall Edition - T he Blarney Page 19

22 Members News (con t)... to battle; and yes, he has a really cool tail. And more so, he powers off the ground in a way that regularly draws ooooohs and aaaahs from the crowd; because how can a horse that big get that much air time? It s not possible. It defies reason. There is more though. They are seeing something in this horse they can t quite put a finger on. There is an animation that comes in to full play when all eyes are on him, some presence, some depth of spirit, some élan vital that is coursing. And I m thinking, if only they knew the real story behind us, the miracle of this horse. Then, they would understand more clearly what it is they are looking at. You see, until a few years ago, Cradilo was retired to stud. And I won t bore you with all the gritty details, but in my mind, the combination of a trainer having the wrong expectations of a sensitive horse at the wrong time, followed by an unsuccessful surgery, led to the early retirement of Cradilo. And the official veterinarian stamp of DONE WITH COMPETITION, period, end of story didn t help. And then of course there is me. There is nothing I enjoy more in this world than proving confidently negative people wrong; especially folks with licenses and a lot of education behind them. Because if there is anything the humble role of horse trainer has taught me, it s that all things are possible given the heart and will. Anyway, when I got the call from my friends saying if I wanted Cradilo to come get him, my guts just about imploded. Every feeling and instinct I possessed was telling me I had to have this horse; this was what I had been waiting for. And despite admonishments that he would most likely be just a breeding stallion, I made it clear that I wanted to try competing him. Somehow I knew this horse was going to be fine physically. He wanted a job, and he wanted the attention. He wanted a chance to show the world what he was capable of. It wasn t like I didn t know Cradilo. My friends had purchased him from Ireland at the age of 2 (picking him out of a field of horses), and at 4 years I briefly taught him to jump. We proceeded to make a very successful debut and presentation at the Irish Draught Horse Show (Supreme Champion, Irish Draught Stallion of the Year, etc) that year. But, I was living and working in California at the time with a group of horses and clients of my own, and while we talked about me moving to New Hampshire and working together, the timing just wasn t right. If I had known then who he was, maybe I would have worked harder to make it happen. In many ways though, I was like everyone else; he was an exceptional horse, but too big in my mind to be a serious upper level jumper. Yet, I could never forget about him. He had learned to jump so easily, and it felt so effortless. And there was just something about his presence, something about being on his back that gave me the sense we could take on the world. In all my years of working with nice stallions and top breeders, Cradilo was always in the back of my mind. And in evaluating stallions for breeding to my thoroughbred mares, everything I saw and rode, in my mind, always fell a little short. I would go visit my friends and spend time with Cradilo, brushing him and playing around on his back, and it just felt right. But I had no idea within a year we would be competing Grand Prix. And yet it happened, and here we are, still going and still in slight shock, but enjoying the ride. So that s our story, and it continues to unfold. If you find it appealing, feel free to visit Cradilo and I at the farm, horse shows, or via (though be infinitely patient in looking for a response). We love good support, as I m here to tell you, this stuff we re trying to do isn t easy. (A top rider recently told me on a particularly bad day, Well, if it were easy Amy, everyone would do it. So true and yet so irritating ) You are also welcome to come check us out on my website, to see where we re going and how we ve been doing. Look for us in October at Minnesota Harvest AA then the American Royal in Kansas City! We ll be heading to Ocala for the winter season. We ll look forward to meeting you and hearing your story as well. Royal Dublin Show - The Teenage Experience... By Meg Griffith (niece of Joan Griffith) August 2009, the month that set the stage for one of the biggest horse shows in the world. When I arrived in Dublin I felt like I would nearly explode with excitement. I was going to The Dublin Horse Show! Talk about cool. But, I had to wait (of course) until the next day so I got to look around Dublin with my aunt and Kelly (a friend of my aunt s and fellow horse loony). Allow me to briefly introduce myself before I get to the horse show. My name is Meg Griffith. I am a 17-year old High School senior from Jaffrey, NH. I have been riding horses since I as about nine years old. But, I was horse obsessed since before I can remember. I currently work at a barn riding, conditioning, training, and showing horses. The horse I work the most with is a 15 year old, 15.1hh, Quarter Horse mare named First Executive Lady. I have ridden multiple breeds of horses and ponies. I rode my aunt s Irish Draughts and must say they are comparable to the best I have ridden. So, after barely sleeping the first night, we got up, gathered our wits, and set forth for the horse show. When we got there, I was still in shock! Page 20 My aunt had told me that it was in the middle of the city, but I had no clue that I would be going through a castle like building to get to the show grounds. I was nervous and VERY excited as our tickets were scanned, our programs collected, and we entered what was going to be the coolest few days of my life. We had only been in the show grounds for ten minutes when I met one of my all time idols! George Morris, coach of the US Team and fabulous horseman. How many 17 year olds get to meet some one like that!? We got pictures and poor Kelly got overwhelmed. But who wouldn t? Meg Griffith (left) and George Morris Fall Edition - T he Blarney

23 The day turned to shopping before we caught the Draught horse stallion parade. After collecting and storing our bounty of treasure (and there was a lot), we snaked our way through the crowds to find an early seat in the stands behind Ring 1. Royal Dublin Show - The Teenage Experience... When the stallions came out, single file into the ring, they were beautiful. I can honestly say that I have never seen more grey and white horses in one place. My aunt immediately spotted a favorite among the horses and soon Kelly and I were joining in, ranking the horses by our favorites. A certain favorite of mine was a big black horse named Echo King. I as very impressed with the turnout of the horses. They were immaculately clean and every braid was perfect. And this wasn t even for the judging! We then ran into the stands to catch a class that I compete in, Power and Speed. Things were very different at this show than what I was used to, but, I thoroughly enjoyed myself. Even though there were many differences, Echo King, RID not the least of which was the height difference, I still thought that the class looked like it would be fun to do. During a brief break from the jumping, I caught some of the mare and foal class for the Irish Draughts. The babies were so adorable! I couldn t help but squeal a little. I hope that nobody heard me. I met a roan colt by Huntingfield Rebel, the sire of two of my aunt s horses. I must say, he produces a good baby. Meg Griffith (left) on Hofwaldeck s Benni (aka Benni) and Joan Griffith on Hofwaldeck s Wilson (aka Wilson) The next day we got to the show grounds as early as possible so that we could see the 8:45 am start of the Judging of the Ridden Irish Draughts, judged by Ian Stark and another man we didn t know. All of the horses were calm and beautiful movers and by the end of the class I had to tell my aunt that I might just have to get a Draught in the near future (or at the very least an Irish Sport Horse). I think it might have been at that moment when I became an official fan of the Irish Draught horse, regardless that my aunt owned a great many of them. We then watched the first half of the Nations Cup, but unfortunately I was too caught up in watching the children show jump their ponies and I missed the judging of the stallions. But, I did get to see them all and got a very good impression about the breed standard. Then, we had a quick break and I wandered around the show grounds for a little while. I met a very friendly and beautiful stallion named Windgap Blue, aka Windy. I am very impressed on a whole with the calmness of the breed and especially the calmness of the stallions! We finished watching the Nations Cup, only to see the US and the Irish defeated by the Italians, curse those fiends, with the US placing 4th and the Irish 5th. After the Nation s Cup was over, we slowly made our way out of the stands and towards the exit and as we were leaving one of the most thrilling events of my young life, I had to say: I don t think you could wipe this giddy smile off my face! Thus ended my RDS adventure and I can whole-heartedly and honestly say that I m glad I went because I discovered in the Irish Draught a breed of horses that is definitely a Breed Apart. And even now, almost two weeks later, I still can t get rid of that smile. Windgap Blue aka Windy 2009 Fall Edition - T he Blarney Page 21

24 2010 Membership Form Irish Draught Horse Society of North America PLEASE CHECK ONLY ONE NEW Membership RENEWAL Membership / Existing Mem. No. PLEASE PRINT ALL INFORMATION MEMBERSHIP LEVEL FEE IN US DOLLARS NAME OF INDIVIDUAL LIFETIME (1 vote) $ Voter #1 (listing in The Blarney ) FARM (22 votes) $ Voter #1 (Two The Blarney subscriptions) (farm listing in The Blarney ) Voter #2 FAMILY (2 votes) $ Voter #1 Voter #2 GENERAL (1 vote) $ Voter #1 JUNIOR (no vote) $ (Membership designed for those 18 years and under) PLEASE NOTE: ALL membership levels include the quarterly IDHSNA publication, The Blarney. Farm Membership entitles Farm to receive two copies of The Blarney. OPT OUT: I would like to optout entirely from being published in the IDHSNA Member Directory. PAYMENT OPTIONS: Payment may be made with a check or online at using a credit card or Pay Pal ( Please indicate with an X your elected method of payment: CHECK No. (enclosed) CREDIT CARD (online). Online Confirmation #: THE MEMBERSHIP YEAR BEGINS JAN 1, A NEW MEMBER S FEE PAID AFTER OCT 30, 2009 SHALL ENTITLE MEMBER TO MEMBERSHIP PRIVILEGES UNTIL DEC 31, ALL MEMBERSHIPS INCLUDE THE QUARTERLY IDHSNA PUBLICATION, THE BLARNEY. Name (Individual or Farm) Primary Contact (for Farm Membership) Address City State/Prov Zip/Postal Code Country Phone Fax IDHSNA Contact (Voter 1/Primary) IDHSNA Contact (Voter 2/Secondary) Website The submission of a Society membership application or membership renewal or participation in a Society event constitutes acceptance of the Society s Bylaws, Rules, and policies and procedures - and all amendments thereto - that are posted on the Society web page ( and that you are advised to review. Member s Signature (Voter 1) Date Member s Signature (Voter 2) Date Privacy Issues By applying for membership with the IDHSNA, the members name and contact info may be used in the annual Membership Directory, unless the member checks the OPT OUT box in the top section of this form. The IDHSNA does not sell, give out or allow members to use for advertising purposes, our membership information. However, this information may be used for IDHSNA business such as elections and special news/notifications. The IDHSNA may, if a member competes or takes part in an IDHSNA activity or competition, use a member s name and contact informtion in publication in the Blarney, press releases and/or on our website unless the member directly contacts the Member Services Coordinator and requests that the information not be used in such a manner. The Member Services Coordinator may be contacted at: idhsna@hotmail.com PLEASE COMPLETE THE ABOVE INFORMATION AND ENCLOSE THE COMPLETED & SIGNED FORM WITH CHECK FOR APPROPRIATE AMOUNT (PAYABLE TO IDHSNA) OR PROVIDE RELEVANT ONLINE CONFIRMATION INFORMATION, AND MAIL (OR FAX) TO: IDHSNA MEMBER SERVICES COORDINATOR, 4037 IRON WORKS PARKWAY, #160, LEXINGTON, KY / PHONE: (859) FAX: (858) OFFICE USE ONLY Date Received: By: Date Entered: By: Member Number Assigned: Date Packet/CARD Sent: By:

25 Vet s Corner - Sand Colic... by Christopher P. Boutros DVM, DVSc Diplomate American College of Veterinary Surgeons Dr. Boutros is a board certified surgeon and founder of the Waller Equine Hospital in Waller, Texas. Sand accumulation in the intestinal tract is common in horses. This condition occurs in regions with sandy soil or when sand is placed in areas where horses are housed. Sand accumulation can cause colic, diarrhea, or both. Colic is a term used to describe pain originating from the abdomen (belly) of the horse. The signs of colic vary depending on the degree of pain. Horses with mild abdominal pain may refuse to eat and will sometimes paw the ground, curl the upper lip, or look at their flanks. Signs of moderate abdominal pain include vigorous pawing or lying down. Severe colic typically causes the horse to roll on the ground and to try to lie down even when being walked. Horses with colic often have distention of the abdomen and decreased manure output. Colic has many causes and these signs are not specific to sand accumulation. Sand accumulation causes colic by impacting the large colon. The colon of the horse narrows on the right side and this is typically where the impaction occurs. Because sand is heavy, it tends to settle on the bottom of the colon and form a firm impaction. Large sand impactions can cause severe colic with a sudden onset. Treatments commonly employed include: laxatives (mineral oil, Epsom salts), anti-inflammatories (banamine), sedatives, and intravenous fluids. If the impaction does not resolve with these measures, or if the horse remains very painful or bloated, surgery is necessary. At surgery, the impacted intestine is exteriorized from the abdomen and a small incision is made into the intestine so that the sand can be flushed out. Smaller sand impactions tend to cause frequent milder colic episodes rather than one severe colic event. These episodes tend to resolve in under a day (and sometimes within a few hours). These horses will frequently not eat their feed, have a dull look in their eyes, and will sometimes flank watch, paw the ground, or curl the upper lip. Treating milder impactions can be as simple as removing the horse from the sandy environment until the sand has cleared (such as placing in a stall with rubber mats) and administering laxatives. Another treatment that is frequently used to clear sand from the intestines is Psyllium mucilloid. A common brand of psyllium is Metamucil. Psyllium is considered a bulk laxative. It works by forming a gelatinous mass that binds the sand, which then facilitates removal from the intestinal tract. Psyllium is not only used as a treatment for sand colic, it is also administered to horses in sandy environments to prevent sand accumulation. In the author s experience, administering psyllium to horses with very large sand impactions should be done with caution. This is because the gelatinous mass can get stuck behind a large sand impaction, which results in more discomfort. It is often better with large impactions to administer mineral oil and/or Epsom salts first to partially relieve the obstruction prior to giving the psyllium. Commercially available psyllium products are available at most feed stores to clear sand from the intestinal tract. These should be given according to label directions. Alternatively, psyllium can be purchased from most grocery stores and pharmacies. It is recommended to give at least ½ cup twice a day for 7 days in a row. This should be repeated every month. More can be given if the horse does not mind the taste. Diarrhea is another common symptom seen with sand accumulation. This is due to the abrasiveness of sand which causes irritation of the intestines. Diarrhea can be seen as the only sign or it can occur concurrently with colic. If the sand exposure is not treated, horses with diarrhea will eventually develop a poor hair coat, malaise, muscle wasting, and/or a pendulous abdomen. Unfortunately, differentiating sand induced colic/diarrhea from other causes can sometimes be difficult. However, if a horse shows signs of abdominal pain or diarrhea and lives in a sandy environment, sand accumulation should be a top consideration. A few diagnostic measures can be performed in an attempt to determine if sand accumulation is the cause of colic/diarrhea. A sand sedimentation test can be performed by placing 6 fecal balls in a bucket of water. If a teaspoon or more of sand (5 grams) is recovered, it is considered abnormal. This technique should be repeated several times because horses will not pass sand all of the time. Another technique that can be employed is to listen to the intestinal sounds with a stethoscope. To perform this technique, the stethoscope is placed on the bottom of the belly. Sand in the intestines sounds similar to when a small amount of sand is rolled around in a paper bag. A final technique to detect sand is to radiograph (xray) the abdomen. This technique is not very effective because the abdomen is very large and obtaining a diagnostic radiograph is often not possible. Rectal palpation is also often attempted. However, the location of the sand in the right colon is usually out of the veterinarian s reach. Sand accumulation is a common problem in horses that live in sandy areas. Preventative measures include feeding psyllium, and removing the horse from the sandy area during feeding. If a horse develops colic and/or diarrhea in a sandy environment, then sand accumulation is likely the cause. Diagnosing sand accumulation and differentiating it from other causes of colic/diarrhea can be challenging. Photos courtesy Mike McMullen. Saphira, Harkaway Diamond Lass (RID), on the table. Saphira is thriving now... after over 100 lbs of sand were flushed from her system Fall Edition - T he Blarney Page 23

26 An Opinion Shared - What to Breed for in a Sport Horse... Offered By Jim McGinty Once again I m asked for my opinion for an article about the contribution of the Irish Draught to RIDSH breeding and once more I m going to deflect the question to what has been bothering me for a while now. I am not sure we are breeding the correct sport horse for the North American market. If we were they would not be so hard to sell for our asking price. I know that horses are not moving in this economy; but two years ago we still had problems selling horses, while warmbloods were going for princely sums. For the last fifteen years I have refused to name any stallions as my favorites for breeding, but now that will change. Later in this article I am going to name six stallions for breeding combinations to produce 3/4 mares, and maybe another fifteen that I think have the promise to produce what I feel is needed for success. Let me start by saying I m not a fan of inspecting half-bloods. My reasons are pretty simple, it s because they are not supposed to fit any set pattern according to nature s law of genetics. When you cross two different breeds that have not been co-mingled for long periods of time you get a hybrid vigor known as heterosis. This is a powerful combination of the best of both breeds, but since the number of gene combinations is so vast, science can t always predict what the genetic combination will produce within the F-1 cross or Foundation Cross. That being the case, I feel it s unfair to judge an F-1 cross (half blood) and hold it to any arbitrary standard. If you want to lock in a breeds particular traits you have to come back on the F-1 female with a pure blood of the breed who has the desired trait. So if you want to lock-in short cannon bones (an ID trait) then an RID stallion is required to breed up to the 3/4 level. At that point 75% of the blood in that animal carries the desired trait and makes it more likely to be passed on. Breeding RIDSH Stallions to TB mares seems pointless - very few noticeable ID traits will be there. All the Irish Draught traits that we find so pleasing in our horses serve a purpose in producing the great sport horses that have dominated the World s Sport Horse Competition for a decade and a half, The Irish Sport Horse. Temperament and intelligence adds ease of training, short cannon bones eliminate bowed tendons & training down time, the deep barrel of the ID adds lung capacity and the powerful hind quarter adds the motor. By taking the RIDSH to the 3/4 level, we give ourselves the choice of breeding a 3/8; a 1/2; or a 5/8 RIDSH depending on what bone size we get at the 3/4 level. Now, let me give you my choices for breeding combinations I d like to see take place. All the stallions I name are, in my opinion, TRADITIONAL in type. In each instance one will be more massive and one will carry less bulk, but none will be MODERN in TYPE. If you like a stallion that is not in the 20 or so that I mention, don t read too much into it - all that means is that I am not familiar with, or have not seen the rest. Some I will mention are horses that I have personally inspected and had my hands on. Some that I mention, I will only know through photos that I ve seen over the years. but more like comparing a 270 pound offensive guard to a 315 pound defensive nose tackle. The 20 years I spent raising cattle made me aware of the studies that indicated the predictability of heritability of some traits ranged from 20% certain all the way up to 80% certain. Knowing that the bull only supplied 50% of the genetic material to the calf, hereditary predictability was at best 10 % to 40% a sure thing, and that s why F-1 crosses can t assure a constant result. My theory is to use two RID stallions who are complementary in phenotype, breeding for fillies, then breed the daughters of one stallion to the other stallion, and vice versa. Start with the best Thoroughbred mare you can get - then breed your first cross. The order of use of the stallions is unimportant. When you have a 3/4 RIDSH mare you should have a substantial broodmare, close in looks to an RID mare. Then you become the architect of what comes next. If you have a heavyweight mare with bone, then breed it to a TB Stud for a refined 5/8 TB 3/8 RIDSH; or, use a 1/4 blood RIDSH (there are many out there) for a half-blood RIDSH, but one with 3 generations of ID breeding and sensibilities. As in all breeding, your mare may throw back to a more refined ancestor and look light, but then you breed her to a 1/2 blood for a 5/8 ID-3/8 TB sport horse. Your market will guide your pick. My first stallion pair is Braveheart & Manu Forti s Touch Down (Ollie). Ollie in this case has the muscle mass while Braveheart is smaller. The next pair is Steeped in Luck and Celtic Moon, two horses from the 2007 Annual Show. Steeped in Luck was the Grand Champion and Moon the third place horse. Moon is supposed to be the horse to add mass, but after seeing Pairadox Gold Coin (by Steeped in Luck) as a 2 year old that could be a toss-up. Anyway, that 3/4 female should rival most RIDs, leaving you many happy choices in making your final sporthorse breeding decisions. My last pair is Lionwood Kinsale s Lad (Angus) and the as yet un-inspected Maggie s Irish Rebel (due for inspection Oct. 09). In this pair Angus should add the mass, while Irish Rebel comes from a long line of female breeding superiority. As a matter of fact, these two stallions meet my other bias (breed from female quality) as both their dams are in my top 4 mares to ever walk the North American continent. Those are not the only RID stallions that I have considered for an up-graded RIDSH breeding program; the following stallions (listed alphabetically) I have seen or have caught my eye through pictures: Atwood Black Laughton, Beeston Laird, Dromard View, Flagmount King, Foxglen Himself, Gillian s Clover, Huntingfield Proud Tim, It s the Luck of the Irish, KEC Double Diamond, King of Hearts, Mountain Pearl, O Leary s Irish Diamond, Parkmore Pride, The Irish Rover, and Touch of the Blues. (Some of these are only available by frozen semen.) If you are fond of a stallion who did not make it to my 21 choices above, just assume that I have not seen them or their offspring in order to make an educated selection for breeding purposes. For those of you who are or want to be true breeders remember that your breeding horizon should be 6 to10 years ahead and not just your next foal. Once again, the differences will be rather subtle in nature... not like comparing a 320 pound NFL defensive end to a 195 pound wide receiver, Page Fall Edition - T he Blarney

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29 2009 IDHSNA The Blarney Annual Edition Advertising Insertion Order ALL SPACE RESERVATIONS MUST BE MADE BY THE CALENDARED DEADLINE SCHEDULE [NO EXCEPTIONS]. ALL AD MATERIAL MUST BE SUBMITTED AND PAID IN FULL BY THE DEADLINE PUBLISHED AT THE BEGINNING OF EACH THE BLARNEY EDITION - ANNUAL 09-12/01. Any members wanting to place an advertisment in future The Blarney editions are asked to submit an advertising insertion order. Orders may be placed by phone or ; or submitted via snail mail, using this form. All ad orders/material should be forwarded to: blarney@grafxbylaurie.com / Phone: (352) Payment arrangements must accompany your ad space reservation. We accept check, money order, credit card or PayPal payments (in US funds). Credit card and PayPal payment may be made directly online at If payment has not been received by press time, the ad will NOT run. Ads reserved by check may be made by phone, and, as long as payment is received within one week of the ad reservation, the space will be held. All and postal reservations will be held according to the date received. Please PRINT Name Address State/Province/Country Zip/Postal Code Phone Fax Ad Size QTY x Cost of Ad $ Total $ PAYMENT OPTIONS: CHECK MONEY ORDER CREDIT (online) PAYPAL (online) Credit Card / PayPal Confirmation Number: SUMMER FALL TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS: Ad design is included in the quoted price, if required, and is proofed by advertiser prior to publication. If submitting a camera-ready ad, please note that all photos/halftones must be 300/175 dpi or better for optimum reproduction quality. We can accept ads in the following formats: PDF, tiff, eps, illustrator, in design, and pdf. NO Publisher Files please. Contact Laurie Monroe (352) with any other questions. Ad Sizes & Prices... NOTE: There are a limited number of advertising pages available. Allocation: first come, first served. Inside covers: call regarding availability please. Color covers (IFC, IBC and BC) cost $250. Please call (352) or blarney@grafxbylaurie.com for additional information (there are also 1/3 page, business cards and text only classified options available). Full Page Half Page (V) Half Page (H) Quarter Page (7.5 x 10 ) $190 clr / $100 bw (3.65 x 10 ) $130 clr / $70 bw (7.5 x 4.75 ) $130 clr / $70 bw (3.65 x 4.75 ) $75 clr / $50 bw Business Card clr $50 / $40 bw Photo Classified 1 Photo: 75 words $40 clr / 25 bw Prices identified herein respresent SINGLE placement. Multiple runs receive 7% two-issue and 15% three-issue discount! Please review rules and restrictions for advertising at: and in this edition Page 37.

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32 Stallion Service auction Pledges: Beeston Laird RID Braveheart RID Bridon Beale Street RID Bridon Belfrey RID Cradilo RID Kilpeck Diamond Knight RID Lionwood Kinsale s Lad RID Mac s Blue Erin RID Maggie s Irish Rebel RID Manu Forti s Sea Hawk RIDSH PL Diamond Hill RID Rhyd s Sea Quest RID Silver Galtee RIDSH The Irish Rover RID To Be Sure RIDSH idhsna Stallion Service auction will take place between February 15, and March 7, the Blarney: the quarterly irish Draught Horse Society of North america Magazine!