March 2010

It has a been a busy winter season for Parcival and friends.  And we have made so many wonderful new friends along the way!  One of the most exciting moments was at the Nations Cup competition at WEF when my Texas neighbors - Jan and Dani Beavers, who were in town to show for a couple of weeks - ended up sitting next to the owners of Lancelot, Parcival's sire.  Jan sent me a text (sometimes modern communications are just so cool!) and I headed straight over to meet these delightful Irish folks.  They stand an impressive group of stallions at their Kennedy Equine Centre in Ireland, and they were very excited to see photos of Parcival and learn of his wonderful successes in the dressage arena.  The horse world is indeed small.

Within days I was emailing with their daughter Oonagh and received these fabulous pictures of Lancelot -- who at 17 is still jumping at the Grand Prix level.  The resemblance to Parcival, I think, is remarkable.

Parcival has flourished in the clinics with Hubertus Schmidt and our training with Michelle toward the grand prix has been wonderful fun.  I can't wait to get to the show ring again, though lately every time we plan it, something comes up to keep us away.  Parcival is enjoying his status as a breeding stallion, though, and we are getting many inquiries for him this first season.  Because he is so easy to collect, I have made limited offers to ship fresh semen to some breeders.  If you are interested in this program, please contact me at amy.bock@att.net or at 561-247-4337 to discuss arrangements.

I did get to show my new young horse Walk The Line ("Cash") in the USEF four-year-olds test at Jim Brandon recently though, and that was just a ball.  Cash is owned by my Mom, Nancy, and I think she had more fun that anyone watching her boy step up and take on the show ring for the first time.  And he did not disappoint!  Despite torrential rains that flooded Cash's stall Thursday night and almost completely washed out the show on Friday (no schooling that day for us!), Cash was on his best behavior and earned straight 8s in his first USEF qualifier.  The judging panel told me I was "a lucky girl to have such a nice horse" and that Cash "was right on track in his training" and would take me up the levels with ease.  Of course we know he is special, but it is nice to get agreement from the people doing the scoring!

We are having just as much fun following Devon and Michelle in the show ring this year, and they have both been very busy.   Michelle and Don Angelo are putting together an amazing season in the young Oldenburg stallion's first year of Grand Prix, posting scores in the high 60s and pulling in top-4 placings in the GP, the Special, and the GP Freestyle in their two CDIs so far.  You will always be able to spot the Diamante Farms crowd at the shows when Michelle and "Boss" are competing!  Michelle is also showing T-Bone, Cash's brother, in the four-year-old classes, and we are having a terrific friendly rivalry.  They earned an 8.3 to win the qualifier at the last show, giving me and Cash a nice big target to aim for.  Michelle is an amazing competitor at the shows (one of the things I am learning from her), but I'm sure they really only beat us because T-Bone did not have to put up with a flooded stall . . . ;-)

Devon and her 5-year-old, Sanchez, turn heads whenever they go in the ring, and this first season of competition for those two is producing win after win.  They look just awesome together.  And Destiny continues to make the judges smile with his incredibly athletic gaits.  Now at Third Level, that incredible gelding will be moving up quickly and starting some buzz.  He is always fun to watch.