Over the weekend Max and I attended the Event Derby and Dressage Show at the University of California at Davis. I rode my coming six year old home raised and trained Purebred Connemara gelding Redbuds Cracker Jack (*Glenormiston Billies Bay x PM *Glenormiston Amelia) at both Training and First Level in the Open Dressage Show. Much to my delight and amazement my Jack placed First and Second in our respective Dressage tests with a personal best score of 68.4%.

This was our first show in quite a long time—as some of you may remember Jack came down with a virus which attacked his trachea last January and was out for almost the entire show season last year.   Its been a long but joyful road back in both our fitness and training level—but nothing could make me more excited than to be back in the ring with my superstar dressage pony Jack! Extra special was that my young pony was a perfect gentlemen and a pleasure to handle and travel with for what turned out to be a very long day! I was especially pleased with three things—Jack standing quietly tied to the trailer for such a long time and then his best Stretchy Circle ever and lastly his excellent Free Walk in both tests (Jack is notorious for wanting to look around and I was tickled pink he trusted me enough to keep his mind on his work).

All and All a Super Start to the 2011 season for Jack and me!

Im posting this video as a starting point to our season–to remember how far we’ve come and how far we have yet to go.  We’ve got some exciting plans for the ponies this year and are looking forwards to yet another successful season! Jack is a rising six year old registered purebred Connemara Pony Gelding sired by the Imported Stallion *Glenormiston Billies Bay and out of our Premium Imported Mare *Glenormiston Amelia.

3 year old purebred Connemara Gelding sired by our wonderful Stallion Wildwych Eclipse and out of the beautiful Premium Imported Mare *Eastlands Glendearg. “Noah” as he is called was bred by my good friends Rick and Dale Doner and is available for your consideration. Considering the stellar performance records of both sire and dam I can’t imagine finding a more suitable prospect for ridden Dressage. Eclipse has successfully competed through 3rd Level Dressage at the Three Star Level with scores in the mid to high sixties. Noah’s dam Eastie was awarded the coveted “CONNEMARA OF THE YEAR” in 2006 after earning multiple championships in FEI Pony Dressage Competition including Reserve Champion at FEI Dressage Championship of the Americas, in 2002. I feel very fortunate to own both Noahs half sister (my Century Hills Taylor Maide) and her 2010 Colt Redbuds Robin Goodfellow (Wildwych Eclipse x CH Taylor Maide). Like her dam before her Taylor qualified for Premium Mare Status by recieving marks of Excellent or Very Good in all categories at her Breed Inspection in 2009. Following that success Taylor also was awarded Premium Mare status with the Oldenburg Verband Weser Ems.

Redbud Ranch is wishing you all of the Joys of the Season!

As promised I’ve finally managed to get the first of two new videos of our Connemara Stallion Wildwych Eclipse and his rider Danielle Casalett competing at Third Level Dressage.  Eclipse and Danielle won both of their ridden tests with scores in the low to middle high sixties. This was the first time for Eclipse competing at this level and we were all very pleased with their results.

What fun!

Congratulations to Lisa Gerdes for winning the November Photo Gallery Competition!

Thanks Lisa, for uploading that amazing picture of Lucky Teddy competing in the Preliminary Championship at Woodside Horse Trials in Northern California – everyone here absolutely loves it.

A Woof Wear Goodie bag is on its way to sunny California!

You can check out  Woof Wears gorgeous new site here!

On Friday October 18th Redbuds Moonrock (aka Rocky) attended the 2010 West Coast Future Event Horse Championships in which  took the Championship for Three Year olds–placing third overall. This is the second year in a row that our hombred (Wildwych Eclipse x Palladia) has performed consistently in hand and we look forwards to a very bright future as he moves up to Young Event Horse Series in 2011.  Rocky is currently residing in Davis California where he and his rider Jessica Morgan are in training with Christine Scarlett. Read more