If you want to help...

There is a fund established to help with the efforts due to the recent tragedy at True Prospect Farm -
True Prospect Fire Recovery Fund - http://phillipdutton.com/donatenow.php

And a write up on Eventing Nation with a tribute to the horses lost.

It is every horseman's nightmare to have a barn fire.

Amy Dragoo has an album of photographs to view the devastation.

There are now several ways to help - 5 different ways to offer support to those impacted by the fire - http://eventingnation.com/home/2011/05/ways-to-support-the-true-prospect-fire-recovery.html

Our thoughts and prayers go out to Boyd & Silva Martin & their connections

Such terrible news! Our sincere condolences to those who have lost a horse and best wishes for a speedy recovery for the horses still in the clinic.

Eventing Nation has a full write up.

Our thoughts are with everyone at True Prospect Farm.

Show News!!!

Now everyone needs to get really excited and give a rousing cheer - our longtime client (and really good friend) Karin R. showed her mare Adelaide WF over the weekend! It was their first show together and they rocked it!!! No drama for all the little things that go into showing - loading, shipping, directions to a strange location, warming up, riding the tests - all of that stuff was seamless!!! And they returned back to their home in DE with a win and a third along with the very-brag-worthy score of 75.63%!!!!

Congratulations Karin & Addie!!!

Lots of photos of their really good day -

Ellie and Don William WF had another outing in the USEF Four Year Olds Test! Liam continues to fulfill the promise he showed as a young foal - he is stellar as a competition horse! They got a 9 for Walk, 8.5 for Trot, an 8.3 for Submission and 8 for the overall impression. The canter had a rider communication error - so Liam did a bit of counter canter to start and then corrected the mistake. The final score was an 8.16% - so a lifetime high score for Ellie with room for improvement and higher marks!! Depending on how the ankle feels in the coming weeks, there could be a recognized show in their future together too! :)

Thanks to Anne for all the patient coaching, meticulous instruction, driving, photography, last minute grooming, moral support, encouragement, mental health chats and everything else that goes into getting horses and riders into the show ring!! Oh and sincere thanks for breeding TWO such lovely riding horses!!!

Attention Breeders! Thank you Veterans!

Happy Memorial Day Weekend to everyone! Please take a moment and give thanks to those who have sacrificed and served our country providing us with security and freedom. It would not be possible to do so many things without the men and women who have given so much for their country and its citizens.

Now for the farm news -

Avebury WF's show jumping round from the VA HT CCI* can be viewed HERE and HERE. It is in 2 parts and we can not thank Susanna Holder enough for taking the time to shoot Ryan's lovely round on the iPhone. She is a very good Intermediate rider in her own right and the most excellent groom who has been part of the team who have taken such wonderful care of Avebury when he is at Phillip's. We can not say thank you enough times to Susanna and the rest of the gang...they are fantastic! Full props have to go out to Ryan as the show jumping course had caused several eliminations, rider falls and plenty of challenging rides for the horses leading up to Avebury's double clear. Avebury was one of just 3 horses in his division to finish on his dressage score.

So while we are speaking of Avebury - he is home for a bit and available to breeders via fresh semen. We are recommending that Mare Owners consider the Per Collection Contract as he is available for just a few weeks and has had outstanding breeding results - super concentration, motility and longevity. His first cycle conception rate is also very, very good, so this is an opportunity for a fertile mare to have a foal for a discounted price! This is also a great opportunity to breed to an up and coming eventing star!

And now we're on to the Breeding News - Select Breeders is closed on Monday May 30th for the holiday. Normal collections and frozen shipments resume Tuesday May 31st. Thank you for your understanding. This holiday interruption of services is another good reason for Mare Owners to consider using Frozen Semen as it is always there for your breeding needs! Please take a moment and read the information that is available on the SBS Website and familiarize yourself with the advantages of going with Frozen over Fresh Cooled!

And now for the other big May News - we've had a bunch of equine birthdays! For a look at all our May Babies, please click HERE! Enjoy!

We are going to the Cross Roads Tack Show at Linden Hall on Sunday with Don William WF and our longtime client (and good friend) Karin with her Adelaide WF. Lots of photos will be taken, fun will be had and those will be added Sunday night!

Happy Memorial Day Weekend!

So I think catches us all up on what's what here on the farm...for now!

Check back soon for more updates!

First off...an apology!

Let me start with a massive apology to everyone who keeps up with the blog! For the past 4 days I have been unable to login to Blogger. You Tube, Gmail - sure, but not Blogger to update everyone with photos, video links and the latest news from the farm...

To say that I was unhappy is an understatement. Fortunately that is behind us all now and I'll get to work on updating what's been happening this week since we've been busy!

Congratulations!!!!!

I'll start with some Breed Registry News - Congratulations to Emily Wagner on qualifying for the Verden World Championships for Young Horses with her 6 Year Old AWR stallion Wake Up! Wake Up is by Wagnis (Weltmeyer/Lungau) out of Montreal Maiden (Macho) and was born and bred in Kansas! If you'd like to see lots of lovely photos of their ride - check out Dressage Daily! Mary Phelps mentioned that she will be adding a video of the 'near flawless ride' when they return to KY, so check back later in the week to see them go! Congratulations Emily & Wake Up! Such a huge accomplishment to qualify 2 years in a row!!!!!!



On the big accomplishment front - Avebury WF completed his first CCI* this weekend at the Virginia Horse Trials in Lexington! Ryan has checked in and said that while the trot work in their test was lovely, Avebury got a bit tense in the canter work, so that affected their score and placing in the first phase. But then it was onward and upward! Cross country was a challenging test but Avebury galloped around with no jump or time penalties to move up in the standings. The vet check before show jumping was passed and then Avebury showed his poise and scope in the enclosed arena - with another clean round and no time faults! Ryan said he has the round on his phone, so as soon as we upload that, the link will be added here!

So as a wrap up - Avebury was rock solid in the jumping phases and one of only 3 horses at that level to finish on his dressage score!!! Congratulations Team Avebury!!!

Thank you to the staff at Phillip and Evie Dutton's True Prospect Farm and Ryan for all of their hard work!

BIG Breeding News!

Due to demand, Avebury WF will be available for a shortened 2011 Breeding Season via Fresh Semen!!!

Here is your chance to breed to a rising eventing star who is on the way up the levels! Avebury ships out tomorrow from True Prospect with Ryan Wood to compete at the Virginia Horse Trials One Star! Good luck Ryan! Good luck Team Avebury!!!

Avebury WF, Waldaire and Wizard WF are also available on a PER COLLECTION Contract - meaning you pay the PCC fee and your vet will be supplied with 2 doses of high quality semen! No LFG but you can breed to Waldaire for $700, Avebury for $650 or Wizard for $450! (collection & shipping fees will be billed directly by SBS), so it is like Frozen Semen at a Fresh Semen price!

Contact Ellie@watermark-farm.net for more information. The Per Collection Contract will be added to the Services Page of the website shortly!

Somehow it feels like a busy week has passed!

So it is Sunday - theoretically a day of rest, right? We will take some time for reflecting on the wonderful sights and experiences of this week but that will be between loose jumping some of the young horses, long lining on the double lunge and doing some of the general horse things that may have been overlooked this week.

But what a great week!

So that everyone not intimately connected to the farm understands, our stallions are always being evaluated as to their suitability for staying intact. The critical eye goes beyond the standard of good conformation, 3 excellent gaits and holds their temperament and mind to a higher standard as we have to handle, care and ride them each day. If we decide to geld a stallion, 9 times out of 10 is it purely because they are maturing at a time when we are stretched a bit thin with our time and the life of a gelding is far simpler than that of a breeding stallion here at Watermark Farm. A few weeks ago, our first foal by Wizard WF was born and we have been very pleased with her uphill carriage, elasticity and correct conformation. That being said, we have had stallions in the past that can not handle their hormonal impluses and they soon have an appointment with the vet. So now that everyone is on the same page, Wizard went to SBS for his first collection of the 2011 season and had super numbers - so that helps to ensure his status as a breeding stallion as we won't stand a stallion with poor motility, longevity or concentration - it just is not worth the expense/hassle/liability. But with 22 billion sperm to his credit, one item was checked off his 'Stay A Stallion List'. The next component of having a breeding career here is that of rideability. Our stallions have to deal with mares and foals in close proximity to the riding arena. Wizard is focused and attentive to his rider - here's a snapshot of him wearing his first double bridle with Wallstreet Rose, Wendolyn, Waverleigh and Windrose in the background on Thursday.

Check another item of the SASL!


Then there is the challenge of showing a breeding stallion. Some stallions are very territorial and arrive at a new location and are a bit over the top with their insecurities and other issues. Wizard showed at the Blue Goose Schooling show in Cochranville on Saturday and was a gem. The warm up situation was a bit of a challenge but he was a very good boy in the FEI Five Year Old Test earning a score of 70%. Here are a few snaps by Anne of Wizard and Ellie -

So while Ellie is very sad that she is not riding up to her standard prior to the car accident, the judge was very impressed with Wizard. She likened his movement to that of a classic Warkant descendant and praised his uphill gaits and relaxed, clear 4 beat walk. The farm opinion of Wizard having a bright future in sport was also agreed upon with his talent and demeanor. Some of the comments from Judge DeVoe - "Very attractive type!!" "shows great potential." Trot had "clear rhythm" for a score of 7.5, Walk received an 8.0 and comments on good relaxation. So we are excited for Wizard's future both in breeding and sport!



Here are a few snap shots of his daughter Wendolyn WF (out of Wallstreet Rose WF by Wallstreet Kid) -

We do have a few big announcements and changes to the breeding options for this season but it is time to go to do the morning turnouts and feeding...so check back later for the new news!

Schooling photos! Sale Horse Bio's starting with the 2008's!

So yesterday was a bit busy! Dad has hay down that is almost ready to bale - I'll get some photos of the fields later today as it is all raked up and ready to go and the views are pretty cool!

Wizard WF has had a busy week so far with breeding work to start the week and a schooling show coming up this weekend! Yesterday he got to try on a baby double bridle for a few minutes and thought it was no big deal...

It is worth mentioning that there is a mare & foal and 2 yearling fillies just behind that 3 rail fence next to the ring. The ladies like to watch Wizard work and he is proving to be a good riding stallion who keeps his mind on his work!

In the afternoon, mom and I went over to True Prospect and shot some photos of Ryan and Whodini WF. They were schooling some cross country jumps including a 2 stride ditch - cabin combination! Whodini is really coming along nicely and each ride seems to be an improvement on the one before, so he has a good future ahead of him! Enjoy the photos -

So the website is in need of updating, but there don't seem to be enough hours in the day to get the horses worked and attend to it along with everything else. I'll get to it over the weekend, but in the meantime, here are a few bits of info about some of the current sales horses. We have some changes on a few of the For Sale young horses for those of you who might be in the market for a youngster to bring along. The following colts are now geldings - Wolfgang WF, Dreamcatcher WF, Aloysius WF, Drummond WF and Wilson WF. They were all top quality stock - and every bit as nice as horses we've kept intact in the past but due to space constraints and time, we opted to change their futures a bit. Everyone is healing nicely and they are now permanently our sweet boys!

Here is a bit of the lowdown on what each boy is best suited to go on career-wise:

For those of you who are more interested in the show hunter type - Wilson is a particular favorite - he is a very flat kneed mover with the typical Waldaire canter and super flying changes. His dam's full brother has enjoyed a lovely career at Carolyn Chrome's stable and is still showing successfully. Wilson has a lovely large eye, very pretty head and just screams Show Hunter when you look at him move. He is a 2008 and should mature to 16.3 hands.

Drummond is a lightfooted, uphill classic Dressage Royal baby. He is going to be on the taller side - at a guess, 16.3-17 hands, bright bay with some chrome and oozes class and FEI talent. He is not the bravest by nature but should have a very good jump. He reminds me of Alacazam, just in a leaner, darker package.

Aloysius or Louie as he is known around the barn is on the market currently. This is the first time we have offered him for sale as he is the best of Avebury and Again and Again in a grey coat. He is correct, sweet and very, very talented.

He should do well in a program that is used to bringing along top athletic ability. Louie should finish about 16.3 and is going to make someone very happy.







Dreamcatcher aka McDreamy is just that! He is about 16.1 right now and should grow a bit more. He is ready to start his undersaddle training this month and is another FEI horse (provided all goes well) in the making. His movement is very fashionable with scope and power and he is a very balanced horse - always carrying himself and uphill.

Wolfgang is best known as Puck around the barn. He is very sweet, smart and a thinker. He has a ton of chrome and will be tall - about 17 hands in the end. He had an unfortunate injury as a weanling but is sound and athletic. His pricing is set as more of an adoption fee - we would like him to have a forever home where he is not going to be expected to become a top FEI horse.

So the website will get some attention this weekend and in the meantime, I'll add a bit about each of the current sales horses during the week so you all can keep abreast of what they are up to! :)

Show results! Baby video! Mother's Day!

Hmmmmm, where to start!?! Let's go with the actual day - Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there! Thank you for your unselfishness, stern words, constant encouragement, dedication, support and wisdom. I hope that all the mommies get to do what they enjoy most today and have some celebratory event to mark their day.

On the horse show front ('cause what would be a better way to celebrate???) Avebury WF finished in 8th place at MCTA in his Preliminary division! Congratulations to Team Avebury!!!! Ryan was very enthusiastic about their cross country ride and quite pleased with dressage and show jumping! One onlooker texted me after she saw them go and had only positive things to say, so it is great to hear that they looked good! Full results can be found HERE.

Don William WF went to his first show! He is a super star in the making! Sincere thanks go out to all the staff at Phillip and Evie's barn for all their hard work - he was a dream to compete!! No baby silliness, no spooking, just rock solid through the USEF Four Year Olds Test. :) I couldn't be happier as he is a tall horse and he was as cooperative as could be! He ended up with a lovely rosette, a picture frame and 2 8's for a score of 7.5! Thanks to all the lovely folks at Blue Waters Farm for their gracious hospitality and charming facility! The full results of the day can be found HERE. Bill Alphin of A&A Photography was on site - so we should have a link to proofs in a few days to share with everyone.

When we returned home to the farm, Mom and I brought our filly in and shot some video along the way. It's a bit unsteady with the camera, but hopefully everyone can enjoy her lovely uphill movement. If it is not to your liking, more will be added in the coming days as we are delighted with this little diva!

Weekend plans! Baby photos! What could be better?

Oh I can think of a few things - videos of the filly for one!! But wait, she now has a name!!! Wendolyn WF aka Lynnie - thanks to Christine M. for the suggestion!

For those of you who have had a Waldaire offspring and are curious about similar traits with his son Wizard's get - not to worry! There are some strong resemblances! The most obvious is the grounded nature - Lynnie is not fearless, she is deliberate. She is very, very calm about life and seems to look at a new situation, sizes it up, plans a course of action and then executes. But the most telling trait is this expression -

She sees you in the pasture and begins the 'march' to see who you are. There is no aggression, just curiosity and steady eye contact. :)




So enough baby for a minute! We have 2 horses competing this weekend - Avebury WF is running Preliminary at MCTA Horse Trials down in MD on Saturday. Don William WF is competing at Blue Waters Farm in MD on Saturday also!

If you are in either area, come say hello! We'd love to catch up with everyone as it's been ages since we were out and about with the horses in this area!