COME LOOK AT MY BOY, SHELDON CREEK BANDIT MARKESE
I am so proud of Mark, he is such a trooper. We had some mechanical trouble with his new carriage and so he couldn't use it for the time leading up to his first show. He had never been trained in a 4 wheel and only had 90 days of training last summer, before he went to this trainer. The trainer did not have a 4 wheel carriage that would work for Mark, so he trained him on the long lines (kudos to the trainer who had to run behind Mark for 2 hours a day). Then, the carriage got fixed 2 days before a CDE show. We took Mark out to the course and he has one day to get used to driven dressage, the hazards course and the cones course. He handled it all very well, except that he didn't think that we really wanted him to get his new boots and carriage wet, haha. He let us lead him into belly deep water, and within 5 minutes, he was trotting in circles in it, with the carriage.
The day of the show, he went through everything without a hitch (ok, his long straight lines down the rail in the dressage test were like spaghetti as he was trained in ridden dressage to go close to the rail, so was corrected a few times as he got the carriage too close to the rails, and he knocked down 1 ball on the cones course). He is so smart and willing. He didn't refuse, didn't freak at the wierd hazards, and did a course that was 6 miles long and had 13 hazards that he had not seen before. His trainer couldn't believe it, said this horse had the best temperament he had ever seen. Plus Marks work ethic is fabulous...you have to watch him for exertion, because he will not let you know, he will just keep going.
To top it all off, all the mares around were in season, and were trying to get to him. He maintained good stallion manners throughout...the geldings at the show were acting more studly than Mark was.
Just wanted to brag about my boy. Glad to see this group start. I know I am all the way across the country, but hope it is ok to join in. Thanks, Jayme
Mark's website is www.baroquestallion.com if you want to see him.