"Hi Amber,

It's been awhile since Lavani came down to Texas and I thought you would like to see the big girl she has grown up to be. I think she is liking the warm weather, didn't grow a coat all winter... Pic is of her schooling getting ready to show at the big complex here in Houston. She tries so hard to take care of me when riding... She is so smart, I've never seen a baby learn so quickly and easily. She's my baby and I thank you for working with me to get her :)

Another schooling picture

Little girl growing up. (This picture is at) her first schooling show. Got tricolors there!

Lindsay"

"Hi Amber,

Tatiana continues to improve with every ride! We're currently hoping to make a serious effort for the Region 5 USDF/USEF Championships at First Level this year. We had a promising debut in October 2014 in which we earned one of our two qualifying scores with a 63.71%, which was preceded by an average of 67.86% at Training Level, even earning a 71.6% for Training Level Test 3, and placing 10th in the Region 5 Championships in 2013. At our local shows, I've entered her in the Hunter Under Saddle walk/trot/canter flat classes, in which Anna's taken first place all but one time, coming in second for that one class. We've also done cross rails and the 2' Hunter Over Fences classes, and she's excelled there, as well.

Outside of showing, Anna has proven to be a wonderful trail mount, exploring the mountains of southwest Colorado. She even did her first backcountry pack trip Labor Day weekend of 2015, and proved she had the mental and physical stamina and strength to take it all in stride.

I am looking forward to see what this year will bring to my partnership with Anna. We're set up for some great dressage clinics and aim to qualify for Regionals, and hopefully we'll have some Second Level tests under our belt by the show year's end. I can't wait to hit the trails, too, and hope another pack trip is in our future.

-Rachael Mikelson"

Zamaya was a custome foal for Laura Kaye, she was born and spent her first few years here with us before going home to Laura to start her training.

"Maya is doing great! We got 4th in the .85 meters today. ... P.s. this is at an "A" show."

Nachtwind, or Breezy for short, is a 1998 Holsteiner/Andalusian filly. She is owned by Jennifer Truett and she lives in MD. She was one of the first foals we ever bred and sold. She is out of our Holsteiner mare Foxfyre, who is also the dam of Legado De Fuego, and out of the Andalusian stallion Companero owned by Dakota Winds Andalusians. Breezy hit the dressage shows in a big way in 2004. She earned the International Andalusian and Lusitano Horse Association year end High Point award for Half Andalusians in open competition! Also for the IALHA Breezy was first place in the AA division at 1st and 2nd level, in the open devision she was first place at 1st level and second place at 2nd level! She would have also won awards with the AHHA if she were allowed to win awards from more than one registry. BIG CONGRATULATIONS to Jennifer and Breezy on their great show season. Keep up the great work and we are looking forward to hearing about all your new accomplishments in the next show season.

As can be seen she already knows how to work in a harness and she loves to pull her antique gig. Here are some things her owner, Jennifer Truett, has to say about Breezy.

"...pulling the gig, she just loves it and you can see it in her expression.=)...She's sooooo wonderfully perfect. We just love her to pieces!!"

Here are a few more things Jennifer has to say about her wonderful mare.

"Breezy won her Dressage Suitability in hand class yesterday!!!! And one of the most prominent trainers in our area tried numerous times (quite unsuccessfully, I might add) to buy her right there on the spot!!!!!... Everyone just raved about her, she drew a crowd everywhere she went. And to top it all off, she behaved like a perfect lady the entire time, even while being tied to the trailer..."

"I took her to another USDF show a couple weekends ago, and she won the American Warmblood Society Highpoint Gold Medal!!! She was AWESOME!!!!...I'm so very excited about her, she has the fire and spunk that will make her a superb show horse, and the brain and heart to try to please."

These shows took place when Breezy was only a yearling.

Here are some owner comments from December 1999, when Breezy was one and a half years old.

"Breezy is the most wonderfully, perfect, absolutely awsome, fabolous baby horsey in the whole world!!! =)... She won the high-point year end award for our local dressage club in the Suitability In-Hand Division-she got a beautiful 3 foot long ribbon and embroidered bath towel!!..."

These next comments are refering to Breezy's great success at the AWS inspections as a yearling.

"I am SSSOOOO excited!!!!! I just got a package in the mail from the American Warmblood Society and Breezy Baby received an award for being the FIFTH highest scoring horse in the yearling fillies division of the inspections this year!!!!! I just can't believe it, I really didn't expect her to have done so well. Her inspection was back in April, and there have been soo many since then, I would have thought that more than four horses would have scored higher than her throughout the year. But apparently not!!!!!"

Here are some comments from Jennifer that were sent to me on March 22, 2001.

"Breezy is going to be in the Columbus, Ohio, Equine Affaire April 5-9, 2001... Everyone LOVES her!! She is the picture of exquisite beauty and elegance hitched to her antique carriage and floating through her Dressage movements. Everyone agrees that she is going to be an absolute show-stopper. She even causes every horse (and person) to turn and look at her even now when we enter the arena!!! I keep hoping the judges will have the same response!!..."

Scenic Miss Lucky or "Texas" for short is a 1996 APHA mare. Texas' owner is now Roni Davis and here are a few things Roni has to say about her.

"I purchased Texas in July of 1999. I wanted a black/white mare mostly but Texas stood out amongst so many others I had seen. Upon her arrival and since, she has been a true lady. This is not to say we haven't had a few bumps along the way but nothing that hasn't been ironed out. Everyone that has been around Texas and I say we are very well matched in appearance (as I wear mostly black/red) and temperaments; and that we make a great team."

"Her saddle training began very quietly in August 1999. Given our stifling heat [in Florida] and humidity, and as Texas was in foal, we started her conservatively. She hasn't refused anything she has been asked to do; she has been ready and willing every step of the way. As this was the first horse I had at training level, I quess you could say I was in training as well. Within 6 months of her first lesson, we had ridden at a nearby horse farm and a public park. Some told me along one of the rides that I should drop back so Texas could watch the other horses go through a ravine and to be ready cuz she may refuse. Texas didn't see a ravine, she saw a washout; everyone forgetting she was from South Dakota. She performed beautifully."

"Texas foaled in May of 2000, a bay filly. The only misstep she has made to date was not informing me "it was time". She has proved to be a wonderful mother."

"Wanting the best for my girl, I recently moved Texas to a nearby horse farm for a short time to graze, run, and have the company of other horses. It has been very hard on me not seeing my best friend waiting on my when I step out of my door or hear her whinney when I return home."

"Given all the distractions of this busy stable, she has continued to impress me. We have always had to steal places and times to ride in the past, therefore, I have not been able to put a lot of miles on her. The other day we were doing our round pen work and Texas was kicking up her heels and letting the other horses distract her. I put the saddle on her and she was completely focused, soft and attentive to me. I had not ridden her in 7 months."

"To me, Texas is exceptional and certainly one of a kind. Pictures of her filly are forthcoming and by the way, this filly is for sale."

These photos were taken on Texas' sixth birthday. As you can see she had a very good birthday party.

Here is Texas with her mommy and just hanging out looking pretty.

He is better known as "Merlin" and he is a 2002 gelding by the Holsteiner stallion Legado De Fuego and out of the Andalusian mare Samara A. Above you can see Merlin at the 2011 USDF Championships accepting his 7th place finish for training level. Congratulations Isabel and Merlin! He is owned and loved by Isabel Sheets who spent time teaching him how to drive while he was too young to ride as can be seen below. Here are a few things Isabel had to say about Merlin:

10/04/2003 "Merlin is doing GREAT - he has recently gotten much more confidence and is being much more assertive and bossy! with the others - but he is really getting the idea of long lining and he now understands directional control and I have him doing circles and changes of direction and negotiating obstacles at a walk (we just started doing trot on the long lines but I keep the trot to either straight lines or circles around me for now). Greg has helped me a couple of times by holding the sulky and pulling it along with Merlin - with the shafts actually over his back but not attached. I am using the old cob harness I got years ago for my first baby. He never really reacted to the crupper ... Merlin just tucked his butt and then was okay! He has finally gotten out of his little boy habit of trying to lay down when he wasn't sure or was stressed - that was funny. I have rigged a couple of broom handles to fit through the shaft tugs and thimbles on either side of him to simulate the cart shafts and he is okay with those. "

10/28/2003 "...today was Merlins first time hooked up to the cart completely! This morning I worked with him on standing still and by himself in front of the carriage and standing still for me to harness him without me having to tie him. (I do all this in the indoor arena). He was great - I put the cart over his back and he stood perfectly still and didn't try to walk off, then I put the cart shaft thru the loops and thimbles and lead him while holding onto the cart so that he didn't actually pull it but he could feel the shafts around his body as he walked and turned. Then this evening Greg came out and helped me and this time I actually tied down the shafts with the second girth and while Greg walked in front holding the lead line very loosely I long lined Merlin from behind the cart. He was fantastic - such a champ - he only once got a little concerned when one of the wheels went thru some very wet sand (we had a virtual monsoon here today and the arena got partially flooded) and the sound was different. But all he did was quicken his walk for a few strides. I couldn't be more pleased."

"Lorien" is a 2003 colt by the Holsteiner stallion Legado De Fuego and out of a QH mare. He is owned and bred by Stephanie Middleton who wants to use him for eventing when he grows up. Here are a few things Stephanie has to say about Lorien:

10/27/2003 "Lorien is doing great. He has so much personally and has been great fun. I think he will stay chestnut as his fall coat is coming in a rich liver chestnut. He was 13.3 at the rump and 13.1 at the shoulders last week. Not too bad for four and a half months. He has a floating trot and I love to see him move out in the field. ... My vet tells me he is one of the nicest colts he has seen this year and he sees a lot of warmbloods."