"TEAM WORK"

Photo Submitted by Francis Baker DEC Member

Our horses are Canadian Hackney Clydesdale Cross Bred Mares. We bought the original pair at Martin's Auction almost 6 years ago. They had been the wheelers for Mrs. Gay (James) Robinson of West Chester, PA. Mrs. Robinson was a well know four in hand driver and one of the founding members of the World Coaching Club....a private club of women who drive four horses to an authentic coach. Paul Martin bought the team from the Robinson estate, after the passing of Mr. Robinson.
I went to the same breeder who bred the older wheelers (Jim MacKay of Shady Maple Farm) and purchased two young leaders. Then we went to Southern Pines, NC and trained with Bill Long, a well know four in hand CDE driver and trainer for the summer. Bill got the team going. That next winter I went back to Canada again, but this time before it started snowing, and bought a spare horse. So we now have five Canadian mares.
I cannot begin to tell you how much fun these horses are to drive. They have lots of spark and trot.....but when we are in a pinch they stop and wait for me to "get it right".

" Bluebells Along the Brandywine"

Photo Submitted by Mary Everhart DEC Member

Mary Everhart and Suzy Q enjoy a spring riding ritual -- bluebells along the Brandywine in the Beaver Valley near Smithbridge.  The blooming season is late April through early May.
Suzy Q is an eight-year-old QH/Appaloosa cross born on Mary's property in Smyrna to a mare she was boarding for a friend.  She imprinted the mare and has been learning from her ever since!
Mary and Suzy Q like to travel.  They've been to Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia and North Carolina.  Riding vacations to New York and West Virginia are being planned!

"Rachelrae, the Reserve Yearling at the Devon Horse Show in May"

Photo Submitted by Ken Horeis DEC Member

On May 29th we showed a yearling Oldenburg filly in the "Other than Thoroughbred" Breeding Division at the Devon Horse Show.  "Rachelrae" won her class and then went against all the other Yearling class winners and was named Reserve Best Yearling of the show.  This filly is by the good Hanoverian stallion Rosenthal and out of our Thoroughbred mare Good Angel, so she was a homebred filly competeing against some of the top yearlings in the country.  We've shown at Devon in the past when we thought we had someting that could compete, but this is our best showing yet.  Back in the late 80's we had a yearling TB colt that was the top yearling in Zone 3 and 4th nationally, but this filly is the best we've ever shown.  Just thought it might be news worthy for a locally bred and raised horse to have done so well at one of the biggest and most
Hunter/Jumper shows in the country.        Thanks, Ken Horeis