So many congratulations to Charlotte with Redheart Regent competing in the Duns, Cremello, Palomino & Spotted Class at the weekend at the North West Championships held at Croft Top Equestrian Centre.
For their first debut outing in the ring, pulled in the top 10 from a huge class and returning for the evening performance.
We are so proud of you both, he looks magnificent, hat off to YOU Charlotte.
Photo credits to Chameleon Photography
Regent & Reality are supposed to spending 2020 in the ring, as 3yr olds it’s their last in hand season. We are in the same boat as everyone else, due to the current situation about COVID 19.
The boys are looking well and certainly showing us exactly the power of the LP gene, beautiful!
We have been utilising our time “starting” them, we are taking every day slowly and calmly, here’s a few pictures after their long-reining session, certainly too much energy!
The British Appaloosa Society National Show was the end to our 2019 showing campaign, an extremely enjoyable show that proved our horses progress.
A huge thank you to all that helped run this show at Hartpury.
Reus and I executed the given pattern in the Open Ridden Class to perfection, I listened well, starting with exactly eight strides of walk and ending with walk to halt at the flags (the banner on the arena wall). This was the first time I actually felt Reus not just under me but also feeling what I was thinking, all his transitions were smooth, he went on the right lead and I felt extremely happy with our performance, we came 5th of 10.
Our stallion Blu, yet again proved his total respect for me under saddle, working around so many horses in the warmup ring and then standing in a line up of 7 in the ring, not once did he show any stallion traits, a very promising future for us. His performance was totally novice but considering he’d only been ridden for three weeks we were not their to compete, merely mingle. He’s only done large circles at home and unfortunate for us, the area was less than one-quarter of the arena so we did what suited us, NOT following the given pattern, I did laugh a lot when I heard the Judge say “do not follow this”, thankfully the other competitors didn’t!
Regent, yet again didn’t put a foot wrong, he spent the morning in the in-hand classes being placed in each one, we have high hopes for this chap, albeit in quite a few years’ time. He’s surely got a long of growing to do and although we knew he was looking rather gangly we took him for experience, there was no way we could compete with stock far more precocious than us.
So, Reus will continue throughout the winter, Regent is back out in the field and Blu travels to Stallion AI to be collected from in the next month.
The Appaloosa Horse Club UK National Show is one show we greatly look forward to each year. A place where the Club members meet and share a common passion – The Appaloosa Horse, whether it be Purebred, Registered, Part bred or on the Characteristic Register, we support, help and encourage one another and share the highs and lows of our Appaloosa lives.
A huge thank you to all the helpers on the day and the Directors Sue Feast, Auriol Thorne, Kim Tuscany Sands and Elisa Spivey for their continued hard work behind the scenes x
Here at the Stud we’ve been very occupied preparing the horses for this annual event. Regent and Reality our two-year-old gelding’s are experiencing a growth spurt, a time when they look very much out of proportion, so on this occasion we decided to leave Reality in the field and take Regent, Reus and Blu.
A very special thank you to Rachael Simmons, Katherine Pennels and Will Hunt for looking after the horses recently whilst we have been on our holidays!
Photography courtesy of Barbara Evans, Lian Wood, Virginia Rider and Simon & Anita Coates Simon Coates Photography xx
This was Redheart Regent second show and we eventually got him up to shower and braid and release him from his baby sitting task, we didn’t expect the day to unfold so well!
The first class was the “Most Colourful Other”, where he picked up a 2nd place, his next class, Part bred young stock on the triangle, we were absolutely delighted with our partnership, he moved very gracefully around the cones and won the class, later, he won his gender/age class and took Reserve Champion Part Bred. We couldn’t ask any more from this young man.
DFR Patahas Redheart first ridden show, anyone who follows us knows Blu was backed here at the stud late January this year, he was then ridden away by
a local friend Skye Houldsworth, at her premises for a few weeks before being turned away for 6 months. At the end of July we decided to bring Blu back into work, he was a total angel to get back on and continued to be ridden for two weeks by our very good friend Will Hunt whilst we were away on holiday, so, although only being in light work, we decided to see if Blu could replicate exactly what he was doing at home but under a “show” conditions.
Blu finished his in hand showing days last year, we decided to take part Saturday to “test the waters”, before contemplating riding him on the Sunday. He stood very quietly watching the world go by with a junior Amelie House. However he did persistently try to grab his chain in his Stallion Classes but the main aim was for him to ignore all those horses around him… he passed!
Sunday brought us pure joy, such a well-mannered boy, although very green he presented the Judge with his huge soft personality and filled the atmosphere with smiles, I will never forget the cheer we received when he won his Ridden Youngster Class, so proud of him. The next class was a Walk/Trot Equitation which he passed with flying colours in our book as he stood next to and walked passed two mares, a fantastic start to his ridden career as a stallion.
Working full-time doesn’t really allow you to run a stud and school the ridden horses but we do our best! Reus gets ridden as often as possible and occasionally schooled on a flat piece of common land on the Old Hills, so it’s not his fault he’s not as well schooled as he should be (we are desperate to get our manège constructed ASAP) but throughout the year we have made the most of any local clinics offering pole work and or flat work. It certainly has paid off, Reus is certainly starting to make a nice shape and gave us some nice moves.
Reus is in his second year, being ridden in English and Sunday was our first test in the ring over a jump, albeit only 2ft6 he certainly gave it some space! He won his class, executing a basic pattern before and after the jump. Happy Days!
Very much looking forward to next year!
We didn’t manage to get Regent to a show last year, he was sold but we bought him back when his new owner suddenly experienced a huge personal challenge. I did regret selling him in the first place but he was supposed to be a filly to be retained (because I ordered a filly 🙂 ) we have no use for a gelding in our breeding programme! As time has gone by, we have grown very fond of Regent, maybe because we don’t know who his sire is (a very nice Spanish Stallion in Spain somewhere) and we feel sorry for him or is it the excitement of the unknown, or maybe because he’s just so perfect? Who knows but he’s very correct, has lovely paces and an adorable personality, a fine horse.
As he lives out with our other two-year-old gelding Reality, its taken time for his coat to come right for our first show of 2019 and we haven’t had time to do much with Regent because foaling duties took all of my time outside a full-time job during April but we did manage to squeeze in a few very late nights a few days running up to the show. A week prior to the show Regent looked ready for a fluffy coat competition!
All our horses load and travel from a very young age, I never have to worry about this, he was frequently bathed and trained as a yearling to walk, trot and stand in hand and all this stayed with him…
So his début outing was ROYAL WINDSOR, a huge equestrian event, a daunting experience for a baby and to be honest any first-time show can go either way, make no mistake if it had proved too much for him we would have happily put him back on the lorry and come home. Regent took the walk to the ring with eyes on stalks, he kept a little too close to me for reassurance but 20 minutes walking around the pre-ring he soon switched off in the company of a familiar sight – other Appaloosas.
His stride is big, he covers the ground and entering the ring with 13+ other horses we soon began to lap them at a gentle walk!
Separated into young stock and over 3-year-olds, Regent stood quietly in line although a few balloons and pushchairs with umbrellas did make him jump, a sneaky hand of grass sorted this out. His show was straight, calm and professional with a lovely extended trot, we felt great and the Judges comments were very flattering.
Into the Championship and what an absolute star, we came Reserve to an extremely well-known Multi Champion called Desired Edition, certainly an award that holds status.
Despite a blow out on the lorry and despite a two-hour journey home taking five hours due to the M4 closing two lanes, our Debut Outing with Redheart Regent was certainly a day to go down in history at Redheart Appaloosas.
Redheart Regent and Redheart Reality dam’s were both inseminated and the same day, the boys were born seven days apart April 2017.
They started playing as soon as they were introduced.
As they became colts, they played as colts do.
After castration, their coltish behaviour slowly disappeared.
They are fine apart but they really do enjoy each others company…
They will be two-years-old next month, here’s a short video of them PLAYING March 2019
Redheart Reality and Redheart Regent, our two-year-old geldings, both bum high and just over 15.1hh…
Redheart Regal, Redheart Reality and Redheart Regent, despite the elements they always make you feel less guilty leaving them out when they look so happy and content!
Due to the Autumn “cold” making its way not only through my workplace but my household it finally got me… Although we prepared Regent for his début outing I resigned to the fact I just couldn’t do it!
Here are a few shots of Regent all dressed up before being unplaited and turned back out with the herd, I think he would have done well at The Royal London Show but we will never know!
Redheart Regent
Redheart Regent
Redheart Regent
Redheart Regent
Redheart Regent
Redheart Regent
Redheart Regent
Redheart Regent
Until 2019…
We sell our horses with a basic contract that merely says we have the first refusal should the resale of the horse be required for any reason at any time.
The Redheart Appaloosas are a rare breed in the UK and we feel it necessary to always know where our horses are, we appreciate people’s circumstances change and sometimes it’s not always possible to keep a horse for many reasons.
When we delivered Regent to his new home he settled very well and Jane his new owner kept us up to date daily with his progress, we appreciated these updates and delighted to know even the tiniest details. From walking to Jane when called to eventually cantering to the sight of his new “mum”!
Then we got the news that due to a personal circumstance which remains confidential, we felt it was in Regent’s best interest to come home. Regent hadn’t done anything wrong and it was agreed he would be collected at the first possible opportunity.
Arriving at his new home it was clear Regent was very settled at very much at home, he didn’t want to leave his new friends but walked straight up into the lorry. Arriving back home, the neighing didn’t stop until Regent was reunited with his family in person, so lovely to see.
I can’t explain why this horse is so special but if I’m right you will soon see why…
