The Latest From the Ranch
& Foal Watch
by Gretchen

2004 News

November 20, 2004
cloudy/sunny -- but cold!

Winter feels like it is fast approaching as the days turn chillier. We haven't quite had a hard frost yet, but the temperatures must be getting quite close at night. It can't be long now!

The ponies are all woolly and hairy now, which makes me long for the slick, satin coats of summer! Quite a wait before that happens again....

Our beautiful September colts are growing up beautifully. I can't believe how nice they are. I am just so happy with both of them. We brought them up out of the pasture to be wormed recently, and made some video and photos of them while they were up. They really are outstanding. I just can't seem to decide which one I like better!! You can see the new photos of Clanfair Debonair and Clanfair Silver Wish by clicking on their names. It seems so odd to have such young foals born at this time of year! We opted to not breed the mares back, and rather to start early next year, as I'm not sure I want to have foals born this late again -- though those these boys are certainly robust and hearty and don't seem to mind a bit what time of year they were born!!!

*Waxwing Rose Garland and *Kenwood's Cadfridog leave Wales and come to Canada on Monday, November 22nd! They should be out of quarantine around the 1st of December, and we are working on the final transport to bring them home. It is very hard to wait patiently! They have both received many compliments while in quarantine, which is always nice. I am very much looking forward to getting both of them home!

Happy Thanksgiving from all of us at Family Partners!!!

November 1, 2004

It has been a busy month catching up from being gone! It is amazing how many things get behind in two weeks time! But I'm finally getting things under control and things have returned to normal.

The weekend I came home was the same weekend as the Oregon Fall Classic in Albany, Oregon. While I personally missed seeing the halter classes, I did go to the show briefly - and was delighted to discover that both Mardi and Annie had had a great show! Mardi was Champion Stallion and Reserve Grand Champion Section B, while Annie was Champion and Reserve Mare and Reserve Grand Champion B under the other judge. Annie had also competed in driving and was the Reserve Pleasure Driving Champion! It was a good show! Unfortunately I didn't get any pictures though!!

We have been having alternate cold/wet weather and bits of sun. Yesterday was one of the "bits of sun" and we took some video of Mardi. I made a slide show of the shots I got. Click here to see it!

*Telynau Jacobite has gone to his new home at Hickory Hollow Welsh here in Southern Oregon, and Hickory Hollow Sierra Mist has arrived here. You can see photos of Sierra on her page. She is a lovely filly.

We are awaiting the arrival of our new Section B colt, *Kenwood's Cadfridog and new filly, *Waxwing Rose Garland. Garland is a half sister to Mardi. We are very excited about adding these very special youngsters to our program!

October 1, 2004

We arrived home today at 4 am from our 2 week trip to Wales, so still have a bit of recuperation and catching up to do!!! But I had to share the happy news that we have purchased a SPECTACULAR filly while in Wales!!!!! Her name is Hilin Eira, and she is by the gorgeous Eyarth Tayma (a Carwed Charmer son!) and out of beautiful Weston bred mare. Eira is a 2004 foal, buckskin, and should mature at 13 to 13.1 hands (just perfect!!). We had wonderful adventures in Wales and were absolutely delighted with the kind hospitality extended to us at every farm we visited! When I have a chance to recover, I will write more about our trip!! (We saw nearly 1000 ponies!!!)


Click here for more pictures of Eira, and her wonderful pedigree!!

September 14, 2004

TODAY I leave on my first ever trip to WALES!!!! I will be gone through the end of the month, so if you e-mail, I will write back as soon as I am home!!!

We have a lot of stud visits lined up for the trip, and also will be attending the Fayre Oaks sale -- where they will be selling somewhere around 500 ponies, Section A, B and their partbreds!!! WOW!

September brought the arrival of our last two foals. Two absolutely GORGEOUS colts by *Telynau Jacobite. Clanfair Alana had a bay with a blaze and four socks, and Zia Rhonwen had a liver chestnut (will grey) with a blaze and four socks also! Both of them are absolutely outstanding!!!

Not much time to do a real update as I need to finish packing, but I'll have a "full report" when I get home from my trip!!!

July 22, 2004
Hot and sunny!

Well, it really feels like summer! It has been hot hot hot! Except for one night recently where we had some thunderstorms, complete with actual RAIN! Other than that, it has been very dry. The closest lightning strike was just across the valley and in the morning we awoke to helicopters dropping water on a small fire at the top of a mountain across from us. Fortunately they seemed to get the fire out very quickly!

We are getting ready today to leave in the morning for the 24th annual Emerald Empire Welsh Pony Society show in Eugene, Oregon, this weekend. We still have a lot to get ready today -- so this will be a short update!

We got terrific news this past week when we had *Holyoake Anastasia ultrasounded to verify that she IS indeed in foal to *Wedderlie Mardi Gras! This spectacular foal will be born in June 2005 -- and I am already impatient!!

We are just finishing up our breeding season here for our own mares, with the exception of the three due in September.

The foals are all growing wonderfully. It is so much fun to see them every day. The Mardi Gras colt (Celebration) is truly the most amazing pony. I am hoping to get some updated pictures of him this next week. I just LOVE him!!!

We are very excited to announce a new purchase from the Netherlands! Kenwood's Cadfridog is a 2004 Section B colt, foaled palomino, but will grey. He is absolutely gorgeous and will be a wonderful outcross for many of our mares. You can see photos of him here! Cadfridog will arrive at our farm this fall!

Must get going -- off to re-organize the tack trunk and finish packing!!!

June 7, 2004
RAINY!

I have been greatly remiss in keeping this page up to date! It has been a very busy season for us, with what seems like "zillions" of outside mares to be bred to *Wedderlie Mardi Gras, mares foaling, mares being re-bred, and heading off to shows in the middle of it all! Not to mention that we just finished putting up hay, and that always takes up a lot of time!

Let's see... where to start..... We have had the most wonderful foaling season! Here is what we have had so far:
Clanfair Chorus Girl (Laithehill Allegro x *Telynau Dawn Chorus) Section B filly
Clanfair Celebration (*Wedderlie Mardi Gras x Bristol Safire) Section B colt
Clanfair Celtic Charm (Rollingwoods Rockateer LOM x Mardan Gypsy Rose) Section B colt - SOLD
Clanfair ____ (*Telynau Jacobite x Las Brisas Annie Laurie) Section B filly - NOT for sale
Clanfair ____ (Lonetree's Romeo x Clanfair Chanel) Section D Cob filly - FOR SALE with dam
Clanfair Georgia (*Telynau Jacobite x Zia Carolina) Section B Welsh filly
Clanfair ____ (Lonetree's Romeo x AQHA mare) Half Cob colt - FOR SALE
Clanfair ____ (*Morton's the Celebrity x Sheyenne Easter Skip) Section B filly - SOLD
(As you can see, we have a little bit of work to do on picking out some names!!)

Click here for foal pictures!

We are expecting 2 or 3 more foals in September.

Our show season has had a lovely start. *Holyoake Anastasia is going under saddle this year, and has already done very well, winning good ribbons in both Western and English, and winning Reserve English Pleasure Champion twice, amidst VERY stiff competition of seasoned performance ponies. In Mardi's absence (he was away at the stallion station) she also competed at two shows in both Carriage and Pleasure driving! Her first show at the beginning of May, and she was driven to Reserve Pleasure Driving Champion.... after only being hooked to the cart FIVE times before the show! She has also toted 7 year old Anna to wins in leadline and leadline trail, much to Anna's delight! And all of this at only 3 years old -- she is truly an AMAZING pony.....

Annie has won Reserve Supreme Champion twice, Grand Champion Section B, twice Reserve Grand Champion Section B, and was also Champion Section B mare at the California Welsh Festival this past weekend. There are new photos of Annie's accomplishments on her page!

Mardi Gras attended his first show of the season this weekend, the afore mentioned California Welsh Festival in Paso Robles, California. He was well liked by the judges, placing Grand Champion Section B, Reserve Grand Champion Section B AND Reserve Supreme Champion! We were thrilled with his first outing of the season! It has been amazing to watch him grow up and mature over the winter. We didn't think he could get any better -- but he has. He is really an incredible pony. See new show photos here!

We have had a very odd spring, with temperatures reaching nearly 100 degrees, before returning to more seasonable weather. Now it is back to being quite rainy, which is somewhat unusual for this time of year. We shall see what the rest of the season brings! Click here for photos of spring at the ranch.

We returned home at 5 am this morning from the California Welsh Festival, and when I checked the mares and foals this afternoon, I discovered that Sheyenne Easter Skip had just had a gorgeous chestnut filly. She has an absolutely exquisite head, well shaped neck, and looks to be outstanding overall. I am very pleased!! Will have pictures to share in a few days -- when it stops raining!!!

April 14, 2004
cloudy, windy, showers

Murphy's Law says that if you go to town when your mare is due to foal, there will be a baby waiting when you get home. At least that was what happened here yesterday evening!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I was the only one who missed the foaling -- everyone ELSE was here! When I drove up I could see everyone crowded around the foaling stall -- and a huge chestnut foal, with a huge blaze laying on the floor!

We are absolutely THRILLED to announce the FIRST foal of our beloved *Wedderlie Mardi Gras!!! An absolutely spectacular colt, with a big blaze, 2 front socks and 2 hind stockings. He is beyond our wildest expectations -- we simply could not be more pleased! It is amazing to look at his face -- he looks SO much like his sire! He is quite a large fellow. I would guess that he will mature at least 13.2 hands, judging from his size now. He has tons of bone, a really long neck (for a newborn) and tremendous presence already -- must be his father's child!

Here is a photo taken of him just an hour ago at 19 hours old!

This photo doesn't accurately show his color. He is a very creamy creamy chestnut sort of color, with a white tail that has a chestnut streak down the middle. At this time I think there may be a chance he is palomino, but that remains to be seen!!!

He is un-named, so any suggestions are QUITE welcome!!!!! e-mail

>>>See photos of him taken April 15: CLICK HERE!

April 13, 2004
overcast, might rain

Well, the long awaited event is nearly here! I brought Safire up to the foaling stall yesterday afternoon, as her bag has finally gotten enormous! This will be the first foal by *Wedderlie Mardi Gras, and we are SO EXCITED!!!

As always, Safire is as big as a house! She is not too happy to be separated from her pasture mates, but I expect that her little distraction will arrive soon enough and she will forget all about the other mares!

Mardi is away for the month at the Redwood Coast Equine Center in McKinleyville, CA, under the expert care of Kathy St. Martin (equine-reproduction.com), in order to have semen shipped to our outside mares, and also to have semen frozen. Mardi's report card is receiving excellent marks, but we can't wait to get him back home again! The barn is QUITE empty without him!

Will keep you posted on Safire's progress!!!

March 25, 2004
Cold and rainy

We have had nearly a month of the most glorious weather! But we were getting to the point that we needed some moisture to make the grass continue to grow, so I am trying not to whine too much about the rain we are having today!

Dawn Chorus's filly is just stunning! She is really growing into herself. Such a gorgeous creature, super elegant, FULL of Welsh type, tremendous presence and the most amazing head with enormous eyes and tippy ears! She is SOOOO cute!!! I took some video of her yesterday playing in the sunshine, so there will be new pictures of her on her page very soon! She is now named Clanfair Chorus Girl! Thanks to Samantha of Miracle Welsh for suggesting the perfect name!

We are making good progress on our preparations for the Welsh show we are putting on on May 2, at the Douglas County Fairgrounds in Roseburg, Oregon. If you would like more information about the show, or to be a sponsor, please visit the Show Page, or give me a call or e-mail!

Last weekend was the big Northwest Horse Fair and Expo in Albany. We took *Wedderlie Mardi Gras to participate in their Breed Showcase and it was so much fun!!! He has been driving just a few short weeks, so we felt like we were asking a lot of him to drive in such a chaotic setting. But he did great! We were so proud of him, he was a total STAR!!! You can see pictures and video clips by clicking here!

We say good-bye to Mardi Gras for the entire month of April while he goes and stays with Kathy Mann-St. Martin of equine-reproduction.com to have semen collected and shipped, and also frozen. We are going to miss him very much! He has such tremendous presence that having him not be here will be very noticeable! If you are interested in breeding your mare while he is with Kathy, please let me know ASAP, as we do have a few spaces left.

Now, the countdown until the first Mardi Gras foal arrives! It is due on April 12, so we still have a bit of a wait!

March 12, 2004
Cloudy start, then a beautiful day!

We have been having THE nicest spring like weather!!!!! The mornings have mostly been cool or cloudy, but then the sun comes out, and it is some of the nicest weather I can remember for March!

Well, foal watch started only yesterday, and we already have something to show for it!!! We have been waiting on our beautiful imported mare, *Telynau Dawn Chorus to have her first foal. We purchased Dawn Chorus, then had her bred to Royal Welsh prizewinner, and Supreme Champion, Laithehill Allegro, before Dawn Chorus came home this past October.

She had had a rather unusual bag, not one like I had ever seen before. But yesterday I noticed that it was changing, and by evening it looked even different, so that earned her a night in the foaling stall with the monitor. I watched her on the monitor from the house for a while last night, and I could see that she wasn't quite her normal self. However, I didn't feel like foaling was imminent, so I turned it off before I went to sleep. The kids had no school today, so I slept in just a bit and turned on the monitor when I woke up. At first she was standing very still, just out of camera range, but as the time went by, she got more agitated. Gary was in the shower when she laid down and I was huddled in front of the tiny monitor screen watching. I was just SURE this was IT!!! So sure that I got my coat on and ran out in my pajamas! Well, that was NOT it!!! But Gary sat and watched her on the monitor while I showered and got dressed, and about the time I was all dressed, complete with shoes, Gary went down on the tractor to feed the mares..... and then she laid down to foal! I ran out and assisted a bit, and was SO excited as I watched more and more of the foal emerge! I was even MORE excited when I found out that it was a FILLY!!!

Dawn Chorus is an EXCELLENT mother and just LOVES her baby! You can see her first pictures by clicking here, though birth-day photos are not always the best. I will update her page in the next few days as she unfolds!

January 30, 2004
rain, rain, rain, smidge of sun between clouds

Wow, what awful weather! This reminds me of everything I dislike about winter! We have been having huge downpours of rain, and it is now running through the fields in all the low spots. There are even DUCKS down there swimming in the mare pasture!

We are just waiting until our first foal is due, which is not until March. I feel like time is standing still!!! Here is the cross we are waiting on!

Dawn Chorus is looking quite pregnant, so that makes it harder to wait! I wish I had better pictures of her so you could really appreciate what a terrific mare she is. It seems that the longer I own her, the more I like her. This foal is particularly exciting, as it was imported in utero!!

During this "down time" in between the end of show season and foaling, we have had a lot of outside ponies and horses in for training. The barn has been a hubbub of activity, but now several of the outside animals have gone home, so that has left some time for our own to get some work!! That being said, guess who wants to be a driving pony?! Yes, *Wedderlie Mardi Gras has been started in harness!! He has taken to it like a duck to water -- we are just thrilled with his level headed acceptance of his training and his willingness to learn. He really IS everything you could ever want in a Welsh Pony! Here are a few pictures of him in his "working clothes"! Yes, hairy and muddy! But he is SO CUTE!!!


These are photos of his very first drive! (he was PERFECT!!)

That's about all that is going on here at the moment! Stay tuned for more updates!!

January 21, 2004
Sunny, but cold

Happy New Year everyone!!!! OK, so it is a bit belated, but still, the sentiment is still there!!!

2003 was our best year EVER, and we hope to beat all previous records with 2004!

Things are good here on the ranch. We have had some cold weather, but it is a bit milder now. We even had some sunshine today! The grass is turning green, and a few of the ponies have some loose hairs -- so spring can't be too far away, right?!

Our first foal is due in March -- imported in utero, and carried by *Telynau Dawn Chorus. We are VERY excited!!! Our second foal, due mid April, is by none other than *Wedderlie Mardi Gras. We are absolutely waiting on pins and needles!!!

We received our achievement certificates from the Welsh Pony & Cob Society of America a few weeks ago, and we were very pleased by the following results:
 

*Wedderlie Mardi Gras
  • National Champion Section B Colt
  • Northwest Region Champion Section B Colt
  • Southwest Region Champion Section B Colt
  • South Central Region 4th place Section B Colt (only 1 show, while the other ponies winning in this region attended many shows)
Mardi Gras is also the winner of the following:
  • All Welsh Enthusiasts - Champion colt, 2 and under of ALL Sections, AND he won the Oregon Breeders Cup, "awarded annually to the purebred registered Welsh who as amassed the largest number of halter points in a year". We are very excited! 
  • Mardi also placed Reserve Champion for Section B stallions (all ages) for the Welsh Pony & Cob Association of California!
Mardi Gras amassed 32 Championships and Reserves of various kinds in 2003! Judges of every type, and from the US, UK and Canada all agreed that Mardi was champion material! What a year it was!!!
*Holyoake Anastasia
  • National 3rd Place Section B Filly
  • Northwest Region Champion Section B Filly
  • Southwest Region Champion Section B Filly
  • All Welsh Enthusiasts - Res. Champion filly, 2 and under of ALL Sections!
  • Oregon Welsh Pony Society - High Point Section B mare (all ages!)
*Holyoake Sonique
  • Northwest Region 4th Place Section B Filly (only attended 1 show!)
  • Southwest Region 4th Place Section B Filly (only attended 1 show!)

We are so proud of our ponies!!!

We have Annie going well under saddle. What an absolute PLEASURE she has been to train and ride. You just could not ask for a better disposition! We are having a lot of fun!!!

Mardi's training has been on hold while we have had so many client horses in training at the barn. Soon many of them will be returning home, so we will be able to devote more time to getting him started. I am amazed at how beautifully he is maturing. I was just visiting with him out at the barn, and he never fails to take my breath away!

I was able to attend a wonderful equine reproduction clinic the weekend before last. It was put on by the folks at equine-reproduction.com. If they come near to your area, I highly recommend this seminar! It is amazingly FULL of information! And the course book that comes with it is fantastic!

We'll be keeping you posted when foal watch starts!!!