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February - April 2011
So Much has been happening, this will be a Bumper News Edition with lots of photos so please give them time to download. Whilst you wait you may want to check out the Video Clips page to see some of the entertainment our Morgans provided at the ANMS 2011 in Toowoomba!!
Dressage ...
Our Foals are growing and getting furrier by the day ...
Practice for our Australian National Morgan Show ...
Clifton and Warwick Shows ...
Visitors and our Morgans ...
Toowoomba Royal Show ...
2011 Australian National Morgan Show ...
And Finally, a Trail Ride in the Goomburra Valley!! ...
Dressage season began in February and RanchBoss Cortez performed his very first Official Medium test. He and Linda Shore performed beautifully. With Linda living just 5 minutes away, it has been easy for Cortez to have consistent training over the last twelve months. He has come a long way in that time.
Linda and Cortez
Indigo Roc the Boat, aka Rocky, also had his day at Dressage. Olivia Smith had been having some fun on him whilst her Mum, Gail, was here practicing for the Australian National Morgan Show, and decided that she wanted to take him to the Dressage day. Olivia is used to 17hh warmbloods and had a ton of fun on Rocky. They surprised themselves and came 5th out of a field of 20.
Olivia and Rocky
Our Babies are growing before our eyes. Time has passed so quickly and the oldest is now six months old. The baby, Santa Cruz, is almost four months old and has been sold to Jan Tucker, the owner of his older brother, Serjania. Cruz will travel to Victoria later in the year. Excuse their furry coats ....
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| Linden (Cortez X Haymeron Park Ruby Jane) | Tillandsia (Cortez X Mt Tawonga Marrella) | Golden Maya (Cortez X Red Bluff Paprika) |
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| Conquistador (Cortez X Mt Tawonga Natasha | Cruz, Greg, Maya & Chaser the Dog | Santa Cruz (Cortez X Eagleview Skybeau) with Chris |
Practicing for the Australian National Morgan Show (ANMS) was a huge amount of fun. We had a Fun and Entertainment section of our show to prepare for, as well as the Breed Display that we have each year at the Toowoomba Royal Show
Our two boys, Mt Tawonga Oscar and Mt Tawonga Nepean were also entering the Versatility Challenge of our ANMS, so Gail and Kirra had to learn how to get them around a Trail Class, how to long rein around an obstacle course, and jump, along with a number of other things.
Chelsea, a lovely young Morgan owner from Victoria, came to take Indigo Roc the Boat (Rocky) under her wing, and be his rider at the Toowoomba Royal and at the ANMS, as she couldn't bring her own part Morgan to Queensland for the show.
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| Chelsea teaching Rocky that Vaulting is fun! | Dressage - bareback | Rocky being an awesome boy. Chelsea is Amazing!!! |
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| Nepean with Olivia (he won a jump class at the ANMS!!!) | Nepean and Gail - practicing for that Trail Class | Oscar and Kirra - getting Oscar fit and training for the jump class |
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| The Boys, the Roman Riding Team, learning a new routine for the Breed Display | Linda decided at the last minute that it would be entertaining to crack the whip whilst standing on two horses. |
Show season started in February as well, and it was great to see our yearlings and their new owners attend the Warwick Show which had Morgan classes for the first time. And for a first time out, they did extremely well. Wilga Park GoldenSolidago, owned by Amanda McGill, was Champion Morgan gelding and Wilga Park Jacobinia, owned by Lea-anne and Craig Willett, was third in the class. Jacobinia won multiple ribbons on the day in his Dilute classes. Amanda and Lea-anne and Craig were so very proud owners of their boys.
A hugely successful day for Morgans and extremely gratifying for us at Wilga Park! We were so proud to see our kids out there at their first show and winning Blue Ribbons ... and a Sash!!
Wilga Park GoldenSolidago with Amanda. These two go so well together! Solidago is only 14 months old here.
Wilga Park Jacobinia and Lea-anne. Another well matched pair! JJ is also only 13 months old.
We also had the Clifton Show - it was the 100th Anniversary for the Clifton Show and I'm so glad we didn't miss it. RanchBoss Cortez again brought home the sashes for Supreme Dilute and Supreme Morgan. Oscar and I won the ridden Morgan class, which was a bit of a surprise as I was certainly not 'rider' fit and Oscar had barely come back into work in February.
Kathy Lyons & the multi Supreme Champion, Cortez. Photo by Gail Smith.
Over the last few months we have also had a steady flow of visitors. We love to have people come to visit and see our horses. We get to enjoy our horses even more when others come by and get to have some fun with them. We also gain a lot from our visitors, especially those with 'horse sense'. Cortez always gets a massage when Christine comes to visit, the youngsters get a little training when Tam comes to visit and the boys get to enjoy giving kids 'pony' rides, whilst all the foals get heaps of attention.
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| Above: Mirriama with Cruz and Calypso | Above: Alex enjoying his first ride on Oscar | Above: Mirriama on Oscar - She's a natural!! |
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| Above: Tammy introducing Chancellor to the hose, preparing him for his show career that is about to start. | Above: Tam (from Broome WA) having some fun on Oscar | Above: Desert Rose's turn for the hose. She too was about to embark on her first show season. |
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| Above: Christine Maroni massaging Cortez - I think he's saying, Please don't stop! | Above: Jane & Tam having a chat whilst Malaynee enjoys some attention | Above: Janet & Roger from the USA, on Nepean & Oscar - heading out for a trail ride. |
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| Above: Michelle, from WA, meeting Tillandsia, full sister to her Wilga Park Tibouchina | Above: Michelle and Jens meeting Golden Maya, with Calypso in the background | Above: Michelle giving Cortez a big 'thank you' for a lovely ride. |
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| Above: Claire, & Judy O from Victoria,meeting Cortez | Above: Claire & Cortez, snuggling. | Above: Miles, Claire & Judy chatting with Cortez |
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| Above: Debby & Elaine (Deb's Mum from the UK) with Conquistador | Above: Santa Cruz asking for a scratch from Elaine | Above: Golden Maya's turn for some attention from Debby |
The Toowoomba Royal show at the end of March was a huge success for Wilga Park. Both Cortez babies, Wilga Park Chancellor and Wilga Park Desert Rose won Champion ribbons. Chancellor, Champion Morgan Gelding and Desert Rose Champion Morgan Mare - both against older horses - in fact there were eight geldings in the classes. Linda Shore, with just four training sessions, had both Chancellor and Desert Rose trotting out beside her, stopping when she stopped and standing quietly. She was the handler for Cortez and both these youngsters on the day.
Wilga Park Golden Glory, with her owner, Tammie Pike, won Reserve Champion Morgan Mare and Cortez was Reserve Champion to an up and coming young colt. Cortez won the ridden Morgan class with Linda astride, Oscar & Kirra third, Nepean & Gail 4th and Rocky and Chelsea 6th.
Cortez once again brought home the Supreme Buckskin and Supreme Dilute Sashes from the Toowoomba Royal.
Some photos of our Morgans at the Royal ...
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| WP Desert Rose, our surprise package, Champion Mare at her first ever Show, with Linda | WP Chancellor, owned by Nila Latimer, another surprise package & again at his first ever show, Champion Gelding with Linda | WP Golden Glory Supreme Champion Mare (not a surprise from this lovely mare) with Tammie Pike, her proud owner |
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| WP Jacobinia, aka JJ, strutting his stuff with Lea-anne Willett, his owner. This is JJ's second show. They were 3rd in the Led class. | WP Madagascar, now 4 yrs old, being shown by his proud owner, Lisa Wong. Maddy was 5th in the Led class | Our Nepean being shown by one of his favourite riders, Gail Smith . (Gail also took Nepean to the ANMS in April) - they were 4th in the ridden class and 3rd in the in hand class. |
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Cortez and Linda - just awarded Supreme Dilute. A very successful day indeed. |
Our Rocky, beautifully shown by Chelsea De boer - 6th in the ridden class & 4th in the Led | Our Oscar with his rider and handler for the Royal and the ANMS, Kirra Parks. This pair were 3rd in the ridden class & 2nd in the Led class |
The week after the Toowoomba Royal, we had the Australian National Morgan show (ANMS)in Queensland for the very first time. I was the Show Secretary for the event, thus it was held in Toowoomba. Though it was many months of long hours, including complete weekends, I have put my hand up to do it again in March 2012. I may not have done so, if I hadn't had the magnificent support from a number of great friends during the show weekend - a couple of whom flew all the way from Broome, WA to simply be here to help.
The Show was a huge success for the Morgan Association ... and a huge success for Wilga Park with Cortez being awarded both the Supreme Pure Bred In Hand Exhibit and the Supreme Pure Bred Ridden of the Show. That was 'button popping' stuff for us, and just when you think you can't feel any more proud, Cortez was chosen as the Most Popular Horse of the Show in the People's Choice Award. I cried! It was so overwhelming to be the owner of this Superb Stallion who is one of the gentlest, most willing horses, who gives his all to you. The fact that he won everyone else's heart as well, was a tribute to him alone, as it has nothing to do with any human influence on him. He won it with his own beautiful nature and good looks!
We were so very proud to see so many of our babies being shown so successfully at the ANMS. It was so very pleasing to see all but one of our 2009 Wilga Park crop there (Tibouchina lives in WA, so she couldn't be here ... though her owners Michelle and Jens flew in for the event.) Even more astounding was the fact that two 2010 Cortez babies, Manyana Dusky Rose and Lindhaven Gypsy Dancer, were there.
Both Golden Glory and Jalapeno, our gorgeous (and only) 2008 babies were there, along with some older Wilga Park kids, Madagascar and Malaynee. It was a wonderful feeling seeing them all there.
It is quite amazing to note that of the 7 Cortez babies there, only one was not coloured, and that is our own Desert Rose.
Cortez and our geldings, Nepean and Oscar, competed on the Opening night of the show in the Entertainment class. To see footage of this please go to our Video Clips page to view. It was very entertaining indeed.
I don't have all the photos available from the ANMS, but I have been provided with a few (I was way too busy to be snapping my camera, so I am so very grateful to Christine Maroni from Boonah, Qld, our Official Photographer for the event, for providing me with these photos below.)
RanchBoss Cortez with one of his Supreme Sashes from the 2011 ANMS (photo by Christine Maroni Photography) |
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| Cortez's Champion and Supreme Ribbons - In Hand | Cortez's Champion and Supreme Ribbons - Ridden |
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| Cortez with Greg and Mieke Bigg (Judge) (photo by Christine Maroni Photography) | Greg & Cortez, after a long weekend, being awarded the Mary Woolverton Supreme Pure Bred Exhibit Perpetual Trophy |
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| Wila Park Jalapeno, the stunning 2yr old palomino out of our gorgeous black mare, Eagleview Skybeau by Ragtime Oro Blanco | Jacobinia, Jalapeno's little brother with his owner Lea-anne Willett - another simply stunning boy. |
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| GoldenSolidago with Amanda McGill. Solidago is one of those Quiet Achievers. He has won the blue ribbon every time he goes out. | My wonderful gelding, Mt Tawonga Oscar with his rider and handler, Kirra Parks. Oscar was bridesmaid to the lovely Mt Tawonga Soxs most of the weekend - but there is no shame in being beaten by teh lovely Soxs. |
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| Manyana Dusky Rose (RanchBoss Cortez X Red Bluff Opal), owned by Jane and Kim Warren of Manyana Morgans. This lovely 7 month old smokey black filly won her filly class. | Lindhaven Gypsy Dancer (RanchBoss Cortez X Midget), owned by Lindy McLaughlan. Gypsy Dancer is only 8 months old and was second to Dusky Rose in her class. |
Two last photos from the ANMS ... these are of our boys in the Entertainment Class on the Opening Night of the Show.
Linda Shore of RiverRange Warmbloods doing a Mediume level Dressage Display with Cortez without a Bridle |
Linda Shore on Mt Tawonga Nepean and Mt Tawonga Oscar, doing their Roman Riding in the Entertainment Section of our 2011 ANMS |
After three very hectic months, we were finally able to join some old friends on a camping and trail riding weekend at Gordon Country in the Goomburra Valley, just an hour away from home. It rained the first afternoon, so we sat around in camp and drank wine and swapped stories - the only way to start a camping trip. By the second afternoon it was clear enough to head along the creek. The others chose to go on foot; I slipped off and grabbed Oscar and jumped on board ... a much nicer way to see the countryside. Oscar loved it!!
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| Camping along the creek at Gordon Country, Goomburra Valley | Even though it had rained the day was beautiful and the scenery perfect |
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| Chase came along for the weekend, and loved every minute | Connor was our chief camp fire person - he enjoyed a ride on Oscar as well |
The next day we saddled up for a beautiful meandering ride along the creek and up into the hills. Greg and Nepean haven't been on a trail ride together for so, so long and they both enjoyed it tremendously. A great way to begin the 'slow down' process after such a busy, busy time.
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| Greg & Nepean comingup out of the Creek | Garth on Duke, Greg on Nepean and Trevor on Bonza - The Three Amigos! Nepean was the Morgan between the two Quarter horses. |
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| On the trail enjoying each other's company | Oscar and Kathy - simply having fun |
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