Home - November December 2007 News
November/December 2007
A Black colt is born ... RanchBoss Cortez, home from the Trainer ... Why I love Morgans!
Read on ....
A Black Colt Born to Calypso (Eagleview Skybeau) & Cortez
On Sunday evening 09 December at 10.20pm a gorgeous black colt was born to our wonderful mare, Eagleview Skybeau (aka Calypso). Our breeding Vet had determined this was a colt foal way back when Calypso was just 53 days pregnant ... and we finally have a name for him - Wilga Park Serjania.
Serjania is the Spanish name for the plant, Supplejack, so his paddock name will be Jack. W. Irving wrote, "He was in form and spirit like a Supplejack - yielding but tough, though he bent he never broke." A beautiful description for a black colt with such an adventurous and brave spirit as this young fellow has.
We are so pleased to have a black boy. We will have the DNA test done when he is approximately 3 months old to determine if he is homozygous black (i.e. 2 black genes and cannot produce chestnut) or if he is hiding a chestnut gene (Calypso has one of those). He is rather irridescent and smokey coloured, so he could possibly have a cream gene, as well. Should he prove to be homozygous black and he continues to show excellent quality, we will think long and hard about gelding this lad. However, if he is gelded he will make a magnificent riding horse.
This young fellow was a week early, so we were very lucky to be present at the birth ... in the luxury of the stable, as storm clouds were brewing!
We will try this cross again for a 2008 foal, in a few short weeks time.
Wilga Park Serjania aka Jack at 11 days!
RanchBoss Cortez - home from the Trainer
Finally, our application to move Cortez home from the Reining Trainer was approved and at 10.30pm on Friday night 30 November, Cortez was back in his paddock. What a relief that was!
We may only have one Cortez baby next year as we had just moved three mares to the Breeding Centre to be AI'd with the frozen semen of Ragtime Oro Blanco, so, if all goes well, we will have three buckskin or palomino foals running around the paddock next November.
We hope to put Cortez to my amazing Calypso after she foals down mid December.
Warren was tremendously pleased with Cortez's progress whilst in training. He had an excellent Spin and he was sliding a metre on the whoa - but I doubt Cortez will be able to show off his moves as there will possibly be no competitions to go to.
I was reminded recently of why I love Morgans!
Eagleview Skybeau, or Calypso as we know her, was my very first Morgan. She came into my life as an almost three year old, unstarted filly. An excellent horseman, Barry Chambers, started her for me, and within 8 weeks of purchasing her, I was riding her in just a halter over the magnificent mountains on his property in Victoria.
I was not a very accomplished rider at the time, and would have certainly been classified as a 'nervous rider', but Calypso kept me safe and filled me with confidence.
Calypso and I continued our riding adventures at home. I would take her out at least 3 mornings a week, and we would normally follow the same route each day. By the third morning, Calypso knew she had to sidle up to the gate so that I could open it, then position us so that I could close it again with ease.
I would follow a sequence of exercises to ensure Calypso was supple and maintained the movements Barry had taught her so well. What really amazed me was how Calypso remembered from the first day that we were to circle to the right around a particular bush, side-pass to the left over a log just a littler further on, then back up between some bushes after we'd crossed the creek.
Was it that she was so attuned to me that, as I thought of the exercise, she prepared to do it? Or was it that she is just so intelligent that she remembered the movements from the previous day?
Whatever it is, she has not lost that talent. This magnificent mare, just four weeks off foaling, followed me from the paddock, blowing gentle, warm breath on my elbow, to let me know she wanted to be with me. We walked all the way home, Calypso happy to wait for me to open the gates for her so we could walk together into the arena.
I put a halter on Calypso and, with the aid of my mounting block, slipped onto her back. This amazing horse had not had anyone on her back for a little over 4 years ... and you would think that simply because she is just 4 weeks off foaling she may object just a little. But no ... she walked out freely, as if she remembered the good times as well.
I had the lead rope held lightly in one hand but didn't need it at any stage to guide her or to stop her. Calypso remembered every movement we'd done together. She turned small circles and large circles, both ways ... she halted and backed up with just the gentle message from my legs and body ... she turned on her haunches and turned on her forehand ... she sidepassed both ways.
The bond we had formed all those seven years ago was still as strong as ever! It was like coming home after being away for many years.
The experience was an exhilarating reminder of why I love these Morgans as I do. This magnificent mare set out to give me that wonderful trip down memory lane ... and I guess she wanted to remind me that even though she is now providing us with little Morgans so that others can have this fantastic experience, she is still my first love ... the one who removed the tag, 'nervous rider'.
Calypso - before she became a Broodmare!
A reminder of the New Page to our Web Site: Other Morgans for Sale
We invite you to go to the link on the home page to find out about other started Morgans for Sale.
We have felt for quite a while that it is necessary to have a central point for interested people to go to when they decide they may like to purchase one of these wonderful Morgans. As there are so few started Morgans, we are happy to advertise those for sale for individuals who do not own a Stud and so do not have a web site.
Red Bluff Killarney & Red Bluff ClearWind
Some fun foal photos taken in October:
Our two remaining foals, Wilga Park Madagascar out of Marrella and Wilga Park Summer Beauty, out of the amazing Calypso, are growing quickly now. They are approximately 10 months old in these photos. Check out our For Sale page for more details on these exceptional Morgans.
Enquiries on our foals are most welcome.
MORE NEWS ITEMS IN OUR ARCHIVES:
Sept - Oct 07
Cortez at the Reining Trainer & new For Sale page! Read More
June- August 07
Laidley Show, Foundation Morgan Stock, Make it Rein in August and Dressage! Read More
May 2007
CDI-W Stallion Parade, Foals Due, Blackbutt Show and Dressage!
CDI-W - International Level Dressage Event
RanchBoss Cortez Stole the Show at the Stallion Parade, May 26th! Read More
March 2007
Show News, Mares in Foal and Horses for Sale!
RanchBoss Cortez - Supreme Champion Dilute at the Toowoomba Royal! Read More
MORE NEWS ITEMS IN OUR ARCHIVES:
February 2007
RanchBoss Cortez - Supreme Champion Stallion.
February was the beginning of an exciting Show Season for us. Read More
January 2007
January saw the birth of the very first Australian foal by the superb Morgan stallion, Ragtime Oro Blanco, here at Wilga Park.
It was also an eventful month for our 3 yr old filly, Haymeron Park Ruby Jane. Read More
December 2006
December has been a wonderful month for us. Our first two RanchBoss Cortez foals have been born! Read More
October 2006
October sure was an exciting, if not hectic, month for us.
The Sunshine Coast Dressage Championships, Queensland State Dressage Championships, South Queensland Dilute Championships and the Allora Championships, and maybe just one little trail ride! Read More
September 2006
Gold Coast Centerary Show. Huge three-day event...what a milestone for RanchBoss Cortez!
We were invited by one of the Assistant Ring Masters of the Gold Coast Show to take Cortez to the Centenary Show. The invitation came after she had judged him at a Dressage Competition. We decided to take up the invitation and were so very pleased that we did. Read More
August 2006
RanchBoss Cortez - Colour Genetics: EE Aa nCr
We felt it was important to have Cortez's colour genetics in certificate form, for those interested in colour. We sent hair samples to the States for testing for three factors - Red/Black, Agouti and Cream. Read More
Preparation for the Breeding Season
With the breeding season soon upon us, we decided we should have Cortez collected for testing in differing extenders for shipping chilled semen. The results were impressive. Read More
May 2006
Toowoomba Regional Championships and the Stallion Parade
We recently had the Regional Dressage Championships here in Toowoomba and...nah!!...no first ribbons or prizes, but what a great weekend we had. It was exhausting and exhilarating. We were running on adrenalin as we rushed from one deadline to the next. The highlights of the weekend for us were Mt Tawonga Natasha in her Novice Freestyle and RanchBoss Cortez's impact on the audience in the Stallion Parade. Read More
April 2006
RanchBoss Cortez and his start in Dressage
Since arriving in Australia and being released from Quarantine on 22 December 2005, RanchBoss Cortez has settled in well and has begun to make his mark in Dressage Circles. Read More