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Outstanding Pony Profile -
Shades of Spring + So, in 1995 we (adults) started showing her over fences at Arabian Hunter/Jumper shows, where she did well. In 1996, she was named unanimous Reserve Champion Half Arabian Hunter Over Fences Open and Amateur to Ride for Eastern Canada. She was 2nd to her 16hh stablemate and was ridden by my 57 year old mother. Price had now increased to $8,000. In October of that same year, we went to Louisville KY for the US National Championship show, where she was named US National Champion Half-Arabian Jumper. There were 7 entries in the class with Spring being the only pony and she was ridden by an amateur. The course was 3'6" high with spread equal to the height. She was the only clear round and had .5 seconds left on the clock before getting time penalties, piloted by Diana. No longer available for sale! In 1997, she was again named Reg 18 Reserve Champion HA Hunter
Over Fences AOTR with Vivianne. She also was named Reg 13 (Michigan
& Ohio) Champion HA Jumper. These wins culminated in her being
awarded her Legion of Honour from the International Arabian Horse
Association - all points were earned over fences. All the while, Spring was competiting at Trillium shows in the Adult Amateur and Low Hunter classes against the horses. She had several call backs in classes of 30+ horses but she was at a stride disadvantage. You should see how many looks we got because an adult was riding a pony, and even more when they realized the height was not a problem. She continued to show Half Arabian Hunter but was retired from Half Arabian Jumper classes. In 1999, Vivianne decided to get back into long distance riding and chose Spring as her mount. The first Competitive Trail ride they placed 11th, the second Competitive Trail ride they won. Over the next few years Spring continued to do double duty as a hunter plus a long distance pony - she even garnered two 50 mile Endurance races under her belt. In 2000, she was part-leased to Natasha Smith-Avery (Laurelcrest Farms) as a Pony Jumper on the A circuit, where she won all of the Pony Jumper classes she entered. At the same time Nastasha showed her Large Pony, Spring was being shuttled from farm to farm depending upon the competition schedule. In the past 3 years, Spring has started to show signs of aging (she's now 15) - first she double bowed the tendons in her front legs, then she chipped a splint bone and finally developed a hairline fracture in her knee. Each time, she has come back from the injury to compete in long distance rides. In 2003, after completing a 2-day 25/25 mile CTR Championship she was retired from competition to become a broodmare, she was bred one month before the Championship ride. We are now eagerly awaiting Spring's first foal, she was due on March 11/04.While mainly being ridden by adults, she has successfully introduced 4 juniors to the show ring and has been piloted by the one of the top junior talents in Ontario. Natasha Smith-Avery has been named several times the top Junior Rider of the Year and this January she competed in the FEI World Children's Jumper Competition at Spruce Meadows. Spring is a little pony with a big heart. Updates: Macdonald's took Shades of Spring+
to the ASP inspection on April 24 at Fox Run Farms (Dieter Werner's
place) in Troy, ON. Spring, with 3/4 Arabian foal at foot, won her
First Premium rating with a score of 7.1. Spring has been confirmed
pregnant to *Stockham Commander (Sec B Welsh), due April 2005. (see:
http://www.attcanada.net/~ponies/)
Diana Macdonald |
Wolfe
Mountain Competitive Trail Ride 2001 - about 5 miles from home on
a 35 miler.
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