AMAZING opportunity!

We just completed a road trip from Oregon to Michigan (where we're both from) and back. Not only did we absolutely enjoy the amazing beauty of this country during one of the prettiest months of the year, but we also had an incredible opportunity to meet a few more Gatsby offspring in person (a rare treat) as we journeyed through Iowa! We met Ghiradelli, owned by Hannah Ross and her mom, Cathy, Gianna, owned by eventing trainer, Cindy Burke, and GemAgain, also owned by Cindy Burke. Cindy was so gracious to wait for us to finally locate her barn in the dark and after an already long day take the time to pull her wonderful Gatsby babies out of their stalls for us! Gianna is a big, beautiful, black, and of course, sweet 2 year old mare, who will be starting her career as an eventer this spring. GemAgain is an adorable 2010 colt, also black, who had some rough beginnings to his life due to an illness, but is now healthy and SOOO sweet! Here are some remarks, sent to us via Facebook, from one of Cindy's students, Lizzie Sauter, about her experiences with Gianna and GemAgain:

I am a friend of Hannah Ross's, and Cindy Burke is who I've trained with for many years. She told me you came out to see Gia and Gem! I am absolutely in love with both of those young horses, and I have been the one helping Cindy do light work with Gia and was the first one to sit on her this summer. It is definitely a credit to your amazing stallion how great her mind is and how lovely she is going to be! I just had to write you a little note and let you know how much all of us at the barn have enjoyed having Gatsby babies around! Hopefully someday I can breed my Thoroughbred to Gatsby as well!

It was so gratifying to get these comments from someone out of the blue! One of the best parts about visiting our wonderful clients in Iowa was the opportunity to ride Ghiradelli, a 4 year old AMAZING gelding, owned by Hannah Ross and her mom Cathy. WHAT A THRILL for me (Lori)!!! This was my first time riding one of Gatsby's babies, and after 5 years of owning Gatsby and sending out breedings to approximately 150 people (at least) in that time, it was a long-awaited experience! I was floored with him! Not only was he extremely cute and sweet, but he was so light, accepting of the contact, sensitive, up, "floaty" in his gaits, elastic, and just a wonderful, happy-go-lucky fellow, who was happy to do anything that was asked of him! His owner, Hannah Ross, started him herself and is thrilled beyond belief with him, remarking that he is the easiest youngster she's ever started. That is not an unusual thing for us to hear! Hannah is also a student of Cindy Burke's, so she has assisted with starting young horses for several years. Hannah's plan for Delli is to get him started as an eventer. Judging by his wonderful movement, he should be able to clean up in the dressage phase for sure! Hannah and Cathy said that Delli's dam was pretty flat in her movement and "so-so" in her conformation, so we know that Ghiradelli was definitely stamped by our wonderful stallion! It was thrilling for me to get on a green 4 year old and realize that he is already starting out in the same spot that it often takes people years to develop with their horses.

In reflecting on that experience, I realized that Ghiradelli is the type of horse that pretty much everyone wants. He's happy to do his job - in fact, he even seemed to be really enjoying himself! He's quiet, safe, easy to ride and certainly versatile enough to go in many directions. It just confirms for us what an incredible gift we are able to offer people through Gatsby. Most people live busy, stressful lives, and at the end of a long day, people who ride want to be able to go out to the barn and enjoy a wonderful ride on a wonderful, safe horse. What could be more therapeutic than that? And when you add talent and movement to the mix, you have a safe horse that you can enjoy AND be competitive with! It never ceases to amaze us what an incredibly amazing sire Gatsby is even though he is bred to a wide variety of different mare types. His consistency is truly uncanny!

Gelding by Gatsby achieving consistent success with former Olympian!!

We continue to receive awesome comments from owners of Gatsby's offspring. One situation that we are particularly proud of is a 2006 gelding, named Great Guns, who was bred and is owned by Tricia Dahms in Alberta, Canada. Tricia is a former Canadian Olympic Event Team member. She not only bred Great Guns, but she also started him and is now competing him in eventing. This is what she said about him today on Facebook:

Gunner is doing superbly! Everyone always stops to comment on how beautiful he is. I just rode him at a show for the first time. He took 2nd this weekend in Open Entry at the Alhambra Horse Trials and finished on his dressage score. It doesn't matter who rides him, - he's consistently in the top 3! Someone at the Mind's Eye Derby told me they had just bred to Gatsby. I congratulated them and told them they would not be disappointed!

Of course, how can we not beam with pride?

Monday, May 24th. Just received word from dressage trainer, Sabine Ense, that her 4 year old gelding by Gatsby was sold in Southern Oregon! She said it was an emotional farewell, but that he has a wonderful new home with a veterinarian who rides dressage and who owns an older GP gelding. Sabine had taken him to his first show and a few days later the judge called her to inquire about him. Just a couple of weeks later he was sold to one of that judge's training clients! It's always encouraging to see a horse sell in this bad economy without even advertising! We hope to be able to keep up on his progress over the years. Congratulations Sabine!

Saturday, May 22nd

I (Lori) had the opportunity to watch Lessa Millard, who owns Rose (2007 mare by Gatsby) get on her for the first time ever! Rose had only been under saddle for a total of 2 1/2 weeks, but dressage trainer, Tracy Bjugan from Green Meadow Farm in Sherwood, felt like Rose and Lessa were ready. Tracy has stated that Rose is one of the fastest learning youngsters she's ever started and that she is continuing to rapidly progress. Lessa was able to walk, trot, and canter on Rose (albeit without much steering). It was so much fun to be part of the "big"moment! Lessa and Rose will make a really awesome pair!

Gatsby heads to the Hunter ring in 2010!

Wilsonville, OR - After working up to Third and Fourth Level Dressage we recently moved Gatsby to the Hunter ring for the 2010 show season. Gatsby's new Hunter trainer will be Rebekah Swan of Swan Training located at her barn, Whip 'N' Spur in Wilsonville, Oregon. Gatsby and Beka are already getting on nicely and he is looking good over the jumps.


You may know Whip 'N' Spur from its prestige established over the years under its previous owners. Whip 'N' Spur has been the home of World Cup Jumper rider and trainer, Rich Fellers for many years. Whip 'N' Spur has all the charm of a quaint Eastcoast barn that is hard to find on the Pacific side of the country.


Rebekah and her husband, JR, bought Whip 'N' Spur a couple of years ago and started a new chapter in this already successful story. Beka and JR are more than a good trainer and business people, they are truly wonderful people and have already become good friends. Beka's respect and appreciation for Gatsby are evident and started years ago when she bought and fell in love with a Gatsby baby of her own. Beka is the previous owner of Ginelle, who is now owned by Kitri Falxa of Bend, OR.

You will be able to catch Beka and Gatsby in the Hunter ring this summer at several shows in Oregon. To see the show schedule or just learn more about Swan Training or Whip 'N' Spur, please visit Beka's website at http://swantraining.net.

It is with GREAT thanks and appreciation!

Wilsonville, OR - We would like to express great thanks and appreciation to all our friends at Sonnenberg Farm where Gatsby had been in Dressage training for the past couple of years.

Dan and Gina Ruediger were wonderful hosts as barn owners. Their staff was wonderful, especially the Barn Manager Glenda Reeves, who graciously helped us foal out two of Gatsby's babies, Hansel and Jayden. The day-to-day business of training, run by Brooke Voldbaek of Pirouette Enterprises, was always professional... and most of all... Nicki Grandia did an absolutely fantastic job riding, training and showing Gatsby. Nicki deserves our complete respect and appreciation for all of her generous efforts and outstanding job with Gatsby!

We will miss all of our friends at Sonnenberg... but just maybe there will be a Gatsby baby coming to stall near you soon! Thanks a ton. We love you all!

If you are looking for a great trainer and wonderful dressage barn in the Portland area, you should definitely check out Sonnenberg Farm at http://www.sonnenberg.us/.