About Us
A Family Tradition
Located On the Litchfield /Goshen town line in Connecticut
Horse breeding is part of our family for hundreds of years. When my Great Grandmother and Great Grandfather came from Moravia in the early 1900s and then bought this farm in 1906, the style of horses bred was big draft horses to do farm work and travel. They plowed the fields and took the milk to the train in town.
My mother and father continued the tradition in the 70's breeding many Appaloosa's, Morgan's, and thoroughbreds for riding horses and show. My mother put me on a horses back before I could walk. I began showing in hand at breed shows when I was very young. They did not have eventing or dressage in hand breed shows back then. it was either specialty for your breed or hunter/jumper breed shows.
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This is one of my first foals I slept in the stall. It was around 1976
I was showing horses at 4 years old. I continued in Equitation and hunter classes even showing a stallion at 9-11 years old jumping in the 3' 3" hunter divisions!
I worked with many different trainers and earned money braiding. I did the Medal and Maclay and Junior hunters-this with help from the Theriaults to Todd Karn to name just a few. I basically knew and worked with everyone and anyone
My early 20's brought several years training with Michael Page and Jack Rockwell who subbed in for Michael with me when he was working with Mclain Ward. We showed in and won many Marshall and Sterling classes and Amatuer Owner Jumper classes. We did very well and placed at Washington International.
Then in the late 90's working with the great bit maker Jay Kay Shuttleworth and crew riding various horses for Jay and catch riding all the bad horses at HITS, getting them to Jump around the course in schooling and low jumpers. I showed my own horses in various jumper classes winning many championships in the Open Jumpers and Mini Prix's
Meanwhile I bought my horse Prince of the Moon, from Joni Watt "Jordan" and we worked with Bob Ortan learning all the in hand techniques and won several breed shows
When Jordan was 4 years old, I was practicing a jumping course in preparation to show at the St. Clements Saratoga Horse Show and he bucked me off and then proceded to stomp on my arm, breaking it in 2 places! At the time he was boarded at a Dressage barn. I was convinced by many there to try Dressage! Well my Jumping trainers have always had me take dressage as a good base for my jumping. I had ridden with Prince Karl Von Auersberg of the Spanish Riding School, Kim Walnes, Janet Black, and of course my mothers favorite Mr. Gruel who lived just below MT Valley Hunt club in Southbury, CT who was one of the best horse trainers that I have ever seen in Dressage. Well I decided to give it a try with a start with a few lessons from Lendon Gray urged by Wendy Luscombe and then a few shows.... and we won and I loved it. I learned with dressage you can have a life outside the show world. Its nice to have actual times to compete at!
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We then began working with Katja Eilers and won many Championships including the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Level freestyle Championships!
I began riding at this time with Hartwig Burfeind, winner of the German Professional Riders Chamionships in 2009, 2010, and 2011 (to just name a few of his accomplishments)I rode with Hartwig for 7 years. He taught me very specifically how to ride every movement in Dressage and how to train my horse Jordan. We trained to the Intermediare Level, until Jordan had an injury.
Today, I continue to work with several trainers, always expanding our education in handling of young stock, stallions and older horses. I did the very first usdf sport horse prospect development program with Scott Hasler and Ingo Pape.
. I worked closely with trainers known as "The Bills" and work with both Bill Warren and Bill McMullen. I have worked with long lining with Karen Sergey. We have continued success with all my young horses we bring up through the ranks of dressage.
Due to a back injury I had to take a different stradegy. While I figure out how to conquer my issues. So we will see what happens and hopefully I will be back showing very soon!
In 2006 I began building a serious breeding program one horse at a time. One mare each year until I had my mare base. I wanted to have a good base of 5/6 mares. I began with my first Broodmare Wavenly. Please see her page for more info
I then imported my next mare, Fusion. Please see her page for more info
I then imported Shutterflys Buzz
. In 2009 she won 2 USDF filly Championships and was USEF Zone 1 Reserve Hunter Breeding Champion. She was TOP in almost every disapline as a 2 year old winning the Future Event Horse Championship as Grand Champion,she was then crowned Reserve Champion in the United Stated Dressage Federation Championships, and Oldenburg Horse of the Year 2 Year old. In 2012 she was Reserve Champion Oldenburg in the 4 / 5 year old Material dressage classes. She also surprised me with at Devon coming in 3rd! Buzz continued her training competing in the Preliminary level until an injury brought her into the breeding shed
Kween Bee came next. Please see her page for more info
Chika was imported from Germany next. Please see her page for more info
Myristica Fragrens known as "Oatie" was bred on the farm out of Mitril and our mare Nosey Girl. Please see her page for more info.....