For those of you who have not had the pleasure of experiencing Don Marco in person, words cannot describe him. Ramona DeJong described it best when she said "There is something about him that reaches in and touches your very soul."

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It is true. Ramona accompanied me on my trip to Sacramento in December of 1997 to confirm the purchase of Don Marco, and we were literally speechless (which, if you know either of us, is unbelieveable to begin with!) when we saw him. I have seen many Andalusians, but the last time I was so completely captivated by one was the very first time I saw one, many years ago at the Lippizan show.

Mind you, we were speechless, and all Don Marco was doing was standing in his STALL.

To ride him was a dream. I am not by any means a competetive rider......the idea of me riding a high-school trained exhibition horse is almost laughable.....so when I was (literally) badgered into climbing up into the saddle, I held my breath and prepared for the worst. Instead, I was treated to the most forgiving and tolerant horse I have ever had the pleasure (and I mean that) of riding. You could almost hear him thinking "hmmmm....well, this woman OBVIOUSLY doesn't how to tell me what to do, so why don't I just help her out a little and do a nice Spanish Walk". He was as gentle as any gelding I have ever ridden....it seemed all you had to do was THINK, and he responded. Ramona rode him for quite some time, and in minutes she had him in a beautiful Spanish walk and a Passage that would bring tears to your eyes. As a matter of fact, by the end of the day, there were 6 pairs of teary eyes in that arena. And of course, seeing his previous owner Bonnie Tanner, ride him to Moonlight Sonata had us ALL reaching for the Kleenex box.

I must say, in all my wildest hopes and dreams, I could never have been prepared for what awaited me in that barn. Photos and videos do not even begin to do him justice. As a former Reserve National Champion, and the sire of 4 National Champions (so far), I expected him to be beautiful. As a high-school trained exhibition horse, I expected him to be talented. As the 3/4 brother of my mare Garbosa XI, who passed away this spring, I knew there would be an emotional bond. However, I was completely unprepared for the magical combination of ALL those things....combined with a temperment and personality that had all of us under his spell in seconds. It was truly magical.

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