| We would like to introduce you to the Andalusian.... high-stepping,
flowing-maned, white horses of legend. With bloodlines running back thousands of years, these horses once carried the conquering Roman legions across Europe. They are considered the national treasure of Spain. Less than eight thousand may be found in the United States today. First brought to the New World as the mount of the conquistadors, these horses are thought to be the foundation of many American breeds. Originally the mounts of lords and nobles, calmness, good temper, and ease of handling were bred into the Andalusian for centuries. However, spirited action and mesmerizing presence remains a hallmark of the breed. |
(Leopardo II x Garbosa XVIII)
1988 PRE Andalusian Stallion
15.3h
It's hard to believe 9 years have passed since the wonderful Don Marco joined our herd. He is, and always will be, an absolute dream come true for me. The journey started with Garbosa XI, his sister, and through her untimely death a door was opened and through it walked Don Marco. Life has never been the same.
As a show horse, Don Marco has competed all the way to the National level, and scored Reserve National Champion Colt in 1990. As an exhibition stallion, he thrilled crowds throughout California with his presence and athleticism. If he had ended up in a different home, I have no doubt he could have gone as far in competitive dressage as anyone would have wanted to take him. His elegant presence and his fluid gaits are the epitome of a dressage horse.
But instead of continuing to pursue ribbons, scores, and fame...he ended up being the answer to someone's prayers. Mine. As luck would have it, his truest and most far-reaching accomplishment is his prowess and prepotency as a sire. His foals are the mark of his greatness. He is undefeated in Get of Sire, a class in which a stallion's offspring are judged for their quality. Those offspring who show the most uniform quality and consistency win the award for their sire.
In Get of Sire, Don Marco's foals have competed against the foals of Andalusian greats such as Genio, Teodoro, Legionario III, Ravel, Ofendido V, Davido MC, and Navarre. All of those stallions are household names in the Andalusian world and are known as legendary sires. Don Marco has won the coveted Get of Sire title over all of them. He was owned by Dragonwood Farms at this time, and shortly thereafter he made his journey to the Pacific Northwest to live with me. I was already sold on his bloodlines (since my first mare was his sister) but, after seeing the foals he produced, every other stallion I had been considering paled by comparison.
Don Marco is 19 this year and we are not accepting any more outside mares for breeding to him at this time.
Click here to find out more about this exciting stallion. Online video available as well.
(Magno T x Estrella)
1990 PRE Andalusian Stallion
15.3h
Malibu K is a multi-National champion performance horse. He is the poster child for Andalusian versatility... having competed successfully at the National level in Saddleseat and Driving, and then, in his second career, as a dressage horse. Anyone who thinks a saddleseat or driving horse can't change hats and compete successfully in dressage has not seen Malibu. His gaits are poetry in motion...with powerful extensions that would make a warmblood breeder sit up and take notice. He has a temperament which makes him easy to manage by even the most novice handler or rider. Typically, we do not even use a stud chain on him and he can be ridden in mixed company. Conformationally, he has a strong, broad-chested build to him with a deep body, excellent bone and hooves, and a powerful hind end.
As a breeding stallion, Malibu has been under-utilized. Most of his life was spent in a training barn, and he was only bred once or twice as a young horse. He sat there, practically right under my nose, for years. He was the 'favorite' horse of my friend Gayle Lord, and she held onto him until the very end when she was dispersing her wonderful herd. One day, I was flipping through the studbook and came upon Malibu's pedigree. Although I was familiar with (and admired) his sire line, it was his dam's lineage that stopped me in my tracks. He is a grandson of Pandora...a mare whose blood runs through some of my best horses. I couldn't email Gayle fast enough. He is the perfect stallion to cross onto my mares who are closely related to Don Marco, or to Don Marco's daughters, and a great way to concentrate the bloodlines I am striving to maintain in my herd. Gayle and I came to an agreement that night, and Malibu was on his way the following week. I've been kicking myself ever since that I didn't follow up on him years ago.
He is a class act all the way.
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Imaginario x Azalia 1996 Pure Spanish Andalusian Stallion 15.3h Aragon is new to our family and we couldn't be more proud. He has been on my "radar" for a long, long time and I have been captivated by him since I first laid eyes on him in 1999 at Nationals. He was owned by fellow-Don Marco lover, Lauren Ackerman, who has owned several offspring of Don Marco and has bred her mares to him. Lauren had bought Aragon to compliment her breeding program, so obviously he fits very well into ours. When she decided to part with her Andalusians, she dropped us a note, we came to an agreement at warp speed. Shortly thereafter, Brooke and her friend Shanni and I were on our way to California and within days Aragon and Amara (see the mare page) were en route to Oregon. Aragon has proven himself in the show ring in halter and in performance. He was the 2000 IALHA National Champion Junior Stallion, the 2000 Show Pleasure Driving National Champion, and the 2000 National High Point Halter Horse. In 2000, he was Undefeated in Halter in 7 extremely competetive shows on the California and National circuit under the expert hand of Bruce Howard from The Park. In 2002, Aragon returned to the show ring, being named Region 1 Champion Senior Stallion (west coast) as well as National Top 5 Senior Stallion. For the last two years, Aragon has been in training with a dressage trainer in Napa, California. Aragon's dam is our own lovely Azalia, who has since moved on to become the foundation of a new breeding program in California. Aragon is also the only son of the multi-National Champion Andalusian stallion, Imaginario. In addition to his fabulous sire and dam, Aragon's bloodlines include the Spanish champions Jugueton V and Senorito XXVI, and he also possesses lineage similar to Don Marco, Notorio, and Malibu, making him the ideal line-breeding addition to our breeding program in order to keep our bloodlines concentrated, but not TOO close. Being the bloodline geek that I am, I am always trying to find new ways to stir the pot and keep the lines fresh, but not lose the predictability and consistency built over the years by those great breeders who came before me. Bringing in a wonderful horse like Aragon is like winning the lottery. His beauty is surpassed only by his pedigree, and he is one of those horses you absolutely do not forget. Aragon's page is coming soon. Please drop me a note for breeding information.
If you are considering breeding to one of our stallions, here is something you should know: We don't over-breed. We don't believe in indiscriminate breeding. None of our stallions breed more than 15 outside mares in a season. Ever. This includes pure Andalusians and crosses. So the chances are good that you will not find dozens of half-siblings of your foal on the market, competing with you at a show, or standing at stud. This keeps the quality and the demand for our stallion's offspring high. It also keeps our stallions sane and healthy and minimizes their chances of injury or illness.
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(PS...If any of these links don't work, go back to the home page and try from there. This website has evolved and taken on a life of its own over the last 11 years, and some of the links have changed. I try to keep up with them, but inevitably, I've missed some. But they DO all work from the front page. I apologize for the inconvenience!)