Sleipnir Explorer and Savannah

At Majic Stables’ Christmas party, Sleipnir Explorer, our 2005 Bay Gelding, was presented to his new owner, Savannah Mitchell.

We are all so pleased that Explorer has a nice new family with Savannah and Julie; and a great place to stay at Majic Stables with Mary Shappee and Gert Shuckhart.

We will keep you posted on how Explorer is doing at his new home.

Sleipnir Explorer and Savannah

I’m still not done telling you stories from there.

Amber, the oldest of my “kids” was showing Explorer at the Show. They had worked hard together, and spent alot of time away from the Farm, working with Sue & Chris Nerland.

Explorer stayed in Oklahoma with Mary Shappee and Gert Shuckhart of Majic Stables.

Explorer saying good-bye to San

A fan at the Performance Arena during Amber's and Explorer's classes

Gram and Gramps saw lots of old friends while they were at the G N.  We also made lots of new friends. Grownups and Children like to meet me, if I do say so myself.  This young lady came over to visit me. Gram gave her a copy of my book. 

Gram also gave books to lots of other little kids and some adults too.  We met ring stewards; show committee members; other exhibiters; trainers; vendors…all sorts of people, from all over the country.

There was a litttle girl who was tired after a longgggg trip to get to the G N.  She was crying, and her folks needed her to stop, so that they could go see the horses in their classes.  They didn’t want her to scare the horses, or disturb other people. Gram told her about me, and gave a copy of my book to her parents to read to her when she stopped crying.  I think that it worked.  I hope that she liked the story about my Adventures on the Farm.

We met Mary Wolverton.  She and Gram and Gramps spoke about taking me to schools for blind kids. She went to the University of Rochester, NY. Elizabeth, my primary photographer, went to Rochester Institute of Technology.  Small world.

Facebook is a computer program that I have heard about.  Elizabeth also updates my Facebook page and the other ones that we have for the Farm, Organic Greenhouse, Antique Shop, Elizabeth’s photography, the Blue Ridge Morgan Horse Association at home in Tennessee, and Britta’s not-for-profit, non-govenmental organization, MediciaXXI. Gram does most of the blogging.  Maybe Elizabeth will add a comment with links to the other Facebook pages that she monitors. We met a bunch of people who are Facebook-friends with Elizabeth.

Gramps hurt his foot at the show. Gram dropped him and I off several times, and then went to park the truck.  One time, Gramps saw a family friend, Suzy Lucine.  I got introduced.  Suzy took pictures of our horses long before I was born.  The family’s favorite photos of Rhinestone are by Suzy.  You can still see them on the sidebars of the SMHF website: www.SleipnirMorganHorseFarm.com

I’ll have Gram tell you more about some other people who we saw at the Show in future blog postings.

Gramps, Me, Erica Richard, AMHA Registrar, “Sassy” Valerie, Lucas, and “Vonn”

Here is more from our trip to OKC to the Morgan Horse Grand National Horse Show.

Lucas is 6 years old.  He barks at just about every dog he meets.  He doesn’t bark at Hamilton, who is an old friend of his. And Lucas didn’t bark at me either.

Valerie and Vonn are sisters, and they travel to Horse Shows all over the country. Valerie sells trophies made of glass, and jewelry, and all sorts of things made of glass.  Gram said I didn’t have to worry about my tail wagging though, because everything is up higher than me, and in cases. Her booth is called Sassy Stuff By Valerie. (Email: sassystuffbyval@hotmail.com).

Valerie and Vonn live in Kentucky, and Gram and Gramps live in Tennessee, so they are sort of neighbors.  I hope that we can visit with Lucas at another Horse Show.  Vonn gave me some of Lucas’ dog treats, and that made me happy too.

Valerie and Vonn bought copies of the book about my Adventures on the farm.  Since Britta, my human wasn’t there, Gram autographed my books for them.

Gramps shopped at the Morgan Horse Association booth while Gram autographed the books. And He and Gram talked to Erica, Valerie and Vonn.  I mostly rested and listened.  And Lucas and I talked about the horses and our people.

Here’s a picture of Gramps holding Lucas.

Gramps holding Lucas

Everyone in the family calls Gramps “Dr. Doolittle” because all the animals like to be with Gramps.  Especially the cats.  They surround him.  They jump in his lap, and purr, and tell him stories.  I keep asking Gramps to ask the cats to play with me, but they hardly ever will.  Not even for Gramps.

Amber and Explorer pinned in this class

This class takes alot of work to get ready for…braiding Explorer’s mane and tail…and painting his nails (hooves). Also Explorer gets all sorts of special cleaning up so that he looks very handsome.  Thank goodness Amber doesn’t paint my nails!

Then Amber needs to be dressed just perfectly…and stay clean.

Then she has to know the procedure on how to show Explorer.

Explorer tells me that this class is to teach kids how to show a horse at a horse show, and all the important things to get the horse to look his or her best.

Gram tells me that Britta, my “human” and her sisters Elizabeth and Caitrin used to do this at lots of shows in New England when they were kids.  Sometimes they do groom me, but sometimes I go to a special place to get groomed.  Sometimes they put a ribbon in my hair.  I am not too thrilled with that.  Last Halloween I had an orange ribbon. Thank goodness Britta doesn’t put me in a costume!

This class takes awhile, so Gram and Gramps found me a different place to lay down and wait.

Me waiting for the class to end.

So, Amber and Explorer did well. They pinned in the Top Ten.  Guess they both stayed clean enough, and did what they are supposed to do.

Gram and Gramps, Sue and Chris cheered.  Some of our fans watched them online on the usefnetwork.com.  Everyone likes that alot. People everywhere can see the classes as they happen.  I wonder if anyone saw me.

Amber Gramps and I at the Performance Arena for the Hunt Seat Equitation Classes

Here we are at the Performance Arena at the 2011 Grand National Morgan Horse Show.

Amber was excited that the show committee had a sign welcoming all the Equitation riders by their name at the entrance to the arena.

I was excited that there was a ramp up to the seating area, and the spaces for me to lay down out of the way of traffic were nice and wide.  Gram always tells me when there is a step to the seating areas, and how steep the step is, and how many there are.  She is my “guide person”.

Gramps and Gram were excited that their grand-daughter and a horse that they bred was at the Grand National.  Actually, there were two horses that they bred here – Sleipnir Explorer with Amber, and Sleipnir Onstar with Travis.

When people walked out between classes, lots of people would pause to look at me, and say how impressive I am…I like the praise.

We are going to get her unloaded and let Travis get some rest.

I am so tired…I have been walking to the Performance Arena and the Coliseum…there are lots of great scents in the area.  I don’t think that Gram and Gramp have walked the same way very often. We have overlapped a few pathways.

More from my Gram and I later!  Time to welcome Onstar to the show grounds and say Goodnight to Explorer.

S. Onstar, who has been ridden in Hunt Seat, Saddle Seat, and Western tack, and could be a Park Harness, Pleasure Driving or Roadster to Bike harness mare, is making her debut in the Roadster-to-Bike class. She was shown once, last year, at a local show.

She is one of B-L Rhinestone Kid’s only producing-aged daughters available. Her dam, NEJ Golddust Louise, has been sold to be a parade horse and broodmare in Georgia. Since Rhinestone is deceased and Louise has been sold, S. Onstar is a unique cross, never to be repeated.

She is trained, and will be shown by Travis Olinger, who has been a horseman since early youth.

Wish us well and look for new photos of her in her gallery connections SOON!!

www.SleipnirMorganHorseFarm.com

        Dr. Britta Denman has written the first book in a planned series about her dog, San.  It is titled San’s Adventures on Sleipnir Morgan Horse Farm. Lots of things are unique about San.  He doesn’t look like most dogs.  His legs are a bit too short for his body.  He has knock knees, and he was born without eyes.  San is extremely loveable and seems to draw even non-dog lovers to his personality.  He has had many adventures with his person, Britta.

        Sleipnir Morgan Horse Farm, a family farm on the McMinn-Polk County border, is the site of this book.  The book is available at the farm in The Shops At Morgan Lane, 2214 Columbus Road, Delano, TN., 37325 and via his website, www.SanTheDog.com. It is also available through Amazon.com, which can also be reached via his website.  All proceeds from the sale of the book, and San the Dog merchandise, goes to support a not for profit, MedicaXXI, the Malawi Project.  (www.MedicaXXI.org)

           Another person in San’s family, Britta’s sister, Elizabeth L D McGee, has taken all the photographs for this book, as well as some for future books in the series. She will be available throughout the weekend event. 

            Elizabeth will be at Starr Mountain Properties in Etowah, on Saturday, the 12^th of June from 10:00am until 5:00pm.  She will have copies of San’s book as well as Herb and Civil War books for sale. 

         Elizabeth, who is a professional photographer, is also developing a permanent display gallery of her work. Her scenic studies and animal portraits express her appreciation and love of nature. Her stop-action rodeo scenes will take your breath away. In the Shops At Morgan Lane, there will be framed and unframed photographs of all sizes, as well as note cards and other photo gifts. Photos in the public galleries on her website can also be ordered directly in many sizes and gift versions. Elizabeth is available for horse show, rodeo, pet and human interest photography, as well as other works on commission.  She has a website at: www.ImagesnMemories.com

            Sleipnir Morgan Horse Farm and The Shops at Morgan Lane are open all year long, Tuesday through Saturday, 10:00am until 2:00pm. The phone number is 423 263 0824.  

           The entire family can be reached via Email at: DenmanFam@aol.com.