This ridden photo (right) is of Sensation last month (July 08) 3 weeks into his breaking in program. He is let down off his show prep feed and on soft feed in these pics.
After AQIS released their (yet another) NEW format, to ship horses (this one was the 5th revision in as many weeks) we had to make a decision on whether to set Sensation on his Palomino World Show or drop it altogether.
Under these NEW AQIS rules on shipping, going to the Palomino World Show would then put us to late into our breeding season, he'd miss the stallion shuttle then the next avail flight would not see him be released from quarantine until November. Of course, finding this out and having 20 mares of our own to breed necessitated cancellation on the Palomino World Show.
Pam Warden had been to take the photos of him and as you can see from these he looked wonderful and was still 4 weeks off the show and improving in conditionand muscle mass everyday.
It was decided , after much deliberation that we cancel the World Show plans and set him to be started under saddle instead then shipped to Quarantine as the World Show started.
He arrived into PEQ in the first week of July.
Sensation is now a 3 YO. He was shown only once for 4 grand's under 4 judges. This is when I was alerted to him and told by our dear good friends Kathy and Todd Snodgrass YOU BETTER GO LOOK at this one.
I was in Texas and already driven over 1500 miles looking for the right horse to complement our mares for 2008 and had almost given up. I decided that I was too picky and the right horse was not going to be available for 08.
'Sensations' Story...
After all the frozen semen problems from the past and many thousands of $'s later with these frozen programs I was preparing myself for the frozen semen heartbreak and huge $'s yet again!
There I sat in front of the monitor at Kathy and Todd's lovely Double S Ranch in Rusk TX: deciding IF I needed another 2 days driving before my scheduled flight out of the USA home. I called home, sent the photos of the stallion and prepared myself to drive to see this pretty palomino.
The message from home was 'Don't come home with out the RIGHT one', ( they were serious!!) Id already exhausted myself looking at the cremellos and buckskins available and off I set yet again. I was not to be disappointedin having to drive another 2 days.
THANK YOU TODD AND KATHY!!! ~ This horse has size, muscle, pretty, CORRECTNESS and balance with an AMAZING NATURE and is from a WONDERFUL FAMILY ~ World Champion producing STALLIONS ~ WORLD CHAMPION mares and World Champion producing mares!
Doug and Gena Tallent from Tallent QH bred Sensation. Doug loves his dam and female family, he is a great judge of horse flesh and is famous for selecting stallions - he made Sensations sire ~ Kids Classic Style!! In fact, when on our holiday and visiting with Doug we produced the photos of Sensation that we had PAM WARDEN of SOUTHWOOD PHOTOGRAPHICS take the week before .(Please note* Pam Warden does not alter conformation on photographs)
Doug was thrilled that we had purchased this lovely stallion and asked if we would consider selling him as he had a south American client looking to purchase a palomino son of Kids Classic Style and this could well be the horse.! We could make a substantial profit on the horse.. (sigh) Crikey, I'd just gone through all this.
At the Palomino World Show we watched the stallion classes being judged. The Grand Champion Stallion was yet another Kids Classic Style horse. The Home Run Kid, shown by Jason Smith.
Peter was in talks on the purchase of the stallion thinking that I was happy enough to sell Sensation to Doug and have this horse to replace him. NOT at 100K I did not see The Home Run Kid would net a significant return in Australia on that out lay plus he would NOT make it to OZ for the 08 breeding season.
Jason was keen to keep the horse in his barn and asked if we would allow this, for his stable to show him at the AQHA World? Jason assured us he would have a great handler show him for us and a promise of a TOP 3 - 5 finish.. Lovely Horse, Just not what I wanted to do. Doug, in all reality agreed that this was the correct decision and we had done good.
We stayed with our good friends Ron and Lana Gabriel of Gabriel QH in Van Texas, They managed Joy Carol for us in the days we bred her to their stallion Clu Heir, she produced our first World Champion ~ The Obvious Heir.
Ron loved Classic Sensation, he wished he knew we had purchased the horse, he said he would have bred ALL this mares to him. This is sad as it would have been great for Sensation. Nevertheless, its great to know the leading breeders in TX have this opinion on Sensation.
Sensation is in Quarantine in California with Bruno and Rachel in readiness to ship with CRISPIN BENNET INTERNATIONAL HORSE TRASPORT. His due date of release from Sydney is first week of September. We are so excited and pleased to be able to share this lovely horse with our Australian clients and friends. |
