This message is from: "Green Valley Farm" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
AN EVENING OF DANCING HORSESAN EVENING OF DANCING HORSES
Sophie and I were fortunate to attend the Western National Stock Show
in Denver and visit with Beth Beymer, Sandy North and their Fjord
friends. The highlight was the two sold out performances of "An
Evening of Dancing Horses" with the live music of Michael Martin
Murphey and the Rio Grande Band. Michael Murphey talked and sang of
the "Freedom to Be." The thread of freedom was evident in the program.
Freedom to choose your breed from a Mini to a Shire; Freedom to design
your presentation from an Oldenburg stallion doing an advanced level
musical freestyle, two Quarter Horses doing a musical reining pattern,
two Andalusian stallions mirroring each other, a World Equestrian
Games participant doing vaulting on his Belgian, to the Favorite
Fjords performing a quadrille and a very special second act.
Each of the performances is an art of skilled horses and riders but
none win the heart like the Fjords. Some of the other breeds' tails
are wringing with the displeasure of their work while the Fjord tails
are swinging to the beat of the music and showing how they love their
work. Beth is a visionary to come up with the pattern sequences for 8
horse/riders and a single horse/carriage that make it interesting and
flow well. Taffy Plaisted and groom, Sally Peterson, drove Solveig II
in a canter serpentine pattern through four pairs of Fjords who stood
like statues. Solveig did simple lead changes as she cantered between
the Fjords. In another move Solveig did tiny canter circles (as close
to canter pirouettes as you can get in a carriage) as the rest of the
group did perfect canter circles around her. The double pinwheel was a
crowd pleaser with Beth/BDF Obelisk and Laurie Prindle/BDF John Arthur
taking turns as anchor and out person setting the pace. This act was
appropriately named "The Real Horses and Girls that Won the West"
What do you do with 5 horses, 2 gals and 1 saddle? "Ride Like an
Eagle", performed by Beth riding her stallion BDF Obelisk while
driving two geldings, BDF John Arthur and BDF Magnum, with Sami
Poirier roman riding her two mares was an imaginative act
incorporating a lot of skill and courage. Sami stood on the back of
Hanne and Haylee (the Perfect Pony) while walking and trotting
alongside of the driven pair and performing circle maneuvers with and
around them. The five some were so perfectly behaved and the audience
was in such awe that you could have heard a pin drop. The talent of
these two gals is unbelievable. Someday we will see Beth doing FEI
dressage on Obelisk and Sami at the World Equestrian Games or the
Olympics with a Fjord.
After the show the audience was invited to visit with the performers
in the practice arena. Needless to say the Fjords stole the show once
again. The audience asked a million questions and expressed their
admiration of this wonderful horse that can do it all. A big thank you
to these Colorado gals for promoting our fjord breed and showing the
public the many talents they possess.
Remember, the Fjord can be whatever you want him to be -- you are free
to chose -- a best friend to feed and love, a steady trail or packing
horse, an english, western or hunter horse, a work horse or a driving
horse. The choice is yours and you are only limited by your
imagination and skills.
Howard & Sophie Fiedler
Green Valley Farm
