Purple Rain in the United States!

It sounds like an environmental disaster, doesn't it? But it's not. It's about the greatest thing to happen this century!!! And here he is:




The second photo includes his former owner, Lydie, who loved him and trained him and made him the wonderful horse that he is--and who was so incredibly kind to me to send me a letter, a book of photos (including from when he was a newborn, and from his sire, dam and grandsires!), a full set of wraps and his blanket. She and her entire family also insisted on driving him to the airport in Amsterdam themselves to see him off, rather than asking us to send shippers to their farm for him. It's obvious that he meant a great deal to them and that he was a member of the family in the 8+ years she owned him. I hope she realizes that he will be no less loved and cared for now that he's become a member of my family. I think she must... she saw me bawling for joy when I finished riding him, and must have known that I appreciated how truly wonderful he was.

I've waffled and waffled and waffled--and waffled some more--and I've come to the conclusion that I will stick with his original names. I've loved "Purple Rain" from the moment I heard it (I've always been a Prince fan), and I think "Jacco" suits him. That, and I already own a 3 year-old gelding with the barn name Prince, and I don't think I want to own a 3 year-old gelding known as "The Horse Formerly Known as Prince." I'm certain Jacco is a Prince of a horse, but Lydie called him Jacco, and I also think it's a tribute to Lydie to leave his name as she gave it to him... and that, more than anything, is my reasoning. If he'd belonged to some big breeder who hadn't put any thought into anything and just handed the horses off to a trainer who rode (nicely) a dozen horses or more daily, without any strong attachment to any because they could be sold at any time, that would be different. But that's not Jacco. He was named out of love, and those names shouldn't change--ever.

I can't wait to put my arms around him tomorrow and give him a hug and a kiss, and to whisper, "Welcome home, Jacco. I love you."

We Have a Date...

So, we have a tentative date for shipping... and it seems like forever and a day from now to me. Of course, I wanted him here yesterday. I even volunteered to leave all my clothes behind and stuff him in my suitcase. I would gladly have paid the $50 overweight charge. But Jürgen said I couldn't do that, that the airlines frowned on the practice and that we had to vet him first. Damn. I tried.

So now, I have to wait until February 20. That's more than two weeks away. And then the folks in Los Angeles will want to keep him until February 22. They call it "quarantine," but I know the truth--they want to make moon eyes at him and tell him how lovely he is, and on top of that, they want me to pay THEM for the privilege. Don't you think it should be the other way around?

I can hardly wait for February 22, when I can pick him up in Los Angeles and drive him to our facility. I hope it's a sunny day. Coming from Holland, that would be such a treat for him. He's not going to believe his good fortune, landing some place where the sun actually SHINES and where he can work outside without getting soaking wet. He'll also get to share a barn with a famous Dutch stallion (Facet), so he'll have a friend that speaks the language while he learns to converse with the Germans (that should help him feel at home), and he'll have a beautiful brand new bridle and blankets, and he's going to get lots of love and attention. He'll get used to the grey mare that makes the ugly faces at him... I'm sure Facet will explain about HER. Facet learned to ignore Quila a long time ago. (She saves her "best" faces for him, but my guess is she'll transfer them to Jacco, or split them equally between the two boys--she is a jealous one!)

A New Horse!

It took some looking (and two trips to Europe after the horse from the first trip didn't vet and we didn't find a suitable back-up), and countless hours spent watching videos of completely unsuitable horses. In fact, for me, the search seemed so endless as to be hopeless but Jürgen and Susan didn't give up hope. (My budget was low, since I only had the insurance money from Promise and she was under-insured, and Jürgen insisted that I needed a horse that would get me OFF those damn circles, one that I could show right away and start moving forward with; he wanted confirmed changes, show experience, a good mind. He said he'd lost enough hair already, that he didn't need to worry about my safety, LOL. Susan strongly agreed with him, and both were determined to find me just such a mount. I didn't think one existed at my budget, not that was healthy and not close to retirement.)

We made our second trip to Europe January 21 - 28. Susan had bilateral knee surgery on December 28, so we didn't think she'd be able to join us. She recovered so quickly, however, that we were able to bring her along (Want cheap last minute plane fare? Check out www.cheapflights.com to find the best bargains. I got her flights on Delta for less than I paid for mine 3 weeks in advance!) It was great having her along (and educational for her, too, since she's studying German at the University of San Diego. We laughed a lot and had a great time, and she was VERY opinionated (what else is new?) about the horses we tried. She rode the horses we considered for me before I did (so did Jürgen on most of them, but not on the day that we found my new boy--he could tell as much by watching Susan ride and he trusted Susan not to get herself killed in making sure they were safe enough for me). The first we tried was lovely--I could have been very happy with him. The second, not so much (I didn't ride him after he bolted with Susan. She giggled and said she loved him but he was NOT for me--"I like my mom" was her comment), and then I rode the love of my life.

I didn't know there WAS such a horse... so beautiful and elegant, and so uphill that he'd need stilts for his hindlegs in order to go on his forehand. Kind, patient, well-trained. Needs to be ridden more through, but we're pros at that at my barn, so two or three weeks and that issue will be history. The big thing is he was so much FUN and he met all of our criteria. When I got off of him, I had a wrap around grin on my face and tears in my eyes... and I was a giggling idiot. I knew, absolutely, that he was the one. I was 100% hopelessly in love, and there was no going back.

Thankfully, he has passed vet and now I can call him mine (or at least I'll be able to as soon as the bank transfer goes through.., but that's just a formality).

So, I'm pleased to introduce PURPLE RAIN, an 11 year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding by Jaccardo. He's dark bay (nearly black) with 3 small ermines and a tiny tiny tiny star on his forehead, and he's going to be the most loved gelding on the planet. I can't wait until I can introduce him to everybody in person.

Thank you, Jürgen and Susan, for not giving up. My dreams are coming true.