Welcome to our gallery & barn on the web...

July 1, 2010

Well, it's been a while since I've updated our website and I apologize for that. Things are going well. "Lexi" our 2010 sorrel overo filly by Almost Too Fancy and Dot Your Eye, has been weaned and is growing like a weed! She's already learned to lunge and has trailered like a pro from the get go. She's super trainable.

Dot Your Eye has recovered from blinding herself in her right eye. Our good friends Alicia and Cherie Ball have leased her for the rest of the year so that Cherie can finish off her last year in 4-H and maybe some Pinto. She hadn't been ridden in over a year and she was AMAZING...like riding a bike. They are a good fit together. Janne is planning on one more year of driving with her.

Interception is our superstar! She did well in the two classes that Janne showed her in and won the leadline class with MacKenzey and picked up a halter point in the Youth Halter Mares with Kenzey at the March show in Monroe, WA. (This was the first show Kenzey had ever been to much less showed in). However, she rocked it at the May WSPHC's Star Spangled Classic. She won the Youth Halter mares and the Leadline with our niece, Kenzey. Then she proceeded to beat a world champion mare in the Amateur Halter mares with Janne picking up multiple grands. She picked up points in Novice Amateur Showmanship and Western Pleasure and Junior horse Pole Bending, Stakes, and Aged Halter mares. She ended up winning the Novice Amateur High Point Scooter and the overall Super Horse Award.

Our niece, Erika, has worked really hard too in order to show. (She saw all the cool stuff Kenzey won at Monroe in Leadline and decided she wanted that too). So our really good friends, Shelly, Tony, and Ivy Anderson let us use their gelding, Cleared For Take Off, for Leadline. I broke out a showing machine that I haven't used in over 10 years and wound up sewing my first pair of chaps and a very intricate jacket to match Ivy's for Erika. I was so excited when it all fit! They were stars! Erika says her horse is "Wed Wodger" as only a 3 year old can say it LOL.

We only have one mare bred this year. Rocket To The Moon is bred for a February 2011 foal to Kiss This Fella. I'm so excited for this cross as last year's May filly is already over 15.2 and GORGEOUS!!!

February 25, 2010

IT'S A GIRL!!! Dot Your Eye foaled her first colored filly sired by Almost Too Fancy at 1:40 PM on February 17th. "Lexi" stood 45" at birth and is absolutely stunning. This filly is the flattest kneed baby we've ever had. She's super smart too. Her cannon bones are longer than her mom's. It was great having my friends Tammy and Annie there to celebrate. After "Ivy" having blinded herself in her right eye and all the struggles trying to keep a good pregnancy it was well worth the wait.

Sunday, we got to take advantage of the rare sunshine and took pics of Interception with Janne and my nieces, McKenzey and Erika. It was great, but exhausting! Check out her pics on her page.

We're already breeding mares this week. We'll be breeding Rocket To The Moon today to Kiss This Fella and R Daydream Believer probably on Saturday to Jamaican Hottie. Dot Your Eye will be bred to Sinatra On Ice probably on her 30 day heat as she was pretty bruised from this filly.

February 19, 2010

I am so excited to announce the birth of Dot Your Eye's first colored baby and filly!!! "Lexi" stood 45" at birth as has color on her chin, a small lightning strike on both sides and a spot between her back legs. She has two white hind socks and two blue eyes. She is a natural mover and has no knee when she moves. She's going to do her dad and mom proud! This was such a long time coming after having so many issues with keeping "Ivy"

January 27, 2010

Well it's a new year and we have alot to look forward to. Dot Your Eye is due in a very short time and I expect her to foal early this year. Good news is she is 100% healed in her right eye and can see some shadow in bright light.

Our nieces, Kenzey (5) and Erika (3), have started riding lessons with Christine Larson of Larson Performance Horses. She is such a fabulous, patient teacher. The girls fit right in with Kip & Chris's daughter, Olivia, who will be 4 years old in a week. Kenzey and Erika use their Welsh pony, Dillon, and Olivia rides her little Shetland, Nicholas. Even Cole Larson is getting in on the fun. They are darling!!!

Also, we are excited for the upcoming show season. Pippy and Janne are doing awesome thanks to Kip and Chris's guidance.

Breeding season is shortly upon us. We will be breeding R Daydream Believer to AQHA stallion Jamaican Hottie for a NWSSA baby. We will be breeding Rocket To The Moon back to APHA stallion, Kiss This Fella. We are still undecided on who we will be breeding Dot Your Eye to. Stay tuned...

Oh and we will be expecting Cocker Spaniel puppies around the first of March. My chocolate cocker, CC is pregnant for the first time.

December 16, 2009

I'm so excited to announce the birth of Payton Raylee Hammer on Dec. 11, 2009. Payton is our third niece and hopefully like her two older sisters and brother, will take to the horses just as enthusiastically.

McKenzey and Erika have been going to preschool, but when they are here during the week, they've been playing with their pony, Dillon. He is worth his weight in gold! He makes sure he never steps on the girls as they lead him around. It's adorable.

Congratulations to Teresa and Marissa Brookes of Oregon on acquiring our yearling filly, Synchronize. She is by Do You Have A Minute and is his first paint foal. It will be good to see her out in the futurities next year.

Congratulations to Shannon Dunkel of Fall City, WA, on acquiring FPF In Vogue, a sorrel overo mare by Broke My Zipper. "Sara" is in foal for a May baby to NLF On The Catwalk. I can't wait to see what she'll have. Her 2008 filly was absolutely stunning.

We are thrilled to announce that Dot Your Eye is recovering well from puncturing her right eyeball. It looks like she'll be keeping it and may possibly regain some of her sight! Baby is doing well and poor Ivy is HUGE!!! It's hard to wait until February.

So, I want to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas!!!

Peace On Earth, Good Will Toward Men...

October 5, 2009

Well this coming weekend is the last show of the year here in the Pacific Northwest. We are all excited about the Albany show in the barn. My good friend Annie McMurtry's awesome palomino filly is being shown by Mike Davis in the late fillies futurity. Can't wait.

Annie gave us her world champion producing mare, Rocket To The Moon. We are so excited to get her and she'll be spoiled rotten. We also have gotten R Daydream Believer back from our friend Shannon Le and FPF In Vogue (bred to NLF On The Catwalk) is going to belong to Shannon. Justa Magic Surprise has gone back to her former owner, Annie Plunke. So, it's been musical horses around here.

We purchased Jamaican Hottie's breeding at the Northwest Stallion Service Auction two weeks ago at the INPHC horse show in Spokane. There's another stallion there that caught our eye, LSP Dominate To A Te, an AQHA stallion is going to have an awesome future and if weren't for our mare being booked already for 2010, I'd be breeding to him this coming spring. Anyways, I've added him to our stallion page so ya'll can get a look at him. Also, I'll be adding High Lonesome to the stallion page as I greatly admire him also.

Our good friends, Marian and Bob Belcher, are selling their 1996 homozygous daughter of Hes A Straw. So check her out on our sale page. This is a nice big mare that has a great (if limited) show record.

Janne will be showing Pippy at the upcoming show. Their first and last show of the year. Mike Davis is going to show her in the western pleasure triple crown futurity. I'm excited to see them out and going. Can't wait until next year...

August 5, 2009

Lots of things have been going on around here. My friend Lori had not one child get married, but two as of the end of this week!

One of my paintings got 2nd People's Choice Award at the Stanwood-Camano Fair (the biggest community fair in Washington State. 80,000 people come through the fair in three days!) Thanks so much to everyone who voted for me.

Oh, and our really good friend, Debbie Price and her husband have started a horse transportation company. They are new, but I would trust Debbie with my life when it comes to safety on the road. She has a lot of time on the road driving big rigs and showing horses. Please check out their website at www.ddppaints.com

Also, I got the Silver Quarters website up. It features a full equestrian center, lessons, schooling shows and events, and the custom horse show clothes designed by Lola Whitford. Lola is sooo talented and creative. We love our outfits that she's made for us and her chaps fit exceptionally well. She's also very reasonably priced. So please check out her site at www.silverquarters.org

May 25, 2009

So early this morning, I got up and went out to see Fancy for the last time. The bugger had a good time making me work to catch her for her new owner, Jackie McCarthy. I was really surptrised to see that Sydney was only a hand shorter than her mom. Fancy finally gave up the game and let herself be loaded up and driven north to Alberta, Canada. I'm really going to miss her. She was such a reliable broodmare and riding horse. I know she's going to an awesome home and will be spoiled to death.

I do have some great news. Our good friend, Erika Schreurs, and her apha/aqha gelding, Paint Your Assets, have returned to the show circuit this last weekend. "Jackson" suffered colic returning from the world show last year and had undergone a couple surgeries to save him. He looked so happy out in the pen with his mom. I banded him for Erika and his mane was the length of a reiner's it had been so long between shows!!! Erika won the high point for her division!

May 19, 2009

Its been a really hard week. Today we said goodbye to my grandmother, Inga Hammer. She passed away this afternoon in the presence of her children, grandchildren, and great grand children. My grandma was the most selfless person I've ever known. She was an amazing woman. When my dad was 13, my grandpa died from a heart attack caused by rheumatic fever. Grandma raised five kids on her own. She was the Stanwood Elementary school's secretary for 30 years. Four of her five children went on to finish their college educations. My dad and two uncles became attorneys and attended NY University, U of WA, Harvard. My grandma never remarried. It didn't matter that she lived on a secretary's retirement, she always gave us grandkids money for birthdays and Christmas. She loved Bingo and made the most amazing Lefse. She volunteered for numerous charities and functions and manned the booth every year at the Stanwood fair for the Sons of Norway. I can only hope that I'm half the grandma that she was.

Last Wednesday, May 13, 2009, Texas On My Side was humanely laid to rest. Tex was an amazing stallion and we were privileged to have been part of his life. We had some awesome foals by him and its unfortunate that I couldn't find one more mare to breed to him this year. Tex was one of the few stallions I absolutely trusted to never misbehave. He was such a kid. I got to spend time with him with Audrey the day before and watch him enjoy the sunshine. The horse industry lost a great sire.

The good news is that the WSPHC show was a great success. It was great to have such a fluid show and great weather. The halter classes were big and everyone had a great time.

April 9, 2009

DOT YOUR EYE is PREGNANT!!! Seriously, unless you have experienced a broodmare that has had multiple problems getting and staying in foal, then you can't understand what we've been through the past several years. "Ivy" was checked in foal to Almost Too Fancy on Tuesday and is now home being a broodmare. Teresa and Jim Pelton were fabulous to work with and our mare came back slick and groomed. We can't thank them and their vet enough.

Also, congratulations to Kip and Chris Larson on the birth of a gorgeous bay overo filly by All Time Fancy and out of their TB mare. This is a full sibling to reserve world champion, Unfair Advantage. They also have a gorgeous SPB filly by All Time Fancy and out of their Texas On My Side mare. Both are going to be outstanding in the show pen and both are for sale.

Today, we hauled Pippy down for Kip to ride and before he could hop on, his three year old daughter Olivia climbed up first. Pippy just takes it in stride and packs the kids around. When Olivia was done, Cole (Kip & Chris's 5 year old son who's more into cars) decide he wanted to ride too which is a rare occasion. So up climbed Cole and around the pen they went. We couldn't ask for a better mare.

So we're waiting on our mares to cycle normally. Fancy, Sarah, and Macy are all being slow to start this year since the weather is totally bonkers!!! Here it got to almost 70 degrees two days ago and now they say snow on Easter!!! I give up!

March 25, 2009

Well the Monroe Paint Show has come and gone. Even though it was torrential winds, rain, and cold, we all had a great time. The Larson Performance Barn had an awesome show! Our friend, Teresa Albrici's, horse Wyatt I Zipt won the SPB All Around Hi Pt Saddle and his full brother, JZA Inaleagueofhisown, took Reserve Senior Horse. Alyssa Hughes and "Charlie" won several class averages and the non pro WP maturity. Teresa's horse, Donald Trump, won the 3 & 4 year old Futurity. Stefanie Johansen and Kay Ceeya Later won the Amateur Horsemanship class average award. Callie Rouse picked up 6 halter points and earned her youth APHA Championship!!! This is so awesome since you don't see many horses earning this award anymore. Oh, and it was our good friend, Louise Bruce's birthday on Saturday which we had a great time celebrating. Also, Stephanie Bunke did really well with "Colby." for their first show.

So, "Ivy" is down being spoiled at Teresa and Jim Pelton's place in Vancouver, WA. She's being bred to Almost Too Fancy so cross your fingers for us. She's been a problem mare for us and we want just one healthy colored foal from her.

So Our good friend, Audrey King, has informed us that this will be the last year her stallion, Texas On My Side, will stand at stud. "Tex" is a reserve world champion sire and has produced many futurity winners. Unfortunately, he was injured as a weanling and unable to be shown, but he's definitely proved his worth as a sire. We are fortunate to be able to lease our friend, Lori Gibb's AQHA mare, Friday Girl, to breed to him one last time. "Friday" is a top 5 World Champion producer in several events. The foal will be double registered.

Jackie MacCarthy has also decided to breed "Fancy" to "Tex" before she leaves for Canada.

I'm really excited to say that my painting of DC Precision and Jamaican Hottie finally got to Vicki Lavasky and she loved it. I always worry when I ship a piece off.

Well, here's to a successful breeding season...

March 10, 2009

It is so weird not having any babies due this year! Kind of going through withdrawal even though I'm trying to step away from the horses right now cause of my chaotic life. I'll still be helping mom and Janne with the horses.

So I have to say congratulations to Valarie Richey of Bellingham, WA. Valarie is WEV Icons Blessing's new owner as of Saturday. This is such a great home for this mare. Here we haul her in to a strange facility and she acts like its nothing. She had little kids loving on her and she just took it as her due. Couldn't have made a better match!!!

Also, Ima Fancy Valentino is going to be going to new owner, Jackie McCarthy, of Canada. This is going to be the perfect spot for "Fancy." This mare is near and dear to my heart as we've been through a lot together. I know she'll be spoiled rotten. Jackie already has a stallion picked out for her. She'll be an awesome producer for her.

So as I've been writing this, we've had at least four inches of snow fall. This is the wackiest weather I've ever seen Washington have. It's been snow storm after storm and the mares are actually shedding!!! Go figure.

Dot Your Eye was bred at the end of February to Almost Too Fancy. Teresa Pelton and crew have been absolutely fabulous to work with. Having stallion owners and handlers that are communicative and helpful. We've learned this the hard way from past experiences. So cross your fingers that she checks in foal.

Oh and I had the best conversation with Shannon Le, who purchased R Daydream Believer from us last year. "Jeannie" is doing awesome. She's even jumping now! We miss this mare so much. I hope Shannon gets an awesome baby off her!

Also, big congratulations to our great friend Debbie Price on the arrival of her Supreme Champion mare, Macho Town Chica's, first filly. Sired by the legendary AQHA stallion, Kids Classic Style, "Chicquita" is the best of both her mom and dad. And she's a double registered APHA/AQHA filly!

February 20, 2009

Wow...hard to believe it's almost March!!! It's been a freaky winter this year. We're not used to snow storms around here, but we've had a few. We had 40 inches of snow at Christmas. I never thought I would be sick of it. It's still on the ground in spots by our house. My mares thought we were horrible people because we wouldn't put them in the barn. Since the equestrian center about a mile down the road collapsed, there wasn't a chance I was risking the princesses. They had plenty of blankets on and went out in the woods to get out of the snow. I couldn't believe how many structures went. Just getting out to feed the horses was a major challenge as the snow reached our hips at times. I can see weather like this in the Midwest, but this is the west coast, where we usually just get rain!!!

Anyways, Pippy (aka Interception) is doing awesome with our trainer Kip Larson. We'll be taking her to the WSPHC's Star Spangled Classic in May. She's over 16 hands and growing. We knew the TD Kid and Dream Maker cross would be awesome, but we never expected so much!!!

Sydney, (aka Synchronize) is an amazing little filly too. We took her down to Kip's earlier this month. I have to say I haven't been super diligent in working with her. She's halter broke and stands for her feet, but that's been about it. She loaded right up in the trailer for the very first time like she'd been a seasoned show horse. When we got to the barn, I figured she'd be like most babies and scramble or jump when getting out, but not "Syd". Oh no, she looked around and very carefully placed her feet down and walked into a strange barn with strange horses and never said a nicker. She settled right in like she'd been there 1,000 times. The first time I lunged her she never pulled at the line and walked, jogged, and loped. I swear she was born trained!!! She's such a sweetheart. She just wants attention. We've got her entered and nominated in the big NSBA Incentive Fund futurities and have resubmitted her papers to APHA. She has that spot in her tail and we know she's colored. I'll get some photos of her later this spring after she sheds out her brumby look!!!

Ivy has pretty much been semi retired. She's enjoying her break from the show scene. We'll be breeding her to Almost Too Fancy hopefully in the next couple weeks. It will be a really good cross. She'll come out in the pen every so often for a pleasure driving class and hopefully next year when our niece is ready to do leadline.

Macy and Sarah are doing great. Hopefully we'll be breeding them in the next month. Macy is going to be bred to Jamaican Hottie (AQHA) and Sarah will be bred back to NLF On The Catwalk (APHA/TB). These will be awesome crosses. We're hoping for bays all the way around with all three mares. So cross your fingers!!!

Buffy is doing great. We've saddled her up and she acts like she's been a pleasure horse her whole life. I'm excited to see someone take her over and use her in the futurities. She'll make a great Youth and Amateur horse.