Another Elite Mare for RSF and for Gold Luck. Read the unbeleivable story below. 2005 AHS Benchmark MPT Jumping Trophy co-winner!

In 2005, Ghamma Ray ranked fourth highest of those mares qualifying for the Walter Hartwig award. This award is given for North American bred and born young mares which achieve the highest combined scores on their studbook inspection and Mare Performance Test (MPT), both taken as a three- or four-year-old. RSF horses have made the list ever since its inception four years ago (we won the inaugural year with EM Dew Berry). Ghamma Ray also received the Benchmark award for 2005, tying for the highest free jumping score for the nation (9 and 9) for the 2005 mare performance tests. 

Dam Anike's sire is Archipel, a son of Argentan, who passed the stallion Performance test at Adelheidsdorf in 1988, finishing 5th of 38, achieving equally good results for rideability and for jumping ability. Anike is just the right type for Gold Luck. She was purchased just before her inspection and had just had her very small shoes removed and so was still a bit ouchy at that time. Believe me when I tell you that this mare can trot! She was placed in the Main Stud book.

SOLD! congratulations to Paul Hyland and his daughter, Rachel

Show Results

We have never taken Ghamma Ray to a horse show off the property since we bought her in October of '07 because she was just getting back under saddle when we found out she was pregnant in April of '08, then she was doing the Mom thing till October of '08, so this was her first show 18 months later (with a 14 year old rider) off property.

Yesterday Rachel & Pat took Ghamma Ray to a "B" rated Jumper show with a small class at Old Salem Farm in New York. Rachel rode (all the other riders were late teens or 20's) in 2 classes - 3 events at 2.5 feet, and 3 events at 3 feet. She & Ghamma Ray rode all 6 events clean and took 1st in all 6 events, and obviously won both championships!! They thought about riding in the 3.5 ft events but thought to quit while they were ahead on their first time out.

OK, this is one for the record books. In May 2007, I had bred Ghamma Ray with Contendro frozen semen and coordinated the cycle of a recipient mare. I took both mares to a famous reproduction vet in NJ to have an embryo transfer flush done. No embryo was found. I brought both mares back home, really disappointed that it didn't work. I had really wanted a foal from her, and ET was the only option available for her because of previous vaginal scarring from the dystocia she had in 2006. So, Ghamma Ray was put back under saddle in the fall and I sold her to Paul Hyland and his daughter, Rachel. In an email (see the owner comments for 3/15/08), Paul mentioned that GR was fat. An internet posting on the Chronicle Bulletin Board about the (very unlikely) possibility existing for a mare to be pregnant after an unsuccessful embryo transfer flush got me thinking. Long story short, Ghamma Ray was pregnant and due in a week! Despite the delivery being a high risk one because of that vaginal scarring from the dystocia she had, all went well and she delivered a healthy colt on 4/06/08. Paul and Rachel have been great about all of this, and are excited to have GR safely home again with a bonus colt that should jump the moon when grown up! I have bred another Elite Mare and Gold Luck has one more Elite Mare sired by him, bringing the total to 6, with 3 EMC's.

Fall 2007: I had decided to sell Ghamma Ray. I tried to get an embryo transfer from her in summer of 2007, and it didn't work. She was such a great horse to ride, we put her back under saddle and sold her as a riding horse. Photos were taken right out of the field. She had been a pasture potato!
Ghamma Ray received the 2005 AHS Benchmark Award this year, tying for the highest free jumping score for the nation (9 and 9) for the 2005 mare performance tests.

She also ranked fourth highest of those mares qualifying for the Walter Hartwig award. This award is given for North American bred and born young mares which achieve the highest combined scores on their studbook inspection and Mare Performance Test (MPT), both taken as a three- or four-year-old. RSF horses have made the list ever since its inception four years ago (we won the inaugural year with EM Dew Berry). Another mare by Gold Luck, Gaudenzia is right behind Ghamma Ray in fifth place.

Hedgeland Inspection 10/29/05 - Ghamma Ray was presented for re-inspection, and this time she got straight 7's on everything, including the walk.

Mid Atlantic Hanoverian Breeders Club Mare Show and Mare Performance Test 10/30/05 - Ghamma was third in the 3yo fillies class and received a 1A Premium award. In the Mare Performance Test, Ghamma Ray showed the world how she loves to jump, receiving two 9's. Since we had 4 mares doing the test with one rider, we had a mare in each of the 4 groups. This meant no warm up time for our mares for the under saddle portion, except for the short time in front of the judges. I am proud of Ghamma Ray. She had only been under saddle for 90 days, this was her first time off the farm and she managed to perform well enough for an 8 in rideability. Her walk and canter were scored 7's. The trot was a little tense for a 6. Her final score was a 7.88, the second highest score of the day. She is now a new Elite Mare Candidate.

Owner Comments

Mo, I Thought I would update you on current events with Ghamma Ray. Rachel & Pat Gregory are working very hard with Ghamma Ray ... 5 to 6 days/week. Ghamma Ray is starting to show her Jumper skills! We have never taken Ghamma Ray to a horse show off the property since we bought her in October of '07 because she was just getting back under saddle when we found out she was pregnant in April of '08, then she was doing the Mom thing till October of '08, so this was her first show 18 months later (with a 14 year old rider) off property. Yesterday Rachel & Pat took Ghamma Ray to a "B" rated Jumper show with a small class at Old Salem Farm in New York. Rachel rode (all the other riders were late teens or 20's) in 2 classes - 3 events at 2.5 feet, and 3 events at 3 feet. She & Ghamma Ray rode all 6 events clean and took 1st in all 6 events, and obviously won both championships!! They thought about riding in the 3.5 ft events but thought to quit while they were ahead on their first time out. Rachel is thrilled that her patience & hard work is paying off, and Ghamma Ray's skills as a Jumper are starting to show! Dad got 6 coffee cups for the effort ... one for each blue ribbon. Note - We occasionally get a note from the owner of the colt ... Rocky/Confidential ... they are going through the process of raising him to be a performance horse. FYI Paul

4/11/08 Mo, Enclosed are pictures of Ghamma Ray & the new colt. Ghamma Ray delivered the colt on Sunday 4/6 at 7:35 AM at New England Equine Practice in Patterson, NY (Dr Bradley & Dr DuBay (sp?)). The facility is an established practice that moved into a brand new 200,000 sq ft state of the art equine hospital in January. We were prepared for the worst and got the best of results. Rachel & I tried to get there in time to see the birth ... but to our good fortune, Ghamma Ray delivered the foal in @30 minutes, so we missed the "mother nature" part. Both mare and colt have been inspected by multiple vets and have received glowing bills of health. We haven't named the colt yet as we wanted to get confirmation of the stallion from you. As you can tell from the pictures, the colt has a chestnut colored body, black mane and tail, four white socks and a triangle on his forehead. Pat says that there is black in the nose & creeping out of the socks so it's probably a Bay. We'll proceed with the Hanoverian notification for Ghamma Ray, and the foal registration at the foal inspection this summer. Life has definitely thrown us a "curve ball" but we're excited to have a our mare back and a new colt to boot! We'll keep you abreast of their progress. Thanks for catching this before it became a crisis. Paul 3/15/08 Mo, All's well with Ghamma Ray. Rachel & Ghamma Ray are quite the pair. When I pick Rachel up at the barn I often find her sitting in the stall (door closed) with Ghamma Ray, just watching her eat. She's in love! Ghamma Ray is learning how to follow a rider, and Rachel has turned out to be a pretty good teacher. Ghamma Ray is still "real" healthy (fat), but we're hoping that riding in the warmer weather will trim her down some. Rachel visits Ghamma Ray 6 days/wk and rides/hacks for about an hour. Last weekend Rachel rode in a barn show jumping 2.5 ft and she & Ghamma Ray won Reserve Champion against 7 other riders ... not bad for being back under saddle for 5 months. Hope all is well ! Paul Hyland 10/23/07 Mo, I was going to write a long note explaining the pure joy my daughter experienced when Ghamma Ray showed up... but as they say, pictures ay a thousand words. If you have any wonder how well this Mare will be taken care of ... just see the attached. I believe she is going to call her Leah ... from Princess Leah in Star Wars (Ergo the link to Ghamma Ray). Ghamma Ray's disposition was amazingly calm after the 4 hr trip. I believe she felt right at home and loved. Rachel hasn't ridden her yet, but will this week and I'm sure all will go well. Thanks again ... and over the years if Ghamma Ray & Rachel do anything in the ring I'll shoot you a note. Paul Hi Mo, All-in-all we're excited but a little scared (We ... Rachel's parents ...are rookies to this whole scene). Our trust in Pat, and your reputation with Pat, has been very comforting through this purchase. Thanks in advance for getting Ghamma Ray back under saddle ... and trust that we will take very good care of her. The critical person in this whole equation is my 13 yr old daughter Rachel. Rachel likes what she has seen on the videos, and hears from the Vets. She has been riding and camping out at the Fox Ridge Farms stables for 7 years and she is hopeful (but apprehensive) that she & Ghamma Ray will bond. We may contact you to schedule a trip to come see her over the next few weeks. I'll contact you over the next few days. Thanks again. Paul Hyland