The Legacy of Callaway's Blue Norther

If I was asked which blood line was my favorite in the Saddlebred gene pool, I’d answer without a doubt with WC Callaway’s Blue Norther. Blue, as he was called, sired many great performance horses and left behind some great studs to carry on his legacy. He was honored with titles such as the 2004 World’s Champion Sire and 2013 Five Gaited World’s Champion Sire from The Saddle Horse Report along with Overall Five Gaited High Point Sire from 2007-2011 by The Breeder’s Report.

Part of Blue’s success can be attributed to his bloodlines. His sire is the Five Gaited World Grand Champion, CH Will Shriver, shown by the infamous and late Redd Crabtree. Will Shriver also came from royal breeding. He was by Callaway’s Johnny Gillen, a son of the six time Five Gaited World Grand Champion, CH Wing Commander, and out of the three time World Grand Champion Fine Harness mare, CH Kate Shriver. Blue was out of the mare Royally Blue.

Callaway's Blue Norther

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Blue was owned and bred by Callaway Hills Stables in New Bloomfield, Missouri, which was established in 1944. Other horses owned by Callaway Hills Stable include both his parents, CH Will Shriver and Royally Blue, and both grand dams, CH Kate Shriver and Fascinating Blue. Blue was born March 7, 1981. He made his first show ring appearance August 16, 1984 with Saddlebred legend, Tom Moore, at the Kentucky State Fair in the Five Gaited Three Year Old Stallion/Gelding Stake. The pair came out of the ring with the blue, giving Blue his world champion title. Blue went on to earn wins at Rock Creek, Lexington Junior League, and the All American Horse Classic.

The stud was good in the show ring, always earning top ribbons, but he seemed to be even better in the breeding shed. Callaway Hills was able to continue their success and build their reputation even more thanks to the offspring Blue produced.

In 1992, CH Callaway’s Forecaster was born. The gelding went on to win the Five Gaited World’s Grand Championship and later won the World’s Champion of Champions title in the Five Gaited Amateur division. He was ridden by owner Nancy Leigh Fischer.

The year 1993 brought about the birth of CH Callaway’s Born to Win, who became winner of the Five Gaited Ladies Championship at the World’s Championship Horse Show. He was owned and shown by William Woods equine professor, Gayle Lampe. Before being gelded, he produced world champions such as CH According to Lynn, CH Callaway’s Winning Number, and CH Callaway’s Born For This. CH According to Lynn took the world title in the Five Gaited mare stake 3 times and garnered a couple world titles in her junior years as well. She was shown by owner Mary Gaylord McLean, from the family who started Gaylord Hotels. The latter two have made names for themselves in the junior exhibitor divisions. CH Callaway’s Winning Number won multiple times at the Kentucky State Fair in Country Pleasure with both Alice Rowland and her younger brother Will. CH Callaway’s Born to Win earned her first world championship as a three year old in the Five Gaited division, racked into the winner’s circle with two amateur riders, and is now well known with her young rider, Sallie Mason Wheeler, for dominating the Five Gaited division amongst junior exhibitors.

Redd Crabtree rode again for Callaway Hills when he stepped aboard the black stallion, Callaway’s Bluesman. This team won the Five Gaited Stallion Stake at the World’s Championship Horse Show. Callaway’s Bluesman was foaled in 2004 to Callaway Hills and stands at stud there today.

Other sons of Callaway’s Blue Norther with little or no show records include Deep Blue, Callaway’s Northern Kiss, and Blue O’Shea, just to name a few.

Deep Blue entered the world in 1998. Owned and bred by Fox Grape Farms, he has sired top performing horses such as CH Mr. Center Stage and CH-EQ Imagine My Surprise. CH Mr. Center Stage took the Ladies Three Gaited division by storm. He has won multiple world titles and showcased many victories throughout the top Kentucky shows. His rounded poll and ability to march down the rail has allowed him to win over and over again. CH-EQ Imagine My Surprise is no doubt the top equitation horse in the country. This horse has carried a couple different equitation riders to world titles and shares the same nice qualities in his head set and movement.

Callaway’s Northern Kiss, foaled 2001, tends to throw horses with long beautiful headsets that can tuck their nose in to create that nice hook behind the top of their head. One thing that really stands out is their beautiful extended stride. They may not always be the highest trotting in the show ring, but all of the great qualities these horses have allow them to out-class the competition. A three time world champion in the Five Gaited Amateur Stallion/Gelding stake, Fort Chiswell’s Royal Kiss showcased the uniqueness of the Callaway’s Northern Kiss blood line. The movement is more poetic and pretty than you would see in most five gaited horses today. Heir To A Kiss, a world champion in the Three Gaited Ladies Amateur Over 15.2 division, shows off the same class of this bloodline. The mare’s long arched neck gives her an advantage over her competitors. Personally, I believe a good headset on a horse is more important than having tons of motion.

Other world champion Three Gaited horses, such as CH Juliette’s Deja Blue and Kalarama’s Blue Mac, were sired by Blue O’Shea, foaled 1998. CH Juliette’s Deja Blue first showed success the Three Gaited division, winning world titles along the way, and did the same in the Park division this past year. She has been shown mostly by amateur rider, Andrea Athanasuleas. Kalarama’s Blue Mac also won his world championship with amateur rand saddle seat World Cup rider, Nick Maupin. The gelding continued to earn top ribbons throughout Kentucky in the amateur division last year with newest owner, Candi Aversenti. Both are big horses with a lot of expression.

It is often hard for sons of top stallions to live up to the same level, but the sons of Callaway’s Blue Norther seem to be doing a pretty great job. Blue produced a strong line of horses that carry on his superior traits. These horses are strong bodied, have great headsets, and make a flashy appearance in the show ring. I hope that these blood lines continue for a long time to positively affect the breed of the American Saddlebred.

Next to Heaven

I am incredibly thankful for the experiences horses allow us to have. For spring break this year, I came down to Gatlinburg, Tennessee with the University of Louisville saddle seat team and some other equine classmates. Today we found a place to trail ride called Next to Heaven, which was a very fitting name considering the sights. There were no guides. You take the horses up the mountain on your own, and they were all very well behaved. I rode a Shetland Pony-Quarter Horse cross named Munch. (I found out after the trail ride he had been renamed Scooter, but I preferred to call him Munch). Munch would turn his head and touch his nose to my shoe, which I thought was sweet. Then he started to do the same, but would use my foot as a head scratch. Turns out I was a scratching post on his back. I didn’t mind. He was pretty adorable.

The trail led us up to a flat place where we could stand close to the edge and look out over the Smoky Mountains. It was one of the most beautiful views I have ever seen in my life — blue skies, mountains stretching up far and wide, trees beginning to turn green again. Being on horseback made it even better. Thanks to horses, I was able to ride up the mountains and witness a wide span of nature’s beauty with some of my favorite people. Thanks for the ride, Munch! It was a memorable one.

Five Reasons Why I Know My Horse Loves Me

Horses can probably think of several different ways humans show their feelings toward them. You may have a horse excited for a treat that thinks,” Oh boy! Treat! They love me!” or a good old lesson horse that thinks, “You’re putting the beginner kid on me AGAIN? How much do you hate me?” But what do horses do to show how they feel about us? Here are a few of the ways that my mare, Bella, shows that she loves me.

1.       She lets me hug her. And by that I mean she sometimes lets me hug her when no one else is around. My mare is like the teenage child who is embarrassed to show any kindness toward their mom when other people are around as witnesses. Bella has gone as far as lifting me off the ground and dragging me across the stall in an attempt to evade a hug. But I swear, we do have our sweet moments. One of those moments may have ended with Bella holding onto my rib cage and leaving a wonderful bruise there, but that’s beside the point.

2.       She does her job without much asking. That is what makes her such a wonderful show horse. Bella loves to show off and to be competitive. One of the best feelings in the world is when I’m riding her and I feel her back end squat down and push while she launches off at a show trot. However, riding her bareback while she was on winter vacation could get interesting for that reason. My friends found it amusing, and I eventually learned too as well. I’d be trotting along on Bella, and as soon as another horse came out to the arena and started trotting, Bella amped it up. She went into show horse mode while I was holding onto mane, posting what felt like a million miles an hour because of her short stride, and saying, “This is not a race, not a race!”

3.       She acknowledges me out in the field. Never mind the fact that “acknowledge” means she gives me this look that says “I’m going to run away from you and you are not going to catch me.” Bella will run, kick, and squeal while I hopelessly try to catch a horse that doesn’t want to be caught. The best time was when the men who delivered the hay sat on the hay bales and laughed as I tried to catch this horse. Thank you for the embarrassment, Bella. It’s much appreciated.

4.       She stands still for me to get on. You know, as long as someone else is holding her bridle. There’s been countless times at shows where I get a leg up on a horse that is already trotting off. Sometimes mounting blocks just aren’t there when you need them most. I also made the mistake of mounting by myself this past winter. Bella was not very happy because all of her friends were outside while I was going to ride her bareback. Before I could even completely sit down on her or grab mane, she took off cantering around the arena while whinnying to her friends outside. Lesson learned – get someone to hold the horse just in case she decides not to stand.

5.       She’s trustworthy. Despite the funny little quirks she has, I trust her with my life. She carried me safely into my first performance show back in 2008 and has done the same since then. She has allowed me to grow as a rider and become an even stronger team with her year after year. Bella has been there for me not just as a show mate, but also as a companion, for more than seven years now, and not once have I ever felt endangered because of her. She’s a horse that won’t do anything the rider isn’t capable of handling. She’s gotten me through my lowest points in life and taken me to my highest. Whether she is spot on or having a “mare day,” I can trust that horse to carry me through anything.

So thanks, Bella. Even though you may seem bipolar at times or give people grief by tearing up your stall, you’re a pretty fantastic horse, and I wouldn’t trade you for the world.

Bareback fun during winter vacation.

Reconsider Blankets in the Field

Horses are great at finding ways to cause trouble, especially in ways we don’t expect them to. My friend’s horse, Splash, got herself tangled up in a very bad situation while out in the field. She was found down on the ground with her back hoof wrapped in another horse’s blanket. We assume she kicked at the other horse and her back leg got caught in the blanket straps. It looked like she had been drug in circles by the other horse based on the tracks in the snow. Horses are flight animals and they were probably trying to get away from each other for a while before both realized they were stuck. The blanket got tightly wrapped around Splash’s hoof and ankle three times due to being drug. My friend was not home at the time, but a neighbor with horse experience saw the dilemma and cut the blanket to get Splash free. She was able to get Splash up before my friend returned home soon after.

It was quite a scare. My friend thought Splash’s back ankle may have been broken at first. It was swelled up to twice the size of what it should be. She was able to lead Splash back to her stall while waiting on the vet to come. The walk back to the barn was slow. Splash had to walk up a hill in the snow because of where she was in the paddock. She had to stop after about five steps, wait, and start again. Thankfully, the vet didn’t find any tears, pulls, or breaks, and Splash was allowed to turn out the next day. The vet said stall rest was not needed.

All the blankets came off the horses. They will no longer be turned out with them. This accident certainly isn’t one many people would think of happening. A blanket doesn’t seem like it would be dangerous at all, its only purpose is to help keep horses warm. After a scare like this, you may want to think twice before you turn your horses out in the field with blankets. Splash got off lucky, but this incident could have ended very badly. We are glad she is okay, and hope that no one else ever has a problem like this.

Splash the day after the accident. She was able to walk just fine, but was lame when she tried to trot in the field. Needless to say, she quickly went back to walking. Thankfully she will heal up and be perfectly okay!