Black Bay Farm

FABAYOSO
3-years-old
2004 Freestyle-Finesse

Fabayoso ("Bayo") is a beautiful young stallion who represents some of the world's most successful sporthorse breeding.

His sire, Freestyle, is by Florestan and out of one of the most treasured mare lines in the Hessen district. Florestan offspring are world famous for their beauty and rideability, having dominated the Young Dressage Horse World Championships for nearly a decade. In the FEI ring they are represented by such international stars as Floriano, twice Grand Prix horse of the Year in the US.

In Fabayoso's dam line we find the incomparable Feiner Stern, a stallion known on two continents as a top producer of beautiful performance horses.

"Bayo" is a delight to train and ride, with personality and talent to spare. We are looking forward to his first foal crop in 2011. To see Bayo's pedigree click here. Below are a few highlights of his young career.

2008          Champion Mature Stallion
                 Great American USDF Breeders' Championship Final
                 Southeast Region 74.650%

                 National Reserve Champion ISR/Oldenburg Materiale
                  with a score of 73.6% his first time out!

2007 National Reserve Champion 3-year-old Colts and Geldings
ISR/Oldenburg NA

2006          National Reserve Champion 2-year-old Colts and Geldings
                 ISR/Oldenburg NA

                 7th place, 2006 Horse of the Year,
                 USDF DSHB - 2-year-old Colts and Geldings

                 USDF Breeders' Championship Series Southeast Qualifier
                 Conyers International Horse Park
                 1st place, score 82.6%, 2-year-old Colts and Geldings
                 Reserve Champion Colt

                 USDF Breeders' Championship Series Southeast Qualifier
                 Canterbury
                 1st place, score 76.5%, 2-year-old Colts and Geldings
                 Reserve Champion Colt

                 USDF Breeders' Championship Southeast Series Final,
                 Colts and Geldings Division, 5th place

2004         Champion High Point Foal, Premium Colt
                 ISR/Oldenburg NA inspection
                 8.4 conformation and type,
                 8.1 movement,
                 8.4 overall impression;
                 8.3 final score
                 Selected as a stallion candidate by Dr. Karsten Kuehl

Bayo, winning the two-year old colts
Southeast Qualifier class at Canterbury, 2006.

Bayo, winning the two-year old colts
Southeast Qualifier class at the Conyers' International Horse Park, 2006.

Bayo, out for an early spring ride, just before his fourth birthday, 2008.

Bayo, two years old.

Bayo, at two. He likes to play "grown-up." Of course, he only gets to do this for a few minutes about every ten days or so--despite appearances, he's still a baby.

Bayo, two years old today.

Bayo, one year old.

Always interested in what's going on.

Bayo at six months old.

Fabayoso was born April 23, 2004 at 6:25 CDT. He is by the Hessen stallion, Freestyle, and out of Finesse, an ISR/Oldenburg NA Main Mare Book mare and grandaughter of Feiner Stern, who was awarded Main Premium Champion Stallion in Oldenburg (1987).

Fabayoso was champion high point foal of his ISR/Oldenburg NA mare/foal inspection on October 16, 2004. He was awarded premium foal, with marks of 8.4 for conformation and type, 8.1 for movement, 8.4 for overall impression, and a final score of 8.3.

Dr. Karsten Kuehl, breeding director of the ISR/Old NA, commented that the colt is "very correct, a beautiful colt with very good neck, hindquarters, and overall development. This colt has it all," he said. "He has a very promising future." Dr. Kuehl designated Fabayoso a stallion prospect for the ISR/Oldenburg NA.

Fabayoso's name derives from a particular set of circumstances: The year before he was born, his mother, Finesse, lost the foals she was carrying when we failed to detect that she had conceived twins. After much agonizing about whether to breed her again (she's my favorite horse to ride), I decided to try one more time. While searching for foal names, I came across the name Fabayo, which comes from an African word meaning "a lucky birth brings joy." It struck me as the talisman that would summon goodness to the birth of our foal. Because the baby would be double-line Furioso, and because that line is my favorite, I added the final "so"--giving him the "oso" of his famous ancestor. Voila, Fabayoso!

Bayo, one month old, with Finesse.
To see Bayo's pedigree click here.