I’m even more pleased though by his sweet temperament and quiet behavior under saddle at both his shows this year. He showed in three materiale classes this summer, winning his class at Canterbury with a 73.6% and, in Conyers, earning a 65% on Saturday and a 67.8% on Sunday. Even with the training time lost to his recent injury and not being really on his game for the Conyers show, he kept his workmanlike, friendly attitude and was a complete gentleman around the fillies.

Bayo in the materiale class.

          All that would be enough to make you love him. But what really amazes me about Bayo is that after working his heart out for me all weekend, standing in a stall for three days and riding in the trailer seven hours each way, the next morning he’s bright and happy. After he ate breakfast I let him out in his field to enjoy the grass and some well earned leisure time. However, I had a 2-year-old colt in the barn that we had trailered to the show for his owner, and once all the horses ate breakfast, they wandered out to their pastures and the colt was left all alone. It would be hours before his owners picked him up, and I worried he would fret the whole time. I decided to put him over in Bayo’s barn where he would have a view of Bayo and two geldings out in their fields.

          That seemed ok, but I was about to leave for work and I was wondering what would happen when Bayo came in and saw the colt in his barn. They couldn’t really get too close to each other, but they could visit over a little alley—they could touch each other’s faces. I wanted to make sure it would work out ok. So I called Bayo—one time, and then waited, listening. He won’t come, I thought. He’s been through so much confinement over the weekend, and he’s just gone out on his grass—he won’t come in. And then I heard him galloping, saw him come weaving through the woods and turn through the gate, his head up, looking for me.

          He came in and started visiting with the colt, and I left them, making silly remarks and nibbling on each other’s faces. I can see in his eyes that he’s made another quantum leap in himself.

          Thank you all for your good wishes and support. It’s a long, cruel road to most goals, but our wonderful friends and family have made this a journey we will remember with happiness all our lives. All the best to you and yours.

10/17/07
          The breed show season is over for 2007 and I'm delighted to say that even though Bayo was going through some tough three-year-old changes in growth and balance, he is currently ranked as Reserve Champion for his ISR/Oldenburg N.A. breeding group. If the rankings remain as they are, it will be Bayo's second Reserve Champion title in an many years. There is no way I could be prouder of him. The only horse that beat him, Rashka, is presently undergoing his rigorous 30-day testing at Paxton Farms in Ohio.

Bayo and Sally in Conyers, Georgia, September, 2007

          In other exciting news, I will be working with Rashka and two other young stallions for the next several weeks as a member of Ken Borden's team at Paxton Farms. It will be the fourth stallion testing I have attended, but the first one where I will actually be doing work. The experience I gain from this will be invaluable in training Bayo in the upcoming season.

05/01/07
          Here's Bayo in his eleventh ride on April 29, 2007. He's just past his 3rd birthday. Words fail me when I try to think of what to say about this horse. I just hum with joy when I ride him. He is so soft, elastic, and powerful. He's been forward and responsive to seat and leg from the start. He reminds me very much of his daddy already. Sitting on Freestyle I had the feeling that my every wish was his pleasure to fulfill. And Bayo conveys that same feeling a lot of the time. Of course we still have those 3-year-old moments when he gets distracted, or has a different idea about what we're doing. But I love how kind this horse is--believe me, at 53, I really love how kind this horse is.

04/15/07

          Once people came in and started hearing about the Brooke's work helping horses and donkeys, the level of interest just skyrocketed. The most impressive aspect was the way the young people responded. They studied the posters, read the Brooke literature, and asked questions. Several parents came back the next day and told us that their kids had examined the Brooke brochures very closely and had been talking about what they could do to help working horses. One young woman told me she had thought she wanted a career as a zoo-keeper, but that now she was hoping to become involved in international relief work to benefit horses. It was a big eye-opener for the people who came through the booth.

          Black Bay Farm is an avid supporter of the Brooke. Dressage riders know the importance of good care to their horses' performance. But for the most part, American dressage riders don't have any awareness of the plight of horses working in dangerous jobs around the world. There is an enormous potential for connection here, and we would like to see American horse-women and -men reach out to horse owners who have to contend daily with poverty, war, and the lack of resources we take for granted. It's a natural partnership because of our mutual love for horses.

          A special thanks to Blue Angel Dressage Show organizers Linda Lester and Jan Fernald and Black Bay Farm friend Gary Simmons for their interest, help, and support in a successful event.

01/12/07
Happy New Year to everyone!

          Here are the events I'm planning to attend this year so far as I know now. I'll add to the list as events are announced and send it out periodically. Please feel free to join in any or all you would like to.

January 27: Ritter clinic in Jacksonville--taking Lori and Petey; also attending Scott Hassler's clinic on training young horses (same day, same city). I'm not sure what the fee is to audit the Ritter clinic, but the Hassler clinic is cheap-I think I remember $25 (?!).

February 8-11: Training at Suzanne Benne’s in Cocoa. Finny and I will go.

April 7 & 8 (Easter Weekend): FEI Recognized Seminar about Training & Judging Young Dressage Horses with Christoph Hess. At Michael Poulin's facility in Deland, FL. Fee is $150 for both days if you register by March 1. Udaulo will be one of the demonstration horses. Lori will be riding; I am the groom. Come out and watch Skelly perform.

April 14 & 15 (EARTH DAY!) Blue Angel Dressage Show. We will not be competing at this show but will be hosting a table benefitting the Brooke Hospital. I'll also be getting in some scribing for my L-level judge certification. Come by and visit.

May 12 & 13: Jeremy Beale clinic at Sandi Bishop's place. Finny, Petey, and, hopefully, Skelly will go.

September 15-16: Southern Dressage Breeders’ Classic, Atlanta. Bayo will go. Maybe others, depending on the classes offered.

September 22 & 23: Jeremy Beale clinic. ALSO ON September 22 & 23: Breeders' Championship Series Final. At Pennock Point (our favorite!!) Obviously this will require a tough choice. We'll see if we qualify for anything during the summer.

ALSO ON September 22: Mid-point in the 2007 100-Day Stallion Test. Presentation of the stallions and 25th Anniversary party for ISR-Oldenburg NA at Paxton Farm.

October 12: 2007 Stallion Test, Short Test begins. I'll be going up to work for Ken Borden (USDF BREEDER of the YEAR-GO KEN!!) through the final tests.

November 8-11: Final tests of the 100 Day Stallion Test. VERY WORTHWHILE to see!!

December 8 & 9: Jeremy Beale clinic.

MORE AS INFO BECOMES AVAILABLE.

12/11/06
          We just returned from the United States Dressage Federation's National Convention and Symposium in Kansas City. We actually stayed in Kansas City, Kansas, just across the river from the convention center in Kansas City, Missouri. A snowstorm had pounded the state the day before we arrived, making the streets cold, slippery, and dangerous. But we were able to manuever ourselves around well enough to take in this city of two states with its hundreds of exotic restaurants and roller coaster streets.

          On Friday, I took in the lecture given by Ingrid Klimke, daughter of Olympic medalist Reiner Klimke and clinician for the two-day symposium during the convention. Sharing the podium with Ingrid was Dr. Ina Gosmeier, veterinarian to the German Olympic team and a specialist in acupuncture and Chinese medicine. Wow! What amazing women! Ingrid shared her insights into making our horses happy athletes through our training, while Ina provided insights into alternative therapies we can use to address the stresses our horses undergo from training and competing. It was good to see someone with her authority finally bringing these very helpful therapies into the spotlight.

          Then we got a special treat: Ingrid played a video of her cross-country ride in Athens. She was one of the last riders to go, and the footing had become very slippery. At one point, her horse slid, almost going down and she was thrown. The camera follows her as she jumps to her feet, springs back into the saddle, and gallops on. By riding with every bit of her wit and courage, and with an extraordinary effort from her horse, Sleep Late, she still managed to come in under the optimum time--something only 16 of 75 riders managed. This video shows one of the most beautiful examples of horsemanship I've ever seen. Klimke's seat is extraordinary, and watching her gallop full-tilt is like watching a special effects sequence during which she and her horse transform into a centaur. One sees that she supports and frees her horse with every motion. I have never seen a rider--especially going break-neck cross country--make such fluid adjustments, such expressive communications with her hands. The incredible strength and harmony of horse and rider is breath-taking.

          On Saturday and Sunday Klimke worked with horses and riders over caveletti, demonstrating her system for strengthening and training. Her instructions to the demonstration riders were softspoken and always right on the money. She is a delightful person. I was also lucky enough to see Ingrid ride some of the demonstration horses, working her magic from the saddle.

         On Saturday night, Pete and I went to the Awards Banquent. I got my Bronze Medal! Yea!--a goal I've been working on for years. And, we got Bayo's medal for winning Reserve National Champion Colt in his Two-Year-Old ISR/Oldenburg division. What a good year we had!

         We arrived home late Sunday night, somewhat under the weather but happy with our awards and the memories of the new people we met and new things we learned.

         The following Saturday, we hosted the Annual Awards Party of the Northwest Florida Chapter of the Deep South Dressage and Combined Training Association. To my great surprise and delight, I was awarded the Joyce Kuhn Memorial Sportsmanship Award. It is an honor that I will always treasure.

         2006 was a good year for us. We achieved most of the goals we had set for ourselves despite our being relative neophytes in the breed shows. Now we're looking ahead to 2007, and trying to figure out how to get to all the fun events we want to go to.

         If Bayo can get over his rump-high stage, he'll go out again to the breed shows for the three-year-old colt classes. If his riding career is coming along well enough, he may even make a few appearances in the materiale classes.

         Finesse is back to work after a lay-off this fall, and I'm sooooooo glad to have my girl back (ohmygoshIlovemymare). We'll work our way through the third level tests this year with a goal of building strength and suppleness (as always).

         We had a wonderful year. Heartfelt thanks to all our friends who supported us through fun and frustrations alike. We hope all our critters and yours stay healthy in the new year. And, of course, we hope the same for ourselves and all our friends. We will see you next year!

11/01/06
         It is now official. Fabayoso is the Reserve Champion for Horse of the Year in ISR/Oldenburg N.A. Division. He missed winning by less than half a point. That gives us all something to shoot for next year. For this year, though, it gives us something to be very proud of.

10/24/06
         The final standings for DSHB All-Breeds Horse of the Year have now been posted, and Fabayoso has placed seventh in the Two-Year-Old Colt and Gelding Division. We are excited to finish so high in only his first year of competition. He missed being number one by less than nine-tenths of a point. Yet when the results are broken down, we have even more reason to think that his future is a bright one. The official results are based on median scores. A median score is not an average, but a middle score. In other words, if a horse has three scores, it would be the score between the highest and lowest. If a horse has five scores, it would be the score between the two highest and two lowest. It's a little confusing, but, hey, what isn't when it comes to scores. Here are the top 10 two-year-olds in the U. S., along with their median scores:
1. Zetterburg, 77.6
1. Zulft, 77.6
1. Horatio SF, 77.6
4. Solar Flare, 77.4
5. Revielle, 77.2
6. Imaxx, 76.9
7. Fabayoso, 76.75
8. Whistler, 76.7
8. Rapidan76.7
10. Faolan 76.55

          What makes us especially happy doesn't really show up in the median scores. When you take all the scores that each horse received during the year, Bayo did even BETTER!. For instance, if you take the average of each horse's scores, he's right at the top--Wow!:
1. Fabayoso, 78.06
2. Zulft, 77.77
3. Solar Flare, 77.63
4. Revielle, 77.43
5. Zetterburg, 77.12
6. Imaxx, 77.01
7. Horatio, 76.97
8. Faolan, 76.58
9. Whistler, 76.00
10. Rapidan, 74.85

         If you look at the same horses ranked by the highest score they posted during the year, again Bayo is NUMERO UNO!!:
1. Fabayoso, 82.6
2. Revielle, 82.0
3. Horatio, 80.3
3. Rapidan, 80.3
5. Faolan, 80.2
6. Zetterburg, 80.0
7. Zulft, 79.4
7. Solar Flare, 79.4
9. Imaxx, 78.35
10. Whistler, 78.0

          So it's too bad for us (this time anyway) that the placings are based on median scores! Still, we gained valuable experience this year, and we'll go out there next year and try to do our best all over again.

09/26/08
         We at Black Bay Farm take pride in our team, individual, and equine accomplishments. Nothing we have done, however, equals our pride in Pete's mother, Cleo LeForge, who at the age of 82 returned to the classroom and earned her GED, passing all parts of the difficult test on her first attempt. You go, girl!

09/20/06
         We just got word that Sara's book on the history of Florida's natural water boundaries, Down to the Waterline, was nominated for the following national awards.

09/15/06
         We just returned from Reddick, Florida, where the finals of the USDFBC Southeast Qualifier and Championship at Sandi Lieb's Pennock Point Farm were held. In his Two-Year-Old Sporthorse class, our stallion prospect, Fabayoso, was awarded a fine 77.0 score by judge Peter Hanson. This was good for third place overall.

         The Young Horse Final (comprising young horses from weanlings to three-year-olds, whether stallions, colts, or gendings) was held the next afternoon. Fabayoso's score of 76.15 (calculated from the separate scores of judges Peter Hanson and Janine Malone) was good enough for a top five finish. He was outscored by Der Dollar, a mature three-year-old stallion owned by Highlife Farms; Dice Man, a nice yearling gelding owned by Lisa Dworkin, and two horses owned by the host Pennock Point Farm. The Pennock Point horse Solar Flare was the only two-year-old in the Southeast to beat him.

         We feel very fortunate to have done so well in Bayo's two-year-old competitive year, and we are certainly looking forward to next year when, hopefully, he'll have outgrown the awkward growth spurts common to two-year-olds. We are also looking forward to seeing where he places in the USDF national rankings and the Oldenburg NA All-Breeds awards. We will keep evryone posted.

08/15/06
         We just got news that Sara has been nominated for USDF volunteer of the year! It is an honor to be nominated and we thank everyone in our GMO for their good wishes.

07-25-06
         More happy news following the Southeast Series Qualifying show in Atlanta: Bayo won his 2-Year-Old Colt class with his highest score yet—82.6%--and was Reserve Champion of his division! He’s really learning to “go down the line” now. It’s pretty neat to feel him figuring out the rhythm of the triangle, and he’s starting to realize that if he rocks back in the corner, he can fly down that long wall! Judge Jos Severiens especially liked his balanced proportions, his marching walk, and the suspension and reach in his trot. He also praised Bayo’s engagement and dressage horse potential, and, like Judge Susan Woods, loved his strength.

FABAYOSO (Freestyle-Finesse) with his people, Pete LeForge and Sara Warner, at the International Olympic Horse Park for the Southeast Sport Horse Breed Show 7/22/06.

         We were pleased to find out that folks in Atlanta still love Bayo’s sire, Freestyle, who was a popular competitor in the Southeast before being sold to Dreamscape Farm in Canada. Several people sought us out to tell us how much they like Bayo and to reminisce about his “old man.” Even the ring steward asked if he was “the Freestyle colt.” “I can tell by how nice he is,” she told us.

          Bayo showed a lot of improvement at this show in his ability to stay “on-task.” Needless to say, that ain’t always easy for a two-year-old stallion. One of the things we love about showing him though is that he likes to go—he travels so well (eats, drinks lots of water, sleeps, and just generally likes to hang-out). He’s very happy!

          We’re going to rest and practice our gaits through August and try to be ready to do our best at the final championship, which takes place September 17. We invite you to come see him compete against the best in the Southeast, and we would love to see you there. Thank you all for your help, your cheers. He knows he is well loved!

07-10-06
          We have some happy news about our “local, hometown boy”—Fabayoso. “Bayo” won his 2-yr-old colt class at the USDF Breeders’ Championship Series Qualifier this weekend at Canterbury! He had a 76.5% and very good comments from judge Susan Woods, who loved his strength, balance, and kindness. That advanced him to the Colts/Stallions Championship class against the top two horses from each of the other colt and stallion classes. We had a long wait in the 98º heat, but it was well worth it. He was named Reserve Champion stallion for the show and, in his first show of the series, earned an invitation to the Championship Final.

          And, one more bit of happy news. Bayo’s mom, Finesse—not to be outdone by the young whipper-snapper—came out this weekend to her first show at third level and earned two qualifying scores for Sara to finish her Bronze Medal. We didn’t think it was possible to love this mare anymore than we did last week, but we do. She is an inspiration. GO GIRLS!!

07-01-06
          Another one of Fabayoso's uncles is making a name for himself. Fazzino is now a junior rider’s horse in Belgium and is winning everything he enters. He won the bronze medal the year French Kiss (another Florestan horse) won gold in the 2004 World Championship for Young Dressage Horses. Fazzino is ridden by Julie de Deken.
         Florestan is now ranking with the top stallions in the world for producing Grand Prix horses. They are going all the way!

06/03/06
          Faybayoso and Udaulo continued their winning ways in Tallahassee at the Southwind Dressage and Eventing Association Show. Faybayoso, our stallion prospect, won the Two-Year-Old Sporthorse In-Hand Division with a score of 75.2 under Sara's handling. In the Three-Years-and-Older division, our Dutch Warmblood Udaulo and his handler, Pete, took the honors with an only slightly less stellar 74.8. It was nice to see all our old Tallahassee friends again. Thanks to Carole Dalton and the rest of the SWDEA for a fun time.

05/03/06
         Sara and Finesse participated in a Jeremy Beale clinic held at Sandy Bishop's farm in Panama City, Florida. Good instruction, good rides, and good friends. And she got to test out the living quarters in our new Exiss trailer. Thanks to Sandy for her wonderful hospitality: it was a great weekend!

04/23/06
         We just returned from Delta, Colorado in the heart of the Rocky Mountains, where Sara attended a breeding clinic at Doubletree Farms. Instructor Carl Wood gave an intensive, hands-on, and enjoyable week-long course. Activities included lectures and textbook study as well as actually breeding mares and collecting stallions.
          Our stallion prospect, Fabayoso, turned two years old today. Check out his page for pictures.

04-03-06
         Congratulations to Steffen Peters and Floriano, who won both the Grand Prix de Dressage and the Grand Prix Special at the Burbank, CA, dressage show on March 31-April 1. Both winning scores were over 70. Floriano, like our stallion prospect, Fabayoso, is descended from both Florestan and Weingau. It is good to see the Florestan horses doing so well at such high levels of competition.
         Here is an interesting coincidence. Freestyle, the sire of our Oldenberg colt, Fabayoso, and Pioendaula, the dam of our Dutch Warmblood colt, Udaulo, both live at Dreamscape Farm in Canada. Here is a picture of our two colts at play in the fields of Black Bay Farm.

02-18-06
         Our baby shire Shi-fu arrived early this morning. She is a beautiful filly with an unusual butterfly-shaped island within her blaze. She and her mother Dawn are healthy and vigorous. Check her out.

01-18-06
         The latest update of our hurricane relief effort went out via email to our mailing list. It--along with all our other updates--is also available on this site by clicking Articles near the bottom the left frame.

01-16-06
         Today Sara received a Commendation letter letter from Governor Jeb Bush about our Equine Relief efforts. It may be hard to read on the screen, but it begins, "Thank you for volunteering to assist the residents and animals of Lakeshore, Mississippi in the relief efforts after Hurricane Katrina."
         We consider the commendation to include everyone who has contributed hay, feed, supplies, money, or encouragement for these trips. It is a team effort.

01-15-06
          We are proud of the improvements to our web page design. Much of the credit goes to our good friend Brigette Kinney, who has devoted many hours of her time into transforming a photo and an idea into something truly eyecatching and professional. Thanks, Brigette.

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Copyright © 2004-2007 Black Bay Farm
For information, please contact Sara or Pete
Revised -- 09/04/10