|
...
Ambition went on to be a nice broodmare for us, and had several
wonderful foals. Both her sons by Townshend Norseman, Scandias Flame,
and Scandias Midnight Son did very well in the hunter divisions,
inclding a Grand National Reserve win, but alas, they were geldings.
She had not really produced the foal yet that we felt would go on
as her legacy, and so finally in her 18th year we decided to breed
to her to UVM Lexington. UVM Lexington was a full brother to the
beautiful UVM Elite, at the UVM farm, and also was winning for his
owner here in the NW as an Amatuer English Pleasure stallion. Lyonhil
Ambition was by Lyonhil Benison, but more importantly was out of
the beautiful mare Elm Hill Dusky Donna. We were looking for beauty!
Incidentally, Ambition is also the dam of Scandias Starry Nite,
the sire of the beautiful Scandias Carribean Blue.
...That next Easter, Ambition foaled
her colt and he was an absolutely beautiful bay. UVM Lexington,
that past fall, had won the Amateur English Pleasure Championship
at Grand National the same year, so we were extremely excited. Ambition
foaled with seemingly no problem, but later in the day seemed distressed.
Trademark had gotten his colostrum and was still nursing. Later
I went out to check on them, and Ambition was down and screaming
for help. I got her out of the stall, and she was in a complete
cold sweat. She laid down in the yard and died in front of the whole
family, before a veterinarian could get there. When our veterinarian
did arrive to the scene, Ambition was dead, but an autopsy confirmed
our fears, Ambition had hemorraged.
... What to do, we had a new foal and
no mother? It was Easter and everything was closed. We put an old
mare, who was 32, in the stall for company with this new colt, but
she had no milk. We were heart broken and worried at the loss of
the mare and now the prospect of an orphan foal.
At that time we had another mare here at the farm, Funquest Cadenza,
who had a new filly on her side. That night we started bringing
her to Trademark and she would let him nurse. Later we were able
to put him, along with Cadenza's filly, all out together, and this
mare took care of them and nursed them both. BUT, Trademark was
always "second fiddle" to the filly. We supplemented them
both with a bottle, and later with a bucket of Milk Replacer. ...Trademark
became a very determined foal, and had a strong will to survive.
This was our first inkling of the "Little Engine That Could".
He was raised here at the farm, and then as a three year old, he
went off to training with Jean Sauer. He did extremely well in the
Jr. Western Pleasure division in the NW that year so we decided
that he should go to Nationals. Unfortunately, Jean's mother died
the month before the show. Not a good "recipe" for a winning
combination at Nationals, but we went anyway, in deference to them
both. Trademark placed but certainly did not take home any blue
ribbons. Trademark was always under the shadow of our other stallion,
UVM Coming Attraction, who had won the Three Year old English Pleasure,
Stallions and Geldings, in the previous year. (1997)
...Trademark did not do much for a
few years, ust some limited showing, some trail riding, one or two
mares to breed. Took his owner into a Jack Benny class, just a little
of everything. He was even consigned to a sale, and at the last
minute he was withdrawn and his entry penalty paid. We still had
too much faith in the "Little Engine That Could" to let
him go.
...Then three years ago, tragedy and
fate would come into Trademark's life again. He was out in the pasture
playing and doing what he did everyday, when we heard a sharp scream,
and then a continuous scream. We looked out the window, and he was
at the fence with his front leg held up, and he was calling for
help. We helped him in, three legged, and wrapped his leg. It was
a Sunday, just like the day of his birth. This stallion immediately
laid down, and ate his food that way. He seemed to sense that he
needed to stay off the leg.
... The next morning my favorite vet
came out, Meg Brinton, and took x-ays. We went down to the local
Urgent Care facility, for humans, and had them developed. His pastern
was shattered into seven pieces. It was indeed a devastating discovery
for us as owners, the horse, and Meg. We made the decision to take
him to Oregon State University, a two hour trailer ride. We splinted
the leg and my neighbor and I "hit" the road. Trademark
was in a great deal of pain, but made it to the college, Trademark
arriving in a drenching sweat from the pain, and he hobbled in quietly
to his stall.There at the University the surgeon said the odds were
poor, that it would cost us about $10,000 to save him, and that
he would have surgery and have to be recast and laid down many times.
If he did not founder or colic, he might survive this ordeal!
... The picture was bleak, but we went
forward. The first surgery took bone from his hip, and it was fused
in the pastern, along with pins and a plate. He had a full cast,
and needed to be stalled the whole time. He was there for a month
and when he needed to be released,they wanted him close. He went
to Mantic Morgans, where they kept him stalled and nursed him for
another two months. He got a new cast about once a month. When he
finally came home, the cast was on for another two months, and during
this process, he was still stall bound only and xrayed every four
weeks. The accident was in September, he finally was able to get
out of his stall in March. He never complained or developed any
stall vices, he withstood all the confinement. There then was corrective
trimming to deal with and that took another three months. By summer
we was finally out in the pasture and close to normal, just a hitch
in his gait. No longer a riding horse, just useful for breeding.
The "Little Engine that Could" had survived yet another
ordeal with his strong will and determination.
...That spring we had four gorgeous
fillies by Trademark. There was not a poor one in the bunch. He
had only three foals previous to that, two colts and a filly for
another farm. These fillies were some of the best that we have had
in 30 years. Big, pretty, and easy to "live with". They
were out of some of our best mares. It was a sign to us that we
had made the correct decision in saving this horse. His foals all
look very much like him, with that lovely expressive face. Another
colt, sired by Trademark and out of Scandias Shimmeree, was born
to Bluebird Morgans that same year, an outstanding sport colt.
...The story is not over. Last fall,
one of the colts that Trademark sired, won Jr. Classic Pleasure
at the Grand National. His name was Scandias Mark of Destiny. It
is even more interesting because Mark of Destiny was sold as a Western
Pleasure horse, after winning his first and only western class as
a three year old. His new owners decided he had so much motion they
would take him Classic and qualified at the last minute for his
four year old year at the Nationals (2001). They did all the work
and training themselves, and "lo and behold", Trademark's
son won the whole "deal". He also did well in the thirteen
and under age group, carrying two different riders. It seemed that
destiny was playing "our hand" with the Little Engine
that Could".
...This
year Scandias Trademark is feeling well, it has been three years
since his accident. One of the daughters born the spring after his
accident won reserve World Champion Western Pleasure Three Year
old this year (2005) at Grand National. Two winners at the "big
Kahuna". Not bad results for this stallion. To date, (2008)
he is not at stud to the public but has 18 foals on the ground,
and one due in 2008. We have retained two daughters for our breeding
program.
|
