GoodNess Ridge Farm welcomes, Daystar (known around the barn as Daisy), an absolutely beautiful 8 year old imported Hanoverian mare by De Niro out of a Wenzel I dam.  Daisy will be Shari’s new competition horse as well as a future broodmare via embryo transfer.  This adorable mare knows some Third Level dressage and is forward-thinking and sweet as she can be!  Many thanks to our friend, Shannon Dueck, who found Daisy for Shari in New England.

If you weren’t able to attend our clinic with Shannon Dueck the weekend of October 8-9, 2011, you missed an amazing educational opportunity to watch some of the area’s best horses and riders learn from Shannon’s endless supply of training exercises.  It didn’t take long for Shannon to zero in on what each rider needed to focus on to get the best from their horse.  Horses participating in the clinic ranged from a three year old just a few months under saddle to a couple of FEI breeding stallions–and everything in between.  We are looking for a weekend in the next couple of months to bring Shannon back again.

Andy and Shari took Silhouette (aka Etta) over to our friend’s farm for some schooling and to take in a “show” atmosphere.  Etta was such a good girl on her first field trip away from home that we decided she should spend the night and enter a class the next day at the dressage show.  Andy and Etta did a fantastic job in their first show together, placing first in the walk-trot test, and ending up Reserve High Score for the Introductory Level.  Well done, Baby Etta and thanks, Andy, for giving Etta such a positive first show experience!

With a heavy heart I report the untimely death of Baronessa on August 24, 2011, just one day shy of her 13th birthday.  Anyone who met me knew that Ness was my once-in-a-lifetime special horse–the one who inspired me to breed my first foal and to buy my first farm.  I introduced all who came onto the farm to Ness, be it a new friend or even the UPS driver!

She left this earth much too quickly, the result of multiple, cascading veterinary complications that began as a seemingly routine medical problem. Rest in peace, Baronessa.  You are loved and missed by so many.  Thank you to The Equiery for running this lovely tribute in their October issue.

Silhouette (Sir Donnerhall x Rohdiamant) aka Etta will be welcoming her full baby sister to the world around the second week of May 2012 according to Dr. Ley who fetal sexed Rohsina‘s foal today.  The picture above, Dr. Ley says, leaves no doubt at all that this one will wear pink bows in her braids.  We are always grateful for healthy, but a filly is just icing on the cake!  This will make NINE fillies for Rohsina and only two colts.

embryo!!  We are so pleased that Rohsina has been confirmed in foal to Sir Donnerhall with an early May 2012 due date.  We have had some interest in this foal who is a full sibling to the 2008 filly, Silhouette, so we plan on having it fetal sexed by our wonderful therio vet, Dr. William Ley, and will offer an in utero colt option.

On Sunday, July 3, 2011, GoodNess Ridge Farm hosted a successful Oldenburg Horse Breeders Society/German Oldenburg Verband mare and foal inspection.  Foals were presented from the sires: Antibes, Jazz, Negro, Routinier, Starlight, and Stedinger and three mares sired by Cacique, Chester, and Kaspareit were also inspected. 

Many thanks to Holly Simensen, our inspector, who took the time to give the breeders and audience feedback on each mare and foal and some information on what the sire brought to the pairing.  While this was not a large inspection, the quality of mares and foals was quite high.  Congratulations to all on the beautiful mares and foals presented.

GoodNess Ridge Farm was especially proud of Shameless (Stedinger x Baronessa) who was awarded a Premium and named a “Foal of Distinction.” 

Johzzalyn (Jazz x Rohsina) bred by Michelle Coursin was also named a Premium foal.  This is Rohsina‘s 8th Premium filly–her two colts were registerered with the American Hanoverian Society.

Jayne just let us know that So Be It continues his winning ways again and again! At their largest show yet on June 17-19, 2011, Jayne and SoBe were the Champions at Training Level with an average score of 72.104. In the USEF 4 Year Old Test they received an impressive score of 7.68.  See the full results here:  http://www.slads.org/ 

Thank you to Amanda Bailey for the picture above!

Siobhan Byrne and the beautiful Oldenburg stallion, Routinier (Rohdiamant x Inschallah), were featured on FOX 45 and WBAL TV  news stations on June 23, 2011 to promote the Potomac Valley Dressage Association’s Ride for Life Show.  Routinier, who stands at GoodNess Ridge Farm, is owned by Amy Stika and is being shown at the FEI levels by Siobhan.

You can see the WBAL interview here:  http://www.wbaltv.com/r/28335628/detail.html