Friday, April 19, 2013

Okay, I Promise to Keep This Updated.... Big Changes Lately!

It's been an awfully long time since I sat down and blogged about our latest happenings at the farm...I just scurried in from the feeding the ponies and barely escaped being soaked with our first big thunderstorm of the year (Repeat mantra..."I will not complain about rain, rain brings grass! And good footing! And peeper frogs!")

So here are some juicy news tidbits:

1. Neither Josh nor I are working for the U.S. Eventing Association anymore. We both worked there for about six years or so, made some amazing connections, and really enjoyed promoting the sport of eventing. Together, Josh and I produced  the monthly magazine, Eventing USA, and after I left in 2011, he launched Eventing TV, which was really unique (we're still hoping to continue on with this project).   During that time we had a small company that we created called The Red Horse, which was mainly focused on photography and other little media projects. But because of our full-time commitments, we weren't able to give it the TLC to succeed. Josh and I are both pretty creative, outside-the-box thinkers and this year we'd really been itching to give it another try... so, long story short... 

2. Josh and I created a new marketing & production company called Bright Horse Communications. In a nutshell, we do a lot of promotional things for businesses....ad & website design, videos, e-newsletters, photography, sponsorships, social media management, and a bunch of other neat stuff. So far, we have several fabulous clients that we're extremely excited to be representing... we have such a wide variety, though most tend to be equestrians or of that genre. We head to Rolex next week to meet with some clients and hopefully get some more projects going.

3. Horses and ponies have been selling like hotcakes! We knew the market for purebred and halfbred Connemaras was pretty strong, but we had no idea we'd be able to sell so many horses in such a short amount of time. Since the spring of 2012, we've sold 27 horses. Most of them have been Connemaras, though we've also sold a Friesian, Haflinger, Welsh ponies, and Irish Sport Horses. Our business grows every day, and some horses have sold in as little as two weeks, though it takes most about 60 days. Right now, our current inventory is interesting... from a seasoned Irish Draught, to a "pony packer," to some youngsters...it's quite a variety. Check out the latest roster.

4. Josh and I relocated down to the family farm in Lynchburg last year since we outgrew our adorable, but alas too small, farm up near Charles Town, WV. We're very eager to get this thing sold (what seller ISN'T eager to sell quickly??).  We put a lot of work into the place, and God knows it looks a million times better now than it did when we bought it a few years ago. Hopefully some nice family will fall in love with it, much like we did...

5. In Cady O'Daly horse news...
- Artie, Mom's flashy dun halfbred mare by Tag, is doing well at Novice this year, schooling Training, and getting fancier each day. Talk about a jumping bean!
- Marco, my "child", is sidelined for a bit recovering from an injury he sustained during our early-spring trip down to Ocala and Aiken in February. Forever after, Marco shall be known as "The Money Pit."
- Patrick, Josh's prodigy, is turning out to be the coolest horse...he spent the winter hilltopping and now he's getting ready to launch his eventing career. One day Josh will learn to sit that huge trot...
- Teddy, the brumby-look alike and hunt pony extraordinaire, is dabbling in eventing this year...he treats dressage with the utmost disdain, but thankfully is showing boldness in the jumping phases.
- The 3yos - Amigo, Tink, and Ethel have all been backed. Without a fuss. What a fun group to bring along! I do have Amigo listed for sale, but he's so easy-going and athletic that I'm tempted to hang onto him for a few years and play with him a bit more.
- Colleen, the grand matriarch, is approximately 32 this year! And still going strong, bossing around my yearling, Louie (my amazing Claire de LuneSE x Cady cross...powerhouse!).
- Tag is on HIGH ALERT with all the spring hormones in the air...you can usually find him strutting across his field, long mane flapping in the wind, his faithful mini-donkeys close behind... Since he's retired from competition, we've let him go "au natural"...he really does look like he's fresh off the boat from Ireland! He's expecting a few offspring next year...fingers crossed we have a safe and successful breeding season. 

There are several other horses here for training and sales, but these are the "family members"... 

All for now... off to brave the elements and pack the trailer for one of our favorite little local horse trials at Wavertree Farm. Mom will take Artie in the Novice, I'm attempting Beginner Novice with Teddy the Toad, and Josh is doing Advanced Green with Patty.

Cheers -
Emily