the first one from that ranch was bought in Arkansas, Prairie Hill Mulligan … daughter bought him, she rode him to reserve national champ working hunters and national champ in competitive trail (NATRC). He was a wonderful horse, he and I had a deal if you take care of daughter I will take care of you. We had him until his passing at 23
Which lead to the purchase of Prairie Hill Socrates who was purchased as a weanling. Daughter and wife went up there to pick him up between multiple blizzards, There was about four feet of snow on the ground.
After Sock’s unfortunate pasture injury the breeder was as heart broken as we were. Daughter was easily able to come to an agreement with the breeder to allow her first choice of any of the new foals that they were going to sell. The mare who was Sock’s mother was the one she was hoping for but she was the last to foal by several months so there was the waiting game. Every one was surprised when she had another bay colt marked nearly the same as Socks. So of course he was the one. Prairie Hill Imagination (Fig).
The breeder suggested rather than another trip to North Dakota that she would deliver him to daughter at the Morgan Nationals. So daughter thought even though he is only fivie months old he Could be entered into the Sport Horse In Hand class as it did not require any prior qualification as most of the National class require, This was the same class that Socks won his world championship in two years before.
So little Fig who had never been off the ranch before arrived at Nationals to be with about 1200 really nice Morgans. His class had over 30 entered (stallions/geldings were one division then the mares another that made the combined division)
He did everything just right, he was not intimidated by all those professional show horses (who had to look down at him).
So the class is complete, all the stallions and geldings are lined up …Fig so happened to be in the middle of the line. Then there was the Long wait as the judge’s scoring was calculated Fig won the that division by nearly two points… then since he out scored all the horses in the division became the World Champion (at five months old) The ribbons had to be tied up as they drug the ground.
So the mare has produced two world champions in two years
The fourth Morgan we have from North Dakota is wife’s rescued Morgan that was bought out of really bad situation
At the death of Socks, daughter was offered several “replacement” Morgans from breeders who knew her and us. When I say offered… these were no cost to her horses, some of the breeders even were offering free shipping. The one she choose was G W Imagination (known as Lexie)
Lexie has been interesting, she did not grow into the 16h horse they were hoping for so was turned out in the brood mare band. She was five and not much done with her. I kept telling wife and daughter Lexie was a LOT like our first Morgan Shamrock Foxie Joy.
After comparing photos of the two bays they were marked identically down to the snip on the nose There is one inch difference in their heights (Lexie 14h, Foxie was 14.1h)
And Lexie acts just like Foxie, it is as though Foxie was has been reincarnated
Tomorrow Lexie and daughter are headed to her trainer’s place for a week long tune up preparing for Nationals that is the following two weeks.
Fig is staying home this time.