Meet the Ruby in My Crown

As a trainer, I have to consider my mare Side FX to be my crowning glory, and what would be a better statement of a trainer’s talent than to bring up their own horse to be trained and shown to the nines!

Well even that road to hell was paved with good intention. LOL

 My Ruby aka Side FX was the glint in this trainers eye born 2004 when I sought out the perfect stallion to breed to my sister’s amazingly bred mare. 

The sorrel mare TF Special FX was of Khanadian/Khemosheba breeding lines on top and Barra Karrie/Kareena breeding on the bottom.  So no surprise there that I was getting a sorrel foal.  But I was looking for some flash, some flare, so I chose Khobask (Khofo/Nazeer) lines for the sire. 

This sire gave forth all the pizzazz I could have ask for.  Ruby received his attitude, his build and his flashy flaxen mane and tail.  It was a nice little pairing if I do say so myself.

Ruby was born at Shady View Farm where I was working training horses and a place where still I consider my second home.  She looked like a sleepy little moose when I first saw her.  Thin con caved chest, her mane stood up on end and you could see her markings we almost completely symmetrical on her face.

We began showing on the Arab circuit without any experience and little or no knowledge of how it all worked.  We gathered points here and there for the first year of her life and even showed in a sport horse class for the hell of it.  There is no sense driving as far away as Ottawa or Kingston for only 2 or 3 classes, right?
I had paid the fees for the classes and was ready and prepared when the classes were called but when I was asked if I was returning to the ring I knew I had not paid for that class.  I had no idea it was for the Championship ribbon.  My ignorance stood in the way of Ruby from possibly obtaining more points but it was an amazing learning curve.

Back then we did not have internet access as we do now and even though I had asked questions from contacts about showing the information fell short of what I needed to know.  The best advice I can offer is research your circuit.  Ask people or go to shows to investigate how things run.  Ignorance can be a costly thing in regards to showing horses.  You’ve invested your money and your time into your offspring.  Do yourself and them a favor, have a sound foundation of knowledge prior to showing.

Join me for Part 2 and Meet Ruby www.greathorsestories.ca