All horse owners know what it means to have one special horse who soars above the rest. |
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A once-in-a-lifetime horse. For us, that horse was our stallion, MA Gallant Ladd+/. Wednesday, Feb 25th, GL got his golden horseshoes and galloped off to heavenly green pastures. He was 21 by human terms, but ageless to us, and to those who were blessed by riding him, having one of his babies, or just entranced by his beauty and personality. He was cheerful and brave throughout. Special thanks to his good pal Laura Cronk, who led him beside her in the golf cart through the neighborhood daily with GL signaling his availability to all the mares he saw, and who nursed him through so many challenges. And special thanks to Kit Hall who rode GL to his Reserve US National Western Pleasure Championship title in 1995, and who trained him so that grandmas and children were safe in the saddle on GL. We also thank Kit for encouraging us to buy GL and for helping me ride GL to a Regional Top Five long after we'd been told no one would ever ride him again. We also thank all the veterinarians who worked so hard to watch this horse overcome so much. Special thanks to Lang Hall for his willingness to support this whole endeavor. And thanks to all of you for your special prayers. The website, MAGallantLadd.com will be up for awhile if you'd like to review his story. He was unique and unforgettable. We are so grateful to have had him with us these past few years.
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The year was 1995. The place, Albuquerque, New Mexico. We were there. The Western Pleasure Open class was one of the most competitive ever. Two horses, Rohara Moon Storm ridden by Bob Hart, Jr. and MA Gallant Ladd+/ ridden by Kit Hall had each won several regional championships. We were rooting for Gallant Ladd because we knew what a great all around horse he was and we had bred mares to him. When the dust settled, the other horse won, but Gallant Ladd was named US Reserve National Champion and 2nd in the nation ,which was not too bad. Seven or eight years went by. We had bred Tozcas Promise, and Risky Bizness KHA and had owned interests in Trick R Treat and MA Windsong. All were exceptional horses and all shared one common denominator. They were all sired by MA Gallant Ladd+/. In 2002, we sent our trainer and friend, Kit Hall to Las Vegas to talk to GL's owner about the possibility of buying him. Before we knew it the horse was in the trailer on his way to California. When GL arrived in California, we could see he would need a lot of attention to get back to show shape. We bought him anyhow because we had great confidence in his ability to sire great horses. Within a short time, GL went down with colic. Rushed into surgery, he appeared unlikely to survive. He had an intestinal stone the size of a grapefruit and 3 twists. Amazingly, and by nothing but the grace of God, GL did survive. The veterinarian told us we’d never ride him again, but he could be used to breed mares. Since then some marvelous horses have been born and today, GL resides at Rancho Valle Del Sol in Bonsall, California, under the capable care of Laura Cronk. He now has a great life trotting through the neighborhood behind the golf cart or carrying Faye Hall around the arena. At 20 years old, he doesn’t go to shows anymore, but we ride him frequently. In fact, in 2007 he achieved his Supreme Legion of Honor when Faye rode him to a Top Five at the Region I Championships in Del Mar, California. MA Gallant Ladd +/ is available for breeding. He crosses well with purebred Arabians , Quarter horses , Saddlebreds or just about any kind of mare. He seems to improve every mare he breeds as evidenced by so many superstars among his few offspring. |
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 "Four Gallant Ladd offspring were at the Region I show in 2003 to accept the Legion of Honor award for their sire. Left to Right: Trick or Treat+/ ridden by Kit Hall, Scat Cat+ ridden by Gordon Potts, Lang & Faye Hall with Mimi Gaffey, Risky Bizness KHA with Rich Simpkins and Asgoodasitgets ridden by Darlene Hopkins. |
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