ALL OF THIS AND EVEN MORE STORIES FROM "AS THE HOTWALKER TURNS" News Flash: Kitty Silverwings Update
Hailing from White City, Saskatchewan, Canada, is a dynamic Zippo Pine Chip son who is definitely made his 2005 show debuts genuine moments to remember. With just two shows under saddle this colt has claimed Canadian National titles! The colorful 2003 stallion is out of Dial Me Rio by Dial Brites Last. Owned by Jack Weichel of White City, Saskatchewan, Canada, and trained by Jack's daughter, Natalie Weichel, who owns and operates the Whispering Sands Training Center in White City, Canada. Officially the colt's registered as Dial Zippo, but known around home as Charles. According to his owner Jack, he came by his barn moniker owing to his easy going manner and laid back attitude. He's definitely been turning heads, which to his owner is just a thing of beauty. Having attended a mere two shows thus far this year, Charles has come away a champion. At his first show, exhibiting to three judges, he placed first under one judge and received two fourths and ended the show with a fourth overall in Western Pleasure. At this same show he also earned two firsts and one fourth in 2 year old trail. In Halter he claimed all three firsts and three Reserve Grands.
Feeling pretty confident his owner decided that their second show would be the Canadian Nationals! That confidence paid off in spades as the colt claimed the National title for 2 Year Old Stallions, a 3rd in 2 year old Western Pleasure (two 1st's, one 4th and one 6th for the 3rd overall). He also claimed a 4th in Jr. Trail, and 7th in English Pleasure. No doubt about it, this is one amazingly versatile youngster. Our congratulations to the Weichel family. Be sure and watch for Dial Zippo the rest of the 2005 show season in Canada. His owners plan to continue showing him next year in hopes of getting him qualified to take a run at the ApHC World show in Ft Worth, TX. For more info regarding Dial Zippo you may contact his owners at www.whisperingsands.ca
It's been my intent for some time now, to catch up with a pair of Little Pine Chips who were both foaled in the late 90's. The breeder of both these ZPC foals was Roger Ott of Bakersfield, California. At that time he owned a pretty bay mare, Hotrodders Seeker (AQHA), who was an own daughter of the great AQHA pleasure horse sire, Hotrodders Jetset. At the time Roger had been training and exhibiting ZPC since 1993, and was enjoying a very successful show career with the stallion.
Then in 1995 Roger thought it was high time we tried a test breed with Zippo Pine Chip. Hotrodders Seeker (Seeker), produced a chestnut colt the following spring. The colt was officially registered as Zippo Jet Set, but was lovingly referred to as Little LeRoy, and at times just plain 'Earl.' In 1996 Roger suggested we breed Seeker back to ZPC. The following year the mare produced a filly. Her registered name is Jet Set Zippo, a.k.a. Jessie. Roger had both of his ZPC youngsters CPO'd and then hauled them to the ApHC World Show in Fort Worth, Texas. He had consigned both to the World Show Sale. Earl and Jessie sold the same day. Earl was soon headed for Florida, and Jessie remained in Texas. We're happy to report that both are currently showing and have impressive ApHC records to prove the point. Zippo Jet Set, is owned by Cynthia Burk of Malabar, Florida. Cynthia and Earl have had quite a show career according to ApHC stats; with 82 points in the Open Performance Division, and 133 in the Non Pro Division. They've earned ROM's for Snaffle Bit Western Pleasure, Non Pro Western Pleasure and Sr. Western Pleasure. In 1999 Earl earned a Top Ten year end finalist title from the ApHC for his outstanding performance wins in Snaffle Bit Western Pleasure. The filly, Jet Set Zippo (Jessie), is owned by Michelle McElya of Angleton, Texas. We had heard through the grapevine that Dave Parlier, trained & exhibited Jessie. We'd also heard that Dave had hauled the mare to the OKC Nationals a few years back. We understand that he and pretty Jessie took home a fifth in Jr Trail. We lost track of the mare for awhile but have recently heard that she'd sold to the McElya family of Angleton, Texas, where we ultimately tracked her down. The McElya family can't be accused of letting any cobwebs collect in Jessies stall. The McElya youth division riders have been having a great time showing Jessie, and they've been posting the points to prove it This past July at the ApHC Youth World Show, in Oklahoma City, Megan McElya and Jessie captured 7th place in Youth Trail 12 & Under. Jessie's record is impressive. She has 36 open performance points with 32 of those in Trail. The rest of the open points cover Western Pleasure, Snaffle Bit Western Pleasure, and Saddle Seat. In addition to her open points the mare has collected 103.5 youth points, and an additional 54 points in the Non Pro classes. The mare also has ROM's in Open Trail, Non Pro Trail, Non Pro Western Pleasure and Youth Western Pleasure. Our heartiest congratulations to the Burks and the McElya families on their winning performances! We're waiting on current photos so be sure to check back for shots of both these show fine equines! Heir Strike & Gordon Lamb As fate would have it, and it appears more and more on a daily basis, that Heir Strike & Gordon Lamb cannot be considered on an individual basis but as one entity. The first thing that strikes you as you watch is, Wow, those guys are incredibly RED and really shiny. Once you get past all that red you begin to notice that watching the pair perform is akin to watching professional dancers. They can lift you with them as they soar over the jumps. Their dressage moves take your breath away and will bring a tear of appreciation for the perfection in their harmonious dance across the dressage court. Many boarders in the barn, and visitors to the ranch will drop what they're doing, and seem drawn to the rail as they view the duo's free spirited performance. This greatest of spectator compliments usually happens while the pair is at their home barn, simply practicing. The duo has been working together since early February, of 2005. They have progressed light years in this short period time. But I'm getting ahead of myself here. Let me start at the beginning.
Spiderman was foaled with a tenth degree black belt in inquisitive. He was also a dazzlingly smart equine. As you can imagine real smart isn't an asset for a horse. It can and does, more frequently than not, spell disaster if such an animal were to end up with the wrong person or, if they are started too soon. Bearing that information in mind it was decided to hold Spiderman back until we felt he was ready for a rigorous training schedule. He turned out to be a five year old when maturity dawned. We had waited long enough; Spiderman was packed up and hauled down the road to his first outside trainer to begin basic training with Dan DaPonde of Somis, California. For years I had looked for what I thought would be the right person to train this talented athlete. I was beginning to give up hope when one day, just by chance, a friend called and mentioned that she'd found the trainer I had been looking for. She suggested I meet with this uncommonly qualified trainer as soon as possible because, as she explained it, he wasn't certain he wanted to get back into the training outside horses. My friend wasn't kidding, turned out that Gordon Lamb was everything she had said and more. What an incredible stroke of luck to find such a trainer in the Garlic Capitol of the world. When I proposed that Gordon take Heir Strike in training he asked what breed the gelding was. I informed him that he was a magnificent Appaloosa specimen. Gordon didn't pull any punches, let me know right up front that he didn't like Appaloosas. He felt it probably wouldn't work out. Gordon suggested a ninety trial for Spiderman, and if for any reason he felt Spiderman was not up to the challenge, he would send him home. I quickly agreed to his terms. I would gladly pick Spiderman up, no debates, that would simply be the end of it. Like a Little Challenge with that Background? Originally from London, England, Gordon had been raised with horses and has spent his entire life in the pursuit of equestrian activities. He had received his early equine education in boarding schools in England. During the 1980's he continued his formal high level equine education in England, and throughout Europe. Gordon has qualified through the British Horse Society up through the 4th level. He's also certified Pony Club A. He has trained with, and for, former Swedish Team Olympian, Lillian Van Dam and Wendy May of the British Horse Society Fellowship, Olympic Three Day Event. His show jumping experience was gained in Spain and throughout Europe with Jan Miller, the highly acclaimed Spanish Show Jumping Champion. Knowing Gordon's vast experience in training, I felt very confident that Spiderman was up for the challenge and deserved a shot with one of the best. I trailered Spiderman back from Southern California to the Gilroy barn that Gordon would be initially training from. I watched, and waited. Ninety days rolled by and nary a complaint was heard. In time, Gordon finally admitted that he was initially surprised at Spiderman's eccentricity. As he grinned he said "He's all boy. He's complicated and challenging but all in great ways." He paused, looked down at the ground, then looked back up at me, then grinned again and said, "I really love him, he's my kind of horse." I didn't say anything to Gordon at the time but secretly, I had somehow always known, that he would end up happy with my big red Indian pony. Gordon is currently training out of Sycamore Trails Stables in San Juan Capistrano, California. He rides three day eventers to fourth level and onto Grand Prix. He tells me his first love will always be the three day eventer, but genuinely appreciates the disciplines of Dressage and the Hunter Jumpers. Be sure and watch for Heir Strike and Gordon Lamb at U.S.E.A. and U.S.D.F. shows throughout California during the 2006 show season. Note: If you're interested in contacting Gordon, he can be reached by phone at (949) 276-7357 or email c/o patti@rockinga.com News Flash Katmanduit our MTV Music Video star!!! Partizan Records (a division of Atlantic) recorded an MTV music video at Little Creek Ranch in Fillmore, California. When the film crew pulled into the ranch, Katmanduit's trainer, Dan DaPonde was asked to provide a flashy horse that their singing star could sit upon while he sang his latest hit, Jook Gal.
From what we hear the music was plenty loud and Katman had boom cameras in his face during much of the filming. Even Dan commented that he knew that Katman was a 'cool guy' but he never imagined he'd be so good for the hours it took to complete the film project. We of course pointed out that, that's what our Bright Chip Appaloosa lines are all about. For Dan, the highlight of the days filming came during a break in the action. The Elephant Man was sitting on Katman and looked down at Dan and asked, "What be this horses name?" Dan grinned, looked up and said "you're not going to believe this, and I swear it's true, his name is "Katmanduit". This bit of information did produce a dazzling, diamond studded, gold toothed grin from the Elephant Man. Katman is home now and realizes (we think) that stardom is a fleeting thing. He's back to his regular routine which is teasing the girls and hangin' with LeRoy. Loretta is a great filly that puts her heart into everything she does. Chips Loretta J by Zippo Pine Chip and out of She's A Levi, ended the 2003 show season with that great heart on display. She brought home a string of national, state breed, and open snaffle bit reining championship titles. Known on the open NRHA circuit as 'Big Momma', Loretta spun like a top and would have the stands cheering as she boiled up the dirt with her blazing stops. Large fast circles that could tear your eyes up, and bend your hat back. Her slow circles would make a pleasure horse blush. Her changes were virtually invisible. Loretta's early training on through her first year of showing was done by Jeanie Donley-Andrew of Herald, California.
Loretta qualified for and was headed to the ApHC World show when she finished her show season unexpectedly on October 17, 2003, At an NRHA show in Sacramento, California, she stumbled in a large fast circle and suffered an injury that ended our world show reining hopes. Loretta is currently being trained in other performance events. Titles
claimed by Chips Loretta J for the 2003 year are; Chips Loretta J is currently being offered for sale to the right home. For more information regarding Loretta contact; patti@rockinga.com or call (408) 846-1553
Zippafied (Gala) Zippafied, and known around home as Gala, was another of our ranch bred fillies. She is by Zippo Pine Chip and out of our great broodmare, Miss No Strike (an own daughter of the 4 time AQHA World Champion, Diversified). Gala earned an ROM in Junior Western Pleasure. She was initially shown by Stanley Ryan of Ocala, Florida and later moved back to California where she ended up being shown and handled by Jeanie Donley-Andrew of Harold, California. Jeanie found that Gala was a very intelligent mare that had become pretty bored loping the rail in pleasure classes. Jeanie also discovered that Gala had a pure talent for speed events. By the time the pair had hauled to several open barrel horse contests (N.B.H.A.), Gala had proven to Jeanie that she had a genuine interest and pure talent at speed when it came to chasing cans or flying changes through a set of speed poles.
By the time Gala and Jeanie showed at their 4th California ApHC approved event, they were leading the state and nation and were posting lows 15's in the timed event. The pair had a particularly unique finish to their speed runs. Jeanie would pitch Gala the reins and head her to the rail where Gala would drop her head and the pair would lope off at 4 miles an hour in a winning pleasure horse run that could and did get a crowd to cheer. The mare has an incredibly diverse show record with points in opposing categories! According to ApHC records she has 66.5 Open Performance Points that break down as follows. 3 in Keyhole. 17 in Camas Prairie Stump Race. 6 in the Figure 8 Stake Race. 21 for the Nez Perce Stake Race, another 18.5 in Junior Western Pleasure, 1 in Snaffle Bit Western Pleasure, and 2 for Non Pro Nez Perce Stake Race. The mare has posted ROM's in Western Pleasure, Camas Prairie Stump Race and the Nez Perce Stake Race. Gala has sold several times since we've owned her, and we've just recently tracked she and her new owner, David Wagner to Troy Ohio. We hope to be able to post a few current photos of Gala soon, so be sure and check back for news and updates. At 16.2 hands, Giddienglo, is a handsome, pearly hued, red roan gelding that is out of our herd matriarch, Scribbles. Scribbles sire is the ApHC Hall of Fame inductee, Bright Chip by ApHC Hall of Fame Inductee, Bright Eyes Brother. Giddien's sire is the National Snaffle Bit Association champion, Zippo Pine Glow (AQHA). During this stallions show career he earned in excess of $60,000 in the NSBA western pleasure events. He is a noted sire of other NSBA performance and breed show western & english pleasure champions. Giddien has a particularly interesting story as his highly successful open, all-breed show career can be credited to his 14 year old owner and rider Shivonna McDonald. The pair trained out of Our Pleasure Stables in Rittman, Ohio under the direction of Denee Crumley-Gordon, Shivonna's aunt.
In 2001 we had consigned Giddienglo to the Appaloosa World Sale as a subscribed yearling who was eligible for the ApPHC futurities. At the time of the sale Patty McCartin of New Haven, Ohio purchased Giddienglo. Patty then hauled him back to Ohio, where she sold him less than a year later to the McDonald family also of Ohio. Fourteen at the time, Shivonna had taken a real shine to Giddien when she'd come by Patty's barn for lessons and to watch her work with Giddien. To hear Patty tell it, Shivonna pestered, and pestered her until she finally gave in and agreed to the sale. Shivonna and Giddien started training in the summer of 2001. According to Deb McDonald, Shivonna's mother, the pair positively dazzled them in show arenas throughout Ohio during the next two years. At the All American Youth World Show, the largest all breed show in Ohio, Shivonna and Giddien exhibited along with 1000 other youth entrants. Giddienglo and Shivonna bested 60 other exhibitors in their class to win the Hunter Under Saddle title. At this same event they earned the 4th overall title. At this same show, in 2002 Giddien and Shivonna claimed a reserve championship in western pleasure and in 2003 the duo earned the fourth place title in Ladies Western Pleasure. Most of Giddien and Shivonna classes at this particular event have held between 50 to 70 exhibitors per class. They have shown for two consecutive years at the annual Findley Firecracker show. This large show draws many youth and adult exhibitors from many areas of the Midwest. Shivonna and Giddien have won both the English Equitation, Hunter Under Saddle, and Horsemanship titles at this show. In 2002 the pair ended the Firecracker rated as 3rd overall in their 15-18 age division. The pair has also shown at the Ohio Central State Horse Show Associations Fall Round Up. This is the third largest show in Ohio and boasts a venue of team tournaments. In 2003 there were approximately 60 three rider teams. Shivonna and Giddien and their respective teammates placed second overall and had also accomplished a similar feat in 2002 when they had placed third overall. Shivonna & Giddien contributed to the team efforts a first place in English Equitation, 3rd in Hunter Under Saddle and firsts in both Horsemanship and Western Pleasure, a 3rd in English Showmanship and was in the top 8 overall for Hunter Under Saddle and Western Showmanship. The overall tournament venue placed the top ten overall winners, with Shivonna and Giddien taking home a fifth overall for the youth division, they had bested 180 other contenders! At the Ohio State Fair, the pair sparkled as they took home the championship title in the English Equitation for Seniors class. The duo has also claimed numerous wins and championship titles during their winning show seasons. We are very proud of this handsome gelding and Shivonna for her love and dedication to Giddien. We wish you both the best of everything through the coming years. 
With
just 23 registered foals, Zippo Pine Chip made the list for What does Antonio Banderas (Zorro) & Zippo Pine Chip (LeRoy) Have In Common? Amazingly, this is not a Bob Lapp, (Mr. Appaloosa history) trivia question, but it certainly could be. In March of 1999 Performance Horse Magazine (PHM) featured Zippo Pine Chip on the cover of the magazine. The powers that be at Performance Horse went on to make one of our greatest of dreams come true; not only did we get the cover but they published the issue with a full feature, living color, no ads, uninterrupted story, on the life and times of Zippo Pine Chip, a.k.a. known as Mr. Pleasure Horse.
These two issues completely sold out as they came off the presses. Until it was too late, no one realized that the 17,000 issues each, would not be nearly enough to fill the demand. Ms. Jeppesen also went on to tell us that PHM regularly prints and sells approximately 17,000 issues per month to subscribers and retailers in the United States, and internationally. For PHM, the 1999, LeRoy ~ Zorro Phnom sales for those two issues has never been achieved since. Beginning in 1999, the marketing department of PHM starting using Zippo Pine Chip as the model for all Appaloosa representation in the magazines marketing materials. Zippo Pine Chip was also featured on the publications media kits that went to corporate sponsors and potential advertisers for the next 6 years. Since 1999, PHM's media kits have been reprinted 4 times at 20,000 copies per printing. We are proud to see that the latest printing in 2005, still features that magnificent 1999, Zippo Pine Chip cover. To quote a great old cowboy we once knew, "It's hard to walk away from a winner." Note: Zippo Pine Chip was also featured in story and on the cover of Western Times Magazine. He has appeared and been featured in Advertising for the Appaloosa Horse Club of Canada. His photos have appeared in various hard copy advertising venues, credit card promotionals and many online magazines. |
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Heir
Strike or Spiderman as he's known around home was a handful when
he was a youngster. Sired by our versatile, ApHC champion herd
sire, Zippo Pine Chip and out of one of our greatest broodmares,
Miss No Strike. We knew that Spiderman had the genetic makeup
to be a very talented, versatile athlete. As his breeder I knew
that he definitely would need a challenging job when he matured.
That
star was the Elephant Man and the video is "Jook Gal'. This
highly rated MTV music video was directed by Gil Green and was
a 'big production.' According to Dan, Katman had his own makeup
crew that braided dreadlocks and Rastafarian beads in his mane
and tail. They spent hours on this project and Dan tells me the
colt acted like he'd done a hundred films just like this one.
We
just couldn't be prouder of Badger Lee. A powerful pedigree
that can claim multi-millions of dollars earned in the top
performance events around the world and across the board
in all the western stock breeds. For more info on Badger
Lee's pedigree see the 
According
to PHM's National Sales, Marketing Representative, Loretta Jeppesen,
the Zippo Pine Chip issue was one, of only two issues to ever
sell out in the magazines entire history. You couldn't get your
hands on a back issue for love or money. (Well maybe money). The
only other issue to have achieved this same rarified status was
the 1999 Antonio Banderas, Zorro cover. In addition to the cover
(Antonio in full Zorro mode, standing next to an equally magnificent
Friesian), the issue also featured a full length interview with
Antonio and certain members of the film crew on the set of the
movie Zorro. SALES :: AS THE HOTWALKER TURNS :: IN TRIBUTE :: LINKS :: CONTACT US
