We had just returned from the 2022 4 Beats for Pleasure June Jubilee in North Carolina when Ruth looked at us as if to say "oh thank goodness you're home!" and laid down to give birth. Jarred and I stood by her side and helped her deliver her first foal. It was such a beautiful moment. Her sire and dam were in adjoining paddocks nickering to her and the filly. Ruth, true to form, ate hay as she rested afterwards. Her daughter decided what was good for Mom, was good for her and attempted to nurse while both were still laying down. This drop dead gorgeous filly came into the world knowing that she was special. I'll never forget hearing her grandparents return her welcome whinnies and watching her get up and get moving quicker than I've ever seen a foal get coordinated. She is tremendously atheltic, smart, curious and full of life. She was exploring within minutes of birth.

She has a wonderful front end, is naturally 4-beat gaited and as athletic as they come. She will be on the smaller side when she is grown (14.3ish we expect.) She is a sooty buckskin (think "bronze colored") with a GORGEOUS baby doll head, sweet disposition and keen mind.

Her dam is Gambler's Golden Promise aka Ruth, a full sister to The Tennessee Stud WF. That Golden Gambler x Pippi White Stockings cross is just incredible. Ruth is the TOTAL package: she has a tremendous way of going - she naturally walks and shakes like the old style walking horse. She also has great bone and substance. She has a great mind...and she's a double agouti cremello!

Pippi White Stockings, aka "Kate" is a mixture of solid early modern lines through her sire, the massive Gen's Armed & Golden T.F. He is a palomino directly by the great Gen's Armed and Dangerous (by Pride's Generator and out of an Ebony Masterpiece daughter.) Armed and Golden gets his color from his dam, who goes back to the unusually but sought after Rock and Roll Mason, son of Wilson Strollin Gold. Kate's dam, Porcelain Rose, was a cremello mare who stood 14.3h, but should have been much larger. She was stunted by a difficult life according to Jim Holmes. Her two color lines come through Chance's Goldust H., the massive palomino stallion by John A's Chance. John A's Chance is considered by some to be the greatest palomino breeding stallion in history. His offspring were consistent competitors at the National Celebration. John A's Chance sired horses with plenty of natural action. He was by Last Chance  (by Hunter's Allen and out of the great mare, Merry Legs) and out of Goldust Maid (by Hall Allen and out of Hendrixon Bonnie, a buckskin mare by Roan Allen.) Porcelain Rose was out of White Champaign, a cremello mare by Bud England.

Ruth's sire is Golden Gambler, one of the best horses I've ever had the pleasure to ride. Gambler's bloodlines are a unique blend of the western working bloodlines through his sire, Blue Gold (who goes back to Roy Roger's own "Trigger Jr." aka Allen's Gold Zephyr), and the old eastern show lines through his dam, Cindy's Image-GH. Image was known for her true walking horse gaits and lovely disposition. Her sire was by Ebony Masterpiece and dam by Triple Threat.

This filly's sire is The Armed Bandit, was an older stallion owned by Mikal Spooner in North Carolina. We know that the Mikal Spooner and her sister, Morgan Applewhite, know good horses. They tend to pull in some great horses with older bloodlines with their training and breeding program, so when we were looking for a stud to outcross with some of our mares, Pam reached out to see what stallions they had available. When Pam forwarded me the photo above with a video of him walking I loved what I saw. I hadn't even seen his pedigree yet, but when I did, I could see exactly why he moves the way he does.

We love the substance, disposition and versatility of the Gen's Armed and Dangerous bloodline and he is a direct son. A&D horses are known throughout the show, versaility and field trial worlds. Though they're vastly different arenas, his offspring excel in them all. Solid brains, good work ethic, athleticism...he threw the total package. A&D got his flashy flaxen chestnut coloring from his sire, Pride's Generator. His heavier bone came from his dam, Melana Ebony - a direct daughter of Ebony Masterpiece.

The bottom side of his pedigree was no less impressive. His dam, Pridey, was a direct daughter of the stylish, influential stallion, Pride of Midnight H.F., and out of Delightful Woman, a daughter of the great broodmare sire, Sun's Delight D. Pretty Woman, the dam of Delightful Woman, is a direct daughter of Sun's Jet Parade. Sort of a throwback to his great grandfather, don't you think? Though I have to say he does have a more refined head like the POM horses.

Unfortunately, he passed away the year she was born.

Congratulations to Kaye and Ron Fink!