Cob Jockey

I know, I'm late on this one!  But it was too fun to pass up.

What originally attracted me to Connor?  His attitude, which I saw on a YouTube video.

You can read my first reaction to seeing him, way back in December of 2010, way before I ever owned him or very many people read this blog.  Before I even met my trainer or started taking lessons!

Baby Connor and I before I even considered he would be mine.  And, fun fact, that's Austen's husband showing Castleberry's Aviator behind us.

He was just an informational video to me at the time, that his former owners in PA sent to his breeder, because he wasn't working out in their driving pair and they were considering sending him back.  He was free lunged in the first part, driven (ground and then in harness) in the second and ridden Dressage in the third part of the 8 minute video.  Here is that video, some of you have seen it before:



It was his attitude in his under saddle canter.  The canter was tense, and it was a baby canter (he was only 4), but man, he looked like a firecracker.  Every fiery step said this was a horse that wanted to go places and do things.  He looked like he was just waiting for his partner in crime, and I felt an immediate pull in a way I haven't with any other horse in my life.  I understood him.

I fell in love with him in the completely detached sort of way, the "Wow, someone is going to be so lucky to own that!" way, even after stopping to just meet him in the field while driving through on a road trip in February of 2011, even after showing him in hand at the Welsh show in August of 2011 and riding him after the show was over, even after showing him under saddle in October of 2011.

Showing at the HHP in the fall of 2011.  Helloooooo, hunter clothes I haven't worn since this show. :-)

I'm great at emotionally detaching when I need to (how else do you survive fostering dogs?!) but there was a niggling at the back of my mind that knew that we would be capable of robbing banks or stealing cars or at least jumping 3' if we ever got together.

Of course, the story ends with his breeder making it possible for me to own him, a gesture that I seriously remember every time I see Connor, to this day.  I never take him for granted.  I am so lucky, and a small part of me thinks Connor is pretty lucky too - he takes a level of patience that I don't even notice, but several people have told me would drive them crazy.  But that's what a partner is - he doesn't have to be right for everyone, just me.

Love you, buddy.