Chief Of Greystone and Other Illustrious Ancestors

Editorial Hijack:

I was merely going to respond to this recent comment from one of our readers, but I felt it was important enough to share with everyone.

A reader writes:
"Happy Birthday. I thought it might interest you to know that we stood Chief of Greystone at our farm in New Jersey, and his first colt was Attache -- I think that would be the background that is your heritage, William.
There are all kinds of wonderful horses in this world - I believe you just might be one of the gifts."

When I grew up, my grandmother subscribed to Saddle and Bridle, the premier magazine of the Saddlebred industry then and now, back when the cover looked like leather... loved them.  I poured my heart over those pages day in and day out.  Grandma kept them in stacks beneath a great, round, oak coffee table with huge claw and ball feet.  I lived under that table, especially on rainy days. One of my all time favorite photos was that of Chief of Greystone, the headshot in the oval, with the now rare, traditional stallion bit.  Fellow ASB nuts will know the one I mean.

William's dam's sire was Attache', the first son of the great Chief of Greystone.  That eye is William's eye.  That muzzle so familiar.

Attache'

Camilla Fox

William's grand dam Camilla Fox and Attache' also produced Champion Unattached, 

Finally Attached and Moet

CH Unattached

Finally Attached

Moet

William's dam Attache's Galatea (Attache' x Camilla Fox)

  William is the first foal by his own sire Deep Blue, who is out of Yorkshire Pudding the full sister to the immortal WGC CH Harlem Globetrotter.  His pedigree reads like a who's who of Saddlebred greats.  When non-Saddlebred people come to the barn and say "but what breed is this one?  He doesn't look like the lanky, narrow Saddlebreds we are used to seeing." I find myself defending his bloodlines and saying "This is how they are supposed to be built.  Like Iron.  Deep. Wide.  Well sprung ribs.  Solid bone.  They should last all day."

This is the blood of Attache', Will Shriver and Yorktown.  Of Wing Commander, Grape Tree's Fox, Wing's Fleet Admiral, Mr. Magic Man, The Rambler and the great Stonewall King.  These are the names I memorized as a child.  Come to life in one wonderful package.

William

Artful

The long boring days of deep winter are best spent enjoying photos of warmer, cheerier days.  Here are some photos of the past year that have missed the blog.

Mom snapped this interesting photo of the thistle shadow.
It highlights and compliments my dapples.

Talk about "Casual Fridays".  Sometimes the best you can do is carve out a clean patch.

Brita did not do to badly considering that this is what she had to contend with.

And the other side.

We like this one because it is reminiscent of a John Frederick Herring painting.

In fact, a lot of JFH paintings look like me

And here, we include my pony friend Patriot.

Let me leave you with thoughts of warm days, green grass, and Queen Anne's Lace