Fulfilling your dreams

[Armas]

As some of you know Armas is my first horse. I grew up living in Spain and always had a love for Spanish horses and in particular PRE's
I always dreamed of owning a PRE's but due to work (I used to be an underwater camera man and travelled a lot so owning a horse was not possible) After 20 years as a working diver I fancied a change I was looking at moving back to Spain as I speak Spanish and love Spain.
My partner suggested we open a business together and suggested France. I did some internet searching and found the most spectacular business / home location. So within the year we moved to France.
I am lucky as my home comes with lots of land and the most beautiful 18th century stable.
After one year of living in France getting settled getting the business up and running, I decided it was time to fulfil my dream of owning a PRE
I travelled down to Malaga to view some horses but I had already fallen in love with the pictures of Armas so I went to see him and knew I must have him ;-)
I rode him in Spain in a small arena with and without a saddle and he seemed sweet)
This was all in January arranged for LOC ( great transport company )
Armas arrival was heralded by our first snowfall of the year poor thing did not know what to make of it lol
Due to the long trip and the trauma and the cold and snow I gave him a couple of months to settle in to his new home.
When I decided to try to ride him I had some major issues. He is a very nervous horse would not allow me to mount him ( Easy girls I know what some of you H&H are like ) I called in a so called French ridding instructor who he promptly binned a couple of times entirely her own fault. After watching her with my boy I new she was not the kind of help I needed.
I am luck to have a a good friend here who rides western and is in to natural horsemanship . She got on well with him and rode him without issue ( apart from him take of with here once. However she did not have too time to help.
So I decided to send my boy away to boot camp.I live near Saumur which is the home of the Cadre Noir.
I found a nice yard with a trainer who had trained at the Cadre Noir so I knew he had the experience to help. I took my boy to his yard and watched him with my lad. I knew it was the right fit Armas stayed there for just over two months with both of us receiving training.
Ill never know what Armas issues were but we think he had been beaten in Spain, as he was truly afraid of his own shadow so lots of bonding but also firm work as I had to establish my self as the head of the heard !
He has been home for 10 days now most days I ride him take him for a walk and generally enjoy his company. I never have an issue to catch him and he mostly comes when I call him ;-)
He now has free range to wander the grounds and forest 15 acres to play in for the most part he grazes around the house. His stable is always open and come 9pm he takes him self back to his stall
I have fulfilled my dream and am truly satisfied when I am with him. My partner does not get it sadly as she does not ride but you can't have every thing !
Whats next for us..... Well I have just bought a 7.5 ton lorry so the world is our oyster so watch this space.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank Rhino Jhoward Always Henesy Silky Unicorn and all the others that have supported and helped me with advice. As being a new dad is never easy.

This is a little video from Spain to France his first few months.

[youtube]MfpN2Bm2WiQ[/youtube]

 

[MrsMozart]

How lovely! So glad you reached your dream

Can't see the vid (on phone), but will watch it later.

 

[RuthM]

See now that there's what happens when a photographer buys a horse!

You guys look like you have a lot of fun!

 

[BillyBob-Sleigh]

Oh he's lovely! Looks like great fun to ride too

 

[TrasaM]

Lucky you living close to Cadre Noir and what a beautiful horse. I started having lessons with a Philippe Karl trained instructor recently (ex CN). And I love it. When i eventually get my own mount he/she will also be trained in his methods. Enjoy.

 

[xxMozlarxx]

Does he have other horses or a companion?

 

[Armas]

Does he have other horses or a companion?

He used to have a pony mate. But he is on his own at the moment. I am looking to get him a donkey pal or a goat in the next week.

 

[jhoward]

big hugs to you both xx

 

[-Sj-]

Great video.

Welldone, you guys look like you have alot of fun together and for many years to come! x

 

[Slinkyunicorn]

You have both come a long way in a short time the ongoing training can only help you both

The first year of horse ownership is a steep learning curve - even harder in a different country where it is not your first language!

Give Armas a hug from me

 

[Spanish Eyes]

Ah, once you allow an Andalusian into your heart, there will be no turning back. I know I'm biased, but they really are the most fantastic breed.

Your boy looks lovely. Wishing you all the best for your future together.

Oh, and I'm sure your OH will soon come round with a horse as gorgeous as that!

 

[Chunkie]

Lovely video - I like the muddy bits best!

 

[Always Henesy]

Aw shucks

You are very welcome......anytime.

Love and hugs to you and the gorgeous Armas

 

[rhino]

Well done

Don't go getting complacent now though, I'm sure we can think of plenty of things for you to work on

 

[xxMozlarxx]

He used to have a pony mate. But he is on his own at the moment. I am looking to get him a donkey pal or a goat in the next week.

Good best for him to have company

 

[abuela]

Hola Armas

Congratulation on Banquero's progress, and on your sabiduría in sending him off to boot camp.

One of our stallions was from the same stud - he and your Banquero share quite a few ancestors. We collected him direct from the stud in Cordoba, and the breeder's cryptic comment was, "My horses discover their owners."

Looking forward to your updates.

 

[Joshua Norris]

Your dream is so great but fulfill it!! It's Funny..

 

[smokey]

He's stunning! Lucky you, a beautiful horse and a lovely place to live.

 

[Armas]

Hola Armas

Congratulation on Banquero's progress, and on your sabiduría in sending him off to boot camp.

One of our stallions was from the same stud - he and your Banquero share quite a few ancestors. We collected him direct from the stud in Cordoba, and the breeder's cryptic comment was, "My horses discover their owners."

Looking forward to your updates.

Hola abuela

I hope that my boy is starting to discover me Can you cast any light on Banquero's recent ancestry. I am curious to learn more.....

Life as a new dad is sure a steep learning curve !

 

[Armas]

Well done

Don't go getting complacent now though, I'm sure we can think of plenty of things for you to work on

I could never get complacent

 

[Ibblebibble]

Armas is certainly what dreams are made of he is stunning! got to love his muddy pose though, my grey girl is amazing at getting every inch of herself covered, none of the others do it

 

[stencilface]

Lovely, its always the greys that are attracted to mud I find, lovely grounds for you both to play on too

 

[abuela]

The stud from which Banquero originally comes is located outside Cordoba. It is named Plaza de Armas. A number of their horses are named with the prefix Armas.

The studs name the PRE foals for their official entry into the Stud Book. They sell on, and the new owners develop the horses. The name remains, a testament to the breeding ability, history and input of the studs.

An example is the stallion, Armas Tarugo, who competed very successfully in Spain and is now in Mexico.

As with many studs, the Plaza de Armas mares are often bred with outside stallions. Yeguada Militar - the Military Stud - is a long-established and well respected resource for spanish breeders, with many stallions and an excellent breeding record.

Banquero is pure YM on his sire side, going back to the great-grandparents; and pure Plaza de Armas on his dam's side going back the same distance.

Tepe, his Yeguada Miltar sire, has fathered about 50 foals. 15 of them with Plaza de Armas mares.

His dam has borne 7 foals to date. Only Banquero is fathered by Tepe.

One Tepe offspring that I know personally is pictured below.

*From here on, the input from ancestry lines disperses, and percentage-wise the impact of any one ancestor is thinned.
Keeping it as brief as possible:

- Banquero shows Leviton in his lineage as a great-grandparent. Leviton and his sire Agente are recognised names in the development of the PRE.

- Banquero and our stallion Armas Realejo (now deceased) share a grandmother, and a great-grandfather. Two of their great-grandmothers were half-sisters.

- They also share as a great-great-grandsire another of the key figures in PRE breeding, a stallion named Albero II. We currently have a granddaughter of that same Albero II, through different lines.

Armas Realejo, family of Banquero:

Banquero's half-brother. sire side:

Riders X-ed for privacy. Images Copyright author.

 

[Armas]

Thank you very much for taking the time to find out that information. I loved seeing the picture of Banqeros half brother
I too have been researching his family tree and have found a few of his relatives here

This is Tepi his Sire

I could not find a picture of his dam

This is a picture of Banqueros dam's sire Escarzo

Here is the all important great-grandsire. Leviton

This is Usada Leviton's dam ( See I have been busy )

This is his great-great-granddamr Lusitania from 1948 !!!!! God to love the stud book

I think thus is his great-great-grandsire Gorrono II

This was AlberoII

This is his great great great dam

Over all there are a lot of grey's in his bloodlines ;-)