From the age of eight, my life has been deeply intertwined with horses. My mother encouraged my passion by gifting me my first real pony, "Clover". We resided on a modest yet comfortable farm with four horses. During inclement weather, I would entertain myself with my "indoor barn" in my room. This small wooden horse barn marked the beginning of my long-term ambition to own a ranch. With movable fencing for my various Breyer horses and a truck and trailer for transportation, I was already envisioning my real-life aspirations. Reflecting on those days, I find it amusing how effortlessly I managed my "little ranch," now fully aware of the substantial effort required to run a business.
My dream was entirely attainable, and I have always been, and continue to be, ambitious enough to achieve anything I set my mind to.
I often reminisce about the Breyer horse that sparked it all—my first Breyer horse, Smart Chic Olena. At eight years old, I selected this stunning Sorrel Stallion from a small store during a Christmas shopping trip with my mother. The white blaze and long mane captivated me, as did the brand on his hip, known as the Babcock Ranch Brand. At that age, I was unaware of the significance of brands, but it certainly looked intriguing!
I eagerly wished for this Breyer horse until Christmas morning. Upon unwrapping the gift, I knew I wanted to preserve the box, as it was my first Breyer model. Although I was unaware of the value of collecting at the time, I stored the box safely in my closet. Smart Chic Olena had his own stall in my wooden play barn. After learning that he was a stallion, I made a conscious decision to choose my subsequent Breyer horses based on this. Interestingly, I was unfamiliar with reining and had little knowledge of different breeds and their purposes. I selected Hollywood Dun It as my next horse, mistakenly thinking it was a mare, drawn by its buckskin color, reminiscent of my real-life pony. Soon after, I acquired Misty the Chincoteague pony and her foal, marking the first "broodmare" and "foal" in my herd.
As I outgrew the playing age, I transitioned my Breyer collection to a wall shelf, proudly displaying my horses. Chic was returned to his box to prevent dust accumulation. It wasn't until high school, when my family relocated, that Chic and my other Breyer horses were packed away. I gifted my barn and many of my horses to a young enthusiast who shared my passion for horses. While sorting through the items for her, I remember setting Chic aside, hoping to save it for my future children, should I have any.
Fast forward to age twenty-seven, I am now living my lifelong dream of operating a real ranch. The love of my life, Kevin and I maintain a small, selective herd of mares and have begun making our own legacy.
We initiated our search for a stallion two years ago, but the perfect opportunity had yet to present itself. We were highly selective about genetics and the stallion's overall temperament and sought one with a successful show ring career. With a hope to own some of AQHA's most prized bloodlines, we patiently continued our search.
This fall, Kevin and I resumed our search, posting an ISO with our criteria. Among over a hundred responses advertising stallions for sale, one stood out—Caps Smart Dude. Though slightly older than we initially were searching for, there was no doubt he was the one. We promptly placed a down payment without seeing him in person or knowing the sellers. It was a gut feeling that we could not miss the opportunity. Fortunately, the seller was more than willing to communicate and provide any videos or photos we requested. We scheduled his pre-purchase exam, and during the two-week wait for the vet's assessment, it all became clear.
Caps Smart Dude is a son of Smart Chic Olena. While he met all our criteria, I was moved, realizing this was the heart of my childhood dream. I had always hoped to own a horse like him. Knowing that my passion for owning a ranch, breeding horses, and maintaining these remarkable bloodlines was something I dreamt about daily as a child, this opportunity felt almost too good to be true.
Caps Smart Dude successfully passed all veterinary checks, and was set to be transported from Oklahoma to New York. Upon arrival, my first look at Cappy was exactly as imagined. A stunning sorrel, with a long mane, and soft kind eyes near identical to Smart Chic Olena. Cappy embodies everything I have dreamed of throughout my life. Being around him daily reminds me that dreams are achievable if you work hard and never settle for less. We have decided to bring Cappy back to the show ring, so we can continue his legacy as proud owners. You can follow our jounrey by following his Facebook page or subscribing to our website. We cannot wait to share updates!
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