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KENNEBEC TOPAZ
(Medomak Cavalier X Kennebec Opal)
1992 buckskin mare, 15.1,
100% Foundation
I'd always wanted a buckskin Morgan. In the spring of 1993,
Grace Stone, the mother of one of my boarders, told me about a buckskin
filly at Kennebec Morgans, where she boarded her horse. I had another
friend who worked at Kennebec, so I asked her about the filly, and her
positive comments echoed Grace's. Though Topaz was not officially for sale and
several breeders had tried to buy her already, I went ahead and inquired any
way. Topaz's breeder, Miss Margaret Gardiner, is very careful about the homes
her horses go to and she had just been through some bad experiences in that
regard, so she was being doubly cautious. But as I understand it, my friends
reassured Miss Gardiner that I would do right by Topaz, and so she put a price
on her and we struck a deal.
I feel very blessed to own a Morgan bred by one of the oldest and most respected breeders in all of Morgandom. Topaz came all the way from Maine to us here in Georgia
that summer. Just a yearling, she hauled and rode quietly all that way by herself, like an old pro. This impressed the
heck out of the friend I'd entrusted to haul her for me, as Topaz had never been trailered before.
She still approaches each new task with that same calm attitude.
Topaz is also a very curious and friendly animal. She is one of the first horses who come up to visit when
people enter the pasture. Her foals have all inherited her tendency towards being
a social butterfly.
Topaz's first offspring (by the palomino stallion
Adiel's Casino Gold)
is the very kind and beautiful palomino stallion Gone Gold. Her second foal (by the palomino stallion
World's Edge Goldoak) is our exquisite palomino mare
Coral Forest. Topaz's third foal is the 2008 bay gelding Edgefield Gemstone, by Edgefield Sun Gold.
Topaz's pedigree has no modern outcrosses. It is full of great Morgans from a variety of old families;
included is Devan Hawk, Archie O, Lippitt Ethan Ash,
Gay Dancer, Cornwallis, Gay Mac, Lippitt Miss Nekomia, and multiple crosses to Flyhawk. My vet continually
remarks on this mare's textbook correct feet and legs. I believe that particular attribute is a legacy of her ancestors who
were bred to do hard work- day after day- and stay sound doing it.
Sadly, a pasture accident involving a metal sided run in shed (not at our farm) severed
the peroneus tertious in Topaz's right hind leg. She is only pasture sound and
is handicapped by the leg. Despite her now awkward movement,
she has retained the cheerful attitude and love of people that brightens my day, every day.
|
Medomak Cavalier |
Dyberry Lyndon |
Gay Cavalier |
| Dyberry Nekomiss |
| Main-Line Fallisa |
The Brown Falcon |
| Linwallis |
|
Kennebec Opal |
Californio |
Tio Lalo |
| Sissey |
| Kennebec Lucille |
Little Hawk |
| Kennebec Ethel |
You can view Topaz's complete pedigree
here.
It includes pictures of many of her ancestors.
More photos of Topaz
(click on a thumbnail to enlarge)
Topaz with her dam Opal in 1992 in the fields at Kennebec. Photo courtesy Mary Fournier.
Topaz as a foal with Kennebec Opal, Summer 1992. Photo courtesy Mary Fournier.
Topaz with Bonnie Jean Nickerson, then age 4, in 1992. Photo courtesy Mary Fournier.
Jim calls this shot "Mule Train". The horses in their new home, October 1997;
Topaz in the lead mule position.
Topaz with Cassidy Evans up, November 2000. This was the first time anyone but myself had ridden her; Topaz accepted this with her usual "ho-hum" attitude :-).
Pregnant mama-to-be in a rare Georgia snowstorm, 1/2/02.
Playing in the snow the next day.
Topaz with Susan Marsh from California, January 2002.
Pregnant mare, April 2004, about 2 weeks from foaling Coral.
Blast off! July 2005.
I was up one morning at sunrise and it was foggy out. Very
mystical, and I had to try and capture
some of that feeling. These two pictures are a couple of the shots that I was able to get. September 2005.
October 2005.
Late November, 2005.
Topaz was on a breeding lease from June of 2007 to February of 2009 at Charlene Cook's Edgefield Morgans in Goshen, IN. Here Char was trying to get pictures of her, but Topaz, being a
typical Morgan, would rather help her take the picture! Photo courtesy of Mary Kay Longacre, June 2007.
Topaz shortly
after arriving home from Indiana, February 2009.
July 2009- Topaz just wanted to eat. She tried to oblige me though. I think the horses know that when I have
the camera, they are supposed to pose or move!
A little Topaz dynasty! Topaz with her daughter Coral and granddaughter Charli, August 2009.
December 2009- I'd always wanted to do a Christmas card with all the horses on it. So when I saw these pet antlers at the Dollar Store, I had to get them. The next step
was taking a picture of each horse wearing the antlers, then creating the Christmas card you see here.
February 13, 2010- We had a rare snowfall, and I was outside early to get pictures of the ponies before it all melted away. I was hoping for some good frisky
shots but no one was very motivated to do anything other than search for bits of grass under the snow.
10/15/10- I was out taking pictures of Topaz today for an ad in TMH (they are
featuring Kennebec Morgans in their November 2010 issue). The blue ribbon
is part of the Georgia Morgan Horse Club Promotional Award we received earlier this year. I was SO surprised! I received a nice plaque, and this ribbon is the horses',
for their part in promoting the breed at the Southern Model Horse Convention, the model horse show we hold here each year in early October.
The purpose of the show is to introduce model horse hobbyists to Morgans. And it works-
several of our regulars now own and/or breed Morgans.
On June 10, 2011, my sister Aimee and her almost-3-year-old daughters Neve and Lucy
(from Ohio)
visited us. Topaz,
always the social butterfly, tried very hard to get down on the girls' level.
Topaz and Neve. I think Topaz was checking for edible parts, and finding none, went back to her nap ;-)
Family portrait: me, Aimee with Lucy, Neve, and Topaz.
October 6, 2012- Topaz making friends with three young attendees of the 25th Annual Southern Model Horse Convention. Emma Huffman, her
friend Tea and another young show attendee groomed, braided and loved on any Morgan that would
volunteer. The hot wire was off for the day.
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