Testimonials/News Bridget Perry & Pure White Gold
aka Snowman May 2006
We are very proud to share some
correspondence received from our customers, clients, and visitors. We can
provide contact information for the people listed below upon request. We here
at Norsire feel that "word of mouth" is the best form of advertisement.
Our success can be attributed to the quality horses we produce, and people like the
individuals below, that believe in our breeding program. This makes it all
worthwhile.....
Horse
People: Leslie Nelson
Hunter/jumper trainer has a superlative season in the
breeding business.
by Kim F. Miller
“Wow” and “Holy Cow” are apt exclamations for the year
Leslie Nelson has had. The words are also the names of
two of several horses that have put this Santa Barbara
professional atop the breeder and owner standings in
United States Equestrian Federation’s Hunter Breeding
division.
A hunter/jumper trainer for nearly 25 years,
Leslie began her breeding endeavor as a just-for-fun
foray with her Thoroughbred mare Holy Cow. A flashy bay
with four knee-high socks, the now 18-year-old mare
became a Baby and Pre-Green Hunter champion on the A
circuit under Leslie’s tutelage. She continued her
winning ways with a new owner and eventually found her
way back
to Leslie.
(left to right) 24K,
Wow and Outstanding.
Photo: Shawn McMillen Photography
It was six or seven
years ago that Leslie had the idea of breeding Holy Cow.
She chose Fran Steinwedell’s superstar Starman as the
sire. “I watched his video and I just had chills,”
Leslie recalls of the handsome jumper who earned 1988
Olympic silver with Anne Kursinski at the Seoul
Olympics. The pairing of Holy Cow and Starman produced
Ooh La La, with whom Leslie had great success in the
Pre-Green division. It was the start of something good.
Holy Cow had six babies, all but one produced through
embryo transfer. Two of Holy Cow’s daughters by Popeye
K, the full sisters 24K and Wow, have been key players
in putting Leslie’s breeding program on the national
map, which is no mean feat for a West Coaster.
Wow, aka “Gracie,” was named Best Young Horse at the
Sallie B. Wheeler/USEF National Hunter Breeding
Championships on the West Coast and in the International
Hunter Futurity West Coast Regional. At the IHF
Championships in Kentucky, she was named best 2-year-old
this year, a nice follow-up to being the best yearling
there in 2007. National titles in the Hunter Breeding
divisions are not easy for anybody to earn and West
Coasters face the additional challenges of geography.
“On the West Coast, you typically have to work twice as
hard to be competitive nationally because we don’t offer
too many Hunter Breeding classes, compared to the East
Coast, where many of their classes are double pointed,”
Leslie explains. “You have to make sure you get to the
ones we have and that you do well at them.”
West Coast-friendly advances, spearheaded by Tish
Quirk and others, have made the task of competing
nationally a bit easier, but it remains a daunting
challenge. Coping with the logistics of that reality has
often fallen to Leslie’s husband Daniel, who has
sometimes seen to it that the youngsters can campaign in
two shows the same weekend, often at opposite ends of
the state.
Despite having the same parents, Wow and 24K “are
polar opposites,” Leslie reports. Like all of Holy Cow’s
offspring, both 2-year-olds are “extremely athletic,”
but Wow can be as wild as her name suggests and “Karat”
is a no-fuss kind of girl. “Wow is exactly that,” Leslie
says. “That’s how she got her name. “She’s been a
challenge every step of the way. If there is some
trouble anywhere, she will get into it. And Karat is the
easiest baby you could ever work with. She’s our little
workhorse.”
As of late October, Wow had a solid lead in the
national 2-year-old Hunter Breeding standings. 24K had
been hot on her heels until a colic took her off the
show circuit toward the end of the season. Another of
Leslie’s charges, the yearling Outstanding, by Popeye K
and out of Delilah, had a solid lead in the HOTY for
that age group. Validating Leslie’s instincts in
choosing Spencer Ranch’s Popeye K, the Dutch Warmblood
sire is on track for USEF Sire Of The Year honors.
“Sometimes I wake up and ask myself, how did this all
happen?” More impressively, Leslie has accomplished all
this while raising, with Daniel, a youngster of their
own: 3-year old Noah.
Leslie Nelson with her
husband, Dan and their son, Noah.
Well-Deserved Success
Now readying to move back to El Capitan Ranch, the
stable that’s been her headquarters for most of her
career, Leslie was due a little good news after a very
difficult period. She had been based at a ranch bought
for her by the family of student Talia Klein. The
accomplished young rider and her father were killed in a
plane crash in 2007. On top of the grief of this loss
was the uncertainty of not knowing how the sorting out
of the Klein’s estate would affect her stabling
situation.
As a trainer, Leslie likes to deliver personalized
services and so she insists on keeping that aspect of
Sterling Silver Stables small. She is grateful for the
help of her longtime friend Paul Bennett, the Northern
California trainer who partners up with Leslie at shows.
Fifteen to 18 horses has been the norm for the training
barn over the years. The breeding bug, however, seems to
have bit Leslie hard and she seems less disciplined
about the equine headcount she’ll maintain in this side
of her business.
“I’m nuts,” she confesses cheerfully. She enjoyed
good success with the young stallion, Winter Gold, by
the famous hunter sire All The Gold. Leslie has since
sold the horse, but still has semen from him available.
At presstime, she had her eyes glued on the driveway
awaiting the arrival of Gold Tycoon, a 3-year-old
Palomino Thoroughbred by Zillionair. “I was looking
around for stallions and when I saw this horse’s picture
I just freaked out,” Leslie explains. “Three months
later I bought him.” At presstime, she was showing the
handsome gelding on the Arizona circuit.
“I’ve always specialized in the young horses,” Leslie
says of her natural progression to breeding. “To now be
breeding them, raising them and getting them into the
show ring with this level of national recognition is
really exciting for me.”
She laughingly dismisses the question of whether
breeding has been a break-even deal financially. “This
is a lifestyle you choose because you love it,” she
observes. “I’ve met so many phenomenal people and it
seems like every day is a learning experience.”
In particular, she credits trainer and handler Ted
Feiger and top hunter competitor Diane Yeager as two
breeding experts who have been infinitely generous with
their knowledge and experience. “I’ve known Ted since I
was a child, but this has added a new dynamic to our
friendship.”
An award-winning breeder and handler, Ted brought out
the best in several of Leslie’s youngsters in
competition. Of late, an illness has kept him out of the
show ring. Top hunter/jumper trainer Archie Cox stepped
into the handling gap for competitions on this coast,
and leading pony breeder Richard Taylor took the
leadline when Wow campaigned in the West Coast finale
and back east. Richard was the leading handler at the
IHF Finals and having him handle her horses, in one case
on two days’ notice, was another layer of icing on the
cake. “He is a real class act!” she says.
Wow, aka “Gracie,” was
named Best Young Horse at the
Sallie B. Wheeler/USEF National Hunter Breeding
Championships on the
West Coast and in the International Hunter Futurity West
Coast Regional.
Photo: Maria Morgan @ CapturedMomentPhoto.com
Leslie plans to breed Wow to Diana Dodge’s Knob Hill
next year. She’ll again use embryo transfer, a technique
that’s been super successful as administered by Dr. Van
Snow and breeding manager Jan Martin at Santa Lucia
Farms in Santa Ynez. “They have an unbelievable
program,” she says of the reproductive specialists’
staff and band of recipient mares.
The pregnant mares return to Leslie’s care during
their pregnancy, then are sent back to Santa Lucia for
foaling. Leslie’s show schedule has prevented her from
attending the birth of any of her equine babies so far.
“We’re showing in Arizona from January through March, so
I just wait for Lindsay at Santa Lucia to call and say,
‘You’re not gonna believe this one!’”
As the promises in so many of those first phone calls
are fulfilled in regional and national hunter breeding
championships, Leslie may need a thesaurus for more
superlatives to name her horses and to describe her
days.
March 23rd,
2009
Doc aka Jasper's Birthday with Friends
Hi Bridget and Fred,
Thought you would enjoy these. This boy couldn't be more loved.
This is his first birthday party with barn mates Dancer (9) and Ranger
(25).
All were born within a week of one another. He had carrot cake, which he
wasn't too sure about, but he did love the peppermints on top.
Thanks again for this opportunity.
Kind regards,
Sharon
March 16th,
2009
Video of White Goldenair aka Cricket's Birth!
All White Medicine Hat Palomino Filly by Pure White Gold out of Queen
Debonair!
She
really has won my heart!
(Another Oscar winning performance!) I had you set up on speed
dial so hit the dial and typed I called in chat and on the board.
Cheryl
March 16th,
2009
Congratulations on your new filly!
Hey Bridgett,
Congrats on your new filly. I was
looking to see when Tassy was due and saw your web cams, very nice
set up you have..
Cant wait to see pictures of her!!
Crystal
February 25th,
2009
Congratulations on Rumor's Palomino Frame Overo!
Premiere Goldflake aka Fancy
Hi
Bridgett,
OMG!
Did Rumor foal a frame palomino! I just saw some pictures on your
testimonial page and can’t wait to see more pictures of her. I can
see she has lots of white points but can’t tell much more. What a
beauty. Many congratulations!
I’m
so incredibly happy for you. You may not remember me but I’m the one
who visited your farm about a year ago and you took a picture of
me with Zillionaire (aka Rock Star!). And apologies for bringing up a
sad note but I felt very lucky that I got to meet your snuggle bear
Nico before he passed. I’m so sorry for your loss. What a sweet,
sweet puppy. I can still see his little fanny in the air as he offered
to play.
I’ve since moved from Boston to McLean and hope to visit your farm
again this year. I especially want to see your newest little gem. Just
stunning.
Congratulations
again,
Karen
February 2nd,
2009
Kiki's Gold Obsession
Hi again Bridget
A late happy new year to you all!
I have been so busy the last couple of
weeks that I haven't been on your site for a while, so I have
only
just seen the pictures of Kiki's Gold
Obsession, and oh my gosh what a beautiful baby!
I liked that picture of her out
in the snow with a blanket on. It's just tooooo cute! And I can't
wait for the rest
of the babies to arrive.
Hope you are all well and have great year
Natasha
South Africa
January 27th,
2009
"Congratulations!"
Premiere Goldflake
The new addition is adorable -
congratulations!
One of these days I am going to have to come by and see your herd.
And of course I'll bring the camera!
Angela
January 27th,
2009
Many Congratulations from Ireland!
Premiere Goldflake
Bridget,
Just wanted to say what a pleasure it was to watch your mare Rumor
foaling out this morning. It was great for me because I'm in Ireland
so I was just in from my chores when she gave birth! It was all very
professional and shows anyone the proper way to attend mares. Love
the filly towel by the way!
Congratulations on what looks like a beautiful filly and mom did a
great job too!
Terri Ireland
January 27th,
2009
Our White Lady & Congratulations on your new palomino filly!
Hi - wanted to check in with
you and let you know that " Our White Lady" is happy
and healthy. She has gained a bunch of weight, so she is
actually fairly chubby now, and has grown a "Wyoming winter"
hair coat. I'll let you know if we have any success with
breeding. - probably won't do anything until March, as our
weather has been unbearably cold and I just can't get motivated.
Your new palomino filly, Kiki, is gorgeous! Wow! I'll be in
touch and hope all is well with you and your family.
Jen Tarr
January 10th,
2009
Thank you from a Marestare Fan
Dearest Bridget,
I wanted to
say Thank you for helping Jessi & Craig as well as keeping us at
Mare Stare updated tonight.
Pam called
me and the only thing I could think of was for you to talk to Jessi.
With your background and experience, I knew you would help as much
as you could, so I ask Pam to contact you. So glad you did!!
Again,
Thank you for your wonderful updates!!
You are the
best!
with hugs, Karen
January 10th,
2009
A Thank-You and Update on Gold Tycoon
Hello Bridget,
Just a quick hello to say thank you and to let you know how Ty
"aka"
Gold Tycoon is doing. Ty is AMAZING! I love him. He has had a
remarkable year! Since purchasing him in October of 2008 from Bill
Rube and By Design Farm he has shown with me and has been Best Young
Horse or Res Best Young Horse at
every show we competed in. In all he was USEF Zone 8 Year End Champion
Hunter Breeding Two Year old, He was Zone 8 Champion as well at
the Tucson Fall festival where they held the zone Championships.
He brought home The Arizona Hunter Jumper Association 2008 Year End
Championship for Hunter Breeding Two year olds! He is truly a spectacular
young horse! His disposition is what has won me over the most.
He
walked off of the trailer in Arizona from his long haul from
Pennsylvania in gale force winds, He looked right looked left
did not even spook once and right in to his horse show stall where for the
next four weeks he was tossed right into the hassle and
bustle of the horse show life. Since then his amazing attitude
and unbelievable work ethic has wowed all of us who have had the
pleasure of working with him. I am so excited to see what 2009
brings!
Thank You for all you have done and continue to do!
Happy New Year and Good Luck this year.
Leslie Nelson