2025 Wrap Up, Great Year! What's Next?

Yes, 2025 was a fantastic year of growth and opportunity. Falcor and I took in 2 open shows in Olds at the end of summer and earned several ribbons. At the Pinto show, which had 2 different judges, we were tied with another lovely driver and her dreamy Welsh pony mare, until the last class - scurry. Well, she put the gas pedal down and showed us how it's done! I was thrilled to take second to her. Falcor had been quite relaxed and made me proud. The second show, a couple of weeks later, was a Welsh and open pony show. Falcor was a lot more fired up but stayed with me. We ended up winning the open driving division championship together. I couldn't be more proud.

This summer, I purchased a new mini. He's a grulla, pinto, registered-mini gelding, 4 years old, we've named Pancake. He's a bold little turkey, lots of opinion, but also a great work ethic. He's now been between the shafts twice. He made me glad for my bucking strap as he got a bit light in the rear end a couple of times, but was not dangeous whatsoever. Ali's become old hat at first drives with green ponies. She just laughs and sends them on. I've submitted his transfer for his mini-horse registration "Mini McBunz Maximus" and his pinto registration will be under the name "Senor Short Stack".

I've also purchased a pair of weanlings who have not come home yet. The first is a baby jenny donkey. Her name is Charo. She's from a good friend's stock. I quite like her sire and have had the opportunity to work with her dam previously. We're hoping she is a wooly veriety. It seems her dad is a good producer of that trait, although he himself is not woolly.

The second is a very recent acquisition. Falcor is 18 this year. In the next 4 years, I expect that he'll be ready for retirement. He is undiagnosted DSLD but is showing slow symptoms of progression. I purchased the second weanling recently. She's come off a reserve in northern Alberta. She's a pinto filly, currently about 3 - 4 months old, and pretty wild although she's coming around thanks to my good friend's skill and patience. She appears to be Shetland x Welsh but is grade. I've submitted for her Canadian Pinto registration papers. She's actually quite fancy! I'm hoping she'll mature to an appropriate height to move right into Falcor's equipment and be his replacement, in time. By the time she's 4, he'll be 22. I bought her off pictures and found, after she got off the trailer, that she has an underbite. I'm hopeful that it will correct itself as she grows. Either way, she's ridiculously adorable. My mom's named her Stinker. It's very fitting! You will hear me call her my "Stinky Pinky Pony". Indeed, I think her colour needs to be absurd pink. Her registered name is pending - Serving Iconic Lewks. The girls should be home by Christmas.

I'll be working a lot with the driving club, which has quite a number of events planned for 2026, as well as the donkey and mule club. We have booked a large, new, beautiful facility out by Sherwood Park for a 3-day long-ears competition in early June. I'm very excited for what's to come! Now we have 2 pinto ponies and 2 donkeys, so my daughter and I will have animals to be competative with in both avenues. I love options. And, after all the work with the house move this summer, my incredible, amazing, supportive, loving partner is sending me on vacation for 5 days in February. All I can say is, thank you, yes you're right, of course I deserve it! haha So there it is, as of today anyways. Stay warm. And Happy Horseing.