I first learned about the Blue Valley Songbird a few months ago and in that short time, had grown incredibly fond of the pretty bay mare. My best friend from high school had been shoeing horses at Blue Valley Farm, a local Hunter-Jumper stable, when she arrived in a van along with three other horses. "Hey Glenn, would you mind staying a bit longer and checking these new horses for me?" asked Sally, the farm owner. "I wanted to start working them tomorrow morning, so I can get them ready for the big fall sale. I'll give you something extra, to make up for such short notice. Just watch out for the bay, she's a bit of a smart-ass. Rumor has it that the Smith's found her at one of the BLM lots. Lord knows what she is capable of and I really don't want you to get hurt. Not on my place. I'm not losing everything I've worked for, all these years. Not at all." she said, as she walked away, typical busy Sally, always doing a million and one things, all at the same time. So Glenn led the bay mare cautiously out of her stall and clipped the cross ties quickly onto her halter. A sigh of relief escaped his lips. A little bit wary of the mare, Glenn soon learned that she was none of the things that Sally had said. On the other hand, she was kind, generous and surprisingly, a level-headed, smart mare, unfazed by anything that came her way. "What was Sally talking about?" he wondered. Glenn became her biggest fan and looked forward to visiting with her, every time he went to Blue Valley. That's when Glenn started to tell me about the bay mare. "Hey Julie, I saw the bay mare today. "Bay mare? What bay mare?" I asked.
You know, the new horse that I have been telling you about? I think you should check her out. Sally's been working her, trying to get her ready for the big sale. I think you might be able to score a deal with Sally. I don't think she likes her very much and would be happy to get rid of her." Glenn knew that I had wanted a horse for a long time and he felt that the bay mare would be a good match for me. I was a bit hesitant, as I knew my budget was tight but Glenn was persistent and it was time to make this dream, a reality anyway. Blue Valley Songbird, a 16-hand dark bay mare with a white star on her forehead was sired by a recently imported Arabian stallion, who cleverly escaped from his handler's grasp, to stand in a dry paddock with an amorous BLM-adopted mustang mare named "Birdie." The Blue Valley Songbird was foaled a year later, making the US National Champion stallion a proven sire. Elegant and refined, the Blue Valley Songbird had big, hard, black feet, clean tendons and hard, dense bone. Sally had purchased her because she looked more like a Thoroughbred hunter and thought she could be extremely competitive in the hunter classes and of course, the top selling horse at her big fall sale. I liked the bay mare because she looked sturdy and dependable, with a temperament that was unflappable, just perfect for a trail horse. Her back was strong and built to carry a western saddle. Glenn agreed with me. He didn't believe that the mare had it in her to be a hunter. Watching Sally work with her in the ring, all the while whipping her tail from side-to-side, conveyed to Glenn how much she disliked the discipline. "Julie, this mare belongs with you. She's not made for the hunter ring. I don't know how long it will take Sally to figure this out. You will give her the quiet life she desires and the relationship with a human that she is craving" Glenn said.
So, with the few bucks that I had saved, I went down to Blue Valley Farm, to make a deal with Sally. Except that Sally wasn't going for it, not one bit. "You know Julie, you are starting to piss me off. Where do you get off thinking that $750 is enough money for this mare?" asked Sally. I stared at her blankly, while trying to hold down the glow of embarrassment, as Sally, now in attack mode, continued, "She cost me double that amount of money at the auction. Plus, what about all the money she's cost me since? No ma'am, $750 doesn't rest well with me. For this horse? She's going to be my top seller at the fall sale. I swear to you that she will. She's exactly what everyone wants for the hunter ring. Come back and talk to me when you have 10 times that amount. Maybe by that time, I'll have another horse like Songbird to sell you." With that Sally walked away, mumbling under her breath about the cost of hay and feed, while expected to sell horses for next-to-nothing. Julie, on the other hand, despite her disappointment, was more determined to purchase the Blue Valley Songbird, than she was when she first set foot in Sally's barn. But $7,500! WOW! Where would she get that kind of money? She dialed Glenn's number, "Hi this is Glenn, leave your name and number...BEEP." I swallowed hard and heard myself, as weakly, I whispered into the receiver, "Glenn, this is..."
With many thanks to:
*Photo credit of the blue trim barn: Karrie Bickett, Muse Marketing & Design
*Photo credit of the bay mare: Redbud Ranch, Browns Valley, CA
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