Broadmoor Assistant Trainer Stacey Myers presented the many-time world champion CBMF Restless. (Photo by Suzy Lucine)
On August 7th and 8th, Andrew Beiler of Sunrise Stables, LLC in Gordonville, PA, organized a two-day open barn and farm tour of four Morgan training and breeding farms in Lancaster and Lehigh Counties.
Early Friday morning, 90 visitors started the day enjoying coffee and donuts after driving in from the tristate area, Ohio and Indiana. They boarded two tour busses at Sunrise Stables to visit Allan and Mark Fisher’s Alpha Star Morgans in nearby Kinzers. Guests were offered more coffee and donuts while watching Mark and his family present eight of their Morgans.
Horses sired by Man In Motion (Man About Town LPS x Devan Melmore), Illegal Motion (Man In Motion x UVM Unity), the late SpiceOLife Present Tense GCH (Arboria Noble Victor x Spiceolife Allura B) and JDS Paladin Pazazz (ZZ Top x HVK Fancy Lass) were shown. As each horse was brought out of the barn, their bloodlines were discussed as well as what was happening during the presentations. Weanlings were presented in-hand, a two-year-old was long lined and another was jogged in harness.
Then guests were back on the bus, heading to Kutztown, home of Broadmoor, where owners/trainers Mike Goebig and Dwayne Knowles, along with assistant trainer, Stacey Myers and staff had a lunch set up on the lawn outside the barn.
As the day progressed, the group grew in both number and spirit with about 20 more local Morgan enthusiasts joining the group for the afternoon. Visitors were invited to wander through the barn, pick up literature provided by the American Morgan Horse Association, and ask questions. They were also given one raffle ticket.
Just before the show was to begin, visitors moved chairs to the center of the large outdoor arena and along the fence rail.
To get the program off to an exciting start, Mike Goebig presented the many-time World Champion Stand and Deliver (Queens Vanity Flair x NBN At Your Command). ‘Stilts’ stood up magnificently in front of an appreciative crowd.
Next Dwayne drove in one of his daughters, Whitemud Fine & Dandy, the 2014 World Junior Classic Pleasure Driving Champion. Following her performance, a raffle ticket was drawn, and the lucky winner got to drive the mare, with Dwayne coaching from center ring.
Mike rode in another daughter, SPR Wing It. Stacey Myers rode the exciting CBMF Restless, the reigning World Amateur English Pleasure Champion; and then Toscanni, the reigning World Ladies English Pleasure Champion.
The presentations drew much cheering and applause, with encouragement from the announcer, who got spectators to make lots of noise. It was so much fun to watch the horses grow even bigger and brighter performing in front of an appreciative audience.
The great breeding stallion Astronomicallee (Futurity French Command x Liberation Starbrite) was the next exciting presentation. Dwayne led the stallion up and down the fence rail before the visitors. Throughout the presentation, Astro put on quite a show as he had his tail up over his back, snorting and blowing for the appreciative crowd.
Dwayne drove one of Astro’s young offspring, Ledyard’s Perfect Manhattan (out of Mendon Belle Amie). Then he drove another many time world champion, Get Busy (out of So Vain). There was another raffle prize drawing, and Ray Gladman had the winning ticket. When he got out of the buggy, you would have thought Ray had just won the powerball lottery.
The last horse presented was Get Busy’s daughter, Get Smart. Dwayne first rode her under saddle, then after a quick change of tack back in the barn, he drove her. Then Amos Fisher, one more lucky raffle ticket holder, had the opportunity to drive this talented filly.
Throughout the presentations, Mike, Dwayne, Greg Knowles and Abbie Trexler took advantage of a portable PA system to share information on the horses’ bloodlines, their wins in the show ring, and traits and qualities that these horses have that help them to be successful in the show ring and/or breeding shed.
Guests boarded the tour buses and headed back to Lancaster County, stopping at Eli and Rebecca Lapp’s Colonial Stables in Gordonville. In 2005, Eli became the first Amish breeder of Morgans to have a world champion. That year, EKL Command The View and trainer Kathleen Peeples were the unanimous choice of the judges for the World Three-Year-Old Hunter Pleasure Championship. Two more of the horses carrying the EKL prefix have won world titles, and several have won reserve world championships.
With Andrew Beiler providing the commentary, Eli presented a few weanlings in-hand by Rowenda Boogie On Down (LPS The Boogie Man GSC x Rowenda Belleek), the late SpiceOLife Present Tense GCH and JDS Paladin Pazazz. He also long-lined and jogged a two-year-old. One of the two-year-olds was EKL Noble Sensation, a promising gelding by Bellerophon and out of a daughter of Stand And Deliver.
Guests were treated to pork and rib patties for dinner, followed by Rebecca’s homemade whoopee pies for dessert. Then they dispersed to their hotel accommodations to rest up for the following day’s educational clinics.
Saturday morning, an even larger crowd gathered at Sunrise Stables as Mike and Dwayne gave several demonstrations. Using horses provide by Andrew Beiler, they showed how to start a young horse in long lines. They also demonstrated how to use draw reins, and gave tips on adjusting the harness correctly to meet the needs of the horse’s individual conformation and ability. They also showed how to adjust the harness so the horse is positioned correctly in the shafts of the buggy.
Andrew then worked four more of his horses, with Mike and Dwayne providing the commentary, as well as answering questions from those in attendance. He worked a two-year-old colt by Get Busy and out of a Cedar Creek Harlequin-bred mare; and drove a three-year-old filly, Valley Acres Antebellum, who is by Mizrahi and out of Playmor’s Anabell Lee.
Following a chicken barbeque at noon time, Andrew presented the stallions that stand at stud at Sunrise Stables, including Rowenda Boogie On Down and Illegal Motion, along with several of their get.
Photographs and updates could be found on social media, leaving many sorry they didn’t hear about it sooner so they could join in the festivities. This inaugural event was such a success, with beautiful weather and guests coming from the tristate area as well as Ohio and Indiana, that these horsemen are already talking about next year’s open barn tour and clinic.