b y G a r y p h o t o s
D e a r t h b y S t u a r t
V e s t y
Once hailed as “The Versatile Arabian,” our breed has become a breed of specialists. We have halter horses and performance horses, English horses and western horses, sport horses, and working western horses, with very little overlap between divisions. Although we may aspire to breed beautiful performance horses and athletic halter horses, the reality is very different. Fortunately there are a few exceptions, and Vicario (DA Valentino x Faberge AA) is a shining example. From a pedigree that contains the U.S. National Champion Stallions DA Valentino (Versace x DA Love), Magnum Psyche (Padrons Psyche x A Fancy Miracle), and Khemosabi (Amerigo x Jurneeka), Vicario is proof that it is possible to be both a National Champion in halter and a national winner and a National Champion contender in performance. Thoughtful breeders labor over their breeding decisions knowing that the future of the Arabian breed depends on the guidance they provide in the process. Vicario’s breeder, Barb Sink-Krusenstjerna, said, “I saw DA Valentino at the Previous page and facing: 2016 Scottsdale Champion Western Pleasure Junior Horse Vicario (DA Valentino x Faberge AA) with trainer Jody Strand. Above: Vicario at liberty.
Iowa Gold Star in Des Moines, which gave me the opportunity to go behind the curtain and see him in the stall. I loved his neck and body, but I could also see that he had a really nice personality. He was unique. My mare Faberge AA (Magnum Psyche x Khameo AA by Khemosabi), was given to me by Candace Berry, and I felt she would do well with DA Valentino.” I understand why Barb gravitated toward DA Valentino. I judged him at the 2006 Canadian National Championships where he was the unanimous National Champion Stallion as a three-yearold. While I was admiring his Arabian type, obvious physical attributes, and excellent movement, I thought about what a beautiful western pleasure horse he would make. Two years later I had the
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honor of judging DA Valentino at the 2008 Scottsdale Show in the Supreme Halter Championship, which he won unanimously. He was now a mature horse, and I still felt that he could be a beautiful western pleasure horse. More importantly it occurred to me that his offspring could fulfill that potential. Vicario nearly didn’t survive his birth. “Vicario is lucky to be alive,” said Barb. “For the first time we put up cameras in our foaling stall. It was a little early so I didn’t think Faberge AA was ready to foal, but my husband Jay suggested that we pull up the camera feed on the computer and take a look. He said, ‘Oh, my God, there is something on the ground.’ I went flying out of the house. When I got to the stall he was still in the bag and the mare was eating hay not paying any attention. I pulled the bag off and starting pumping and screaming and yelling at this foal, ‘You’re going to live!’ He took his first breath and started improving. I watched him closely for a few days to see if there was any brain damage or anything, but everything was OK. Obviously, we got to him immediately after he had been born. Without the cameras I would have gone to bed and found Vicario dead in the morning.” From the beginning it was clear to Barb that Vicario was special. “He was such a beautiful baby, and you can’t beat a bay with four white socks and a perfect blaze,” she said. “He also
OSTEEN/SCHATZBERG PHOTO
never went through a bad phase. I sent Vicario to Andy Sellman as a yearling and he won a regional sweepstakes class. At U.S. Nationals he went Top Ten in a 28- or 29-horse class. I was over the moon.” This national win was just the first of many for Vicario. As a two-year-old he was the 2012 Canadian National Champion Two-Year-Old Colt and 2012 U.S. National
Jill Lochner and Vicario, 2016 Champion Scottsdale Signature Stallion Western Pleasure Maturity ATR.
Top Ten Two-Year-Old Colt. But these halter wins were just part of Barb’s show plans for Vicario. She explained, “Vicario’s halter wins were icing on the cake. But western was always the goal. I like horses who can do both.” After the 2013 U.S. Nationals, renowned
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western trainer Jody Strand entered Vicario’s life. “I brought Vicario home from the U.S. Nationals after he had shown as a two-year-old so I could start him under saddle that fall,” Jody said. “He just went right to work. Everything came so easily for him and he was so quiet. I had remembered watching Andy Sellman showing Vicario at Canada as a two-year-old. They bagged him up before the class and he took about two or three trotting steps into the ring before he broke into a lope. I told Andy, ‘Never discourage that. That’s a beautiful thing.’” That naturally quiet disposition has been a hallmark of Vicario’s western success. Barb Sink-Krusenstjerna told me that they tested Vicario’s suitability as both a halter and performance horse at the 2014 U.S. Nationals. She said, “We took it to its extreme his three-year-old year when Jody took him to Top Ten in the Western Pleasure Futurity class, where he was third overall, and then Rob Bick showed him that night and he was Top Ten in the Futurity Colt class. That was a lot to accomplish in one day.” And it was an almost unheard-of accomplishment in a twelve-hour period. At that show a new chapter in Vicario’s life was about to begin. “I met Gretchen Love when I did a training clinic in Lewiston, Idaho,” Jody said. “She had a horse there with Karla Moffitt. After the clinic they asked if they could send the horse to me. I tried to make it a western horse, but it ended up being a hunter. I was straightforward with her about the horse’s potential. Sometime later Gretchen tried to buy RD Habanero (Bey Ambition x NW Siena Psyche), but was unable to. She told me after that if I saw a great junior western horse to call her first. I was getting Vicario ready for the U.S. National Western Pleasure Futurity and he was coming on like gangbusters. I called Gretchen to tell her that I had in
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Vicario and owner Gretchen Love.
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BEY SHAH FAME VF RAFFOLETA-ROSE VERSACE *EL SHAKLAN PRECIOUS AS GOLD AUTUMN IN GOLD DA VALENTINO *PADRON PADRONS PSYCHE KILIKA DA LOVE ECHO MAGNIFFICOO MAGNIFFICAA FA JAMAARA FA
*PADRON PADRONS PSYCHE KILIKA MAGNUM PSYCHE *SASAKI A FANCY MIRACLE *MEDINA AZAHARA FABERGE AA AMERIGO KHEMOSABI JURNEEKA KHAMEO AA TLA HALYNOV ATHENA AA AA VENUS
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my possession the horse that was exactly what she was looking for. As soon as I started working him at U.S. Nationals that year, people started inquiring whether he could be bought. So I called Gretchen because I didn’t want him to leave the barn. Without hesitation she said she’d buy him. When I asked her if the contract was OK and the results of the pre-purchase were satisfactory to her, she said, ‘Honey, I have already wired the money to your account.’ That is how confident she was that Vicario was the horse for her.” Gretchen added, “I bought Vicario sight unseen before he was the winner. The future was unknown. But for me he was the personification of what I wanted in a western horse.” Gretchen’s love for Arabian horses began as a child. “As a young girl, like many others, I was horse crazy,” she said. “My family was in the bread business. My father knew Eddie O’Connor who owned Eddie’s Bakery. He had a sprawling working ranch in Helena, Montana. He gave me a Half-Arabian that I showed back in the 1950s when IAHA was just getting going. The horse did everything from western pleasure to barrel racing to pole bending. Along the way as an older teenager, I went to Arizona with my father on a business meeting. He said, ‘I have a surprise for you.’ He drove me to the most incredible place, where he had arranged a private presentation of *Bask (Witraz x Balalajka) for me. They brought him out and I got to spend time with him. They told me he was so valuable that they could no longer insure him. It made such an indelible impression on me. “I married quite young and I had my family, so I had to give up horses. My daughter had an Arabian, but nothing special. In my midlife my parents had passed away, my children were grown, and I found myself single and contemplating which direction I would go. I opened the newspaper and there was an ad for a *Bask grandson and that was it. I bought him for my granddaughter. That slowly brought me back into the Arabian fold. But the Arabian 10 ▪ VICARIO ▪ WORLD
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In addition to Vicario’s multiple championships in western pleasure, his correct conformation has also earned halter wins — he was 2014 U.S. National Top Ten Futurity Colt and 2013 Canadian National Champion Two-Year-Old Colt.
scene had changed and become much more sophisticated than my early years. During this time I also mentored young girls with two other horses that I purchased. I got such pleasure from giving these girls the same kind of experiences that I had. After all of the young girls I worked with grew up and went to college and got married, I thought, ‘should I walk away?’ But I decided, No, I’m not done yet. I had a goal to own an incredible western horse. So when Jody Strand called from the U.S. Nationals and described Vicario’s temperament, beauty, and athleticism, I knew he had really grasped what was important to me. I asked him to send me a picture. I took one look and I said, ‘That’s him.’ When he gave me a number I told him that I was not going to negotiate, the horse was sold.” And so was born the partnership of a dedicated owner and an extraordinary horse. At Scottsdale this year Vicario served notice that he is the horse to beat in Arabian Western Pleasure Junior Horse. He was named Champion in that division as well as winning the Scottsdale Signature Stallion Western Pleasure AATR Maturity with Jill Lochner. I asked Jill how she came to have the privilege of showing Vicario. “Jody
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mentioned to me last year something about me showing Vicario at Scottsdale, but I was pregnant,” she said. “My baby was due in December so I didn’t think it would happen. I was still in the hospital after having a C-section when Jody called and said, ‘We are working on Scottsdale entries.’ I wasn’t confident I could get back in shape that fast and be able to get back in my show clothes! But Jody offered to babysit for me while I worked on the treadmill, and entered me anyway! “Six weeks after the birth of my son, I got the go-ahead from my doctor that I could start riding. I went out to Jody’s and took one ride on Vicario and said, ‘Wow! He is something special.’ Jody wasn’t exaggerating about his talent. I went home that day and laid out all my show clothes in my kitchen. Every time I would go to get something to eat I would look at my show clothes. That motivated me. I rode Vicario four or five times at the farm. Jody wanted me to show Vicario in a class before the Scottsdale Signature Maturity and the only
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VESTY PHOTO
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one that worked in the schedule for us was the ladies to ride. I couldn’t believe that I was going to show against all of the professionals. But I thought I would be OK because it was just for practice. Well, he was so good we ended up winning it out of 19 or 20 horses. That helped my confidence! On the day I showed Vicario in the Scottsdale Signature Maturity he was also going to show later in the day with Jody in the junior horse championship. Warming up for the class he was a little fresh which caused me to think, Gosh dangit, Strand, you didn’t longe him this morning so he would be fresh for me and perfect for you in your class. But as soon as we jogged into the ring I kept talking to him and he settled right down and went to work. He pricked his ears forward and set his head and gave me a great ride. In all of my years showing that was my best ride ever. He gave me a great trip.” Jody added, “Jill’s got a great feel for riding in a hackamore and she did a great job with Vicario.” For Gretchen, Vicario exemplifies her goal of breeding for both beauty and function. In fact, Vicario’s first few foals indicate that his career as a breeding horse will be very successful. His breeder Barb is excited about her first Vicario foals. “I have a Melody V filly here that I bred,” she said. “At Nationals that year when I knew he was going to sell, I went over and talked to Rick and Laura Gault and they called the owner of Melody V (Sundance Kid V x Magdalena V) and arranged for me to get an embryo. I got a very nice filly. I think Vicario is going to be an excellent sire and an important outcross for Sundance Kid V mares. I also have an excellent yearling colt out of a *Khadraj NA (Ponomarev x Khatreena NA) daughter and I have seen pictures of other outstanding foals.” Vicario embodies all the best of his pedigree and bears an uncanny resemblance to his grandsire Khemosabi. Maybe he will someday retire from a halter and performance show career that compares to his illustrious grandsire’s. Clearly his owner Gretchen has a deep connection to this special horse. “I am in awe of Vicario,” she said. “I care deeply for him. For me, to get this wondrous horse is like me winning the lottery.”
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Proudly owned by Gretchen Love Sweepstakes Nominated · Scottsdale Signature Stallion · IA Gold Star Stallion MN Medallion Stallion · AWPA Enrolled Sire · SCID and CA clear Standing at Strand’s Arabian Stables · Contact Jody Strand · 319.360.5997
www.strandsarabians.com
Proudly owned by Gretchen Love Standing at Strand’s Arabian Stables · Contact Jody Strand · 319.360.5997
www.strandsarabians.com
Designed and produced by Arabian Horse World · 07/16