Saturday, April 2, 2022 | Country Acres • Page 1
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Saturday, April 2, 2022
Volume 9, Edition 39
Focusing on Today’s Rural Environment
PHOTO SUBMITTED
Cher Becker of Eden Valley embraces KBF Adoro, her original Andalusian stallion that was a champion in Doma Vaquera and trained to Level 4 Dressage. He was heir to the oldest Andalusian bloodlines and had to be put down after shattering a leg.
Spanish horses Becker brings ancient breed to Minnesota
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BY CHRISTINE BEHNEN | STAFF WRITER
DEN VALLEY – A great horse can make the dreams of storybooks become reality, and his loss can break a heart. Around the next bend, the appearance of a great horse can make the heroics of the healing worth all the time and effort it may take. Many years ago, Cher Becker was homeschooling her children from their farm in Eden Valley and horses were not a part of their lives. She had no idea that little more than a decade later she would be running an Andalusian breeding program with her two teenage daughters, Cassidy, 20, and Gracie, 16, acting as business partners and trainers. She certainly had no intimation of the tragic heartbreak – and miraculous renewal – that would be required of her. One day back in 2010, Cher was in the library with her children when she happened upon a picture book
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Publications bli ti The newspaper of today is the history of tomorrow.
about Andalusians. She had grown up with horses, Arabians specifically, but some time had passed since then. A latent readiness sparked up in her as she browsed through image after image. “Every picture in the book was so gorgeous,” Cher recalled. “Seeing the horses in that book, I knew I’d have horses again. I knew it would have to be Andalusians.” Andalusian lore illustrated them as the horse of kings. They could carry armor and carry their riders into battle. Exciting, beautiful and brave, this Spanish breed would fight and chase bulls. As their legendary history goes, in the 1500s the Carthusian monks hid away their stock to preserve the purity of their bloodlines. In modern times, the Andalusian excels in dressage, pleasure shows, ranch work and an PHOTO BY CHRISTINE BEHNEN
Cassidy (holding reins, from left), Cher and Gracie Becker are pictured with Uno (Ultimo Triunfo) March 19 at the farm in Eden Valley.
Becker page 2
This month in the
COUNTRY:
Watch for the next edition of Country Acres on April 16, 2022
5
Wrestling with mud Diane Leukam column
12 April is go-time at fishery Garfield
21 Lambing season at Lipperts Renville
6
Daughters’ achievements highlight of Lindgren’s FFA career Staples
15 Country cooking Clontarf
26 Art form brought to life Farwell
17 Working out safetly Nancy Leasman column
28 Dairy Princess Q&As
8
Selling chicks a way of life Willmar
35 Ag in Minnesota
