In August 2017, we took an amazing trip to Denmark for the KNN's 4th International Knabstrupper conference and 2 gradings.
There's so much to learn from the Danish when it comes to preserving and developing a breed for future generations. One of those learnings is the quality that comes from grading and the recognition that a breed can encompass a variety of types, each one to suit a particular market.
We took over 1,000 photos at 2 gradings and they're all available to browse here. We hope you enjoy.
Breed yourself a good horse this 2017 season with a Sparkling Acres discount.
20% off chilled semen (Skip's Supreme and Mighty Luminous breedings $1,150 $920 including one collection and live foal guarantee) if booked and $200 deposit paid by 30 September 2017.
Balance due before semen is supplied (timing to suit your breeding programme, so you can breed any time up until the end of February, or even a bit later with plenty of notice).
Payment accepted by bank deposit or credit card (3% surcharge applies). Don't miss this opportunity - see the breeding details and complete the contract to secure your spot... your breeding will be at the discounted rate if it's with us along with your deposit by 30 September.
If you're keen but don't have a suitable mare, talk to us about using one of ours.
Visits to see our stallions, mares and progeny always welcome.
Vet and transport fees are the responsibility of the breeder.
Everyone's feeling spring fever!
Our one and only foal for 2016 is a simply gorgeous filly with a lacy blanket, who has the loveliest temperament you could hope for and so much promise.
Youngsters Skipnotic and Mighty Bewitching have put on almighty growth spurts and look like proper young ladies and we're working hard to get mares in foal.
Skip's Supreme and Mighty Luminous have space for a couple more breedings by transported semen so if you're keen, please get in touch!
In November, we had so much fun in Melbourne promoting Sportaloosas to thousands of Kiwis and Australians at Equitana.
Sartor's Supermodel (Rupert) travelled 16 hours from NSW along with his yearling mate Cayuse Flash Duke and these boys were fabulous ambassadors.
At 4 years old, Rupert was ridden for the first time in public, first time in an indoor arena, mingled with other stallions and mares in season and didn't put a foot wrong.
In 2017, Equitana comes to Auckland...
Huge congratulations to Vince and Samantha McAuliffe at Cayuse Sportaloosas on picking a top notch sire yet again.
Here's the first ever foal by Sartor's Supermodel (imp Denmark) bred and born at Cayuse Sportaloosas and she's everything any good horseperson could want.
After a long and nervous wait, frozen semen from not 1 but 2 superb Knabstrupper stallions are safely on ice at Equibreed, ready to use from spring 2016.
With sincere thanks to Samantha McAuliffe at Cayuse Sportaloosas, we're very proud to offer kiwis the opportunity to breed to Sartor's Supermodel (imp Denmark) or to Lori's Flashpoint Af Lyn (imp Germany) at just $900 per dose of frozen semen.
This is a rare chance to buy or breed yourself a foal by a sire from one of the world's leading Knabstrupper breeding programmes.
These spotted warmbloods are smart and talented performance horses with sweet, calm and trainable natures and they're getting rave reviews from everyone who meets them.
The sweetheart young mare Tiva is now in Wanganui, home to the most amazing line up of quality Sportaloosas in NZ.
She's now under saddle and is having a blast... couldn't ask for more.
She's reunited with big sister Momentarily Skipped, brother and baby playmate Skiptified and best friend Mighty Incandescent.
Here's to lots of ranch horse success in coming years.
The big-striding, sweet-natured and very talented Knabstrupper stallion Sartor's Supermodel (Rupert to his mates) landed @ Cayuse Sportaloosas in late November.
He's 16.1hh at 3 years old and features extra exciting dressage breeding in his pedigree, including the mighty Sir Donnerhall by Sandro Hit.
Big ups to the students who flew through level one of the Emmett for horses course held here at the end of November 2015.
Emmett is a muscle release therapy that delivers exceptional results. It releases restrictions, relieves pain and tension, improves range of movement and more.
Results are profound, long-lasting and usually quickly achieved. And, it's gentle and non-invasive.
Roll on level two, here in mid-February.
It's a truly gorgeous spring here in the Whangaripo Valley and the boys have their eyes out on stalks for mares!
We have very limited spaces for visiting mares (so please talk to us early if you'd like to your mare to come and stay) or we can send good quality chilled semen anywhere in New Zealand.
Don't miss your chance to breed to the powerhouse Skip's Supreme or the phenomenal Mighty Luminous... both boys' progeny get rave reviews for ability, trainability and temperament and there's just nothing else like them in the country.
Alternatively, talk to us about a foal from one of our imported mares.
A graded and approved Knabstrupper stallion with breathtaking movement is en route from Denmark to Australia and we are incredibly excited to have secured a breeding share.
He's a delux performance horse - beautiful, sweet natured, exceptionally athletic and of course... spotted and he comes from one of the world's most respected Knabstrupper studs. I visited this stud in Denmark many years ago and it's an absolute privilege to have the opportunity to breed from one of their horses, nearly 20 years later.
All thanks to his importer, none other than the leading Sportaloosa stud in Australia.
This boy is currently in quarantine in Germany... more to follow.
The quality of Sportaloosas in NZ has taken another step up with the exceptional showjumper Cayuse Bling Du Rouet heading to NZ.
Bling is out of Few In The Cru's dam Cayuse Transfewsion and by the German jumping sensation Balou Du Rouet.
Big congrats to his new owner... wishing you lots of success!
A little bit of heartbreak at Sparkling Acres when, at the start of September, our super colt The Skiplomat made a mistake with a fence and couldn't be saved.
Just a week later, the results of the 2015 Sportaloosa foal futurity were announced and he took out 4th place, with his half sister Skipnotic coming in at 5th.
We're so proud of the results this little kiwi stud is managing in this international competition... this year, competing against horses from Australia and Belgium. The judge was Australian sport horse breeder and competitor David Shoobridge.
Congratulations to Stewart and Robyn on their purchase of the spectacular filly Mighty Skiptivating by Skip's Supreme (imp USA) out of Mighty Luminous' full sister Cayuse Mighty Tantalizing (imp Aust) and my favourite, the exceptional imported Knabstrupper / Appaloosa filly Mighty Incandescent.
There's nothing else like Candy in NZ so it's our challenge to try to replace her, while cheering her on as she shows what she can do!
Stewart and Robyn also have Momentarily Skipped for some good work under saddle.
Karen Gander's Skip's Daytona Sunset looking sensational at 2 years old.
Karen bred her mare Santana Sunset to Skip's Supreme to produce this awesome boy.
Congratulations!
The smooth moving, cruisy Sportaloosa gelding Mighty Intriguing is now safely in his new home in Upper Hutt and having a bunch of fun with his new owner.
Congratulations Pam; wishing you both lots of dressage success!
There's a lot of information available online about the genetics of equine colour and when it comes to appaloosa patterning, much of it is just plain wrong.
The Appaloosa Project's breeder's guide to the Leopard Complex gene (LP) has everything you need to know in plain English and it's a must-read for anyone keen on spotted horses.
The guide covers
- LP-related discoveries
- It all begins with LP; how the 'light switch' works
- How LP is inherited
- Possible LP breeding outcomes
- Recognising a horse with LP
- LP and night blindness
- Frequently asked questions
In a huge step forward for Appaloosa breeders, the Appaloosa Project has located the PATN1 gene responsible for leopard patterning and the Veterinary Genetics Lab at the University of California, Davis has begun offering a DNA test for PATN1.
Read more about the discovery of the PATN1 gene.
The beautiful young mare Momentarily Skipped is home, along with Mighty Intriguing, following a refresher course under saddle with Bryan Lowcay.
She's looking for a great person to tap in to her enormous talent and she's just one of the top quality Sportaloosas you'll find for sale in our paddocks.
Thanks and congratulations to Stewart and Robyn of Wanganui on their selection of the very athletic Skip's Supreme boy Skiptified as their up and coming riding horse.
Look out for this super young gelding in Ranch Horse events when he grows up.
Photo by Clearly Exhibit.
Our most beautiful and much loved girl. We wanted much more time and hoped for more foals but on the morning of 8th October, a white tail spider had other ideas.
Way back in 2003, we imported 2 horses: the 6 month old Mighty Luminous and the yearling filly Cayuse Three In One, out of Mighty Enchanting. After meeting Mighty Enchanting in the flesh we also ordered a filly by the then baby Skip's Supreme (imp USA) and imported the resulting Skip's Enchantment.
A year later, we had the opportunity to buy Mighty Enchanting herself and grabbed it. She never disappointed. We bred her to the exceptional cutting Appaloosa Ric O'Lena before leaving Australia and she produced Enriched, now the breeding stallion at Arawood Appaloosas.
The following year, we bred her to Mighty Luminous and she delivered the colt Mighty Spellbinding. Terrible difficulties foaling meant years went by without another foal until late 2013, when she produced Mighty Bewitching, again by Mighty Luminous.
She left behind 2 outstanding individuals in Australia; Cayuse Dark Enchantment who stands at Three Vee Appaloosas in Victoria and Cayuse Faithful Few, reining horse extraordinaire.
Belle represented a piece of Appaloosa history that's unlikely to be seen in New Zealand again. She was a granddaughter of the Hall of Fame Appaloosa stallion Mighty Bright, by Bright Eyes Brother who has sired more Hall of Fame Appaloosas than any other stallion.
We can't replace her but that's just one side of the story. What really matters is the horse we loved. She had a huge heart and the most wonderful and affectionate nature. If we asked her to do something, she did it happily whether it was working stock, babysitting youngsters or being our demo horse for Equidays. She loved to be involved with people and people loved her.
A few people deserve a special mention in her life in New Zealand:
- our neighbour Jo Just who dropped everything to help when Belle prolapsed her uterus after foaling in 2007
- the Dairy Flat vets who attended the prolapse and saved her, especially Stewart who attended on his day off
- Jane Taylor-Young for giving me the knowledge of the remedies that helped her to pull through the first night once the vets had done their job
- Neil Bell, whose bowen therapy got her comfortable and helped her to regain her mojo :)
- Jill Shires whose cranio sacral therapy allowed her to conceive again 6 years later and raise a top quality filly
Each of these people helped to achieve some impossible things and gave a wonderful horse what we hope was a wonderful life.
Rest well darling girl... you've earned it.
The wonderful result of the pairing of Mighty Luminous and Cayuse Mighty Enchanting - Mighty Bewitching - has taken out reserve champion in the 2014 $1,000 Sportaloosa video foal futurity.
Our newly arrived kiwi Mighty Incandescent took out third place so we are happy!
Their videos are just a bit further down the page if you're keen to have a look.
What we love about this futurity is that it's judged entirely on performance potential and geography is no limiter; entries are accepted from anywhere in the world and generally, it's the cream of the Sportaloosa crop that's entered.
Our sincere thanks to this year's judge Bryan Lowcay for his time and expertise.
