Bella (Wrangled From Heaven)
 

Bella
 

In the early spring of 2004 I stumbled upon a website called Mid Iowa Equine and was browsing the sale classifieds and I saw an ad for a scruffy looking yearling filly with a WILD wavy mane

The ad title went something like this: "Smokie needs a good home that can gain her trust and spend lots of time with her." At the time I was looking for a new project. Figured I could work with this filly, get her started as a three year old, then sell her. I had never been a "color" person. Every equine I'd owned in the past had been a solid colored Quarter Horse. For some reason I was drawn to that filly.

I went to see "Smokie" at a small farm about an hour from me. She was standing alone in a small mud lot. She had a halter on with a one-foot grab strap attached to it. I was told that she just didn't like people and she got that mentality from her dam, Angel. (Stars Angel Too)

I stepped into the lot and stood quietly. The filly walked right up to me and reached out her nose to inspect. This was a nice young horse that was BORED out of her mind. She had good bone, a balanced build and a very elegant head and neck. What struck me the most however was the look of intelligence and curiosity in her eyes.

I told her breeder immediately that I wanted her.

I took Smokie home and changed her name to the better fitting "Bella." Within a week I had Bella leading, standing for baths, picking up all four hooves and standing for the clippers. Her mane was so incredibly knotted from never having seen a brush I ended up having to shave the entire thing off!

Two years flew by and I then started Bella under saddle myself.

Since then Bella and I have worked with several respected eventing/dressage trainers in the area. Late in her 3-year old year Bella had two months of part-time training at a well-respected eventing barn.

After working with Bella the first time the trainer commented on how she "really is a lovely mover". The trainer also marveled at Bella's intelligence and ability to understand praise. The training progressed very quickly and by the time the two months was up I had a solid training level dressage horse.

A few years after purchasing Bella I went back to the breeder and purchased her "wild" mother, Angel. I had the hope of breeding Angel to a top-quality stallion in an attempt to reproduce Bella.

Angel ended up being more then I could ever hope for. She is such a unique mare in every way. This mare exudes extraordinary refinement, movement, and intelligence. I learned very quickly where Bella got her finest traits!

Angel also led a very sheltered life. She was 16 years old when I brought her home and at that time she was not even halter broke.

She has some serious scars and blemishes which indicate that at times she led a very painful life as well. Despite all of this, she puts her heart into everything I ask of her. This "wild" mare is now fully halter broke. She LOVES to be groomed and will follow me around the pasture as I make the daily rounds.

She always tries to please me even if she's terrified of an unfamiliar situation. That mare is worth her weight in gold.

The Color Connection

Both of my mares were registered with the APHA as duns. I'd always questioned that fact, but since I had limited knowledge of color genetics at the time I didn't push the subject much.

Then one day I stumbled upon the website for the silver bay AQHA stallion Champs Guthrie.On his website, there was an entire page dedicated to photos of silver characteristics. As I looked at the close-up of Guthrie's leg mottling a light bulb went off: "That's identical to the mottling that Bella has!" As I read on I realized that Bella had several other Silver traits mentioned on the page. Flaxen tinted mane, striped hooves and distinct dapples in the summertime.

I immediately called APHA to ask if they had any record of the Silver gene existing in the breed. I was told that they did not. I decided to test Bella anyway...

In about a week the results were emailed to me. I was SHOCKED at the results. Bella was a true silver black and also homozygous for black. EE aa nZ.

At that time the only silvers in the AQHA breed were bays.

I then tested Angel. Her results were even more surprising. Angel is now a confirmed silver buckskin. Ee Aa nZ nCr.
To date Bella and Angel are the only two DNA confirmed carriers of the silver gene in the APHA.

When I bought these two mares, their color was the last thing on my mind. I knew I had something special even when the papers said dun. The silver gene is nothing more then the icing on the cake. I have no doubt that our future foals will be a testament to just how far quality has been placed over color.




 

There will be no compromise!