Paradigm Power Surge

This is part of a "mini-series" on the horses who have influenced me and taught me the most. 


Paradigm Power Surge

After we spanked the competition in Indy.

"Wilson" as we called him was sired by Will Power - a son of I Will Command. I Will Command sired numerous champions in the Morgan breed. I don't really remember Wilson's mother or her lines ... bad me.

Anyway, Wilson came along when we still owned Sparkles. He was a 3 year old, brought right out of the field and thrown into life in a training stable. He knew NOTHING. Our trainer at the time convinced my father that Wilson would make a great investment and would be a money-maker.

The first time I saw him, we turned him loose in the indoor. He was without a doubt stunning. Dark, dark bay gelding. Long neck and a trot to die for (and he was barefoot). But he was skittish and did not trust people. I could not even catch him in a stall.

My sister and I continued to show Sparkles while Wilson was broke to drive. He started to come around slowly. We took him to Oklahoma (the Grand National) that year and our trainer showed him in 3 year old pleasure driving.

That year, he stepped off the van and was obviously sick. He ended up spending a day or two at the university large animal hospital - he was treated for pleurisy (sp?). He did end up showing in his class later in the week and I think he did OK, but no big ribbons.

The next season he was started under saddle. I was pretty pumped that I "got" to show him one year at the Indiana show. (as if it was some sort of honor to ride my own horse ... but I digress). I had not ridden him before, so I had a quick lesson at the show and then the next day was our class. I also had been attending the University of Findlay and had ridden nothing but hunter/jumpers for several years now. Saddleseat land was becoming more and more foreign to me. But what the heck - why not jump on a green 4 year old I've ridden once, hop back in a flat saddle and go show? (As you can tell from the photo, I had show clothes that didn't even really fit, too. Ah well)

Well, we rocked the Youth English pleasure class. He spooked once badly at the gate, but we recovered quickly and ended up winning! We even broke from the trot to the canter once IN FRONT OF THE JUDGE and still won! That's how awesome this horse was.

I went back to college, Sparkles retired to broodmare land, and my sister took over the ride. She did well with him in the junior ranks, and we sold him after Oklahoma.

Wilson was a pretty damn fancy saddleseat horse, but the people we sold him too turned him into a hunter pleasure horse. Which is where is ROCKED IT. He won numerous titles with his new young rider and I enjoyed watching him at shows. I'm not sure where he is now or if he is still showing, but he sure was a neat horse even though he was only ours for a short time.

For the rest of the series - see my sidebar.