Dazzle would have been a dream come true, if I were still sixteen.  I obtained him due to a cousin’s economic downturn.  He was twelve years old, still unstarted under saddle, still a stallion.  I was not deterred.  He has a great pedigree (his registered name is CF Rassuli).  Instantly upon arrival, he displayed a tremendous talent for jumping.  He did so by leaping out of the 6’5” post-and-rail stud paddock which I had laboriously built for him over the winter – not once, but twice.  He also leaped a 6’ wide hedgerow, at a diagonal – he was 18’ in the air. I know:  I measured from the hoofprints.  And he only stands 14.2 h.h. himself! After that, he jumped a  4’ wire fence with electric wire 6” atop that.

Were I still sixteen, young and agile, taking twice-weekly jumping lessons from a past Olympic horsemaster, no doubt by this time Dazzle and I would have been headed for the Arabian National Championships in Open Jumping.

Instead, all these antics only earned him getting gelded! 

It  has taken a long time to gain this horse’s trust – perhaps longer than any horse I have ever worked with.  I have been hampered, therefore, by needing a header to help me get on his back.  Since it has been years since I have been a professional horse trainer, there is no bevy of eager young riders around all the time to help me any longer.  Therefore, Dazzle goes long stretches of time only being longed and line-driven (for even to start being put-to a carriage requires a header).  I purchased the harness.  I purchased the steel starting cart.  And still I keep waiting for a youth who was as I had been – enamored of Arabians, completely besotten, in fact:  reading every single Walter Farley book ever published, catching a ride on any horse they can.

This one could be a champion.  I am convinced of it.  I just keep waiting for that young rider to appear.