This months member story is from Leanne Roth. Thank you Leanne for sharing your story and the pictures of your lovely Morgans-Nick and Chance!
From Leanne:
* My twin sister Lenore Smith & I started grooming at Arcuri Stables when we moved to Oregon from Georgia after our parents divorced when we were 11 years old. At the time we had no idea what Morgan royalty awaited us at the Arcuri’s amazing training stable.
We were both some horse crazy girls from Georgia just wanting to be around horses. We started cleaning stalls in exchange for riding & driving lessons. Tim & Jean Arcuri blessed us both immensely by introducing us to the Morgan breed which stole our hearts from the very beginning.
We traveled to the World Morgan show where we groomed & got horses ready for their classes. My goal to this day is to show one of my horses at the World Show in OKC. My 25 year old home bred Morgan Faiths First Impression GCH (Nick) was the 1997 National & World Champion Junior Gelding & World Futurity 2 year old Gelding that was shown by Forest Nealon, who ironically we used to groom horses with at Arcuri stables!
I also groomed for Sara Plumley (now Breyman) & took riding lessons from her as well on my beloved Nick in hunter pleasure.
*My first Morgan was Ka Barr Mon Aimee (Breezy) that my mom purchased from Tim Arcuri. This is Nick’s dam. Unfortunately we lost her at the OSU vet teaching hospital after a second surgery for colic a couple months after having Nick.
*Fast forward to now, I still own my wonderful gelding Nick who is now 25 years young and who practically raised my big 5 year old Sea Cloud Second Chance. These guys are best buddies and Nick is ALWAYS keeping a watchful eye out for Chance! He believes it is his duty to know where Chance is at all times! Nick has also decided that his “person” is my husband Leroy who spoils him with treats whenever he can.
I believe it was around 2013 when I started researching mares that may be available for lease as I was looking for a predecessor for Nick and wanted a foal I would be able to work with and train. I came across a Facebook post from The United Breeders Committee that listed the names of people who had mares or stallions for lease. I came across some info on an Irish Entertainment grand daughter that was available for lease, called the owner Catherine Cloud & BAM! The rest is history!
Catherine Cloud & Carole Bradford who owned Salem Command worked together to make my dream a reality. Catherine let me lease her mare Regal (JMF Irish Windsong) to breed to Winston (Salem Command) and the result is my heart horse Sea Cloud Second Chance! AKA Chance.
I have had Chance at my place ever since he was 3 months old & did all of his ground work and training. We both compete in Western Pleasure and our favorite Western Dressage. We also trail ride, he has an incredibly calm disposition and smarts and let me tell you we have been in some VERY sketchy situations and he has always handled himself VERY well!
Nick is my ranch pleasure horse & the hubby’s trail pony. My husband & I also have two sons, Levi who is 14 and Leif who is 10. I keep both my horses at home & am there primary care keeper & trainer.
