“…We are the dreamers of dreams”
Arthur O’Shaughnessy, Ode
Blue Rock Fintan
Wildwych Wily Casanova X *Murvey Inver Lor
2013 purebred Connemara stallion
Heterozygous grey from bay
15.1h
9 inches of bone
HWSD: N/N
“Did I dream you dreamed about me?”
Tim Buckley and Larry Beckett, Song To The Siren
Fintan was one of the superb foals that made me jump at the chance to own Sly. I never thought that I’d make the leap a year later and purchase the then two year old intact colt- a son of Sly. And yet, there was something special about Fintan and when the chance came I took it.
Fintan arrived in New Orleans as a two year old with minimal handling but an incredible brain. He walked off the trailer and into a busy hunter jumper barn without batting an eye. In the spring of his three year old year, he was backed then spent the summer out with his first mares. In the fall, he left the farm for his first “real work.” Within two weeks, he was hacking out alone and in mixed company, crossing highways and ditches, going through standing water, riding alongside traffic and through neighborhoods.
Early the following year, he attended his first hunter/jumper clinic where he was impeccably behaved in a large, mixed group. He spent most of his four year old year going various places with the idea of his learning to be both a breeding stallion and a riding pony at the same time. By his five year old year, he was ready to start some “real work.” He attended multiple clinics- both dressage and jumping with clinicians such as Buddy Brown, Leif Sorensen, and Laureen McKenzie. He attended his first horse show doing the 2’6” jumpers where he was clean and clear in all but one class. He showed in his first hunter division, Baby Green Hunters (2’6″), where he both won the hack and brought home Reserve Champion honors. During the year he was ridden by adults and children of all ages and abilities, hacked out alone and in mixed company, and when at home lived companionably with his mares.
His six year old year, he headed to Lesage, WV to try his hand at eventing. He spent two years with Melissa Mayo and her family at Twist of Fate Eventing doing all the fun pony things she could dream up for them both. He was the lead line trail class mount for two little girls at the Region 3 Connemara show the same day he competed in his first horse trials. In three months time, he went from never having put a hoof on a cross country course, to finishing the season with a 4th place in Novice at Oktoberfest at the Kentucky Horse Park. With the Mayos, Fintan sired some superb individuals, both purebred and halfbred, evented with Melissa, and spent two separate weeks camping and playing on the beach and in the surf while being ridden by various people including Melissa’s daughters, Grace and Addie.
After a short summer sojourn in New York to cover Heather Magnan’s purebred mares, *Grey Pearl and Wildwych Giselle and Anne Early’s Wildwych Eve’s Golden Delicious, he headed home to Louisiana. Back to work after a few days rest, he was, like always, a perfect gentleman. Fintan is such a fun, fun pony to ride. I’m so excited to have him home and can’t wait to do all of the things with him.
“Many dreams come true, And some have silver linings”
Jimmy Page & Robert Plant, Over the Hills and Far Away
Fintan’s Offspring
With Fintan being bred in the purple, I had high expectations that he would produce superb offspring. His first foals were born in 2017 and one by one they made my dreams come true. As newborns, they surpassed my wildest assumptions. As youngsters, they knocked my socks off. But it is under saddle that the silver lining really shone through. Every foal Fintan has produced is a lovely mover with a kind disposition. True “people ponies,” they leave their equine friends to be with their humans. Easy to start under saddle, they are generous to their humans and tolerant of a wide variety of riders- even while green as grass themselves. Their innate athleticism and lovely movement shines in their under saddle work. Their bone and substance gives them “a leg at each corner” and their willingness to come to work each day makes them enjoyable to train. Along with beautiful gaits and a steady temperament, Fintan consistently adds bone, substance, and Connemara type to both his purebred and halfbred offspring. His purebred son, Blackwing Goodnight Moon out of Wildwych Dreamtime (Aran Milano- AUS), won his class at the 2019 Region IV Connemara show and was 5th in the all males of all ages class at the 2019 Region III show. After only a few months under saddle, he’s hacking out alone and in company and has happily taken his first jumps. Nyx and Benny, 2018 purebred and half-bred, are shining in their dressage home with Nyx (purebred out of Wildwych Dreamtime) showing a lovely, balanced canter that belies her handful of months undersaddle. Both are ridden by adults and children, in the arena and out. Mardi, 2018 purebred out of Wildwych Lantana, was backed summer of 2021 and is often ridden by his owner’s thirteen year old daughter. Charles Wallace (2017 purebred) has been going on adventures since the day he met his Mom- just recently this has included fox hunting where he was impeccably behaved on his first hunt. Fintan’s first TB crosses, TF Worth the Wait aka Corbin and TF Just An Inkling aka Lindy were born in 2021 and are truly stunning individuals with good bone, good brains, and beautiful movement.
“I’ve heard tell that what you imagine, sometimes comes true.”
Roald Dahl, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory