DONELL

Sire: DON RICO  Dam: GABRIELLE

DONELL already shows great power and agility. He has three very good gaits with an expressive trot, and he loves to jump! Donell is from the first crop of foals of the promising young Hanoverian black stallion Don Rico, owned by Centaur Riding School. Don Rico’s sire is the elegant and impressive Don Frederico. (Follow the links below to read up on these horses.)

Donell’s dam, Gabrielle, is a solid mare whose Oldenburg sire Gigolo boasts Gepard and Gotthard in his pedigree. (The great Shutterfly also has Gepard in his ancestry)

Donell seems to have a love of jumping. The video shows him jumping for the first time. He jumps with total ease, effortlessly, and out of a trot! Not wanting to overface him since it was after all the first time, we seemingly didn't build the jump high enough to suit him so that he would put some effort into it! What the video doesn't show, is Donell jumping the jump by himself beforehand, without us asking him to, just for the fun of it. It was as if he saw the jump and instantly knew what it was for...

When Donell was a foal still with Mom, he used to jump for fun. One day, much to my consternation, I saw him cantering towards the gate (his shoulder-height), off-stride, and on sheer ice!! He adjusted the striding, cleared gate in fine style and came to a halt without any loss of balance or slipping upon landing. He stopped, turned around, looked at his now-panicking Mom, and jumped back over the gate to go to her - again flawlessly. (Thank goodness he didn't make a game of that over the next few years!)

OCTOBER 2008: Donell is going under saddle. He is proving to be an easy and light ride, with a springy trot and a very balanced canter. He shows good sense - he is the horse out of the 20+ herd who will lead the whole bunch if there is something strange or out of the ordinary. He shows this same good sense under tack - he has been ridden in a noisy (wind & rainstorm) arena without problem.

May 2010: competing training level at Gold Dressage Competition

February 2011: Donell is now is now in the Stouffville area in training for the jumper ring. He loves his new work. (but still does dressage on non-jumping days).

September 2011: Donell has moved to JF Gagné's facility - "Gagné International" in South Carolina for more training.

Donell is looking for a human partner who will develop his in-born love of jumping, good sense & lovely movement - imagine what could be accomplished with such a willing horse...