We are a small breeding program, but we believe we are well on our way to making an impact on the development of the gray color in the breed. When we started this endeavor 12 years ago there were only two mares left to the breed that could produce the color. Since then there has been some serious interest in preserving the color and the breed now claims around 100 registered grays. Pictured at right is Winter Moon Enlightenment, photo by Debbie Uecker-Keogh, the first gray Morgan to exhibit at the Grand National Morgan Horse Show in 1999 and again in 2002. In 2006 he was Resever National Champion Open Freestyle Reining with Jeanne and placed 5th in the open reining World Championship under the direction of Heath Herndon.

We are very involved with Morgan reining and are members of the National Morgan Reining Horse Assc. Shawn Gallagher, age 17, has been the Morgan National Champion Youth Reining 17 & under title holder three times in the past five years with three different horses; Challie's Firethorn, Winter Moon Waltz With Me, and Paint Rock's Sky Hawk. He is working hard to improve his reining skills and has been competing in NRHA reinings in the Central Plains Reining Horse Horse Assn.  We are very proud of his accomplishments.

Shawn is training his own horse at this time, CBMF Gift of Gold, whom he won in the Bershire Morgan Horse Club Essay Contest in 2002.  He showed his filly in 3-year-old western pleasure at the Nebraska State 4-H Horse Expo, The Nebraska State Fair, and at the Grand National Morgan show in 2004.  In 2005 this team was reserve champion Jr. Exhibotor Western Pleasure and Equitation at the North Star Morgan Show.  Gift of Gold is now taking time off to be a broodmare, but will be back next year.  Shawn is also working with Winter Moon Light Kiss, who will debut in 2007.

Next is Jamie Gallagher, 15, who has been on a winning streak with his horse Challie's Firethorn.  Jamie and "Chalk" took Reserve National Champion Non-Pro Freestyle Reining honors in 2004, riding to the music of John Michael Montgomery's "Letters from Home." In 2005 and 2006, they were reserve champions at the Grand Nationals in Youth Reining.  They have won many classes at open and 4-H shows.  2007 will be their last year together, as it is time for "Chalk" to retire.  Jamie has taken on a new project horse, Joshua's C Diamond, a 13-year-old stallion who was rescued from neglect and starvation.  Jamie is rehabilitating this beautiful palomino and has started his saddle training.  We hope that this will develop into a new reining team for 2008. 

Last, but not least, is Sidnee Pavel, 13, who is our grand-niece.  She began showing at the local and 4-H level on our lovely little gelding Winter Haven Windfire.  Sidnee and Windy won several year-end awards in Hunt Seat and western equitation and pleasure, as well as Showmanship, Trail, and Reining.  Sidnee added Triton Theodora to her show string in 2005 and burned up the arena in barrels, poles, keyhole, and stake race, winning year-end awards in all 4 classes.  2006 has some new challenges for this bright young star.  She has already won her silver medal in the reining seat and also Regional Champion Non-Pro reining at the Wheat State Morgan show, aboard Challie's Firethorn.  She is currently working with two new horses, Drumlin Carol for the reining division (since James wants his horse back), and JTS Erielle in the hunt seat division.  Look for this dynamic competitor in OKC this fall.  It is nice to have a girl to work with who eats, sleeps, and breathes horses!