Wat een mooi (emotioneel) verhaal over Augusta *de merrie van Tintagel*, kreeg er gewoon kippevel van 
:
The miracle…..
Tintagel Enterprises, Ltd. presents the rarest of Andalusians
Born May 1, 1999 a pure Spanish Andalusian filly...bay with white blaze, four stockings and pinto markings in the sabino pattern.
Seven days old and knowing she is special.
As if the color weren’t enough, Augusta’s classic conformation and expressive and extravagant straight movement makes her a prize among any.
We are so honored and humbled to receive this gift…the miracle filly that bears the honored name…
Augusta
THE STORY
The miracle of this special young filly’s birth may just seem like a rare, ancient combining of genes, but I feel her birth has a deeper meaning and her story would not be complete without also introducing a very special horse named Auggie…
The bay spotted Thoroughbred/Appaloosa cross gelding was my best friend and mentor for over 16 years. Auggie was what we called an "old soul" who carried such wisdom with him and had such powerful energy that he influenced all who came in contact with him. This beloved monarch of the farm had the retirement job of babysitting the mares and when the beautiful but timid and nervous mare Encina came to reside at the farm, Auggie instantly took her under his care. Auggie befriended Encina and taught her it was o.k. to trust humans and slowly but surely Encina flowered into the gentle, motherly spirit she is today. When Encina got pregnant we all joked that Auggie thought he was the father and each of us laughed, "I wouldn’t be surprised if the baby came out with spots!"
Sarah and Auggie in a 1983 show. 
Auggie in 1998, wandering loose around the barn, stops to nuzzle Encina.
It was with much sadness that I soon realized Auggie wasn’t going to make it to see the birth of this much-anticipated foal and in November 1998 Auggie was buried on a hillside at the top of the mares pasture. This was the hillside where he had lovingly grazed with and protected his Encina, and all his mares, and now he could continue his presence there.
As the months wore on, Encina blossomed further and is now the gentle and wise matriarch of the property.
On May 1, 1999, Encina went into labor and as I toweled dry the beautiful, delicate little filly in my lap I marveled at the amount of white on her. As I flipped her over to complete the imprinting process I stopped dead and slumped back against the stall wall. There was a set of white spots. The wet little filly lay wiggling in the straw while her mother licked and nuzzled her, unaware that anything unusual had occurred. I was too stunned to move. "She’s got spots", I whispered aloud.
Auggie had not gone, it seems, after all.
This filly is more than a beautiful rare occurrence. I believe she is the parting gift sent to me by my beloved Auggie. My guide, mentor and best friend, as he was then and will be forever… Tintagel introduces you to the filly that will forever bear his name…
Augusta.
Augusta keeps getting more beautiful with age and is simply so stunning with such a glow about her she turns heads wherever she goes. At the Dressage at Devon show in Devon, Pennsylvania, Augusta caused quite a sensation and turned many a head in warm-up. I was so proud when Augusta won the Andalusian class at this most prestigious of breeding shows.
Augusta has led my breeding program in a new direction, to bring back the Spanish colored horse.
Paintings by Velasquez depicting sabino patterned pinto Spanish horses.
These animals were very popular during the 17th century, bred extensively by King Philip the IV. The arrival of Augusta has led me on a new journey involving intensive study of color genetics and the history of these colored horses. Augusta is currently the only pure bred registered pinto Andalusian I can find record of.
She is throwback to days past, when colored horses were the most popular choice for royalty and before the grey gene wiped almost all other colors out of the Spanish horse.
Tintagel has the only breeding program selecting for these genes and with Encina, Augusta’s mother, carrying these recessive pinto genes we wait with much anticipation for her future foals as well. Augusta had a beautiful brown filly by Regaliz in 2003 and a gorgeous bay filly by Diego in 2004. She is currently bred to Diego for a 2006 foal and we will be doing Embryo transfers off of her in 2006 so she can continue her under saddle career.
A relic from the past, brought forth by a miracle, to leave a gift to the future.
Thank you Auggie. I should have known………….
1975 - 1998
----------------------------------------------------------------------------Mooi verhaal he!! kan mij er ook alles bij voorstellen, ben nu dubbel benieuwd naar het veulen van Augusta! 
Geplaatst: 06-02-06 01:39 
I sure do hope for a filly out of her but of course a healthy baby is first and foremost 
