ridinghorseENG

Play On Top
Nickname: Puller of Ringkøbing
2004 Red dun gelding
Play has been one of my biggest projects. Ever since we tried inseminating his dam with frozen semen while she was standing on the island of Bornholm and the year after when she was driven to Germany for live breeding. Later he was born - not as the planned coming broodmare, but as a stud "Baileycoloured with star" said husbands SMS. He was the first to see him. Chic had tricked us all again and foaled in pasture during the day while I was at work.

Then came the speculations. Should he be sold since he was a colt? But I quickly came to the conclusion that I just wanted to try sitting on this particular horse myself. He was really fancy and apparently talented. So I wanted to try him myself if even just one single time.
So I kept him as a skinny yearling and a cheeky 2 yearold stallion until he was castrated. As a yearling he got a huge cold with some coughing but otherwise he seemed happy and fine.
When the coughing didn't disappear completely I had him checked by the vet. There was nothing to hear on the lungs so he was probably just still irritated in his throat. So life went on and we did a lot of walks around the neighbourhood and in fall when he was 2 he was sent in training with Iris Uhlenbrock in Germany.

Newly gelded, still leggy and very playful he was delivered at Iris' barn with the expectations that I would come back and try him and then he should probably be sold.
But it is hard not to miss a personality like him and after a few years of mainly breeding I started missing riding again. When I tried him in Germany I was in love. He has great movements and Iris had done a terrific job with him. In our very first circle at the lope we were almost run over by a big warmblood who bucked all the way through the arena. Play just stopped and looked a little amazed at the big horse and then softly picked up his lope again like nothing happened.

During his stay in Germany we discover that his infection has stayed and developed in his lungs. His lungs are full of tough mucus and the oxygenlevel in his blood is at a critical low level. He is put on strong medication and all plans of maybe entering the german futurity are forgotten since we don't want to pressure him even though the vets prescribe that he stays in training.

So he comes home the following spring and since then we have been riding as best we can and participated in a few clinics along the way. He is a funny happy type with a huge sense of humour and he is great fun to ride. Always happy and positive. His forces are his wonderful flowing movements and his good neck. On the other hand he tends to get a little long and lazy if you don't actively ride him.
He loves attention and demands it constantly. On the other side he is also quite good at staying concentrated under saddle. He has acquired a new hobby. Free jumping and is now known as the flying U since his style is more original than talented. But he thinks it is great fun.

One month after returning from Germany he was checked by the vet again and declared 100% well.
Latest news is that Iris Showed him at the Danish futurities 2008. His first show ever and he won the first go round in great style. Second go round was spiced by a kickout so he ended on a tied 4th place with halfbrother Playing Jac Olena.
I love to ride a good horse but have no showingambitions. But even if you only ever drive to the baker's on Sundays mornings it is still nice to drive a sportscar and we strive to get better and better all the time and have fun in the meantime.
Plans are to keep him for now in spite of a little too many horses. His personality would be greatly missed if he was not around.