Elphin Alumni 
|
ELPHIN MOUNTAIN CONNEMARAS
|
|
Elphin Alumni |
Elphin Song Sparrow is the second of *Scottsway Lullaby's foals by Mick. He is a 14 hh dark bay stallion, standing at Elk Creek Farm in Kewadin, Michigan. Sparrow was one of the few foals we argued about naming, Heather wanted Kestrel and I wanted Song Sparrow. Guess who won. In retrospect I should have deferred to the wisdom of my elder, as Song Sparrow now seems a little effeminate for a stallion!
Sparrow with his dam *Scottsway Lullaby and 2 weeks
old.
Sparrow was a sweetheart from day one, absolutely unflappable, only suffering from his mother's love of food!
Favourite occupation: eating! Sparrow age 5 months, Sept. 2000.
In his winter coat he resembled a large brown teddy bear, and in the summer he shone like mahogany. Until age 2 he lived out with 2 other 2-year olds and despite the fact they were geldings he treated them very magnanimously!
Sparrow as a yearling, Aug. 2001, and a 2 year old, Aug. 2002.
Sparrow's first foal is the 2003 filly Elphin Milis Amhrán, meaning sweet song, out of SP Milis Breaban. She's a very quiet, curious and friendly girl with her father's size and colour.
Amhran as a 2 year old, August 2005.
Snoozing in the spring sun, April, 2002. Celebrating Christmas in Michigan!
Katie Petersen of Elk Creek Farm, MI says of her
new boy:
"Yes, we finally brought Sparrow home about a month ago now- made the
11 hr trip and hauled him home ourselves. Luckily we had perfect weather, which
was a relief since it'd been snowing/bitter cold the prior 7-10 days. He had
a lesson in loading the day we got there (he didn't really want to step in,
but didn't fight at all, and eventually the grain and hay won out and he hopped
in) then jumped in without hesitation in the dark at 5:15 am the next day! He
hauled home without a problem- the vet at the inspection station at the border
commented on "what a wild stallion he is" (tongue in cheek!). The
vet was out this morning to draw Coggins tests, give WNV, and of course, meet
Sparrow. His first comment was "he's a stallion?" and then "pretty
darn mellow!" then "Connemara - what's that?" then "are
they all heavy built like him?" (!!) I said he was a good example bone-wise
and conformationally overall, and his weight was probably pretty typical, too
- he does love to eat! It's so nice, in contrast to my two TB's, how little
feed they need.
Can't wait to ride him- I think he's going to be a blast! I hope to event him
a bit- I haven't evented since the '70's though, when I was in my late teens,
so we're going to have to go slow for me, not him, probably! I have a D2-D3
level Pony Club daughter who I will have ride him, too - perhaps he'll be her
event pony, like Mick has been for Kirsten!"
Still his favorite occupation! Aug 2005.
Katie and her daughter Maggie are now riding Sparrow and he's proving to be great under saddle. He sired a TB cross foal in 2004 out of Monetary Fringe ('Sarah') who was born on Mother's Day and is known as Boysie, aka Elk Creek Irish Mist.
L: Sparrow, Sarah and Boysie,
2004. R: Boysie age 2.
In 2005 Sparrow sired several halfbred foals, including two colts out of Katie's TB and Welsh mares.
L: Elk Creek Foxfire (Conn/TB) and Elk Creek Pistol
Pete (Conn/Welsh): eating like dad! R: Foxfire.
On Easter weekend 2006, Sparrow had 2 more foals, both colts, born at Elk Creek Farm. The second of these is out of Tower Hill's Carmody, a Connemara mare.
|
Tower Hill's Carmody with Maggie
(Chiltern Copa of TH x TH Glendalough) |
Katie hopes Carmody's colt will stay golden dun and is still thinking of a name for him! The Welsh cross colt will probably be Elk Creek Easter Rising.
|
Carmody's colt, keeping up the family tradition -
eating!
|