Equine Obituary - Silver And Blue
Monday, July 18, 2016
Silver And Blue Was Barbara Vincent’s Blue Ribbon Guy
If you’ve ever known a horse that just seemed to arrive at the right place at the right time with the right person for the right job, you know how irreplaceable those horses are. They are blue ribbon stars regardless of the ribbon colors that end up on the tack room wall. Silver and Blue was one of those horses. To be sure, he earned plenty of blue ribbons with everyone who ever showed him beginning in 2005 with Jim Taylor of Memory Lane Farm in Medina, Ohio.
The striking grey colt and Taylor made their show ring debut at Cleveland Classic and were the Two-Year-Old Fine Harness Champions. They went on to Lexington and then Louisville followed where the gelding earned his first world’s title. Taylor drove him to the Two-Year-Old Fine Harness Stallion/Gelding - Sec. II Reserve World’s Championship. Jenny Taylor took over for his under saddle debut and they were in the ribbon count at Kansas City in the Two-Year-Old Three-Gaited class to close out his first show season.
Sired by Northern Blues and out of Silver Spirit SLS by The Silver Lining, he was bred by Lora and Charles Johnstone and owned by Jenny Taylor until she sold him to Jan Henderson bought him in March of 2006. His first show of that season, at River Ridge, showcased his incredible talent and power as a gaited horse and he got a lot of attention when Jenny Taylor rode him to win the UPHA Five-Gaited Classic.
They did the same thing at Indianapolis Charity and it was there that customer Barbara Vincent and Country Meadow Farm trainer Julie Anne Wroble took notice. They liked his unique color, his kind eye and his powerful way of going and made a trip to Medina to try him after Indy was over.
Barbara agreed to let Jenny Taylor show him at Lexington and he claimed victory number three with the Three-Year-Old Five-Gaited Lexington blue ribbon.
Julie Anne debuted with him at Illinois State Fair and they were victorious in the UPHA Five-Gaited Classic, his second win of the year so far under Vincent’s ownership. At Louisville, he made her dreams come true by making a great show on the green shavings to capture the Three-Year-Old Five-Gaited Stallion/Gelding -Sec. I World’s Championship with Wroble riding.
The following year brought wins at Great River and Illinois State Fair in the junior five-gaited division. Tom Pettry was working at Country Meadow Farm and he showed to both wins before heading to Louisville. They earned the 2007 Amateur Gentlemen’s Five-Gaited World’s Championship to add another world’s title to Silver And Blue’s total.
From the beginning of his career with Country Meadow Farm the goal was always for Barbara to be able to show him and she made her debut with at Great River Benefit in 2008. At ASAW, they were even more comfortable together and Barbara was elated with their reserve finish in the Amateur Five-Gaited class. Julie Anne Wroble showed him at Louisville and Saint Louis and Barbara closed out her first season with him at Mid America Mane Event with a good ribbon in the Amateur Five-Gaited Stake.
The Midwest circuit is arguably one of the toughest in the country and Silver And Blue continued to prove himself as the perfect partner for Barbara and the Country Meadow Farm family. He was patient and kind and taught Barbara everything she knows today about how to ride and show a gaited horse. They were consistently in the top ribbons year after year at virtually every show they went to including Great River Benefit, Glen Valley Classic, Oshkosh Charity, Iowa Summer Spectacular, Indianapolis Charity and Mid-America Mane Event.
Great River was their first show of 2013 and they won the amateur class then came back in the Amateur/Junior Exhibitor Five-Gaited Stake to claim the reserve grand championship. Midwest and Oshkosh followed and at Illinois State Fair they won the Amateur Five-Gaited Championship after a reserve in the amateur class.
Barb showed him in a very competitive 11-entry Amateur Five-Gaited Stallion/Gelding class and left with a Louisville ribbon to finish the week on a high note.
They had a great season in 2014 and kicked it off with the Amateur/Junior Exhibitor Five-Gaited Championship at IASPHA Spring and went on to earn wins and reserves at Great River, IASPHA Summer, Illinois State Fair, Saint Louis and IASPHA Fall.
Their final show season together in 2015 brought more successes as they showed at IASPHA Spring, Oshkosh, ASAW Summerfun, All American Classic and Mid America Mane Event.
Silver and Blue caught Barbara’s eye the first time she ever saw him and when she got on him, he just sealed the deal. “I bought him as a three-year-old in 2006. Every single ride was a thrill. For 10 years he never let us down. A true competitor with a big heart who loved to rack. I’ve been very lucky and just sorry it had to end.”
Julie Anne Wroble added, “When we went to look at him at Jim and Jenny’s they told us he was honest and they were right. They sold us a good horse. He had a heart as big as the moon and he was a pleaser. He meant so much to me and made each day easy when it came time to work him. He was always so sweet to be around.”
Silver And Blue will never be replaced and will always be Barbara’s Blue Ribbon Guy but the pain is lessened slightly by her gaited pleasure mount Simple Kiss. They debuted in 2015 and so far this season have earned reserves at Indianapolis Charity, Oshkosh Charity and ASAW Summerfun.
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