Happy Birthday, Muferra!

[CMKSAGEHIL@aol.com]

Today is a milestone for our Grand Dame herd matron Muferra, as she is 
celebrating her 30th birthday.  Her numerous accomplishments as a brood mare 
include RT Muffin (AERC Hall of Fame with over 100 endurance wins, still 
running at age 21, and getting close to 10,000 miles), Aurlani Farwa 
(successful Show Hack stallion who went on to found his own endurance dynasty 
as a sire, including 1999 Tevis winner and 1998 PNER Champion BRR Aurber 
Lights and several other very successful horses), Amal Salute (successful 
race horse--sorry, I don't have his impressive record here--who has gone on 
to be an outstanding sire in Canada), FV Sparks Aflyin' (successful endurance 
stallion), FV Stoic (whose offspring are showing tremendous potential for 
both racing and endurance and who was lost recently to a brain tumor--his 
further influence as a sire will be greatly missed), and numerous other 
offspring who have been outstanding producers.  Muferra was bred by Marjorie 
Van Gilder of Wasco, Oregon, and is by her wonderful old Abu Farwa son Muhuli 
(himself an outstanding sire of "using horses" in various disciplines 
including endurance and racing), and out of the Buddi daughter Ferlina, who 
is very representative of the foundation breeding of Marjorie and her mother 
Sadie Rich.  Muferra has produced well for several different breeders, and 
her descendants are enriching programs too numerous to count.

It is too muddy here today to have much of a "formal" party, so I hope you'll 
all join us in having a cyber-party for our precious old lady!

Heidi