Bernice Kalland in So. CA had Rushcreek Magi (AKA
Mouse). She raced him from 85 through 90, 24 starts, 24 finishes. 22 top 10's,
with 7 wins. I had the pleasure to borrow Mouse to do some trail marking for a
ride I was managing, and I will never forget that trot. He floated along, but
was SO fast, yet effortless. I had never felt such power with a horse. He
had a calm easy going personality. Bernice then came and rode safety / drag
on our CTR, and even though the slower pace was not what he was used to, and
certainly was not used to following behind every horse on the trail, he was laid
back and did his job as asked. After knowing Mouse, my husband always
wanted a Rushcreek horse.
We had the privilege to tour Rushcreek in 2001
during XP2001. Had a private tour with the manager, drove out into the pastures
and met the stallions they had at that time. Each stallion had a pasture, and
each had a band of mares. Viewed some of the offspring they had in the pens.
They had stood a stallion the year or two before, that they were not happy with
his get, so they stopped using him. They seemed to really want to keep the
quality up to the standard they were known for in good working horses. And if a
stallion did not produce that, they stopped using him for breeding.
In 2003 we got Rushcreek Gambler, and actually got
to ride him on a day of XP2004 that went on the Rushcreek ranch. All the
ranch folks came by to visit with him in camp, and joked about him wearing a
blanket (it was raining). They do enjoy hearing how their horses are doing after
they leave the ranch. I would say Gambler is not a typical Rushcreek
horse in some ways from other RC horses we have seen, in that he has
smallish feet, not as broad as many others. His personality is quirky, and he is
not as laid back and easy going as we would have expected. But, his recoveries
are to die for. If I could only clone those. He'd drop to 48 pulse
almost upon arrival at the vet checks at Tevis. Has a big floaty trot when
he wants to. These days he does not have to do much, but be a good boy when my
husband has time to ride.
Looking at the photos Steph took, I still see that
wonderful bone and substance in their horses. Oh, and if you look up
records on them, often they are entered as RC and the name, not always Rushcreek
spelled out.
