A Great Performance by a Round Mare

I’m a total sap when it comes to hearing stories about great horses, especially mares, and so this week I found myself tearing up, not once, but twice, over a chestnut mare named Brentina.

Debbie McDonald and Brentina (borrowed from the web).

Brentina is very famous, so you probably have already heard of her, or maybe even collected her likeness in a Breyer model, but if not, there is a lot of information out there about her. 

My emotional encounter with her came through the Horse Radio Network podcast, the Dressage Radio Show, hosted by Chris Stafford.   If you love horses and have an MP3 player, such as an iPod, you probably have already found your way to the Horse Radio Network (HRN).  If not, here’s a link, and you can find all the HRN podcasts on iTunes.   

HRN offers nine horse-themed podcasts every week covering the major equestrian disciplines, and other horsie matters, and they are well done.

The duo in action (borrowed from Horsemagazine.com).

In this episode, Brentina’s rider, Olympian Debbie McDonald, talks about her experiences and relationship with the big, round mare she nicknamed “Mama."  The description of her 2008 freestyle performance, to Aretha Franklin’s rendition of “Respect,” got me all choked up.  Then, of course, I had to google the video of their performance this morning and got teary again.

Links to the podcast webpage and the youtube video are here and here.

 

Take a listen and a look!  Even if you’re not a huge dressage fan, you’ll like hearing Debbie’s and Brentina’s story.

And speaking of big, round mares, I have one out there that needs exercise today, so I have to get moving.   Oh, Hudson!

Brentina's got nothing on this girthline!