I truly believe to appreciate and understand the Miniature Donkey of today, you need to look at the roots. Let me introduce Cobra’s Golden Anne. Annie was bron on 8/21/91, therfore, she turned 20 years old last August. She came from JT Smith’s Cobra herd in Oklahoma and was used in his breeding program. JT Smith stopped selling Miniature Donkeys to outside parties over 10 years ago. Therefore, offspring from his core breeding program have not been available for years. I have been able to trace 8 foals produced by Annie. Likely there are more. I own one of her foals, Cobra’s Anastasia, who is gorgeous and produced one jack foal for me (Legendary’s Tom Dooley) who was 100% herdsire quality, but sold as a gelding to a fabulous home. One daughter, Cobra’s Margarita (Cobra’s Red Man X Annie) resides at Lil Graceland Miniatures Donkey in Texas and has produced exceptional offspring. Her grandson is a herdsire at Lil Graceland. When Annie was bred to Cobra’s Arthur II, she produced a jack seen in many pedigrees, Lil’ Half Pints Lil’ Abner. I sold one really beautiful Annie daughter, Cobra’s Tracy to a farm in Tennessee (not active in showing).

Despite being a brood jennet, Annie is stunning today at 20 years of age. Last year, I halter broke her (yes, she was not halter broke) and she won Reserve Grand Champion in Halter at The Celebration, Shelbyville, TN. She won and placed in several other halter classes at shows in 2011. She initially enjoyed her show experience, but prefers staying at home. Therfore, I don’t have plans to continue showing her unless there is an exhibition event. Her father is Cobra’s Arthur (30″ graydun) who was the primary herdsire at Cobras for years. Her accomplishments have been amazing and she sure looks great!

This is a special time of year for family and friends. Every family has its traditions. As the families grow and age the traditions are sometimes handed down from generation to generation but other times new traditions develop. Katrina has started a new family tradition; it has been going on for several years now (unfortunately). My idea of a tradition is a roaring fire in the fireplace with a hot apple cider by my side, my cat in my lap and Christmas Carols playing softly in the background.

Katrina, on the other hand, would rather bundle us up like Eskimos, hang Christmas Stockings on poor defenseless little donkeys like they were some portable fireplace mantle and then head out to some little Tennessee town and walk for miles in a Christmas Parade. Most participants in such parades are in trucks pulling floats. Some of the more adventuresome of the participants will ride in convertibles with the tops down and the heaters turned on high.  There are usually other animals in the parades, big animals, horses; animals that people ride! Now our little critters have short legs and donkeys tend to want to move rather slowly. These are deliberate animals who like to think things through and not be rushed. A strange place with weird people lined up on both sides of the street, horses all around, bands playing and candy being tossed to screaming little kids dashing about does little to encourage the average donkey to keep on keeping on.

Our slow pace usually means trying to start in the middle of the parade and hope we don’t end up at the end of the parade before the parade ends! The last thing I want to do is be walking donkeys down main street watching the parade pull out of site with an angry 18 wheeler truck driver who has been sitting in stopped traffic for some parade on my ass’s ass!

We have lots of donkeys and it is a great new tradition, come visit us next year and we will put you in the parade!

Technorati Tags: Christmas Donkeys, Christmas Parades, Donkeys with Santa Hats

We are very excited with the arrival of our new Herdsire, Short Assets Fire Truck.

The first time I saw “Truck” was at The Celebration NMDA show in July, 2011. He was shown by Donnie Kellett for Myers Meadows, Bodie and Kerrie Myers. Well, he did outstanding that day winning First in a very competitive Jack – 2 Year & Older class and Grand Champion Jack. I noticed he was “For Sale” and pondered for awhile. I really wanted a short-backed, stocky, beautiful red jack with excellent legs and confirmation, to match-up with many beautiful jennets at our farm. I also had the task of convincing my husband that I was not crazy for adding another jack. But, he did know for some time that I desired a red jack so when I asked, it was not completely a surprise.

He also remembered Truck from The Celebration and thought he was really a beautiful boy. Well, it was decided that we would purchase Truck and bring him out of the warm, arid climate of Florida to an area with a colder winter. Poor Truck, if he only knew, he would have never stepped into our trailer. Well, he now resides in Tennessee and I JUST LOVE his temperament. He is so sweet, gets kissed and scratched every day and is such a gentleman. Thank you very much to Bodie and Kerrie Myers for allowing this lovely boy to be part of our family. He is a gem!

Technorati Tags: Fire Truck, Heard Sir

The article below was published in the July 8, 2011 Shelbyville Times-Gazette. The Celebration donkey and mule competition is held in Shelbyville, TN every year and is one of the BIG events of the year. To read the article simply click on the image and it will enlarge to a readable size.

Technorati Tags: Celebration, miniature donkey show, Shelbyville, tn

FIRST TIME SHOWN

WILL BE 20 YEARS OLD AUGUST, 2011

Cobra’s Golden Anne

Reserve Grand Champion Halter Jennet

The Celebration (Shelbyville) 2011

Technorati Tags: Celebration Shelbyville

Legendary’s Hot Summer is sizzling HOT! Out of our jack, Springlake Razmataz and our NMDA Champion jennet (Tennessee State Fair – 2009), Designer Donkey’s Macy Lee (Circle C Corona X Big Woods LN Miss Berri) . This girl is gorgeous with outstanding confirmation. She has a really wide chest, gorgeous straight legs, nice rounded rump, beautiful head and personality PLUS! She was born 30 days beyond her due date (a 13-month foal) and we were out-of-town the day she was born, therefore, we don’t have accurate birth height measurements. Thank you to Tennessee Equine Hospital for delivering our precious baby. The below photos are 4 days of age.

Summer is HOT!

Technorati Tags: Baby Animals, Cobra Miniature donkey, miniature donkey, New Baby Donkey, Tennessee Equine Hospital

Last summer, we had the cutest baby Miniature Donkey with personality PLUS! He loved to follow me around the yard and hold onto my pants. Well we submitted the below photo for a calendar on Miniature Donkeys and it was selected for one of the months. Legendary’s Buster Brown is now loved and owned by Jim and Jennifer Cline. Hmmm, I wonder if he follows them around the yard and holds onto their pants!

Technorati Tags: Baby Miniature Donkeys, Cute animal photos, Donkeys in Calendars

Our Saluki, Bark & Dives Sophia Haj of Khiva (bred in Japan by Kumiko Mogi) and out of Rafi (BIS Winner, Specialty Winner, Ch. Baklava’s Rafi Rasil of Khiva) attained 1/2 of her points towards her Championship and then not shown for two years. She easily attained her remaining points in three weekends (Nashville, Louisville and Perry, GA shows). She was awarded her 2nd Major at the highly competitive Louisville weekend (only shown 2 days of the circuit) and finished in Perry, GA (shown only 2 days). Below is a win photo from Louisville.  See our other Salukis at http://www.khiva.net

Technorati Tags: Atlanta Kennel Club, Baklava Rafi Rasil of Khiva, Dog Shows, Hounds of Khiva, Khiva Salukis, Kumiko Mogi, Louisville Kennel Club, Nashville Kennel Club, Saluki, Showing dogs

This past weekend we took a few Donkeys to Mule Days and had so much fun! This event has been going on for decades and brings in people from all over the area as well as from all over the Country. It attracts primarily Mules ranging from Miniatures to HUGE draft Mules. There is a parade through downtown Columbia and mules of all sizes pulling wagons of every possible configuration. There are also riding mules with spectacular tack.

The shows take place at the Maury County Park with the atmosphere of a County Fair. Taking place early in spring in TN ensures a variety of weather over the multi-day event. Most of the real die hard participants camp on-site with open camp fires, riders on mule back and young children everywhere. However, as the evening wears on the smoldering fires and darkness spiked with beer drinking mule riding cowboys creates a party atmosphere more like the infield of a NASCAR race at Talladega!

The Mule Days Celebration includes an event, Mini Mania, for the miniature Mules and Donkeys! The day was beautiful (temperatures in the 70′s) which brought in a large number of spectators. It was interesting to see both the mules and donkeys showing and performing side by side. We don’t get that at our regular donkey events.

We showed at the Mini Mania event (Miniature Donkeys and Mules):

Legendary’s Ginger Rogers

2nd Halter Weanlings/Yearlings    (very large class)

Legendary’s Hearts Wide Open

5th   In Hand (she is technically “green” for In-Hand )   Class of 15

2nd    Solid Color (also a large class)

Cyder’s Miss Perigee Moon

2nd     Spotted Color Class (large class)

Ginger and Katrina

Technorati Tags: Columbia TN, Ginger, miniature donkey, Mule Days, Mules

In 2010, we showed three donkeys and were recognized by the Tennessee Donkey Association

2010 Grand Champion Halter Jennet

(Awarded by the Tennessee Donkey Association)

Hills Co Minis Lexus

2010

Reserve Grand Champion – Halter Jack

(Awarded by the Tennessee Donkey Association)

KKR Stroke of Midnight

2010 Reserve In-Hand Trail Jennet

(Awarded by The Tennessee Donkey Association)

Legendary’s Hearts Wide Open

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Technorati Tags: awards, miniature donkey, Tennessee Donkey Association, winnings