New Herdsire

Excited to add very old bloodlines to our farm. My World Tyler (co-owned with Assphalt Acres) is now at Legendary Farms. At 19 years of age, her won Reserve Grand Champion at the 2018 Celebration.

New Herdsire at Legendary Farms

Lexus Returns

After not being shown since 2012, Hill Co. Mini’s Lexus returned to the show ring and “strut her stuff”. Lexus won First in the 5 Year and Older Halter Jennet Class at The Music City Donkey Show (NMDA sanctioned) and Reserve Grand Champion under judge, Tom Cochran. She repeated by winning First in a class of 15 – 5 Years and Older Jennets, Halter and again Reserve Grand Champion under judge George Martin. Proud of our Girl!

A 4th of July to Remember

I have found that as I grow older I tend to be more patriotic but also a little more cynical of our National Holidays which seem to be over commercialized. Today, many of us have become more interested in going to the lake or the big fireworks show than the true spirit of the Holiday. I can admit I am often one of those. However, this past 4th of July Katrina and I volunteered to help at Jennifer O’Neill’s Hillenglade Hope and Healing event in Nashville. This is an event to help returning Vets and their families deal with PTSD.

We have previously sold and donated miniature donkeys to her organization and were invited to volunteer this year to assist with “donkey painting”. Katrina and I spend a great deal of time in an effort to make our animals as “bullet proof” as possible. That is, we want them to work well and not spook in any situation. However, we also want our little animal friends to be as out going and lovable as possible to both adults, children and individuals with special needs.

We were a little hesitant at how our four legged offspring might react to large groups of excited youngsters with paint and brushes in hand. The eager little ones grabbed their artistic tools and literally attacked the 18 month old miniature donkeys with an excitement that can only be compared to Christmas morning. Each child had their favorite color of the day and began transforming the miniature donkeys’ hairy coats into a child’s artistic masterpiece of color.

Some carefully printed their name on the donkey while others simply wanted to change the donkey from one color to another. Hand prints in yellow were popular as were red, white and blue zebra like stripes. Unfortunately, as fast as one design was applied another child came along and covered it with their own original art work. The final results reminded me of a psychedelic tie-dyed donkey.

The day was a mixture of loving animals, a very funny clown, a Country Music star, great entertainment, family games and great picnic food all provided to our heroes; American soldiers and their families, for free. I am sure we will be long time supporters of Jennifer and here great work. (If you don’t remember or are too young to know who Jennifer is please click on this link.)

 

Here is a link to one of the Newscasts on the event.

We Have Visitors

Katrina and I both have very similar interests and share a love of not only our miniature donkeys but also our muscle cars.  Although we do like to show the donkeys and the cars we have our most fun we are just playing with them. With the cars, nothing beats Hitting the Road. Katrina and I belong to a local AACA club that has no meetings and no dues and no officers. It is made up of members of other, more formal AACA clubs for the purpose of driving our cars.

On a recent weekend we played host to approximately 40 individuals driving 32 cars most of which would be considered collector cars. The weather was a little humid but the temperature was terrific and the sun was out. We began with a tour of our small car collection while attempting to explain why a guy who drove Corvettes all his life has so many Ford products. It was also interesting to see the surprise and shock on peoples faces when they learned about the Ford Aero Cars (Ford Talladega and Mercury Cyclone Spoiler II) for the first time. They had some interesting questions. After my tour of our garage Katrina took them to the barn and pasture to learn about miniature donkeys.

 

A few of the men stayed in the garage to talk cars a little longer but all the women and the rest of the men headed out to the animals. I hate to say it but I think almost of these car folks were more excited and interested in the miniature donkeys than the cars. One couple driving a fully restored Nash Metropolitan said they would have liked to take one home but didn’t think it would fit in their little car which is much smaller than a VW Bug!

After a couple of hours at our farm the we all caravaned on a 75 mile excursion to the small historical town of Granville in the hills along a river in northern TN. It was a very picturesque drive. Our Cale Yarborough Spoiler with its 428 CJ Ram Air engine cruised up and down the hills and around the corners like it was happy to be released from the garage. It was the car’s first time on the road in over 18 months. We recently liberated it from its position in the Floyd Garrett Muscle Car Museum in Pigeon Forge TN. We were a little worried that having sat for that long it might develop some issues but all went well and we enjoyed the slow caravan up to Granville and the more speedy return trip immensely.

While in the town we all gathered for a family style home cooked lunch at a local old time General Store and Restaurant. The food was out of this world and had us all asking for the recipe for the creamed corn. After eating we all waddled out of the General Store and individually made our way around town to visit the museum, pioneer village and car museum as well as some gift shops.

Our Club does this every other month year round and I can hardly wait for the August trip. We stayed to back roads and low speeds. The number of thumbs up and friendly waves we got along the way was spirit lifting. Now if we can just figure out how to put a couple of miniature donkeys in the back seat we will have it made.

Cruise On!

 

 

 

 

Raz at 20 and ready for The Celebration

Raz is getting ready to be shown in the “Exhibit Only” class at 2014  Donkey and Mule Celebration in Shebyville, TN. Looking Good!!!!

Welcome Miss Fancy and Flanna Bella

 

 

In our effort to add more “red” color to our herd, we just added Cyder’s Miss Fancy and Cyder’s Flanna Bella. Five years ago, when we were in attendance at the Donkey sale in Springfield, MO; we saw two lovely jennets being exercised in an arena. One was Flanna Bella. I thought she was so beautiful. These two jennets were enroute to Small Pleasure Farm in Texas. Flanna Bella ended up at Pinemeadow Farms in New York. When this farm was being liquidated, Robin Irlbeck brought her back home to Wisconsin. We had the opportunity to add Flanna to our herd. She is very sweet and already has demonstrated she is a great producer with her two foals, Small Pleasures Zydeco (herdsire at Hickory Hills) and Hills Co. Minis Eternity. Flanna has beautiful straight legs, a cute little dished head, good fill and nice rounded rump.

 

While in Wisconsin, we saw Robin with a very dark red and very stocky jennet, Miss Fancy. Miss Fancy has the widest chest and lots of fill. Her mother is a direct offspring of Fisher’s Tiny Tim (a different bloodline for us). This jennet follows me everywhere like a little puppy dog.

 

Crazy about both of these girls. Miss Fancy is on the left and Flanna on the right.

Halter Champions at Legendary Farms

Legendary’s Top Hat

Best Of Breed

2012 – The Celebration and Wisconsin State Fair

 

Cobra’s Windy Lue

Reserve Grand Champion

2012 Tennessee State Fair

 

 

 

 

Short Assets Firetruck

Reserve Grand Champion – 2012 Tennesee State Fair

Grand Champion- 2011 The Celebration

 

Cobra’s Golden Anne

Reserve Grand Champion- 2011 The Celebration

( at 20 years of age)

 

 

Hill Co Minis Lexus

Grand Champion – 2010 The Celebration

Reserve Grand Champion – 2009 Tennessee State Fair

Jr. Grand Champion – 2008 The Celebration

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Designer Donkey’s Macy Lee

Grand Champion – 2008 Tennessee State Fair

 

 

 

 

Cyder’s Mr. Madison

Reserve Grand Champion- 2008 Ozark Fair

Reserve Grand Champion- Missouri State Fair

 

This Bud (Commercial) Is For You!

This is a classic old Budweiser Super Bowl XXXVIII Commercial that I never get tired of seeing. I think we can all appreciate it!

 

Bedford County Fair

Donkeys step into Fair spotlight

Sunday, August 4, 2013

By SADIE FOWLER ~ sfowler@t-g.com

Katrina Fleener brought baby miniature donkey “Belle” to the fair from Murfreesboro. (T-G Photo by Sadie Fowler)

Seven years ago, Katrina Fleener started a new hobby with two miniature donkeys. Now, her barn is filled with the docile little creatures.

“I started with two and now I have 30 because I love them so much,” Fleener said. “I love spending time with them.”

Fleener was among exhibitors showing at the Bedford County Fair’s Miniature Donkey Show, held Saturday at the Bedford County Agricultural Center. The show was one of several events — including an antique tractor pull, goat show and live entertainment by Rayz’n Cain, slated for the fair’s finale.

Southern Belle

Fleener, a resident of Murfreesboro who has shown at the donkey show for the past several years, brought her 10-month-old donkey “Belle” with her this year for exposure.

“She’s got a pretty face,” Fleener said. “This is her first time out. At this age, they’re playful, a little naughty, so we are not here to show. It’s about getting her exposure. Donkeys really become competitive around age 2 or 3.”

Fleener works full-time in Nashville, but says “100 percent” of her spare time is spent caring for and training her beloved animals. She says donkeys are her choice animal because of their personalities, which remind her of Newfoundland dogs.

“They’re sensitive, and very intelligent,” she said. “And they’re so good natured, which makes them great for children and seniors who can’t ride horses anymore.”