hump day haflinger series #8

Nancy Gauthier has a carriage driving pair that she likes to call "The Blonde Bombshells". Nancy loves how versatile Haflingers are and wrote a rider's romance novel on a very versatile ridden Haflinger. It is called "Heartspur" and can be picked up at Amazon. Nancy also has a website, so check it out!!

Haflinger: Crimson OOS or Crimson
Sire and Dam: Northern Lights TOF (he is pretty famous) and Christen MSC
Age: 12 year old mare
Height: 13.3 hh
Favorite Food: Carrots, alfalfa cubes, and peppermints 
Likes: Going to shows. . .there are lots of treats there!
Discipline: Combined Driving Events as Pairs

Haflinger: Lexi
Age: guessing 7 year old mare
Height: 13.2 hh
Favorite Food: Apples
Likes: Heard from Crimson that shows were fun, likes going too!
Discipline: Combined Driving Events as Pairs

Nancy and The Blonde Bombshells!

Awards: 
Crimson

• First at Waldingfield HDT
• Firsts (and placings) at the MG Driving Center ADT
• Spring Series Champion as Single

Pair

• 2012 Waldingfield HDT at Training Level
• Best Overall Dressage' at MG Driving Center ADT
• Placing at Prelim level at Waldingfield, GMHA and SDA

The American Driving Society recognizes four levels to compete in: Training, Preliminary, Intermediate, and Advanced.  Horses and ponies can compete as single, pair or four-in-hand. Nancy would love to get another pair to compete in four-in-hand! This year, the Blonde Bombshells are looking forward to competing in one of the bigger events, possibly the Gladstone Event in New Jersey. 

Crimson kicked off her carriage-driving career as a single horse at various New England carriage and arena driving trials. Crimson did win a lot while driving single, but since she is never in a hurry to get anywhere, it made the marathon part a little challenging. 

Along came Lexi, who loves going fast! They made a perfect match: Lexi kept Crimson up to pace and ate up any apples that were offered, since Crimson absolutely hates apples. It worked well for Nancy, too, since she prefers to drive a team over single. 

Driving tandem

The Blonde Bombshells love the Marathon portion of the CDS;  zipping cross country, splashing through water crossings, dashing over bridges, and dodging around different sorts of obstacles is the best fun for a Haflinger to have!

Water Hazard!

When they are at home, they enjoy lots of trail drives and Nancy has just recently started sleighing as a tandem (one in from of the other instead of side by side). Both Haflingers also go happily under saddle as well. 

Dashing through the snow, sleighing tandem!