I can’t believe my horse is ten years old today. She was just a yearling when I bought her. Wendy is really so much more than a horse to me. She’s my first life dream to ever come true and a living, breathing reminder of everything I’m working towards. In some ways she was the first piece of The Rose Table before The Rose Table ever existed.

I long dreamt about having a Friesian horse, the same mount of choice as Alexander the Great. Now Friesians are most famous for being the horses every movie villain rides. (Dear Hollywood, sometimes good people love black horses.) I remember watching The Parent Trap when I was a little girl and staring wide-eyed at Dennis Quaid horseback riding through his vineyard thinking, That is the life for me! Except I always pictured riding an epic Friesian. I had looked at horse listings religiously for a decade when I saw a video of Wendy as a filly cantering happily around Sonoma county to the soothing sounds of Enya. She looked like she was floating. I knew I had to have her. She was my dream horse, I just knew it.

Wendy as a yearling in Sonoma, CA:

The minute she arrived on the farm and stepped off the trailer, I fell in love with her. If you’ve ever seen Mulan, she reminds me a lot of Khan: sassy, opinionated, and extremely loyal. She’s such a fun horse to own, happily picnicking for hours at a time. When she was too young to ride, I spent many a Saturday reading to her on a picnic blanket while we noshed on berries. (Blackberries are her favorite and yes, she will go after your fruit salad if you don’t bring her her own.)

Now Wendy’s all grown up. Wendy may look statuesque and regal, but she’s so low maintenance and always has been. Bred and born in Germany on the Dutch registry, she’s every bit a strapping German and every bit mein Traumpferd.

Happy birthday, Wendy! The best is yet to come.

P.S. Thank you to the wonderful folks at Black Star Sport Horses for their incredible training and care, especially Lisa, Jackie, and Jessica Blackmon.

With love,

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