This is HF Dawn’s Rilkean Heart, foal name “Ricky,” and new life name “Quill.”

In the summer of 2021 when we were beginning to acquire our Gypsy Horse herd, we purchased San Cler Nazareth of Bellissima Farms (such a sweet and fantastic chestnut sabino stud with spectacular hidden genetic secrets).  That summer, he was in quarantine when we first purchased him.  We had a paddock built of six-foot-tall, cast-iron mustang panels for that quarantine period.

Further up the hill, we were giving our boy, Mason, a trial run at being a stud with our little piebald mare, Princess, after Mason had broken down the fencing to jump into her pasture.  At that point, we figured what was done was done, so may as well let them hang out together and let nature take its course (since it probably had already).  We had wanted him to hold off a bit longer on being a stud, but things do happen.  Yeah, things happen…

There was a moment in time when Mason, Princess, and her foal, Sugar, had all been left to wander the property for a few days.  I don’t even recall why that happened, because it was after horse lockdown when they were all pastured in fenced-off paddocks.

Nearly a year later, we were anxiously awaiting Princess’s second foal on our farm.  She gave birth to a spunky little piebald colt.  After validating health, as is customary, we put Ricky and Princess back out together in the pasture with proud daddy Mason.

Time passed by and then we received Ricky’s color/pattern DNA results.  Both Princess and Mason are EE (homozygous black).  Ricky came back Ee aa TO/n.  There were a few moments of “What the heck just happened here?” followed by “Ohhhhh…Princess!  That’s not very ladylike!” and “How did the two of you manage that through mustang panels?”

Parentage DNA tests validated what had happened.  First Jerry Springer moment for our farm, Naz was the daddy.

Over the course of Nazareth’s years with us, he gave us 80% fillies.  Ricky was one of only two colts that Naz sired.

Mason’s new stepson, Ricky, was left in the pasture with him and Princess for Mason’s real proving year as a stud at three years old.

Ricky was an interesting little character.  He had more built-in wariness than Sugar, and he taught us a lot about extra care and attention that some foals need to be better citizens.  He was picture-perfect and had good conformation and movement.  In the right hands, we knew that he had a future career ahead of him as a potential show horse.

We found the perfect home for Ricky with a local gal that loves him.  He spends his days running pastures now with draft horses and donkeys.  He’s in his perfect place in the world.