Continuing our celebration of the amazing AEPA online auction of a breeding to Empress Arabians legendary stallion Hucklebey Berry+/. A portion of the proceeds of the auction also going to benefit the Arabian Horsemen's Distress Fund. The auction featured video from his 1991 unanimous National Championship win with commentary by trainer and his rider for the class, Tim Shea! A link to that auction is in the first of this series Of Legends & Legacies.
Barb Gardner is one of the lucky people that can claim an up close and personal connection with Hucklebey Berry+/. A part of the Empress Arabian family since 2003, following college Barb started working full time for them in 2008 and by 2012 was the Empress Arabians Barn Manager.
During her time at Empress Barb has helped to start many HBB babies under saddle and states that their sheer trainability was one of the traits they inherited from their sire. When asked to name a personal favorite it's not surprise that her own Half-Arabian, Beam Me Up Scotty is right up there at the top of the list. Barb and her mom—Kate Garnder— had been watching this talented youngster nicknamed "Snuffy"—for Snuffleupagus—for about a year. As Barb relates, "I don't recall that we were actually shopping for an English horse, by my mom has a horrible horse addiction and is always up for a new one"! However, while his talent and ability were undisputed, trainer Chad Judy wouldn't give a thumbs up for a Barb and Snuffy relationship until he'd had time to evaluate him under show ring conditions. But after his very first outing with Chad in 2004, he decided that this very young horse and young rider would be okay together.
That year Barb and Beam Me Up Scotty made their show ring debut and Chad went on to win a US National Top Ten in the Half-Arabian English Pleasure Junior Horse class. Just two years later Barb and this talented gelding were named Canadian National Champion Park Horse AAOTR and today he enjoys the good life hanging out at Kate Gardner's place in Amity, PA.
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