2006 was not a very good year at Gerolstein. Our beloved Ian said goodbye to us ...
But weeks before his death, two little foals were born in our back paddock. They were actually uncle and nephew, because to keep company with the Continentalman foal that I was breeding from the recently retired-in-disgrace La Grande-Duchesse, I sent mother once more round the garden. Gwen was in foal to the cheapest stallion in the country.
The results of mother's and daughter's labours, were these two darling wee boys ...
Uncle Seppl (for grandfather) and little Fritzl (for father).
I know that one shouldn't have favourites amongst one's children and grandchildren, but Fritzl and Seppl were ... well, not just MY favourites ...
If only they had arrived at a less sad and stressful time, such fun we would have had with them. But I couldn't think about horses and racing at that time, so one afternoon I gave them away. Happily, they both went to the same Edmonds stable at Motukarara, and the rest is history.
Baby Fritzl ran fourth in the NZ Trotting stakes at two, then went awry, while Uncle Seppl notched up 5 wins and 9 placings for Murray (and Jeremy Anderson) in a short New Zealand career, and then went to Australia, where he won a couple more but seemed to suffer badly from his choice of trainers.
Meanwhile, back at Gerolstein, the convalescent Fritzl had got to the stage of jumping fences again, so Wendy put him back into training. I was in a hospital bed when he ran second. The whole stroke ward gathered around a crackly radio to listen. I got better instantly and demanded to go home. Happily. Because, a handful of days later, Christchurch was quake-struck.
I wasn't quite recovered enough to go with Wendy and Fritzl to the Cheviot meeting at Rangiora ... well, you know what they say: 'they always win when you are not there!'
Our excitement was short-lived. Poor dear Fritzl went amiss again ... Wendy tried again, but it was no use: after 16 starts for one win, and four places (4ths don't count), Fritzl was retired.
In his retirement, he went to live with our much beloved (and efficacious) acupuncturist, Brett and his wife, Linda, and today they sent me this wonderful photo ... 12 year-old Fritzl being groomed by the children... he who is the son of a mad Sundon mare ...
All's well that ends well!
I wish I knew where Seppl was ...
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