Ride report from owner Robin Malkasian.
April 30, 2003: The Vermont Mud Ride was 15 miles, the first mountain ride of the season and a great training experience. The judges were Wendy Bejarano and Connie Walker, both big time endurance riders. As you have probably heard, winter in the Northeast was brutal this year. We started riding about a month later than normal this year. There was still snow and ice on some of the trails in VT so we had to move the ride onto the dirt roads. There is no level ground in VT, you are either climbing or descending, really stresses the joints and lungs. I purposely signed up to start last so that Ellie and I could ride our own ride and not get caught up in a faster pace than we were ready for so early in the season. Her recovery was great and she earned a 4th place with a score of 96.5. 

I think people were surprised by us flatlanders. Now that I own property in VT, we are going to train there on weekends. It is unbelievable the compliments I received on her this weekend. No one has ever seen an Arabian built like her. Some even asking me if she WAS an Arabian. Some people said she looked like an athlete, others commented on her beautiful head and I even heard one person, under her breath, say tongue-in cheek "too bad that mare has such an ugly head". 

I have slowed down my work schedule and am going to make riding a priority this year, now that I am 46 and Ellie is 10! I have decided that this is my year to compete as long as Ellie is enjoying herself. I have signed up for progressively harder rides every 2 or 3 weeks. The pinnacle will be a 2 day 50 in Vermont. Well, I have actually sent in my application for the 3 day 100 in VT, that may be over reaching but wanted to get on the list. I can always pull her later if we don't think we can do it.

Anyway, I will keep you posted on our progress this year. I just hope I make the right decisions to keep her sound and happy.


Robin and Ellie

Back to the Cheer Ranch story.

CR Monarchs Memory
The "best"daughter of CR Silver Monarch (bred by Georgia Cheer)

His best foal in my opinion is his bay 1994 daughter, CR Monarchs Memory (pictured above and below right) out DZ Matushka by *Druzba). I hand picked DZ Matushka to breed to my stallion. One reason why is that she had a Naseem top male line which I felt through my studies through the years to be the nice for my stallion. I was not disappointed. CR Monarchs Memory,"Ellie" is in my opinion, a better than both her parents, which as a breeder is what we all strive to produce. She continually won 2nd place halter ribbons in Class A competition as a yearling, usually beat in the Pacific Northwest by R.O. Lervick Arabians. I wish they would have stayed home so "Ellie" could have gotten more first place ribbons! She competed successfully in Halter and western pleasure, taking a Jr. Championship in WP, qualifying for Region 3 (No. California) in both divisions and Regions 4 (Oregon and Idaho) and 5 (Washington, No. Idaho and Alaska) in Mare Halter.

She is the first bay foal from a gray mare sired by CR Silver Monarch. He has now sired 3 bays from gray mares. "Ellie" was bred by me, Georgia Cheer. Now owned by Robin Malkasian in Connecticut. Both are pictured here in 2001 enjoying a rest during a trail ride.