Peace for Juan Carlos

JUAN CARLOS IRIARTE


I'm sad to say that my friend, Juan Carlos Iriarte, passed away last night, surrounded by his guardian angel, Lisa, and his loving family. He fought hard and he suffered hard and now he's in a far better place. We will miss him dearly. He was quite a man. I'm so honored to have had him in my life, if only for a short while.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to Lisa and the whole Iriarte family.



~ Hugs to you all, Sandy and family

Just A Little Patience ...

Meet Otis and Ollie. Are they not adorable? These little mini mules belong to Brian and Jill and live on a little slice of Heaven up in the NC mountains. My girls and I spent a wonderful Saturday afternoon at their place a couple of weeks ago. We had such a wonderful, relaxing day. And we just loved all the animals.



Jill told us that Ollie is not very social. He does not like to be touched or caught.



Kelly decided she would try and entice him over for a little pet. You could tell he really wanted to come closer, but he stayed just one step out of reach.



So close ...



But she didn't give up and her patience was rewarded. Ollie came close enough for a little nose nuzzle. And it was oh so cute!

Thinking of You Juan Carlos

~ Sandy and Family

FUNDRAISER BENEFIT FOR JUAN CARLOS IRIARTE

Those of you who follow this blog know that Juan Carlos Iriarte has been battling Leukemia for 2 1/2 years. He and his fiance, Lisa, have been having a particularly hard time over the last few months. But Juan Carlos is strong and continues to fight hard.

The Paso Fino Horse Association - Trainer's Association is sponsoring a Colt Raffle Fundraiser Benefit for Juan Carlos. Please visit Juan and Lisa's website at www.ranchoeldestino.com to find out how you can purchase tickets and help Juan Carlos and Lisa.

Below are photos of the beautiful grey yearling colt. The raffle will be held on September 19, 2008 at the PFHA National Championship Show in Perry, GA.

www.ranchoeldestino.com

The Three Amigos

As promised, here's some more of the three colts that I had the great pleasure to photograph last weekend. These guys were so much fun.



I'm sure ya'll know by now that my knowledge of horses is somewhat limited - okay, alot limited, so I was pleasantly surprised to watch these three frolick and play all over the pasture.



After they all came up and hesitantly gave me and my camera the once over, Brandie shooed them off to go run. And run they did! They were like puppies!



They chased each other and bit each other!!! I couldn't get over how many times they nipped each other! I saw one walk right up behind another and grab his back leg! Ouch! Just like puppies! Trust me, I got a whole bunch of fabulous "nipping" photos!
But this one is by far my favorite!!! It makes me laugh out loud every time I see it!



Positively LOVE this picture ... cept that pesky bush in the foreground ... anyone got a chainsaw????



Look at the pretty boy Romeo posing so nicely for his human, Brandie. (Actually he was having a "nature call", but don't tell anyone!)



This is how my subject posed for me!!!



I hope to see these three again one day soon!

A Note...

I just wanted to take a moment to thank all my fabulous horse clients. Ya'll have just been so wonderful to me and I've thoroughly enjoyed myself each and every time I am around you and your beautiful horses. Everyone has just taken me in and really taken the time to answer my endless questions and make me feel right at home. I regard each and every one of you as a dear friend.

I have been hard at work shooting and processing horse photos steadily since last fall when I took my first shots at Juan and Lisa's place. Since then it's just been a whirlwind of horse photos in and out of my poor, weary little computer. And I have loved it!

I want everyone to know how very much I appreciate your patience and understanding. I know that it takes me quite awhile to get your photos processed and back to you. I wish I could turn them over more quickly, but I truly believe that each and every photo is like a little masterpiece and deserves the time it takes to make it all it can be. Thank you so much for understanding that. I truly appreciate it!

Jaime and Leonor, I'm sure you've given up on me by now, but they'll be on their way to you tomorrow! They should arrive in your mailbox in just a couple days!!!

Brian and Jill, I am going to work like a dog this week to make sure your pictures are in the gallery on time! I don't want folks beating down your door wanting to know where they are!!!

German and Brandie ... well, you'll be lucky to get yours by Christmas!!!! HO! HO! HO!

I wanted to leave you with a sneak peek of some beautiful and humorous photos I took on Saturday. I spent an entire "fun day" shooting with Brandie and German. This is just one of a boisterous threesome that I fell in love with. The one on the left is Romeo. He's German and Brandie's baby. Isn't he gorgeous!

... more to come in a day or two ...

More from Santa Ana Paso Finos

As I continue to sort through and edit the hundreds of horse photos I've taken over the past several weeks, I keep coming across ones that are just so pretty that I want to share! Like these ....







These are from my day spent with German and Brandie at their farm, Santa Ana Paso Finos. I just love the scenery at their place. It's so beautiful!