The fairytalesque Friesian! Throughout the month of February, we are featuring Friesians and Friesian crosses.
Did you know… dressage riders who compete with a member of this stunning breed are eligible for special awards through the Adequan®/USDF All-Breeds Awards program? The Friesian Heritage Horse & Sporthorse International, Friesian Horse Association of North America, Friesian Horse Society, Friesian Sport Horse Registry, and Friesian Sporthorse Association are all participating organizations!
In this story, a rider tells us about the many challenges her Friesian mare has tackled with poise and grace – from appearing on television to teaching dressage lessons!
By Katie-Rose Watson
I first saw baby Wendy listed on Black Sterling Friesians. She was floating to music by Enya, and she took my breath away. I just knew she was my horse; I couldn’t imagine her belonging to anyone else after I laid eyes on her. I still have the original listing, and this part always cracks me up because it’s still true to this day: “Wendy is a CHARISMATIC young mare we handpicked in Europe based on her top conformation and movement, and we love her spirit – she exudes confidence, with that ‘look at me’ air!” That’s my Wendy, alright!
I bought her sight unseen and had her brought down from Sonoma to Texas. She did quite a bit of traveling in her first year! She’s Dutch registered, and was imported from Germany to California. I was so excited to meet her, especially because the man who hauled her called me every day, telling me he’s never met a nicer filly in his life. She stepped off the truck and gave the most high-pitched whinny I’ve ever heard, as if to announce to the barn that its queen had arrived. It was truly Liebe auf den ersten Blick: love at first sight!
It was so different getting a yearling! She was just so lovable out of the gate, very willing to learn, and eager to connect. She immediately felt like my horse. She was very in-your-pocket and, as a gelding person, I found that extremely charming. We, of course, just did groundwork for the first couple of years, and those years are some of my favorite memories as an equestrian.
So, I suppose I cheated a bit, because by the time I rode her, there was a firm partnership and established trust. I don’t feel like we missed a beat when I finally got in the saddle! The groundwork and all the time I poured into her as a baby really paid off, too. Wendy has the loveliest ground manners of any horse I’ve ever met, and I take a lot of pride in that.
We were incredibly lucky to train with Black Star Sport Horses for a decade before they moved, and every lesson, every TV segment, every photo shoot felt like an accomplishment to me. I’ve owned Wendy for nearly eighteen years now, and I’ve always been so proud to call her mine. Getting to drive her after dreaming about it since she was a baby was a huge accomplishment! Who says you can’t teach a dressage horse new tricks?
This is so niche, and such a Friesian owner story, but Wendy made another one of my dreams come true this fall when she starred in the Sleepy Hollow episode of my online show, The Rose Table. I’ve wanted to do a Sleepy Hollow-inspired photo shoot with her literally since year one. I’ve dreamed about it since she was teeny tiny!
I was Katrina van Tassel, and my wonderful trainer, Karen Singer, rode Wendy as the Headless Horseman. Quite a lot of training went into getting her ready for it. Wendy was a little nervous about the cape, the pumpkin, my dress billowing in the wind, and the fact that her trainer was missing a head, but as soon as she saw the cameras, she was a total professional. I’m grateful to everyone at Shenanigan Stables for making it happen! Through my blog, I’ve been able to really advocate for the breed, and that makes me so proud.
Wendy truly shines when a camera is pointed at her. She’s such a ham! She can spot a camera from a mile away and is ever the professional. She frequently appears in episodes of The Rose Table, and she’s been on TV and in magazines more times than I could count. She has quite the resume! She absolutely loves it, and she’s so easy to direct. She gets so happy when it’s time to film. She really loves to perform.
The funniest thing is her ability to do a scene the exact same way, no matter how many takes you need. One of my favorite bloopers has me flubbing my line over and over again while she keeps hitting her mark, and you can practically see her look into the camera “The Office”-style, as if to say, “Can we get a professional for me to do this scene with?”
I remember my dressage trainer, Jessica Blackmon-White, telling me, “This horse will do anything if you believe that she will.” Truer words have never been spoken! Wendy is quite brave if you trust her. During our first trail ride, she hesitated at a creek. I kept my leg on her and told her calmly that I knew she could do it, and she confidently walked into the water.
Still, Wendy is a one-woman horse for sure. She’ll only cuddle with me. She’s not much of a hugger, but she’s a big smoocher, and she always rests her head on my shoulder. In fact, she really doesn’t let many people see her sweet, goofy personality. But I don’t mind that she reserves her best self for me.
I love that Wendy has been willing to do anything and everything I’ve asked. She’s always up for a new challenge. She has been my dressage horse, my trail horse, my carriage horse, and my Hollywood horse. I’ve ridden her over the river and through the woods. Quite a few teenagers learned dressage in her saddle – one even rode her in a princess-style prom dress. She didn’t even learn to drive until she was sixteen, but it’s arguably her favorite activity. My mom calls her a real Renaissance horse because she’s so versatile.
Friesians can really do it all, and I think Wendy is such a great representative of the breed in that way. And no matter what we do, dressage is the foundation for everything.
Our partnership has taught me the importance of trust. She’s my first dressage horse, and the sport influenced me greatly as a rider. Dressage makes you so intentional about every movement. Wendy has influenced me outside of horseback riding, too. Ask any of my friends, and they’ll tell you that when I’m having a frustrating, difficult day, I try to harness Wendy’s energy. She’s so strong and kind and composed. She represents a lot of what I want to be as a person. I try to be more like her every day.
Horses, in general, have influenced my life so much. I joke all the time that I’m great at my job because I’m an equestrian and learned early on the importance of staying calm in a crisis. Nearly thirty years with horses has given me incredible balance, patience, strength, and perseverance.
Wendy really is my dream come true. Thank you to Janna Weir at Black Sterling Friesians for importing this incredible mare and trusting me with her so many years ago. Owning Wendy has been the joy of my life. And thank you to Black Star Sport Horses for making my dressage dreams come true. They’re the best people! I’m so lucky to have had them in my corner for over a decade.
I’ve been in the horse world for 27 years, and I cannot stress enough how important it is to find a trainer you can wholeheartedly trust and who truly cares about your individual goals. Your trainer can make or break your horse experience. I was worried I would never find that again, but I’m so glad I didn’t stop searching for the perfect fit.
Wonderful story! ❤️