Gail Guirreri-Maslyk, owner

Gail Guirreri-Maslyk has been breeding Holsteiners and spotted Holsteiners since 1989.

Some history of Gail and Cloverlone breeding:

'I bought my first stallion, Champagne, in the fall of 1986. He was a long yearling by the Olympic stallion, VDL Chin-Chin. Chin-Chin had been in Virginia for a few short months before being sold to Mexico where he made the team and was 5th individual jumpers in Seoul. Champagne already had a stallion son on the ground out of Frascati v. Fasolt. CHINN (farm name, Heartbreaker) was long lined and more exquisite in his looks and movement. Champagne, Chamois by Champagne out of Flighty Birthday xx and a full sister to CHINN were all sold to Mrs. Joan Irvine Smith of The Oaks in San Juan Capostrano, Ca. CHINN went on to sire many super junior and amateur athletes in all disciplines including 'the jumping fool', cZappa that was sold to Melissa Rivers from Todd Minikus' barn. Caroline, CHINN's full sister, produced many IJF champions and Chamois became Joe Montanas show hunter.

Champagne was a great introduction to the horse industry! When he was sold I bought a herd of mares and a new young rogue stallion, Locksley Spotlight. He was 4 years old and wild. Nobody could catch this stallion even in his own stall. If he lost his 10 foot rope, Mr. Morton Smith (Cappy) had to be called in to rope him. I was young and naive...(maybe stupid??). He was a very intimidating horse to most professionals. Nobody could stick his buck and many simply had no care to try. After two years of ground training, teaching him 'English', I went out one day and just got on him. Nothing. The next day I had someone hold him, and he bucked me off something terrible. But, at that point I had hope and a clue! There was a few months of him dragging around a sweet quarter horse pony and then came along a Bolivian named Ricardo. He lasted long enough to get off and try again. Pauline, Vick Russell's wife, had been on the end of the lunge and she knew they had simply got lucky cornering him to a halt. White as a ghost, she agreed they would take him. It was in those next few months that my earlier clue came of use.

He simply kept bucking and bucking; sometime for a half hour. It was at least rideable then but frustrating to watch. He came home for a few days to breed some mares and I decided to try to use the English he had learned with carrots and repitition. I won't say exactly what I did so nobody can attempt to repeat something so dangerous but it worked. He never bucked again. Whew! It was only a few weeks later that we took the picture of Ricardo jumping a 4' oxer. Then I showed him at Roanoke, Culpeper and a few other smaller shows in the amateur hunters. Looking back, I could barely ride! This big bull of a stallion took care of me. The thickness of his neck from the saddle was enough to make you want to dismount let alone the rise into the Heavens feeling as he walked off; yes, quite cold backed! His step was delightful and jump with great bascule and so careful; changes auto.. for me at least. He still gave professionals a hard time.

Spotlight was a once in a lifetime experience as well as individual. He was as far from 'broke' as a horse could be and yet became a stallion I could trust, trail ride in the mountains alone, learn the feel of a perfect hunter and horsemanship that would be my foundation for the many that have come and yet to come. I still have him in his many generations of breeding since. The stallions especially remind me of him when they play their tricks as youngsters. I was lucky to learn from him.

Currently Cloverlone

 

     

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

only 4% appaloosa blood!

AHHA approvals 2009

Cloverlone's Photo Gallery

Original Equestrian Oil Paintings by Gail Guirreri-Maslyk