I took Annie (Anastasia- Asal x Pelenli) for her last trailer ride last Friday. Annie has been retired from breeding for 6 years and just this past year she ‘declined’ to be Grannie Annie for the first time. Until this year, she’s been happy to babysit and teach the youngsters the dos and don’ts of being a well adjusted horsey citizen. It was always funny to see her tell them in no uncertain terms what was allowed and what wasn’t.
Annie and Alamet a while back. Last time I asked Annie if she would like to visit with Alamet again, she said NO, absolutely not. I have a good photo of her telling a colt what is allowed…somewhere.
So, a little backstory about Annie, aka Annie Bananie, Nanners or Grannie Annie. I first saw her at age 2, in a very small metal pen without shelter, cowering in the corner. I had gone to the farm to look at some Tekes and the owner dismissed this filly as ‘Crazy, we’re going to send her to the canner’. I came back later that day to see her (without the owner). She was in the corner, butt turned to me, head down. I just stood there, talking to her. Soon, she looked at me. Then, she walked over to me and put her nose in my hand and sighed. I decided to buy her at that minute. I did drive a very hard bargain though – the owner did not appreciate the horses and let it be known to me. I just subtracted a zero every time a negative comment was given. Needless to say, I got a VERY good deal.
Annie came to me with her younger half sibling Mazan (who was 4 months old) and the 3 year old colt Astrachan (thrown in on the deal). I did make the mistake of taking her halter off and turning her out in the paddock with Maz. It took me two weeks to catch her again. Lesson learned! Annie was the farthest thing from crazy, but she was very sensitive and anything beyond a stern look was too much for her. She is the horse that got me into natural horsemanship, as my strict German dressage background just wasn’t quite cutting it with her.
She settled in and grew up into a lovely young lady. I sold her (briefly) and she got to fly on an airplane to Alaska, where she spent about a year. She came back to me after that to be a broodmare. We had a heck of a time getting her cycles back on Pacific NW time, instead of Alaska time, but we got it done.
Her first foal was Anika, a 1997 filly by the then 7 year old Astrachan. I seem to remember that she foaled between morning feed and turnout – I was quite surprised (but happy!)
Anika at about 2 years of age.
In 1998, she had Alyeshka, another Astrachan filly. Alyeshka has had either 3 or 4 fillies for her owner.
Alyeshka and her first filly
Annie took a few years off and then had her first colt in 2002, Sumgait, by Samarkand, who sired at least one filly before he was gelded.
In 2004, she had another Astrachan filly, Alav, who had one colt for me before going to her new home.
Alav’s Salam son Suygi, who has sired several very nice half-bred Teke crosses
In 2005, I bred Annie to Aliger to get the lovely palomino filly, Kamileshen.
In 2006, she had an Astrachan colt, Asil Tumay.
In 2007, she had another Astrachan filly, Asalari, who has now had 4 foals.
Above is with her 2016 Merdan colt, Menze Khan (who is still for sale by the way!)
Another, better photo of Menze Khan
Asalari’s 2014 colt (now gelding) by Arin
Asalari’s 2015 filly by Arin
Asalari’s 2017 filly by Salam
Back to Annie! After Asalari, her next foal was an 09 filly named Artemesia by Murgab in Canada. I don’t have any photos of her, as Annie was leased out for this filly
Annie came back to the US in 2010 and had another Murgab foal, Miras, this one a colt (now a gelding)
Annie’s last foal was a Salam colt (now gelding) in 2011, Sazanda. Sazanda’s nickname was ‘Reggie’ as Annie had to be on regumate for most of that pregnancy and it was touch and go. We decided to retire her after Reggie, as the cost of getting and keeping her pregnant were more than the price I could sell the foals for.
Quite the legacy! So many lovely horses with nice conformation, great temperaments and athleticism. Not bad for a ‘crazy’ mare.
Farewell my friend.