September 25, 2011

A Note from My Aunt & Uncle******
Hi Joan and Marthe,

This is what we spoke to Joan about today.

Imagine our surprise when we opened our "Springfield Sun" newspaper and on the front page of the "Ticket" Section was a picture of Marthe and Sigi.

The complete article is here:

We have attached the Front Page as it is not included in the above Article.

Love to all,

L&M

September 19, 2011

Sigi won Open Reserve Champion Stallion at the 2011 NEDA Region 8 Fall Festival Breed Show Championships in Saugerties, NY.

SCORES: 81.55 from judge Christof Hess, breaking his highest score to date of 78.5, garnered from Hess this week at the NEDA Qualifying Breed Show. 78.1 from judge Kristi Wysocki. Sigi scored an 8.4 from Hess for confirmation; 8.3 for his walk; 7.6 for his trot and 8.2 for General Impression.

In-hand scores in the 80's are Warmblood territory. B ut Sigi is a Morgan horse (the original American warmblood) who is scoring competitively!

Sigi also won the Morgan Individual Breed Class with his highest IBC score to date of 85.00 with a 9 for conformation; 8.5 for his walk; 8.0 for trot; and 8.5 for General Impression. Judge Hess and Wysocki's comments included: 'Very good type Morgan; good points; very good harmony in body; good interior and good natural suppleness.'

I have to thank our trainer, Louisa-Marcelle Eadie of LME Dressage (www.lmedressage.com) for her fantastic work conditioning Sigi, and teaching me to ride him. And thank-you's to Sara Vanecek, an amazing handler,

Marthe Reynolds
AboutSigi.com LLC

Above pictures is of Sigi and Sara Vanecek in last year's Region 8 Breed Show Championships for the New England Dressage Association (NEDA)
PHOTO BY: CAROLE MACDONAL

July 11, 2011

Lead With Courage, a chestnut filly born to the international Bronze medal winning Morgan mare Courage To Lead (Katy), and sired by dressage champion Statesman's Signature (Sigi), was foaled on July 5, 2011 at 9:45PM in Pennsylvania, reports her owner Beverly Lesher.

Courage To Lead was one of seven USEF Horse Of The Year nominees in 2009; her National and International Gold medalist driver, Suzy Stafford, was also one of seven USEF Equestrians of the year in 2009. Stafford is currently long-listed for the World Cup FEI Pony Driving finals in Slovenia in 2011.

"Katy" was retired from competition in 2010 and began her career in the breeding shed when she was paired with Sigi to create a new combined driving dynasty.

Sigi, owned and competed by Marthe Reynolds, and bred by AboutSigi.com LLC, has begun an alternate career in siring competitive driving champions. His filly PVF Peace Of Mind (Statesman's Signature x JPR Have Mercy) was purchased in 2010 by Suzy Stafford's sponsor, and won her first Open competitive driving championship in June 2011 at just four years of age.

Sigi and Marthe train with noted young Silver medalist and FEI dressage trainer Louisa-Marcelle Eadie of LME Dressage (www.lmedressage.com) in North Salem, NY and Chuluota, FL.

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July 1, 2011

Hi Martha!

I wanted to send you some updated pictures of Sigi's 2006 filly Sprite.
She has matured so nicely I thought I'd send you some new photos. Sprite is everything you could possibly want from a Sigi baby - smart, sane, sound, sensitive, and a beautiful mover. I have been introducing her to jumping and my jumper instructor is blown away by her athleticism and work ethic. She
doesn't usually care for non-TB/WB type horses but absolutely adores
Sprite! The "action" photo is from the first day we started jumping
her, she's usually a little more correctly in the bridle but it's the
best picture I have of her beautiful trot.

Just though you might like the update. :-) Thanks for having a
stallion who throws such wonderful babies!

-Alexis
Alexis Soutter
Connecticut
Wednesday July 1, 2011

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June 15, 2011

Hi Martha,

Attached pictuer of Baron, age 3. Just did a 9.5 mile ride at Mohonk with his momma. In true Morgan style, this boy's gonna do it all. His shoulder and set of his neck are getting rather perfect for a sport-horse as his topline levels out.

Now standing 14.3 and counting.

Laurel Gross
Two Hearts Ranch
Rosedale, New York

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June 2011:

Suzy Stafford And PVF Peace of Mind Win Single Horse Championship and High Point Morgan Horse Award at Brandywine Carriage Driving Show

Photo Above: Suzy Stafford, a National and World Champion Combined Driver who has been long-listed for the 2011 FEI World Pony Driving Championships, competed PVF Peace of Mind at the Brandywine Carriage Driving Show. Peace of Mind and Stafford drove away with the Single Horse Championship, the High Point Morgan Horse award and won the American Morgan Horse Association (AMHA) High Point Trophy. (Photo courtesy of Lisa Tossey) Chester County, PA

(June 14, 2011) – Gold medalist combined driver Suzy Stafford and her young equine partner PVF Peace of Mind (Statesmans Signature X JPR Have Mercy) showed the driving world that age is only a number during the Brandywine Carriage Driving Show. At only four years of age, and at her first recognized driving show, Peace of Mind, or Hunny, drove away with the Single Horse Championship, the High Point Morgan Horse award and won the American Morgan Horse Association (AMHA) High Point Trophy.

“Hunny is the most settled young horse I have ever worked with,” Stafford said. “She is only four years old, but she arrives on the show grounds as if she has been doing this for years. I am really looking forward to her progress as she develops and gets stronger.”

Stafford, who has been long-listed for the 2011 FEI World Pony Driving Championships with her registered half Arabian mare Miss Josephine, said a sponsor purchased Hunny for her in the spring of 2010 from Deborah Keiffer of Parlor View Farm in New York. “I had been looking for a quality young horse to bring along and Hunny had all of the attributes I was looking for,” Stafford said.
Stafford has proven over the years that she has the ability to find and develop young driving horses, driving them into the winner’s circle at national and international events. “I am excited about Hunny because she is a lovely mover with great character, a good mind and correct conformation,” Stafford said. “My goal with Hunny is to move her up through the levels of Combined Driving and see how far it takes us!”

If Hunny and Stafford make it to the top, it won’t be the first time for the determined driver with the mega-watt smile. Stafford has been competing at the World Pony Driving Championships since 2005, an event that takes place every two years. In 2005 she won an Individual Gold Medal with Cefnoakpark Bouncer, followed by a Team Bronze in 2007 with Bouncer and an Individual Bronze with Courage To Lead in 2009. “The 2011 World Pony Driving Championships are being held in Slovenia and this will be Miss Josephine’s first international competition. My goal, just like every other year, is to represent the United States to the best of my ability and bring home medals,” Stafford said.

Stafford and Josephine have already proven they have the ability to drive into the winner’s circle, and earlier this year they won the Triple Crown of Driving for being the most consistent competitors at the Live Oak International, the Sunshine State CDE and Little Everglades CDE. “Driving is my passion and I am thrilled that I have a team of sponsors, friends and supporters that help me to do what I love best,” Stafford said.

In addition to being an award-winning combined driver, Stafford is a highly sought-after clinician. She recently judged the Brandywine Valley Driving Club’s Continuous Driving Schooling Event. “I love giving back to the local driving club,” Stafford said. Stafford operates her Stafford Carriage Driving facility out of Chester County in Pennsylvania from April to December and is stationed in Aiken, South Carolina from January through April. To learn more about Stafford, visit her website at www.staffordcarriagedriving.com.

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June 2011: We received this note from Suzy Stafford of Stafford Carriage Driving in Coatesville, Pennsylvania about Hunny's show debut!

Hi Martha,

Hunny survived her first real driving show. She won the dressage with a 35., 12 points in the lead. She was great in the cones and in the marathon. I did take my time with her on the X-country as she is not that fit and I wanted to walk her a bit in between the obstacles. She was awesome. She acted like she's been to 100 horse shows. Nothing bothered her!

She is on to a pleasure show on Sunday to put in a few more easy show miles until she matures a bit more. Next year she will have a full show schedule.

February 2011:

**CONGRATULATIONS TO 2010 ADEQUAN/USDF AMHA ALL-BREED WINNERS REGAN "Maggie" POWERS AND BATTERSEA SARATOGA ("Toga") on their Reserve Championship Training Level Jr/Young Riders with a 64.400! "Toga" is by STATESMANS SIGNATURE x BATTERSEA NICA, and owned and ridden by Maggie. We are very proud of them!**

The 2011 show season is about to begin for us in Florida. We will ride
Third-1 in Wellington at the Wellington Classic II March 10-13 in
Wellington. Wish us luck! But as we know, "luck" is really in the
preparation.

Sigi won the Morgan Individual Breed Class at Dressage At Devon in
September. We had 6 entries in the class, double last year's entries,
and it is most exciting to have a blue ribbon from a Devon horse show,
as I grew up watching the hunter/jumpers in the Dixon Oval in the
60's. The Morgan Dressage Association members sponsored the class
again this year, and we will be going again in September of 2011. More
info to come about the class as I get it.

Sigg again won the 2010 Adequan/All-Breeds DSHB (Dressage Sport Horse
Breeding) Championship, Stallions 4 & Older with a score of 75.300%
(AMHA). In addition, we won the 2010 Adequan/USDF All-Breeds
Championship Second Level Adult Amateur (AMHA), and Reserve Champion
Second Level Open for same. The Morgan Dressage Association (MDA) gave
us the Award Of Excellence for Second Level Amateur, and Reserve Award
Of Excellence for Second Level Open, and Award Of Excellence for
Morgan Sport Horse Stallions 4 & Over. In addition, we were blessed
with a $500.00 Scholarship from the MDA for 2011 to assist with our
training for the 2011 season. We are extremely grateful.

A pitch for the MDA; please go to www.morgandressage.org to apply for
a yearly membership! It is only 10.00 for Jr/Young Riders, and 15.00
for Seniors, the least-expensive item you can buy for dressage and it
gives the most back. Please visit the website, as the MDA awards
yearly scholarships to Morgan dressage riders, puts out a quarterly
newsletter filled with great and timely info about its members, and
gives out yearly Awards Of Excellence, amongst other things.

I will let you know of Sigi's Third Level progress. We are also
working on a freestyle put together by our trainer, Louise-Marcelle
Eadie, to debut later this year.

Sigi & I hope all of your are enjoying your Morgans! We look forward
to a very special foal being born later this year. More about that
later.

Sigi having trouble holding his head up after Region 8 Championships...

September 2010; A Great End to a Great 2010 Show Season!

Hello, All! Hope you had a splendid summer! Sigi ended the 2010 show season as Reserve Champion Stallion for Region 8, and placed 4th in the Stallion/Gelding/Colt Futurity. That means we were the 4th Highest-Scoring Male horse at the NEDA Breed Show, and we beat a significan amount of Warmbloods for this honor and also won some *money*!!! Yahoo! Well, it paid for his braids and my trainer's gas to get to the showgrounds to coach us in our classes.

Sigi also won the Morgan Individual Breed Class for the second year running. Region 8's Championships were held at the NEDA Fall Festival in Saugerties, NY, September 14-19th. In the performance section, Sigi and Marthe placed 4th in the Region 8 Second Level Championships, our highest placing in the Regionals yet. Marthe and Sigi train with up & coming Grand Prix rider & trainer Louisa Marcelle Eadie of North Salem, NY.

It was exciting to get a verbal pronouncement of "Beautiful!" from judge Lois Yukins after our 2-4 Championship ride, and we were awarded a 63%+ from her! In addition, Michael Barisone of New Jersey approached us and complimented our forward riding; both he and his wife (a noted Grand Prix trainer) were hugely impressed by Sigi and his movement in our warmup. To that I owe all to my trainer, Louisa. She took us from Training to Second Level so far, and we are now beginning Third Level. Louisa will be part of a panel of trainers weighing in on "Training Morgan Horses In Upper Level Dressage" to appear in The Morgan Horse Magazine in their Sporthorse issue. Other members of the trainers' panel will be: Sally Anderson (Iron Forge Starman); Pam Maloof (trainer of two Morgan FEI competition ponies); Cindi Rose Wylie (Audacity); Bill Broe (Rosevale Leggo); and more to be announced. I will make sure to attach the article to Sigi's page when it appears!

We are on our way to Dressage at Devon on Sept. 29th for our last class of 2010. The Morgan IBC Class has 6 entries this year, up from just 3 last year! Included is Sigi's gorgeous colt, Middlecreek Signature ("Stoli"); and Lucy Tidd's PSG stallion GKB COAL MAGIC, who she is also riding in the performance section of DAD! Full report to follow!

April 2010:

Sigi enjoyed life in Central Florida for the winter season. We showed Second Level Tests 1 & 2 in Venice, FL and Wellington, scoring in the mid-sixties. We placed First, Second and won two Reserve Championships in Wellington, so had a satifying start to the 2010 show season up North! Some very special news about one of Sigi's fillies, PVF PEACE OF MIND ("Hunny") follows! We hope to see you at some of the breed shows, and a few Morgan shows, very soon!

March 2010

**************FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE****************

Suzy Stafford of Bear, DE, three-time winner (including 2009)of the National Single Pony Championship Gold Medal in Combined Driving; 2005 FEI World Champion (England); 2009 winner of the Individual Bronze medal at the FEI World Combined Pony Driving Championship in Germany; and a 2009 USEF Equestrian of Honor, has completed the purchase, with her sponsor, of PVF PEACE OF MIND ("Hunny"), a 3-year old Morgan mare sired by NYState-based Champion Morgan Sporthorse stallion STATESMANS SIGNATURE ("Sigi"). Her Morgan dam is JPR HAVE MERCY; "Hunny" was previously owned by Deb Kieffer of Parlor View Farm. Suzy intends to use "Hunny" as her new partner in combined driving competition. They will train in Pennsylvania, North Carolina, and aim to compete in Europe. Suzy also received the 2009 Becky Grand Hart Trophy, presented to international-level non-Olympic Athletes. Suzy Stafford was also awarded the International Morgan Horse award in 2009. Her singles driving companion is the Champion Morgan mare Courage to Lead ("Katy"), a 2009 Farnam/Platform USEF Horse of the Year nominee, and winner of the 2009 Kentucky Classic CDE with Suzy. For more information on Suzy Stafford please visit www.staffordcarriagedriving.com. For further information about STATESMANS SIGNATURE ("Sigi"), please contact Marthe Reynolds go to www.aboutsigi.com.

******"Sigi" and his AA owner/rider Marthe Reynolds are members of AMHA; USDF; USEF; MDA; and NEDA.*****

January 2010

NEWSFLASH....Sigi and I were just named as AMHA Reserve Champion First Level for the USDF All Breed Adult Amateur catagory for 2009!!! Congrats to SIGI, he totally ROCKS!!!

Sigi and Marthe on the front cover of Horsemen's Yankee Pedlar, August 2009!

October 2009

Sigi had a big win at NEDA (September 9-13), as he was named GAIG/USDF Breeders Class Reserve Champion Stallion for Region 8 at the 2009 NEDA Fall Festival in Saugerties, NY.

Sigi GAIG/USDF Reserve Champion Stallion Region 8 NEDA 2009
Photo credit: Carole MacDonald

Sigi also won the Morgan Individual Breed Class this year! We won our 2nd Level Test 1 class later in the week, as well as placed 3rd the second time we rode the test in very mucky circumstances!!

September 23-24th, it was on to Dressage At Devon in Devon, PA for the Breed Show and Stallions Under Saddle class. DAD is attended by over 35,000 spectators every year and is one of the largest breed shows in the nation, arguably the most prestigious. I was able to get a group together to sponsor a Morgan Individual Breed Class (IBC Class) this year; it had been several years since Morgans appeared at Devon. There we 3 of us: Sigi; his yearling colt Middlecreek Signature ("Stoli"); and his half brother Battersea Xanadu. There in front of his breeder, Lynne Shpak; Rita Hanson; Meghan Davis and her parents and a big and enthusiastic group of Morgan supporters, Sigi's colt "Stoli" beat his Daddy in the Morgan IBC Class!!! This is GREAT news, as Sigi is throwing babies even better than himself (if that is possible ;). Sigi and Xanadu came in 2nd and 3rd, respectively. We hope for a vast number of Morgans next year for this IBC Class, so please bring them out!

Sigi also placed 7th overall in the Open Stallions 4 & Older in-hand class, beating Kassie Barteau's GP Raymeister (a Warmblood) in the process!! Thanks to Sara Vanecek for her amazing handling of Sigi in all the breed classes this year. Sigi and I placed 8th in the Stallions Under Saddle Class 4 & Over; it was amazing to ride in the Dixon Oval, a dream come true for me as I watched the hunter jumpers there for many years in my pre-teen years.

That will complete our 2009 show season, but we hope to see you at Equine Affaire in Massachusetts in November as we've been asked back to Morgan Row for another year!