Pepe Grillo
20+ Pony Gelding
This little wild man is a 20+ year old 14.1 hh liver chestnut pony, tiny, but what a powerhouse! Julie owned him, and wrote:
He started off as a dressage mount for a small adult. ....he was trained as a hunter pony. He spent many years at a very fancy A show barn in Del Mar. He won many championships in the short stirrups and pony hunters. One of his many owners learned to jump on Pep and is now a Grand Prix rider. As his tolerance for intermediate riders waned, he was sold to a jumper barn. There he was purchased by a brave and daring 13 year old girl. This was a match made in heaven. There was not a fence he would not jump, no matter how high. They were an unbeatable team, literally. This tiny team won every 3'6" jumper course they ever entered. They beat the likes of Hap Hansen, and other big time professionals. He was awarded "Horse of the Year" in 2002 at the Oaks, after sweeping the 3'6" division that year. He came to me in 2003 and was leased to a few of my students. That year, he was year end walk-trot champion. The following year he was year end Pony hunter champion. In his last year of showing, he was again short stirrup year end champion. He won countless classes and always performed when it counted. He was never cooperative in lessons, always giving his rider a hard time, but at the shows he was always a star. He is a true competitor.
Julie then gave me more information about his personal quirks, and the sweet itch that has plagued him for so long. She didn’t want him having to continue to have steroid injections and antibiotics, and felt that the drier climate here might help him. Pepe is also very stallion-y and protective of Piccadilly, so when he came, I kept the two of them separate. However, a few months later I was able to introduce him, Pic and Remy to the herd, and while there were a few tense moments, they were all happy to return to Oso in the South Stream arena.
A battle of wills between Pepe and Ronan
Since the passing of Princess Picadilly, Pepe has been loosely paired with little Song. He was friendly with Sarge too, until Sarge took over the care of Comet and Allie. (Ah, here at the Golden Carrot, it's like a soap opera!) Pepe is also the first of the "South Stream" horses to bring Song over to the main stall line, and main open paddock. He's an adventurer...
Pepe Grillo is sponsored by his former owner, Julie. Thank you Julie for being the kind of owner I can respect – who cares for their old friends!
