Our Mares - Gisi TOF
| Birth Date | 1991 |
| Height | 58.5" |
| Sire | Afghan II |
| Dam | Gaby |
This regal mare is a personal favorite of ours and of anyone else who has had the pleasure of working with her. On our first trip to Austria in 1992, we were taken to the famous Obergurl ski area to view the horses of well-known breeder Eric Scheiber. Though we did not know it at the time, Mr. Scheiber already had a famous American connection, as his father was the breeder of Alpen Konig. Renowned as a horseman and serious Haflinger breeder, Mr. Scheiber took us up on the “alm” or mountain pasture to view his herd.
After a harrowing ride in his landrover straight up to what seemed like the top of the world, we stopped next to a rushing mountain river, and Mr. Scheiber began calling the horses. They appeared as little golden dots several hundred feet higher up the mountain, and began making their way down towards us, creating their own switchbacks across the face of the incline. They were led by a tall, supremely elegant young mare, who never broke stride as she traversed the hillside. She showed a beautiful free extension of foreleg and shoulder on that rocky mountain path that most dressage riders dream of achieving in 6 inches of groomed footing. As the herd forged the river towards us, she turned it up a notch in the knee-deep rushing waters, and powered her way through with such elevation that it could honestly be described as “passage”, not trot. We knew immediately that this was the type of horse we needed at Tudor Oaks to found our program of breeding sound performance Haflingers for American families. Mr. Scheiber obliged, but every time we have met since then, has light heartedly lamented his decisions to sell her. Thus Gisi TOF became the first Haflinger ever purchased by Tudor Oaks Farm.
Gisi has been trained for riding and we believe she was a superior riding horse in her previous life! She has reacted to everything we have ever done with her as if she’s done it all before. We keep the picture of her first day of riding in the office; with manager/trainer Jennifer Rousseau grinning like a “C”-Pony Clubber on her new pony, and Gisi trotting around the arena with her two ears up like a seasoned performer trots through a meadow. Her wonderful, serene, all-knowing eye is as big and brown as any horse we’ve ever had and is just the right compliment to her beautiful head and curly locks. Her expression never changes, never sours, and her demeanor is always one of complete tranquility. She is so polite, that when you enter her stall to give her the grain at feeding time, she waits quietly at the side until you have exited the stall, so as not to infringe on your space. (Those of you who know Haflingers and of their weakness for food may find this last statement unbelievable, but we assure you, it is so!).
At her breed inspection in 2001, at age 11 (one of the oldest mares inspected to date), Gisi TOF scored an incredible 80 points. Her strongest features are her beautiful head and tremendous stride, for which she scored 9 on both counts. She produced her first foal, a filly by Wintirol, in 1994. That summer we received a visit from well-known Haflinger horseman Ray Miller, accompanied by his friends Leon Miller and Ray Mast. As we walked out to the broodmare pasture, Ray Miller’s eyes got bigger as we approached the mare with new foal at side. He shook his head and muttered some words, then quickened his step to get a closer look. While his exact words have long since escaped us, his expression as he watched that leggy, elegant, doe-like foal prance around her mom like a ballerina, is indelibly imprinted in our memory. After a brief discussion amongst the visitors, arrangements were made for little “Gabrielle TOF” (named after Jennifer Rousseau’s niece) to move to Ohio and the home of Ray Mast, where she has lived ever since as the showpiece of his breeding program. Gabrielle TOF has since produced many lovely foals herself, including the elegant young stallion Magnum RVM.
Gisi’s second foal, the filly “Giselle TOF” by Stars ‘N Stripes TOF was purchased as a weanling by Rick and Ron Eshuis of Kalamazoo, Michigan. Her beautiful head graces their business card, and her show stopping movement in their multiple hitches wowed spectators for many years. In 1996 her third filly arrived. “Gucci TOF” by Wintirol was purchased at the 1998 HRNA sale by new Haflinger enthusiasts Claus and Ann Parow, who were so taken with her grace, elegance and charm that they also purchased Gisi’s fourth filly “Golden Girl TOF”, by Nobleman of Tudor Oaks, later that same year. “Gucci” now resides in Maine with her new owner Patience Cady. After taking a year off in 1998, a fifth filly arrived in 1999. “Glamorous TOF” placed second at the National Show and in the National Futurity behind stable mate Genevieve TOF. In 2000 she was sold at the Buckeye Haflinger Sale, topping the sale at $9,200.00.
Finally Gisi produced a stud colt in 2000, her first ever, by Nobleman of Tudor Oaks. This classically elegant colt did not disappoint, winning his Weanling Stallion class at the National Show as well as both the National and Great Lakes Futurities. We hear from his new owners, Jennifer & John Mueller of West Virginia, that they are enjoying Noble Gentleman TOF immensely. Noble Gentleman was inspected and classified in 2005 with an approved score and Silver Ribbon, scoring 77 points.
A second colt was born in 2001: Noble Legacy TOF. There are just not adequate descriptive words to describe the total package that this beautiful gelding brings to the table. Leggy, refined but masculine, personable and athletic, this will be one of the last Nobleman colts out of a TOF mare, as Nobleman now resides in Holland. This “best of both worlds” combination of Nabucco and Afghan II genes combined in one practically perfect young horse. “Gadget” as we lovingly called him (after the cartoon character “Inspector Gadget”, the one with the big eye) has found a new home and loving owner with Vicki Norris in California. After taking two years off, Gisi has produced two filly foals by Neumeister TOF in 2004 and 2005. Golden Girl TOF won her Futurity Class as a weanling at the GLHA Futurity, and Glimmer TOF. Another year off in 2006, but in 2007, she has given us a stunning filly by Standard of Excellence TOF, who placed second in the AHR National Show Weanling Filly class.
