Barn name: Keegan.
Details: 2003 Friesian stallion by Jorrit 363 and out of Rachelle, by Daen.
Owned by: Michael and Emily Jewell of Grace & Beauty Farms in Carlisle, Indiana.
What grabs us: This friendly stallion is known for his calm demeanor and goofy personality.
His funniest moment: “We were at a show-out-of-your-trailer show, so he and all the mares were tied up at the trailer. We took the two mares to show in a halter class. I looked over and there he was standing on the fender well of the trailer, looking over the top so he could see everybody,” says Emily. “The crazy part was, he never made a sound: He never whinnied, he was just watching everybody.”
Silly antic: “One of his favorite things to do is stop his stall fan from moving. He’ll press against it, and you’ll hear the thud, thud, thud, then it’ll completely stop, and he’ll let it go,” laughs Emily. “He looks at you like, ‘Look what I did!'”
Owner’s proudest moment: “That a hard one. The most proud I’ve been is probably when he won the Farnam contest,” says Emily. “It was really exciting; I couldn’t believe it. When they e-mailed me and said that we won, I was just floored.”
Under saddle: “Friesians are fun. They’re totally different from anything you’ve ridden before, I can guarantee you that,” shares Emily. “I’ve ridden horses since I was three years old. I started taking lessons when I started riding him, because I wasn’t sure I could do it on my own. Everything is so much bigger with a Friesian: their walk, their trot. Their canter is very uphill. It’s really cool.”
Very trustworthy: “He’s just very personable and very loving,” says Emily. “To me, it’s really cool that I ride him in local parades, and one of my kids is usually aboard. I trust him; I just absolutely trust him.”
Passes on his personality: “A huge thing I hear from a lot of my clients who own Keegan babies is that they get his personality, and the clients love it,” Emily says. “I’ve heard so many times that their colts are brave, fearless, easy to work with, and smart. Plus they have an excellent personality.”
What’s next: “He’s going to be in a movie called White Horse Revelations. It’s a low-budget film, but it’s a contender for the Sundance Film Festival,” Emily shares. “It’s being filmed in Tennessee by a gentleman named River Roubaix. The star is an Andalusian named Santiago, but Keegan will play the black horse. It’s based on the book of Revelations and the four horseman of the apocalypse. I’m looking forward to it; I think it’ll be a really neat experience.”
