Balmullo's Beacon Photo Album connemara pony updated 2021

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Balmullo's Beacon additional photos

Balmullo's Beacon, my once in a lifetime horse, was laid to rest in his paddock on May 15, 2020, at age 28.

2019 (age 27)

Goodbye, my perfect pony; may you suffer no longer. Run free, jump high and rest well in the cool green grass over the rainbow bridge.

below at a dressage lesson - November 2019

Krista and Bubba - 2019

below: Krista on Bubba at the Jan Bellows clinic (9/8/19)

Summer 2019

Beacon, age 25, 1st place First Level Test 3 & Second Level Test 1 (July 2017, with Amy Vanner)

Schoolmaster and former chief breeding stallion, eventer and multiple award winner, Balmullo's Beacon, pictured here at age 24, teaching my 7 yr old grandaughter the fun of showing:-)

Below in 2014: semi-retired, safely teaching children how to ride

Breezy on Beacon in the CDCTA Sinead Halpin clinic (fall 2014)

Below left: Beacon with Avery Lewis, up, at the USDF Regional Championships At Chattahoochee Hills 10/5/12

Above right: Vanessa Morgan and Avery Lewis with Balmullo's Beacon (2012)

Check out the Team Beacon-Lewis page for more!

ACPS Inspected and Approved Connemara Stallion

A great weekend for Beacon and Sun (10/06)

Last weekend I was privileged to be able to ride in the USEA Jump Start Horse Trials at the Kentucky Horse Park. It was my first horse trials in 6 years and I rode my favorite equine partner, Balmullo's Beacon. My competition began on Saturday with dressage in the morning and X-co in the afternoon. I was happy with our dressage because, although it was not our best, it could have been much worse. We received a score of 35.5 penalty points, which put us in 6th place, out of 19 starters. The rain came in again on Saturday afternoon (after raining most of Friday night), but that didn't stop Beacon from ripping around the Novice X-Co course, finishing right on the speed time limit of 4:18. Incurring no faults on course, we moved up to 4th. Sunday's stadium was in a very soupy arena, from all the previous rain. Beacon took his time in the treacherous footing, with resulted in stops and time penalties for many riders. However, in his true fashion, Beacon jumped everything clean and within time, really saving my skin on a very bad approach to the last fence, moving us us to 2nd place. I love this pony!!!!

Not only did Beacon move up to finish 2nd in the NR, Div. 2, but also, we are doubly thrilled that his son, Piedmont Sundance, won the NR, Div. 3:-)

Marion Caldwell rode an accurate and steady dressage test on Saturday afternoon, tying them for 2nd place. They put in a beautiful cross-country round on Saturday and faultless stadium on Sunday. The double clear jumping rounds moved the pair to victory!!!

Last weekend, I was blessed to be able to launch my mini-come-back with my favorite equine partner, Balmullo's Beacon. We signed up for the Jump Start event at the end of Sept., so to help get a handle on my show nerves ,and to see if I could stay in the saddle over the jumps, we did a local combined test. I am pleased to say that we finished 2nd in the Novice division on our dressage score of 34.7 ppts. We lost a few points when his attention wondered to the herd of pasture horses that moved to the rail right beside the dressage arena to graze during our test! I was a bit uptight in general, so I surely wasn't the greatest relaxing influence, but the experience has helped me prepare for our next one. The stadium was a wonderful, flowing and easy to follow course set in a nice big grassy area, so that phase was a breeze.

I am leaving in the morning to school cross-country at the Kentucky Horse Park. I have never ridden there, so am very much looking forward to it:-) Vanessa