Bravo has a formidable skill and he uses it with great precision, one look into those liquid brown eyes and you're a goner. He is so sweet and affectionate, I wanted to stuff him in my camera case and bring him home! Everyone needs a cuddle monster like Bravo. I asked Ann to tell me how she came to find this adorable unicorn.

Meet Bravo, lovingly owned by Ann Wynn

I had just retired my last horse to a lovely farm in PA; sold our ranch in Texas and was living part time between Armenia (where my husband was working) and Virginia. We spent 3 years looking in South Carolina for our retirement home but with no luck we decided to go back to Colorado (this would be our 3rd time). It was a safe choice since we were very familiar with the area and I knew a lovely stable there if I wanted to take lessons. After closing on the house in Colorado and spending time with old riding friends, I realized that I was not quit done with owning a horse. This time I was going to look for a large pony since I am now in my 70’s and Virginia is definitely “pony country”. Not knowing anybody in Virginia to help me with what I considered my last horse purchase I started asking around. I was visiting a tack shop and somebody said I should contact Diane Crump. She was the first women jockey to ride in the Kentucky Derby. She assists people in finding horses for buyers. Her service is free – seller pays all fees. I emailed her hoping she would take me on as a client. She emailed me back and told me she was really busy and was not sure if she could help me since I was on a deadline - we would be permentally moving into our new home in Colorado in 2 months. I took a chance and e-mailed her that I was looking for a large pony, not for showing, safe, sound and sane. Before she shows a client a horse/pony she actually sees the horse and watches them work. Diane e-mailed me a few days later and said she was showing another client a horse and found a pony at the same farm that might fit my needs. We arranged to meet at the farm and I really liked the pony and actually did a pre-purchase on him but he did not pass. Another 2 weeks passed before I heard from Diane about a large grey pony – a very fancy pony with an extensive show record. I had to think about this, as I had no intention of going back into the show ring. She sent me a video and I decided, “What harm would it do if I tried him?” I was sold the minute I saw him in the crossties. His soft eyes and beautiful head. He was very friendly which is a must for me. He passed his PP with flying colors, shipped him to Colorado, and Bravo is now my forever pony.

My trainer in Colorado convinced me that I should give showing another try. For the next 2 years I had so much fun with him in the show ring. He has 2 great loves – going to horse shows and jumping. Ground work at home is boring – you actually have to put in a few jumps and then he gets his motor going and as you hack around he is looking at the jumps to see what is next. No jump is too high.

Before we moved to South Carolina in the late summer 2019, I spent the summer showing him in the Colorado Summer Circuit. Now that we have found our home in SC and Bravo is loving life at Rose Dhu and we do a little showing for fun!