[dcm]

Saw this on facebook: Camelot Horse Weekly

Camelot Horse Weekly
#471 - "Charlie" HUGE imported chestnut Oldenberg geld. 17+ hh, big bodied. Ran thru last week & bought direct by dealer "on spec" for a client who wanted a big horse. Charlie was too big so run back thru this week. A bit thin for his size, could use some groceries. Charlie is an Aged Schoolmaster type. In his day he was an internationally shown Grand Prix show jumper. He's got a big knee and some "jewelry", but he's sound under saddle. has a LOVELY rocking canter. Very friendly and sweet in the pen. Rode W-T-C and jumps. A nice hubby horse type, will pack you around safely I think. . . $500.00

Don't know if anyone knows him, or if the background story is even true, but it's worth posting.

[Lynnwood]

Saw this on facebook: Camelot Horse Weekly




Don't know if anyone knows him, or if the background story is even true, but it's worth posting.

Shared it on my FB maybe somebody will recognize him poor fella. He looks like a good soul.

[Mayaty02]

Thanks for posting, I *think* my trainer is going to try to get him... he deserves a better retirement, that's for sure

[myalter1]

oh Mayaty2 let me know if she does...I wish i could take him but can't pay board on 3 (as you know!) Keep me posted...

[dcm]

Fingers crossed for your trainer, Mayaty2!

[myalter1]

trying to help get a shipper for them... here's to hoping! I wish i had a farm of my own. I would take him in a second....

[Limerick]

Hoping Charlie gets the home he deserves. Keep us posted please.

[Aged Out]

Poor Charlie. I'm certain he isn't as weirdly built as the angle of that picture makes him.

Like another poster said, he definitely deserves a better retirement. I hope someone picks him up.

[Mayaty02]

doesn't look like it will work out for us and Charlie, but sounds like he has alot of interest so hopefully someone else will be able to make it work

[myalter1]

Someone bailed him..so he's going to at least get another chance!

[dcm]

Looks like several people knew him as Avatar, but if that is his show name then USEF shows he hasn't shown in 5 years. At least one person said he had recently been in dressage training. I'd guess because of the big knee he was no longer jumping.

Interesting story. I hope they will post updates at least to the FB page.

[myalter1]

Probably not. Usually once they are sold you don't hear much else about them...here's to hoping he's got a good forever home!

[S A McKee]

Looks like several people knew him as Avatar, but if that is his show name then USEF shows he hasn't shown in 5 years. At least one person said he had recently been in dressage training. I'd guess because of the big knee he was no longer jumping.

Interesting story. I hope they will post updates at least to the FB page.

There are many 'avatar' s recorded with USEF but very few chestnuts over 15 that are recorded. If it showed GP jumpers it is likely to have been life recorded. Recording records do not disappear after 5 years, they are permanent.

Results for many divisions ( including GP jumpers ) are available back to 1999 although 'results' searches by horse name go back only to 2006.

Often claims like this are a ploy to get people to buy or adopt a horse that is otherwise unable to be placed. People like the idea of owning a GP jumper.

In some cases research has shown that a supposed ' GP'Jumper was actually a childrens jumper and over the years the record was embellished.

It's nice that people are thinking of taking this horse but it's sad if the only reason this horse gets placed is because somebody claims ( with no documentation ) that the horse was a GP jumper.

[myalter1]

SA McKee - absolutely agree...very sad if this is the only reason..But he did look sweet and I would have taken the chance on him...if I had my own farm...

[dcm]

There are many 'avatar' s recorded with USEF but very few chestnuts over 15 that are recorded. If it showed GP jumpers it is likely to have been life recorded. Recording records do not disappear after 5 years, they are permanent.

Results for many divisions ( including GP jumpers ) are available back to 1999 although 'results' searches by horse name go back only to 2006.

Often claims like this are a ploy to get people to buy or adopt a horse that is otherwise unable to be placed. People like the idea of owning a GP jumper.

In some cases research has shown that a supposed ' GP'Jumper was actually a childrens jumper and over the years the record was embellished.

It's nice that people are thinking of taking this horse but it's sad if the only reason this horse gets placed is because somebody claims ( with no documentation ) that the horse was a GP jumper.

Thanks for the education, but I'm not really that gullible. I've had horses registered with USEF and its predecessors since 2000 (3 life and 1 annual), and I do realize these descriptions on these broker sites should be taken with a grain of salt. However, the ladies who post on this one would not have labeled him "Oldenburg" without a reason, and sometimes they have papers or more rarely there is a recognized brand. Otherwise he would have been labeled "chestnut (or sorrel) gelding" and "warmblood type/cross", and sometimes they get that wrong, too. In this case his color sees to match. The "GP jumper" label was doubtful from the start, but in these days it is not unheard of as we have already witnessed here on this very board.

It was another observer who recognized him as "Avatar" who had been at their trainer's barn for 6 months, and they even described him as a hard keeper. Then another recognized him as "Avatar" who had been in dressage training recently. Being "aged" and fat knee could possibly be a reason for a career change from jumping to dressage. The comment about no show record in 5 years came from someone who searched for a chestnut gelding named Avatar in the USEF horse search and found this guy:

AVATAR (removed look it up yourself)
Foal Date: 2/28/1995
Breed: OLDENBURG
Color: Chestnut Sex: G
Sire: GRAND SLAM
Dam: UNKNOWN
Membership Type: HORSE ID ONLY

I'm not claiming it's him. And I'm not claiming to be an expert. I'm a lowly ex-horseshow mom whose daughter still owns her last horse, and who still has a soft spot for warmblood gentlemen (I still keep track of our retiree and semi-retiree). I only posted his link to give the old guy a chance that maybe some of the story was true, and maybe someone in the vast COTH membership knows or knew him.

btw, there is a reason I don't have a pasture... I'd have grabbed him up in a heartbeat. He looks like a doll who deserves a nice grassy pasture and me to spoil him.

[Mayaty02]

They also described him as an "imported Oldenburg" so I'd assume that came from somewhere as they do normally make a vague guess if they don't know... like warmblood cross etc.

[Justice]

No one tell Mr. Justice.

I clicked through the link, saw the knee, and just felt sick. The horse is, according to several people that know him, sound and an expensive horse to keep. He is NOT an ex-grand prix horse (I don't think). I don't even know that he is an Oldenburg. Apparently he's not even that old. As in, 13ish. I called to make sure he'd been homed and the woman said she'd had tons of calls but it takes someone to buck up and pay for the horse or they stay in the kill pen. So, I pulled over and paid. He reminds me of Black Beauty in my favorite color.

He's going to a quarantine farm for a month to be powerpacked, get shots, and generally be deloused before coming home.

One thing I will say about this horse is that everyone who has known him has strong positive feelings about him and is trying to get more information for me. I am hoping he will work out for a friend of mine who rode 4-H as a kid and wants to get back into horses on a low-key basis. Errrr... Happy Birthday friend! I found you a horse with a knee the size of a basketball! So, now I am shopping for oversize bridles.

[monstrpony]

Well done, Justice! The folks in charge of karma are watching Hope he works out splendedly for your friend.

[Mayaty02]

Justice, you bring me to tears. We really wanted him but have too many horses to take the risk. Congrats and please do keep us updated on him, if nothing else he deserves some time and love.

[sweet2lula]

How wonderful!!! Best of luck to you and your friend with the handsome new boy.