http://pics.livejournal.com/altivo/gallery/00013qry.xml http://pics.livejournal.com/altivo/gallery/00013qry Selected photos from the Northern Illinois Horsefest, Boone County Fairgrounds, Belvidere, August 26, 2006 http://pics.livejournal.com/altivo/pic/0005dapw.xml One of the Black Pearl Friesians takes some early morning exercise. http://pics.livejournal.com/altivo/pic/00050pf7.xml b81a874f75cf543283cafcbc9832f3cf image/jpeg 640 480 62067 http://pics.livejournal.com/altivo/pic/00050pf7 horsefest http://pics.livejournal.com/altivo/gallery/00015t9p.xml http://pics.livejournal.com/altivo/gallery/00015t9p horses http://pics.livejournal.com/altivo/gallery/00008k4p.xml http://pics.livejournal.com/altivo/gallery/00008k4p The Black Pearl Friesian dance troop also participated in the breed demonstrations. http://pics.livejournal.com/altivo/pic/00051dsy.xml ca00768f69508db3fc8d725fa6269133 image/jpeg 640 480 47974 http://pics.livejournal.com/altivo/pic/00051dsy horsefest http://pics.livejournal.com/altivo/gallery/00015t9p.xml http://pics.livejournal.com/altivo/gallery/00015t9p horses http://pics.livejournal.com/altivo/gallery/00008k4p.xml http://pics.livejournal.com/altivo/gallery/00008k4p Another shot of the Friesians at the breed demonstrations. http://pics.livejournal.com/altivo/pic/00052gq3.xml 06ca5900847f8164c7e92812311b2df4 image/jpeg 640 480 73850 http://pics.livejournal.com/altivo/pic/00052gq3 horsefest http://pics.livejournal.com/altivo/gallery/00015t9p.xml http://pics.livejournal.com/altivo/gallery/00015t9p horses http://pics.livejournal.com/altivo/gallery/00008k4p.xml http://pics.livejournal.com/altivo/gallery/00008k4p Immediately after Gary took this one, the driver asked us to hold his horse while he went for something. We had a good five minutes in which we could have stolen the gentle guy. http://pics.livejournal.com/altivo/pic/000546xk.xml 0fe99c4f4ec2b906a9878d55283e4042 image/jpeg 1280 960 206516 http://pics.livejournal.com/altivo/pic/000546xk horsefest http://pics.livejournal.com/altivo/gallery/00015t9p.xml http://pics.livejournal.com/altivo/gallery/00015t9p horses http://pics.livejournal.com/altivo/gallery/00008k4p.xml http://pics.livejournal.com/altivo/gallery/00008k4p Well, not exactly. The horse was a beaut though, and for sale. Only $20,000. Yes, I know, you Europeans will laugh, but that's how much they've managed to inflate the price of the breed over here. http://pics.livejournal.com/altivo/pic/00055331.xml a2ae295e87ef718642c80750f792aa42 image/jpeg 1280 960 199731 http://pics.livejournal.com/altivo/pic/00055331 horsefest http://pics.livejournal.com/altivo/gallery/00015t9p.xml http://pics.livejournal.com/altivo/gallery/00015t9p horses http://pics.livejournal.com/altivo/gallery/00008k4p.xml http://pics.livejournal.com/altivo/gallery/00008k4p That's what Gary christened this display. Actually, they are plush backpacks, and unfortunately too small to put much of anything in except maybe your lunch. If they were big enough for books I'd have bought one. I was in line buying a plush pony when he took this shot. http://pics.livejournal.com/altivo/pic/000569xp.xml 6f52960f1e73a50fc44c785fb40a7394 image/jpeg 1280 960 210832 http://pics.livejournal.com/altivo/pic/000569xp horsefest http://pics.livejournal.com/altivo/gallery/00015t9p.xml http://pics.livejournal.com/altivo/gallery/00015t9p This miniature donkey was very well behaved and pulled his cart politely and with a little bit of flash even. http://pics.livejournal.com/altivo/pic/00057ph7.xml 1d9628b23c6608ad296b8f5abcee8bea image/jpeg 1280 960 199395 http://pics.livejournal.com/altivo/pic/00057ph7 donkeys http://pics.livejournal.com/altivo/gallery/00016txt.xml http://pics.livejournal.com/altivo/gallery/00016txt horsefest http://pics.livejournal.com/altivo/gallery/00015t9p.xml http://pics.livejournal.com/altivo/gallery/00015t9p Some will remember my mention of Santiago last year. This is the same magnificent stallion who performed the "naked" dance with his trainer in last year's Night of the Horse. http://pics.livejournal.com/altivo/pic/00058cpq.xml 23753b0399bed3050ab3025d04574dcf image/jpeg 1280 960 207602 http://pics.livejournal.com/altivo/pic/00058cpq horsefest http://pics.livejournal.com/altivo/gallery/00015t9p.xml http://pics.livejournal.com/altivo/gallery/00015t9p horses http://pics.livejournal.com/altivo/gallery/00008k4p.xml http://pics.livejournal.com/altivo/gallery/00008k4p Literally, here is the near side. http://pics.livejournal.com/altivo/pic/00059k4d.xml d55ac5b8a82a4a230187526c57fdc45e image/jpeg 1280 960 201927 http://pics.livejournal.com/altivo/pic/00059k4d horsefest http://pics.livejournal.com/altivo/gallery/00015t9p.xml http://pics.livejournal.com/altivo/gallery/00015t9p horses http://pics.livejournal.com/altivo/gallery/00008k4p.xml http://pics.livejournal.com/altivo/gallery/00008k4p I apologize for not getting the name, but Santiago is his sire. He was elegant in harness, and probably does harness dressage just as well as his sire does riding school movements. http://pics.livejournal.com/altivo/pic/0005ag7q.xml a5bd453fedf8671b44d3a91ed0d6791c image/jpeg 640 480 63625 http://pics.livejournal.com/altivo/pic/0005ag7q horsefest http://pics.livejournal.com/altivo/gallery/00015t9p.xml http://pics.livejournal.com/altivo/gallery/00015t9p horses http://pics.livejournal.com/altivo/gallery/00008k4p.xml http://pics.livejournal.com/altivo/gallery/00008k4p There were more of these cute little guys at the breed demonstrations. http://pics.livejournal.com/altivo/pic/0005bxdd.xml 78bd2c9a12001defcf3fdb9e51954e53 image/jpeg 640 480 158432 http://pics.livejournal.com/altivo/pic/0005bxdd donkeys http://pics.livejournal.com/altivo/gallery/00016txt.xml http://pics.livejournal.com/altivo/gallery/00016txt horsefest http://pics.livejournal.com/altivo/gallery/00015t9p.xml http://pics.livejournal.com/altivo/gallery/00015t9p This time showing off in the arena at the breed demonstrations. http://pics.livejournal.com/altivo/pic/0005cb0e.xml 653ffa031ff9ccfffdf8ea3a4159f0c2 image/jpeg 640 480 50794 http://pics.livejournal.com/altivo/pic/0005cb0e horsefest http://pics.livejournal.com/altivo/gallery/00015t9p.xml http://pics.livejournal.com/altivo/gallery/00015t9p horses http://pics.livejournal.com/altivo/gallery/00008k4p.xml http://pics.livejournal.com/altivo/gallery/00008k4p The mane and tail are magnificent. I couldn't keep my eyes off them. http://pics.livejournal.com/altivo/pic/0005dapw.xml 4a4ba4a988b72edf124b562bb60ddcde image/jpeg 1280 960 207627 http://pics.livejournal.com/altivo/pic/0005dapw horsefest http://pics.livejournal.com/altivo/gallery/00015t9p.xml http://pics.livejournal.com/altivo/gallery/00015t9p horses http://pics.livejournal.com/altivo/gallery/00008k4p.xml http://pics.livejournal.com/altivo/gallery/00008k4p This young girl was utterly unflappable, and so was her mount. Upon close examination I discovered that she was using no bit at all, just an ordinary leather halter with reins attached. The horse behaved perfectly at all times. http://pics.livejournal.com/altivo/pic/0005ezzr.xml ab0e29bf074bbe181830bd7f997094e9 image/jpeg 640 480 51996 http://pics.livejournal.com/altivo/pic/0005ezzr horsefest http://pics.livejournal.com/altivo/gallery/00015t9p.xml http://pics.livejournal.com/altivo/gallery/00015t9p horses http://pics.livejournal.com/altivo/gallery/00008k4p.xml http://pics.livejournal.com/altivo/gallery/00008k4p I've seen this done many times, and frankly I have no desire to try it. Those ladies had a lot of guts. http://pics.livejournal.com/altivo/pic/000532t5.xml 2452ef453530af44069618b8d301817b image/jpeg 1280 960 208902 http://pics.livejournal.com/altivo/pic/000532t5 horsefest http://pics.livejournal.com/altivo/gallery/00015t9p.xml http://pics.livejournal.com/altivo/gallery/00015t9p horses http://pics.livejournal.com/altivo/gallery/00008k4p.xml http://pics.livejournal.com/altivo/gallery/00008k4p These were "B" miniatures, the slightly larger kind. Very elegant. http://pics.livejournal.com/altivo/pic/0005f7td.xml 88296baa95410934769fa133634805b3 image/jpeg 640 480 159729 http://pics.livejournal.com/altivo/pic/0005f7td horsefest http://pics.livejournal.com/altivo/gallery/00015t9p.xml http://pics.livejournal.com/altivo/gallery/00015t9p horses http://pics.livejournal.com/altivo/gallery/00008k4p.xml http://pics.livejournal.com/altivo/gallery/00008k4p The horse is a five year old Percheron called Prince. The acrobat troop consisted entirely of kids aged about 5 to 11, and they were amazing. So was Prince for that matter. http://pics.livejournal.com/altivo/pic/0005g7z5.xml d55d4754546735f087ca29effbc3d2e2 image/jpeg 640 480 56248 http://pics.livejournal.com/altivo/pic/0005g7z5 horsefest http://pics.livejournal.com/altivo/gallery/00015t9p.xml http://pics.livejournal.com/altivo/gallery/00015t9p horses http://pics.livejournal.com/altivo/gallery/00008k4p.xml http://pics.livejournal.com/altivo/gallery/00008k4p Interesting, but I don't particularly recommend it. I think this comes under the heading "showing off inappropriately." http://pics.livejournal.com/altivo/pic/0005hstz.xml cad8004b09f1ff0cfcc45daa35991a19 image/jpeg 640 480 49131 http://pics.livejournal.com/altivo/pic/0005hstz horsefest http://pics.livejournal.com/altivo/gallery/00015t9p.xml http://pics.livejournal.com/altivo/gallery/00015t9p horses http://pics.livejournal.com/altivo/gallery/00008k4p.xml http://pics.livejournal.com/altivo/gallery/00008k4p