Rev's Lady Mary Crawley
(by Stephanie Langston)

Like her namesake, Lady Mary Crawley is a brilliant, tough-as-nails lady who is going places.

Lady Mary Crawley is also as blue-blooded as her namesake. Her dam, Fame’s Pushy Lady, is a supremely talented mare whose short but brilliant show career was cut short due to a leg injury involving a fence that left her with a severed tendon. As she was getting up in age, we were hoping for a filly to keep in our program. Pam carefully selected a stallion to compliment her. She originally selected The Revelation, but then changed to his son, Rowdy Rev.  When talking to Mr. Harlan, Pam learned that Rowdy Rev was much like his sire with his towering height and great bone, but with just a touch better shoulder.

Merida was foaled at Westwood Farms in Virginia. From the moment she arrived, we knew she would be a force to be reconned with. Early on, she earned the barn name "Merida" after the character in the Disney movie, Brave. She came out of the womb unwilling to be intimidated by anyone or anything. When she was learned to be ponied, I used one of our stallions, Golden Gambler. Most babies clack their teeth when they meet an adult horse for the first time, especially a stallion. Not Merida. She didn't like that he was tugging her along, so she laid her ears back and nipped him! You could almost hear the indigniation she was projecting "How dare you, sir!" Another example of her bravery that I remember well is the first time I took her to the river. When she was a filly, he best friend was The Tennessee Stud WF, a buckskin colt her same age. Merida had been in charge of their relationship since...well, birth. So where Merida went, "Little Gambler" followed. Pam and I decided to take the foals to the river one hot, summer day. I thought if I could get them to just step their feet in, that it would be a good exposure to water for them. When I walked in leading both babies, Merida gamely followed as if she was accustomed to water already. She didn't hesitate to follow me right in to the river and ended up swimming with me.

Merida has that brilliant "Pride's Genius" mind that Rowdy Rev and The Revelation both have. She is constantly thinking and learning. You rarely have to show her something more than once before she's got it. She lives for praise and will do anything to earn it. That makes her an exceptionally willing pupil. Case in point, just six months after being started under saddle and with only 4 shows under her belt, trainer Keegan Meadows of Blackwater Stables deemed her ready for exhibiting at The Tennessee Walking Horse Celebration. Of course, she had already won the Country Pleasure 4 & Under at Belfast Lion's Club show; took 5th in the Country Pleasure 4 & Under at the 2018 TWHBEA World Vesatility Show; and was the Florida Walking and Racking Horse Association State Champion in 4 & Under Country Pleasure.

Unbeknownst to us, Merida had an infected tooth. When she arrived at the Celebration, it was clear she was not feeling well. Her tooth had caused her such pain that she hadn't been eating and drinking well, and she was treated for an electrolyte imbalance. Despite that setback, our tough lady brought home ribbons. In the Owner Amateur Two and Three Year Old Country Pleasure and she was 9th out of 12. She was 3rd at Futurity in the Two Year Old Country Pleasure.

After the Celebration, she was show at the Florida Walking and Racking Horse Association's Horse Park State Championship. She took 1st place in the County Pleasure Amateur Specialty Class and 3rd in the 4 & Under Country Pleasure Specialty.

We look forward to seeing her career progress with The Gardner Family!