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RICK AND MELANIE LOVE: A DIFFERENT KIND OF TRAINING
Today's show ring is highly competitive
and demanding on both horse and owner. To be a part
of the scene one needs a good horse and a trainer
who can honestly assess that horse and present it
properly to its best advantage. For an owner, knowing
the exact costs involved is also crucial, whether it
be the price to acquire a horse who can win or the
actual money spent in the showing process. Choosing
the right trainer is the one of the most important
factors in success and enjoyment. Melanie and Rick
Love are both lifelong horse people who can help
owners attain their goals--whether they are focusing
on breeding better horses, showing horses they breed
or buy, or competing as amateurs themselves. Best of
all, the Loves bring back a sense of fun to being with
the horses, promoting a family environment in which
clients are part of the team. "I like what the horses
do for people and kids," says Melanie. "Horses can
change lives."
"I grew up with a menagerie of
all kinds of horses, on a farm. When I graduated from
high school I went to work for Lasma at their
Scottsdale location. I worked with some great horses
there--national champions like Scarlet Lace and
Hallelujah Bask. They were the kind of horses that
inspired everyone who dealt with them," recalls
Melanie. Melanie's next job was with the Cuellos,
owner of Cass Ole, the star of the Black Stallion
movie and a multi-National winner in performance.
"I then worked at Warren Arabians when the Kiesner
family was there," Melanie comments "I had the chance
to work with multi-National Champion Houston there."
Melanie came to the Pacific Northwest to work for
Irwin Schimmel, and it was during that time that she
encountered Rick. "Ironically, we met on a skiing trip
which had nothing to do with horses, though I was there
with Greg Harris, another trainer. Irwin helped play
matchmaker for us, as Rick had also worked for him
and he wanted to see us get together."
Rick's background in Arabians includes working for
California trainer Bruce Howard in the 1970s who was
known for his national winners in multiple divisions.
Rick also worked the Scottsdale sales in their 1980s
heyday and drove the van for West Coast Arabians when
that farm was a top show barn, as well as later
working for the Schimmel family.
Melanie
started helping Rick at his barn soon after they met
because Rick had broken his leg (their first
"official" date was cancelled due to his being in the
hospital!). She decided to leave the Schimmel's so
she could ride Rick's performance horses while he was
laid up. "Rick was not a halter guy at the time, but
he has gravitated more towards it recently which works
out perfectly!" she exclaims. "Actually the horse that
got Rick into showing halter was a beautiful filly
named China Doll who really wanted to stand up and
show off--before he had her he was not much interested
in competing in that division."
The Loves
bring to their decade-old partnership a commitment to
do what is best for both horse and owner. "Part of the
reason we have our own business is so that we don't
have to push horses into something for which they are
not suited because an owner insists on it. If someone
wants that, they need to take their horse somewhere
else. We evaluate all horses for 30 days. We have
control over what happens, and we make sure we are
truthful about each horse. The worst that can happen is
that an owner's ego is hurt a little, but we won't
compromise the well-being of a horse."
Rick Love Stables began as an all-around performance
barn, specializing in saddle seat with the later
addition of halter. Many people remember Melanie's win
with DNA Ruse as U.S. National Champion Hunt Pleasure
in 1995, but he was the first horse she rode in the
hunt division. "We knew he had a lot of athletic talent
and at first we thought he would direct that into
country pleasure, but he just did not have enough front
end action for that division, so his owners bought me
a hunt seat outfit and away we went!"
It
is a testament to Melanie's innate horsemanship that
she could take a horse in a division she had not
competed in before to a national championship! The
secret to the success at the Loves' is simple.
"We treat each horse as an individual," explains
Melanie. "That means we find out what kind of
performance each will excel at and we don't push them
into a frame in which they don't belong. We also try
to make showing fun for the horses--they are not
overschooled at shows to make up for lack of work at
home, so they are ready to do their best, fresh and
happy. Also, Rick's halter horses do well because he
trains them with patience--he takes his time to make
sure they understand their job."
Rick has specialized in getting older horses fit and
highly competitive for the ring. Two examples are
Muscati, shown at age 11 in 1995 to Canadian Top Ten
Stallion, and the straight Russian Nareyev (a former
U.S. and Canadian Top Ten Stallion) shown in 1999 at
age 14 to a Region IV Top Five Stallion title.
Nareyev stands at Rick Love Stables and Melanie
reports "He's a blast to show--what an attitude, and
he has just gotten more beautiful with age. We talked
his owner Glenn Hibbs into letting us take him out so
local people would be aware he is in the area, but we
knew he would do well."
Rick and Melanie take
pride in helping horses in their care achieve their
full potential, whether they be senior statesmen like
Muscati and Nareyev or young horses who may have not
had the best start on their show careers. Debbie
Schubert of Annandale, Virginia owns Naba Parada, who
was shown by Melanie to Regions III and IV Top Five
English Pleasure Gelding. "Melanie found him and
trained him. When we first bought him he was a
'disaster' but Melanie could see he was a diamond in
the rough, so we purchased him on her recommendation.
She did an incredible job with him; I don't think
anyone could have done better. Both Rick and Melanie
are the best!" Debbie exclaims. "They are so honest,
and the horses turn out the way they say they will.
They don't want clients to waste money or time, and
they won't continue working with a horse if they feel
it does not have real potential. They are also super
nice people to be around and I can't wait to move
back to the West Coast so I can be close to them
again." Another horse who was a "Cinderella story"
for the Loves and his owner is DNA Ruse, who was
campaigned by Melanie on the local level in country
pleasure with some success until she realized hunt
pleasure would be his place to shine. Jeremy Davis
found DNA Ruse in pasture as an unregistered
four-year-old. He was halter broke and not much
else. "Melanie and Rick spent many months tracking
down the previous owners, putting paper work in order
and helping me get him registered. They felt he had a
lot of potential and was worth the extra effort," says
Jeremy. Melanie says, "Ruse is a storybook horse--the
ugly duckling who became a swan. He was emaciated when
Jeremy got him but even in bad condition we could see
he was structurally correct and very athletic. He has
greatly appreciated his better life and is a joy to
have around--a horse with a real sense of humor who
interacts with people. His National Championship was
a major thrill for all of us."
The clients of the Loves have uniformly high praise
for their fairness, honesty, and ability with horses.
Richard Fiala of Sherwood, Oregon had his Rhapsody In
Gold with them in 1999 as a two-year-old, and she has
had 3 wins at class A shows. "I have known them for
six years, and feel they have the winning combination.
Their facilities are always kept up well and clean.
They are honest about the horses and what you should
expect them to be able to accomplish. They will tell
you the level of competition at which your horse can
win and they will work to get the most out of the
horse without jeopardizing its well being. I really
like the way Rick trains as well as the way the horses
are cared for--they are hard-working people who run an
efficient operation."
Another happy customer is Michele Smith of Agra,
Oklahoma. She has had three horses do very well with
the Loves. They include 1994 U.S. National Champion
Hunt Pleasure AOTR 40 and Over and 1996 Canadian Top
Ten Hunt Pleasure AOTR 40 and Over State of Liberty,
Region IV Reserve Champion Stallion (and multiple top
five English Pleasure AOTR winner) GT Integra, and
Canadian Top Ten Gelding, Scottsdale Top Ten Halter,
Region 3 Champion Gedling AOTH and Top Five Country
Pleasure Junior Horse Spring Klassic. "I am extremely
happy with the results the Loves obtained with my
horses. They are great people, fair and honest, and
one of the few training barns I would send a horse
to. They do not push the horses before they are ready
to show. I like horses to be able to perform as well
as look nice. When a horse returns from the Loves it
is in shape and its mind is intact!" enthuses Michele.
Glenn Hibbs of Catalina Island, California
has been one of the Loves' most enthusiastic recent
clients. "With Rick and Melanie, the client and the
horses are equal. They are just as concerned with
having good customers as good horses. They also want
all their good clients to have good horses because it
costs the same amount of money to train a good one as
it does one with less talent. They send horses home
that aren't going to be high achievers--sometimes this
makes clients angry but Rick and Melanie feel it is
more important to keep their ethics in line. They are
also great family people and love to have families
involved in the horses. When a Love- trained horse
wins, I'm not sure who enjoys it most--the horse's
owner, Rick, Melanie, or the other clients--the whole
group is like a great big family. Clients help with
emergency errands to get each other's horses ready, and
take the Loves' son Michael for walks around the
showground," Glenn says. His horses with the Loves
include Nareyev, a sire of National winners in halter
and performance and a multi-National winner himself,
the Padrons Psyche daughter LC Mon Amie (a Region IV
Top Ten Sweepstakes Filly), "Sirrocco" (a weanling
Desert Heat VF colt who will be campaigned in 2000),
and AW Fortune NGold, a Legacy of Gold filly out of a
Traditio daughter who won the yearling Minnesota
Medallion filly class unanimously (she was a class
winner at Scottsdale and a regional Sweepstakes
champion prior to Glenn's purchase). "Melanie and Rick
also help their clients make some money with their
horses when they can, a refreshing change for many of
us in the business, " says Glenn. "Melanie just helped
me resell AW Fortune NGold for a very nice profit
(though she wished she could keep her to show at
Nationals, the opportunity was too good to pass up!)"
Longtime breeder Liz Alward of Red Bluff,
California has also used the Loves for her colt Line
of Fire, who she reports was shown in three regionals
as a yearling and two year old and was champion at
each one. He was also twice Scottsdale Top Ten Halter.
"They are honest and do not take advantage of their
clients. They take good care of the horses and are
upfront about their qualities and abilities. Melanie
is a very hard worker and has an exceptional eye for
a horse."
Melanie's exceptional eye for equines has enabled her
to choose "Cinderella" horses like Naba Parada and DNA
Ruse, and it has also brought her an exceptional honor:
that of breeding a multi-National Champion herself. The
1998 U.S. and Canadian National Champion Half-Arabian
Saddle/Pleasure Mare, She Be Jammin, was bred by
Melanie, from a purebred mare and a Saddlebred sire.
Her sire Phi Slamma Jama is a noted sire of both
Saddlebreds and Half- Arabians, and her dam A Luv
Affair is a pure Polish mare by U.S. National Champion
Stallion AAF Kaset out of the Ariston granddaughter
Gypsy Kastenet. "I have had the pleasure of showing
some truly great horses to National wins for other
people, as has Rick," muses Melanie, "but NOTHING
compared with the thrill of seeing my husband show the
mare I bred to her titles last year, even though at the
same shows he also had the Canadian Reserve National
Champion Mare and U.S. Top Ten Mare *Ynazia HCF and
Canadian and U.S. Top Ten Stallion *Noble Lord JP. I
bred She Be Jammin for Rick to show because I couldn't
seem to find him a National Champion quality horse to
show. She is so extreme and embodies everything I love
in a horse, and she will be an outstanding performance
horse too!"
Another unforgettable show ring triumph for the Loves
involved Rick's daughter college- age daughter Alyssa.
"I wasn't able to get her entry confirmed for the
Region III show in amateur country pleasure, so Alyssa
rode OA Kaula Kreme (a Half-Arabian) in the open
country pleasure junior horse class against all
professional trainers. I had planned to ride her, but
I wanted Alyssa to have the pleasure--and a pleasure
it was, as she placed Reserve Champion!" Melanie says.
Horsemanship must be in her genes.
The
Loves look forward to the millennium show season with
great anticipation. "We may have sold all our Nationals
contenders this year, but we are bringing some great
horses to Scottsdale if all goes well," says Melanie.
"Burning Brightly (Bask Flame x Sultans Mahogany" will
compete in Half-Arabian Hunt Pleasure Junior Horse as
well as Half-Arabian Stock/Hunter Geldings. We will
also have the Half-Arabian Saddle/Pleasure Yearling
Colt He Be Slammin (Phi Slamma Jama x Kapryse), a full
blood brother to She Be Jammin. Another close relative
of She Be Jammin in the show string is Phenomenal (Phi
Slamma Jama x Krystal Charm), who will show in
Half-Arabian Saddle/Pleasure Fillies. Her dam is a 3/4
sister to the dams of She Be Jammin and He Be Slammin
as she is by AAF Kaset out of an Ariston daughter who
is a full sister to their granddam! We are also excited
about our purebred halter horses. We hope to bring LC
Mon Amie (by Padrons Psyche) to show in two year old
filly halter. We will also show the yearling colt
Magnificent LL (Magnum Psyche x Emerald Elegance), and
our own yearling filly, Collectable (*Noble Lord JP x
Jabaskalynn by GG Jabask). Another serious contender
will be *Jaia Mclb (Nesperado x AF Jysta) in the three
year old filly class--she won her class at Scottsdale
in 1999 and has a wonderful pedigree that combines a
straight Egyptian sire with a dam who has lines to
U.S. National Champion Stallions *Marsianin,
*Aladdinn, and *Bask."
If you are looking for
quality training in halter or performance, you should
seriously consider Rick Love Stables. They can help you
find a horse to accomplish your goals (and tell you how
much it will cost as well). If you already have a
horse, they will assess it honestly for potential and
market value. If you are an amateur showperson in
halter or performance the Loves will help make you and
your horse a highly competitive team. You will enjoy
being around the Loves both at the farm and at the
shows (even if you think they are working harder than
they should be!) Rick and Melanie Love are trainers for
all of us! |
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