MANNOG APRIL BLUES: APHC USA 523866  APHC UK A.18   BAPS GD/M/1589

It was with great sadness that we had to euthanise our most beautiful and wonderful mare Mannog April Blues on 4th December 2018.  We tried all we could for her but unfortunately had to make the very hard decision to let her go.

Having had April since a foal she was probably one of the last surviving direct descendants of Amazing Blue in the UK.  She inherited his beauty, temperament, conformation, muscling and movement.  A multiple champion in hand from the beginning including  BAPS Supreme Champion in 1997 (when there was real competition then with 130 Appaloosas forward for the show) and ending with APHC UK Female Champion and  Reserve Supreme Champion in 2011 competing against some wonderful multi champion mares such as Constant White Magic and Capitall Lola (who was sired by her son Mannog Moonriver!).  With 12 in the mare class - numbers rarely seen nowadays - it was a huge achievement.  We did not overshow her as she had nothing to prove but her type is now rarely seen in the APHC UK halter classes these days.  However when we did take her out she was much admired and photographed.  We loaned her out for a few years to our friends in Hampshire (Gillian & Alex York Wright) so they could have some fun with her under saddle and she had an aptitude for jumping but we missed her so much we got her back! Richard would hack her out when he could and she was just so easy. The sweetest and gentlest of natures at all times.

April was our foundation mare and probably one of the most prolific  mares in the APHC UK of producing champion stock through her offspring of which there are too many to mention.  She was everything you could wish for in an Appaloosa  and still looked great at the age of 25 years plus she could still  party with the rest of the brood mare herd when she wanted to.

Thank you for everything APRIL  .  RIP.

"When we think of those companions who travelled by  our side down life's road , let us not say with sadness that they left us behind, but rather say with gentle gratitude that they once were with us"