Lot: Safari Country - 2000 sorrel gelding

This handsome big gelding was born in 2000.  His sire is Badger Safari, a son of Peppy San Badger.  Badger Safari is a cutting stallion that Atwood Ranch co-owned and shared with Dr. Woody Bartlett of Texas.  Safari Country’s dam is a thoroughbred mare that has produced other awesome horses over the years including several owned by Atwood Ranch Managers, Mike and Catherine Sapienza, in addition to one owned by Ranch Veterinarian, Dr. Jessie Heidman, and a two-year-old participating in the colt start class at the Uni.

As a yearling, Safari Country was a near perfect specimen and so was sold by the then-ranch-manager to a ranch in Oregon.  Tom Atwood liked the horse so much he later bought him back!  He is built like the perfect all around using horse – solid and strong with height enough for a tall cowboy, versatile enough to do anything, plus plenty of stride to cover ground and check fences.
 
Kalley says “This is a nice big gelding.  I did not get to play with him much before he left for the Uni module in Colorado, but from what I observed, he always tried hard to figure out the puzzles and usually did.”  Kalley felt as though early on “Country”, as he is nicknamed, was a right brain introvert, obedient and forgiving.  Terri Martinus from the south coast in the UK is currently enrolled in the Uni module and for the past five weeks has been playing with Country.  Terri feels as though he is innately a left brain horse and only shows right brain tendancies these days as a little lack of confidence in new environments and learning new things.  “Having developed a lot of rapport with him and built on our relationship, he has gained confidence in me as a leader and tries really hard,” Terri says.  “He is a sweet natured sorrel gelding.  He always meets me at the gate of his pen and I am really enjoying playing with him and riding him.”