Geronimo Fusco Goes to Florida

by Vickie Ives

It seemed only a short drive down I-20, but the hours rolled by gently in talk of Mustangs and music and HOA. The 370 or so miles between Karma Farms and Forest, Mississippi were almost too soon behind us. After quizzing a number of locals we finally found one who knew the whereabouts of the Shockaloe Base Camp #1 in Bienville National Forest. The camp was lovely and empty. Gretchen and I unloaded Geronimo Fusco and set up camp. "G-man" was glad to be lunged to stretch his legs and then bury his nose in the grass along the camp bar ditch. For May in the deep South, it was cool and pleasant. The towering hardwoods dappled the quiet camp with sunlight and leafy shadow.

We would meet George and Linda Gasparini at the Bienville Forest camp. Their drive was much longer--all the way from Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. The Gasparinis are long time HOA folks. Linda had her HOA mares before I'd ever even met Buddy Ice and owned horses from of the CA HOA herd. Linda wanted to make her dream of raising another generation of horses that traced to the old Brislawn/Edwards herd a reality, and here was Geronimo Fusco to help make that dream come. It was going to be hard to see our "G-man" gone for a year, but I was lucky enough to have 2 fillies by the lovely roan stallion. It was important to see his bloodlines preserved in other herds, too, and Linda and George would play a big role in that.

He is a splendid fellow as these kinda mediocre digital images record, right down to the fly spray streaks on his mahogany roan coat. This little horse carries a pedigree filled with the stuff of Old Bob's dreams, and 2 close crosses to the foundation mare Little Thing. No records of CA offspring have come down to us with the stallion, so while we hope to eventually find them and return them to the HOA records, for now his only offspring which we can be sure of are the ones bred since he was owned by John Fusco. George and Linda's good mares will help to preserve his blood, and we hope others will take advantage of his year long visit to Florida.

We talked about the new HOA and the place of the HOA Foundation horses in it. Linda just said, "I have realized how truly wonderfully Isa is after she beat the best that SEDRA had to offer, including some Arabs which I can remember being really intimidated by when we started. One of my friends who rides a top Arab said. 'Linda, Isa's just awesome!' Coming from her that meant a lot. That's the kind of horse that I want to preserve." HOA is lucky to have the Gasparini's to serve in our HOA Foundation Strain Club along others including Tom Norush, John Fusco, Jeff Edwards, Sary June Ladd, and Jeanne Vaughn. Any other volunteers who are especially interested in this group of horses which trace to the old Wild Horse Research Farm bloodlines are welcome to volunteer.

And G-man is now in Palm Springs Gardens, FL. I had to fight back a sudden frog in my throat as he hopped into the trailer with a whisk of that long wavy tail and bid me good-bye. I stood quietly as their rig pulled out of the shady camp road on their long trek to Palm Beach Gardens, dealing with the sadness of parting from a beloved friend. But another part of me was smiling.

Postscript: In the winter of 2003, George and Linda purchased the great little stallion and Linda is now working him under saddle. Maybe we'll see him in competition one day, Linda? Congratulations!