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Watch out 2012 ............ here we come!

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Finishing Off on a Good Note! Gulf Coast Donkey and Mule Association, one of our Texas clubs, held their annual banquet and awards meeting on Saturday, January 7, and the Hickory Hill donkeys brought home lots of 'loot' and ribbons! Hickory Hills Arabella First - Jennet Foals at Halter     Hickory Hills Dow Jones First - Jack Foals at Halter     Hickory Hills Pilgrim's Pride First - Two Year Old Jacks at Halter                                  Small Pleasures Zydeco Reserve Champion Jack     All of this while showing in only three of the five shows sanctioned by this club in 2011! As many of you remember, we dedicated this show season to Storm and Susie, the two little ones that we lost after we picked up bacterial pneumonia at the San Antonio Show in February, and I think our little donkeys have worked very hard and done a darn good job despite our heavy hearts!   And if we are quiet and listen carefully, we can still hear Storm and Susie braying in the night!

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Looking back .................

2011 started off with heartbreak, but ended much better than we could have ever dreamed!  As we look back over last year, we are thankful for our family and friends that have been by our sides supporting us on our adventures! 

In February, we took five donkeys to compete in one of our favorite donkey shows, the Livestock Show and Rodeo in San Antonio, Texas.  The show itself went extremely well; probably one of our best shows ever, but exactly one week after the show, we had four donkeys in ICU at our vet’s clinic with bacterial pneumonia.  We lost two, and two recovered completely and were able to finish out the show season in good health.   Our hearts were broken at the loss of Storm and Susie, and we thought about hanging it up and not showing any more.  We cancelled our entries in the Houston Livestock Show Donkey and Mule Classes the next month (March), but in April, one of the Texas clubs was host to the 2011 National Miniature Donkey Show, and we knew if we were ever going to get back in the show ring, we had to do it then.  It wasn’t easy, and reliving our story to so many who were truly concerned was difficult.  Unfortunately, I have to say, it was all a blur; our hearts were still hurting, and although our donkeys did very well, it just wasn’t any fun!  In May, we entered a smaller show here in our home state, and again the donkeys did well, but again Harv and I just went through the motions.   

Then in July, we made the decision to once again drive to Tennessee for the Great Celebration Donkey and Mule Show, and although it was a long hot drive, we had a great time!  We met lots of new donkeys and their owners and our donkeys worked hard and did a great job of bringing lots of blue ribbons back to Texas!  In September, we drove to Oklahoma for their State Fair Donkey and Mule Show, and for the third year in a row, Harv showed the Grand Champion Donkey!  I like to say, he had the best little ass at the show!  In October, we attended the donkey and mule show in Ft Smith, Arkansas, and brought back both the Grand Champion award and the Reserve Champion award!  OMG!  It’s fun again!  This show was probably the one that opened our eyes and let us know that although we certainly hadn’t forgotten little Storm and Susie, we were working hard and doing well in their honor! 

We had five spring babies – two boys and three girls, and five fall babies – all girls!  We are delighted with all ten!   Harv hasn’t said anything about retirement in several months; in fact, he is already talking about who he is going to get ready to show next year! 

In addition to the donkeys, we’ve been busy with the grandgirls!  All three are growing up and busy with their ‘stuff’ so we don’t see them as much as when they were little, but we still need a regular ‘fix’ even if it means driving to Houston (2 ½ hours away) just to have dinner with them and driving back to the farm!    

Our summer temperatures here in our little part of Texas were horrific!  We had triple digits for almost 90 days straight (I believe it was actually 87 days) and no rain.  We are still dry, dry, dry!  As a result of the drought and heat, Labor Day weekend, we experienced several severe grass fires that wiped out hundreds of acres along with many homes in addition to many barns and vehicles.  Fortunately, no lives were lost!  At one time, the sheriff came by to tell us the fire was two miles away from our place, and we were under volunteer evacuation; thankfully, it never became mandatory, and we were able to stay with our animals.  We smelled smoke for days after, but the firemen were able to contain the many flash fires throughout the following week.  We have a volunteer fire department on a very limited budget, but in times of crisis, our little community pulls together.  At one point, the fireman sent out a message that they needed chap stick and bottled water, and in no time at all, they had more of both than they could ever use, and it all came from the hearts of the people who owned the homes that they were protecting!    

Finding hay this year is a challenge, and paying for it is a bigger challenge!  Last year, we paid $50/roll for good quality coastal hay; this year when we can find it, we are paying $125 – 150/roll, and it’s not nearly the quality that we are use to feeding, but there’s no hay in Texas. 

On a personal note, both of us are very thankful for our good health!   I’m still taking Crestor because I couldn’t resist eating those good McDonald’s fries when we were younger, and Harv still has to be careful with his back that he injured many years ago, but all and all, we are still kicking and feeling good!  Good health is a blessing!

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Just in time for Christmas ............ our newest angel!

T9C Mary
DOB:  12/11/11
Birth Height:  19 - 19 1/2"
(including footies and wiggles)

Sire:  Hickory Hills Zig N. Bock
28 1/2" - gray/white spotted
Grand Sire:  My World Red Alert
31 1/2" - dark sorrel
Dam:  Hauenstein's Debutante
30" - brown/gray/white spotted

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Z Y D E C O ................ Champion in the show ring and now making his mark in the breeding pasture! 
We waited 13 months for this little gal, and she was well worth the wait!  Introducing Hickory Hills Zeena, and yes,  ........... she's Zydeco's first offspring, and she is outstanding!  He did a fantastic job! 
Of course, we knew he would, plus he had the help of 758's Little Debbie, a beautiful red jenny
that we hand-picked for his first 'real' girlfriend! 

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November 18, 2011 ........ Announcing  Hickory Hills Sarabella!  Here's our second breeding
of LN Stuart Little B and Short and Sweet Annabelle, and it's a carbon copy of the first .............
can't ever go wrong with a healthy black jenny foal! 

This little gal has some big shoes to fill because her big sister, Arabella, and her new owner
just won the yearling jenny class at the Texas Championship Show the first weekend of November. 
The weekend before that, they placed second at the SDMS Fall Show in Belton, Texas! 
Congratulations to Arabella and Sandy on their first two shows together;
we were so proud of you, and best of luck next year!

Hickory Hills Sarabella DOB:  11/18/11

Hickory Hills Sarabella Sire:  LN Stuart Little B Dam:  Short and Sweet Annabelle

Hickory Hills Arabella DOB:  06/10/10 Sire:  LN Stuart Little B Dam:  Short and Sweet Annabelle

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Guess who showed up just in time for Halloween ...............

She's a tiny little toot, but she has a big personality!

Running to meet Harv at the gate!	T9C Jill DOB:  10/30/11 Birth Height:  19" with her 'footies' Sire:  Hickory Hills Zig N. Bock 28 1/2" - gray/white spotted Dam:  Hauenstein's Tinker 29 3/4" - gray-dun * full sibling to Pearl, Zig Zag and Ruthie     Jill's mom is a little bit shy, but she's had four babies for us, and they have all been 'pocket pals' and baby Jill is no exception; she is already running for hugs!  Mom is always standing close by watching!	A little bonding time!
Some scratches behind the ears!	Please don't go; one more scratch!	Knee high to a tree stump!

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Zydeco          1st Three and Older Jacks at Halter           Grand Champion Miniature Donkey	Tristan        1st Two Year Old Jacks at Halter       Reserve Champion Miniature Donkey

We took five donkeys to the Belton Show; three of ours - Rosie, Dow Jones and Zydeco; Arabella and her new owner made their debut, and Harv showed Tristan, a two year old jack, for a breeder in France! 
We brought home three blue first-place ribbons, two reds for second place, and both the Reserve Champion and Grand Champion awards!  Plus a very good donkey friend of ours made us a big bag
of snickerdoodle cookies (always a favorite) .............. it was a fun day for everyone even though as I look at my pictures, no one has their ears up!

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First Place Yearling Jacks at Halter Grand Champion Miniature Donkey Dow Jones - 'D.J.'	First Place Two and Over Jacks at Halter Reserve Grand Champion Miniature Donkey Zydeco - 'Z Man'	First Place Yearling Jennys at Halter Texas Red Rose - 'Rosie'

Ft Smith Donkey and Mule Show - October 7 - 9, 2011 - The party's in Ft Smith!  If you missed it this year, start planning to join us in 2012!  This was the first year that miniatures have been invited, and they really know how to put on a fun show!  We started off with halter on Friday morning, followed by driving, snigging and a 'catch your ass' class, and ended the day with dinner together at Red Lobster!  Saturday's classes were mostly for the large animals, so that left us miniature folks plenty of time to get to know each other and trade donkey stories!  There were breeders/exhibitors from Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri and Texas, and we were all stalled together in the designated 'mini barn;' that made for lots of fun and good natured kidding!  Sunday, we had to pack up and head back to Texas, but most stayed through the afternoon to see the costume class!  I hear that class stole the show!

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It's a 3-peat .......

and  we  are  smiling  long  ear  to  long  ear!
 

Oklahoma State Fair Miniature Donkey Show - September 24 - 25, 2011

We spent the weekend in Oklahoma City!  We always enjoy this show and always make it a point to include it in our 'gasoline' budget!  The parking personnel and show staff are always so courteous and helpful (Marc even gives green stars for nice/neat entries) and the arena is well cared for, but our favorite part of the show still has to be the stall facilities!  They are outstanding; always clean and dry, and each stall door is made of heavy mesh wire over a metal frame that allows the miniatures to actually see out rather than just stand in a 'box!' 

Oklahoma first invited miniature donkeys to participate three years ago, and we have shown with them all three years; Harv keeps saying that he's retiring, but we just keep having fun, and it just keeps getting better each time!  This year was no different ..........cool weather (70/80s) and lots of fun; renewing old friendships and making new ones, plus we brought back the Grand Champion Miniature Donkey award for the third time!  Three different donkeys judged under three different judges; all shown by the same 'good-looking' handler!  Gotta love that guy!  :)

2011 Champion Hickory Hills Dow Jones

2010 Champion Small Pleasures Zydeco

2009 Champion Hickory Hills Rusty Nail

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Here she comes ............... Miss America!
 

On the morning of Wednesday, September 21, we open the blinds to find this fantastic little gal looking through the fence at us!  Apparently, Tanzy waited for us to turn out the lights and go to bed the night before, and then she laid down and delivered this little one as a surprise to us .............. and let me tell you, we were surprised for sure as momma showed no signs that she was even close to foaling, but thankfully, as soon as the foal attempted to nurse, the milk bag filled and down came the nipples;
the bottles were ready, and the foal was looking for breakfast!

Miss America got her name from her daddy!  His name is Itsy Bitsy Burro Co.Stars & Stripes, and he is now standing as herdsire with the Stadler's in Nebraska!  'Stripes' is 30 1/2" in height and has a deep dark red haircoat; he is a solid little jack with a great laid-back disposition, and he 'trademarks' his babies with good bone structure and wonderful wide/straight legs; Miss America has it all!

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Update:  Sunday, September 18, 2011 - We heard lots of thunder in the distance this morning, but we only got 15 drops (yes, we could count them) of rain; never the less, we are thankful for each and every drop that hits the ground! 

Here's a picture I took yesterday of Zydeco in the front yard;
we are soooooo dry that he almost blends in!  Notice those few green weeds across the road; you can't kill them with a hammer, much less this summer's triple digit temps!  They are the only thing left green in Texas, and no one even likes them!

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Update - Friday, September 9, 2011 - All voluntary and mandatory evacuation orders have been lifted; the fire that burned more than 4,500 acres in Leon County since Sunday has been declared 100% contained.  There are still 'hot spots' that will have to be monitored, but overall, things are looking pretty good!  Command centers are in the process of being shut down, but sheriff's deputies and fire fighters will be working for several more days to watch for flare-ups and to make sure that the man-made fire breaks hold up.  We have been advised to 'stay ready' and be alert to our surroundings.

The total number of structures lost to the fire is reported to be 31 homes, 57 barns or out buildings and two churches.  There are many farms and ranches located in our area, but thankfully, most of the animals that belong to these families have been accounted for, and the authorities have found very few dead wildlife in the area.  Unfortunately, it has been confirmed that one herd of cattle fell victim to the fire!

We want to thank all who called and emailed to check on us; we cherish your friendships!  Please keep those families who lost their homes in your thoughts and prayers! 

OMG!  We just had the hottest summer ever - 83 days of triple digit temperatures - plus one of the worst droughts ever recorded, and now we are in the midst of fires spreading out of control across thousands of acres of pasture land!  We were told to prepare to evacuate on Sunday evening; at that time, the sheriff estimated the fire was about two miles away!  That's when my heart started racing, and I realized what a real catastrophe this could be!, Thankfully, the evacuation never became mandatory, and we were able to stay in our home with animals safely all around! 

Winds were blowing at 45 mph on Sunday, and blew down a tree that had been weakened due to our dreadful drought; when the tree fell, it hit an electrical transformer and broke some lines that sparked; from that moment on, it was a nightmare!  Unfortunately, some families in our area lost their homes and belongings, and we continue to keep them in our thoughts and prayers as well as the fire fighters who have been working around the clock to protect our lives and homes!  The good news is that although 30+ homes were lost in addition to more than 50 other structures, there were no deaths and only one serious injury!

To tell the truth, I never even thought about taking pictures; we were too busy hooking up trailers and rolling out hoses to wet down our land as much as possible, but our neighbor did manage to take some good photos, and I'll share them with you below!  After fighting this thing coming straight for us from the north on Sunday and Monday, the fire fighters were beginning to get it under control; we couldn't believe it when another fire started behind (to the south) us - last picture! 

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The Great Celebration Donkey and Mule Show - Shelbyville, TN - July 7 - 9, 2011

Let me just start out by saying ................... it was fantastic!  We were able to visit with old friends, and we met some great new donkey folks; the weather wasn't too hot (well, remember we were use to triple digit temps); we actually saw some rain and our little donkeys worked hard and did a good job!  They brought home three first place ribbons, two seconds and a Reserve Junior Champion!  Yes, we were smiling from ear-to-ear .............. the three blues were from our breeding program .......... the little guys!

There were seven 'junior' classes, and our five animals were in the first seven classes!  Didn't give much time for Harv to catch his breath, but he seems to run on adrenalin ............ maybe it's stress!

First up was DJ (Hickory Hills Dow Jones), there were five  in his class of foals, and he placed first!  Then came Rosie (Hickory Hills Texas Red Rose), and she also placed first in her class of 13 outstanding yearling jennys, and then Pilgrim (Hickory Hills Pilgrim's Pride) won the yearling gelding class! 

I now call Pilgrim, our 'go-to-man' as he started out this year winning the two year old jack class at San Antonio, and then we gelded him in April, and he won the two year old gelding class and Reserve Champion Gelding at the Lufkin Show in May, and then at Shelbyville, he won the yearling gelding class!  Besides having excellent  conformation, he is a gorgeous blue-black color with light points!  And 'why' did we geld him you ask?  Well, we have his daddy in our breeding program, and when we had to put down Storm last March with toxic colitis, we didn't have a gelding in our show string!  It was a very difficult decision, but we decided to geld Pilgrim!  He has proven that we made the right decision; he's an outstanding animal!

Our two 'older' (both two year olds) were soooooo busy 'in love' that they could have cared less about a show!  Zydeco became a mature jack almost overnight; he just couldn't keep his eyes off of She Zahm, who apparently came into season the day we left home!  Yikes!  She was PMS'ng and he was looking for love!  :)  Harv 'mustered up,' and they both were still able to take a second in their classes! 

All five of our donkeys qualified for the Junior Champion/Reserve Championship Class, and little Dow Jones, although not yet a year old and showing as a foal, was named Reserve Junior Champion!  Many thanks to Katrina Fleener who showed him for us; good job Katrina and DJ!  I also want to thank Phil Howard of Brayberry Farm who showed She Zahm and little Olivia Lowe who showed Pilgrim in the championship class!

Congratulations to all of the exhibitors!  There are so many quality miniature donkeys in the show ring today, and it speaks highly of everyone's efforts to continually develop and improve our breeding programs!

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Updates - August 21, 2011 - finally, just short of using a can opener, I was able to get our Shelbyville pictures off of our camera!  Unfortunately, most of them are too dark to use, but I'll try to pick out a few of the better ones to share!
 

Harv and DJ waiting for Class #1 - NMDA Foals at Halter		Checking teeth/bite!
Rosie getting a last minute heart-to-heart talk!	Rosie trying to stand still while the judge backs off for that critical look!	Good job, Rosie!
Harv and Pilgrim talking it over before the judge gets to them!	Pilgrim lining up to receive his blue ribbon!	Sweet Olivia showing Pilgrim in the Jr. Champion/Reserve Halter Class!
Zydeco is looking around for She Zahm; this boy was crazy in love this weekend!	Harv's giving Zydeco some last minute tips; something like "forget the girls and get your mind on this show ring!"	Oh no, Zydeco; that's the judge; ears up and smile!

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Shelbyville always has a color halter class; there's no class fee, and donkeys are placed according to color!  To some (actually I think most) color means spotted, but since we didn't have a spot to show this year, I entered Pilgrim and our donkey friend, Dana from TN, entered a black gelding that she has!  Neither of the boys placed over the spots, but we had a great time!

Here's Dana and Howington

And here's Pilgrim and I!  Hey, they said color, so I wore my colors ........ red/white & blue!

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We said good-bye to She Zahm after the Shelbyville Show; her owners, Steve and Lynda Hazlewood from Georgia, met us at the show to take her home!  We enjoyed the almost two years that she lived with us; She Zahm is a sweetheart, easy to work with and always ready to show!  Many thanks to Steve and Lynda for asking us to show her; it was a pleasure!  She was a big part of our show ring success!

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Just before we left for the Shelbyville show, we had to tell Major Money Maker good-bye!  He left for his new home in Colorado with Sandy Leger w/ River Ridge Donkey Farm!  She called us to let us know he had arrived safely, and it made me feel so good to hear the excitement in her voice!  We knew then that we had put Major in a fantastic new donkey home, and Sandy has already promised him that he will have lots of girls to call his own!  Thanks so much, Sandy, for falling in love with the little guy; he produced fantastic babies for us, and he will always have a special place in our hearts!

Getting pretty for the girls waiting for him in Colorado!

He will always be a Texan!

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Our last baby for Spring 2011 was born on June 13, and Major Money Maker certainly left  his stamp at Hickory Hill!  As many of you know, we stressed over making our decision to get out of spots and concentrate on reds and blacks, and one of the reasons that decision was so difficult was because it meant selling one of my favorite jacks ever, CSF Major Money Maker!  I love that boy; he has been an absolute pleasure to own, and he has produced some delightful babies for us!  Each and every one has been stocky, well built and with dad's delightful laid-back disposition!  When we stopped to really think about it, we sold every one of his babies as weanlings because they were just so darn fuzzy and cute, not to mention in-your-pocket friendly!  Some were sold as future herdsires, some as future brood jennys,
and some for special family pets; there were all truly irresistible! 
 

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And then there were five ..........

So here's the nursery line-up - two little boys and three little girls - all special!

Bluecoat Gin  March 26, 2011  Sire: Brayers Are Us Tangueray Gin  Dam: CM Isabelle

General Ledger  (a.k.a. 'Spud')   May 13, 2011  Sire: CSF Major Money Maker  Dam: Bumpus Farms Suzie's Babe

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Here's Zydeco walking/trotting for the judge at this weekend's show; we think he is an outstanding!  He's feeling good and back in show condition; he's a survivor!  Zydeco was one of our four donkeys that came down with the bacterial pneumonia after the San Antonio Show and spent a week in ICU at our vet's clinic; fortunately, he and Rosie survived, but sadly we did lose both
Runaround Susie and Stormy Knight!  We have dedicated the remainder of this year's show season to two precious little souls,
and we are all pulling together to do our very, very best in their honor!

 
We love this video; we think Zydeco is an outstanding little jack, and he has been so much fun to show, but the best parts about the video are the comments by someone in the audience that can be heard in the background; we had no idea until after we got home and downloaded the pictures from our camera; what a great surprise!  That darn orange cone had been a 'snake in the grass' for the younger animals, but Zydeco didn't blink!
 

Take a quick minute to enjoy the video and the totally unsolicited comments from the audience;
but I do have to tell you we agree completely .............. he is that 'perfect little man!'  :)

SDMS Kick Up Your Hooves Donkey and Mule Show
Lufkin, Texas - May 14 & 15, 2011

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And then there were four ............

Here's #4; born Friday morning
before we left for the donkey and mule show!

Hickory Hills General Ledger

This little boy is one of CSF Major Money Maker's last foals for us; Maj is moving to Colorado
to romance the jennys at River Ridge Farm.  He's as happy as any little donkey can be,
but I have to say, he's taking a big piece of my heart with him!

We had just called our donkey sitter the day before to say that we didn't think Babe would have her foal before we got back home from the donkey show, but just in case, the belly button dip was on the shelf in the feed room!  Boy!  Did we feel crazy when we had to call her back Friday morning and tell her that we had taken care of the little guy's belly button and given both him and mom their shots!
 

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Hickory Hills Bernadette - 2011 foal #3
 

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Updating some of the weanling/yearlings! 
They are working hard to learn to walk/trot and 'hopefully' stand still for the judge!
 

Dow  Jones DOB: 07/16/10

Elvira DOB: 09/02/10

Texas Red Rosie DOB: 02/10/10

Arabella DOB: 06/10/10

 Introducing our second 2011 foal ............

Hickory Hills Barbara Jean was born the Saturday before Easter, hence the farm name, Bunny!
She is also a Tangueray Gin baby, and mom is Thomas Farms Itsy Bitsey, a gray/white spot who has given us five foals; three spotted boys (No Fake Jake, Easy Money and Hendricks Gin) and two gray girls (this little doll, Barbara Jean, and Silver Slipper who we sold as a weanling and purchased back as a three year old; she is now part of our brood jenny herd!  Barbara Jean has wonderful conformation and
a fantastic look-at-me attitude; we think she is a real show ring prospect!

Day One - April 23, 2011

Day One - April 23, 2011 about 30 minutes old!

Day Four

Introducing our first baby of 2011

Hickory Hills Bluecoat Gin, our first baby of 2011 ................. and he is a little chunk!
Actually, he wasn't really a surprise; that's exactly what we expected!  This is the fourth time we have
bred CM Isabelle (dark brown) to Brayers Are Us Tangueray Gin (registered black/brown), and all four times, they have produced an outstanding black foal (Junipero Gin, Norma Jean, Wyonna and Bluecoat)! 
We just can't go wrong with this cross!

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There's not another word that comes to mind to describe our results in the miniature donkey halter classes at the 2011 San Antonio Livestock Show in mid-February!  The show was a hard one for us as we had snow on the ground in our little part of Texas the two weeks before the show, and getting our donkeys ready was difficult!  Thankfully, San Antonio is far enough south, they didn't have snow, but it was cold and the wind was blowing in gusts!  Again, there was no warm water at the wash racks, so we didn't bathe our animals, but we did brush them as best we could and spray them with show sheen before we put their pj's on! 

The show started at 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, but halter classes didn't get in the arena until almost 9:00 p.m. (8:46 p.m. to be exact); I only know this because Rosie was the first to show and the first picture that I took of her walking to the judge is stamped 8:46 p.m.  .......... yikes!  That was a long wait, but I do have to say that our donkeys were more patient than Harv; he was ready to show, and the longer it took for our classes to come around, the more he dreamed about hot dogs, popcorn and pretzels from the food court! 

Hickory Hills Texas Red Rose was our yearling jenny entry; this was her first time away from home, and I have to admit ................ I was holding my breath that she would walk and trot for the judge!  And that she did perfectly; we were sooooo proud when the judge gave her the blue ribbon for first place!  And then, OMG, when she was later named Junior Champion!  We were delighted! 

Next was Hickory Hills Stormy Knight who we took out of retirement because we needed a gelding, and all of our young boys aren't 'there' yet!  Hopefully, we will be able to have our gelding party mid-March, and begin working with some of the younger kids, but for now Storm is alright with all of the fuss going on!  He too walked and trotted perfectly for the judge, and walked away with second place in the Three and Older Gelding Class, and then later was named Reserve Champion Gelding!  I'm telling you that I didn't think this night could get any better, but it did! 

Hickory Hills Pilgrims Pride was next, and although he had only celebrated his first birthday this year on Thanksgiving Day, by Texas rules, in the show ring, he has to show as a two year old.  Now to tell you the truth, he isn't even interested in the girls yet, and still thinks his buddy Bart is the best ever (I know, I know - it won't be long until he is looking at the girls, but not now, so I was worried that he would look like a baby showing up against the more mature animals in the class)!  But he had watched Rosie and Storm walk and trot and knew if he didn't follow in their footsteps, he would be the one hanging at the thinking tree when we got back home!  He walked and trotted perfectly, and even stood still (he has matured a bit) and brought home first place in the Two Year Old Jack Class!  By this time, I was hyper, and I do mean hyper as in I couldn't catch my breath! 

Next up was Zydeco, and then we were through, but there was still plenty of excitement to come!  Zydeco shows as a three year old by Texas rules, and 'usually' he is all business and doesn't miss a beat, but it was late and he had been waiting for a long time!  But true to form, he was 'right on' that night too!  He took first in the Three and Over Jack Class, was named Grand Champion Jack and then brought home the Best of Breed award!  Harv was walking on a cloud, and I was still trying hard to breathe!  It was definitely a great night for 'pa and ma' and the little donkeys from Hickory Hill! 

Small Pleasures Zydeco DOB:  09/18/08 Sire:  Cyder's Jimmy Brown Dam:  Cyder's Flanna Bella

Hickory Hills Texas Red Rose DOB:  02/10/10 Sire:  My World Red Alert B-95 Dam:  758's Allie

Brayers Are Us She Zahm from Georgia is still a major part of our show string; she loves to show and is always at the top of her game!  At San Antonio, she came in second in a full class of outstanding Three and Over Jennets at Halter!  Congratulations to her owners, Steve and Lynda Hazlewood, and thank you for letting your little redhead stay with us again this year!

She Zahm working hard for Harv!

Waiting for the results!

Second Place - Brayers Are Us She Zahm

Many thanks to all who offered congratulations!  And a special thanks to Donnie Kellett, who when I couldn't find my back number or my donkey and put my hat on backwards, came to my rescue and showed Pilgrim in the Championship Jack Class ........... against Harv and Zydeco!  The funny thing, Harv had no idea that Donnie and Pilgrim were even in the class until it was over, and Donnie, still with Pilgrim in tow, came over and offered his congratulations and a handshake!  Harv had to laugh; he said he kept wondering where Donnie got that little black jack .............. never realizing that he was competing against his own donkey!

It definitely was a night to remember!

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Our farm is located in Leon County, just west of I-45N between Madisonville and Centerville. As donkey collectors, we have acquired eight outstanding breeding jacks, a herd of quality brood jennets, delightful yearlings, very sociable weanlings and a captivating nursery.  We breed for conformation, disposition, size and color. 

In August, 2002, our collection changed dramatically; actually, we doubled the size of our herd overnight.  James and Geri Peterson sold Small Wonders Ranch and offered us the opportunity to purchase their fantastic little donkeys. Since that time, we have been very busy building barns and loving on donkeys, digging water lines and loving donkeys, hauling hay and yes, loving on donkeys!  Life is great! 

We begin imprinting as soon as those little hooves hit the ground, and when they are a few weeks old, our babies  start "donkey" school ........... learning to walk, stop and stand quietly while wearing their new halters.  Of course the best part is sharing donkey hugs at the end of each and every training session!   
 

We are dedicated to the production of quality miniature donkeys for breeding, showing or to enjoy as a special family pet.  When you are in our area of Texas, please stop by; visitors are always welcome!
 

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Our "Home Page was getting so large that some folks with dial-up internet service were having trouble downloading the pictures, so I have moved the older stories/pictures to a separate page.  Just click here on Dazee, the donkey, and you will go to our second page, or you can go directly to the bottom of this page and click our For Sale Page or one of our other pages!  We hope you enjoy visiting our website as much as we enjoy putting it together; as you can surely tell, we love sharing pictures of our wonderful little creatures with the long ears!

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We are proud to be members of the following donkey organizations:

NMDA - The National Miniature Donkey Association
www.nmdaasset.com  

ADMS - The American Donkey and Mule Society
www.lovelongears.com 

ACOSA - American Council of Spotted Asses
www.spottedass.com 

CSMDC - Central States Miniature Donkey Club
www.csminiaturedonkeyclub.com

GCDMA - Gulf Coast Donkey and Mule Association
www.gcdma.org

SDMS - Southwestern Donkey and Mule Society
www.southwesterndonkeymulesociety.com

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Welcome 
Donkey hugs can change your life forever! 

Rachel doesn't mind sharing Baby Phoebe!

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Last Updated January 11, 2012

 Copyright © 2010 - 2012 / Hickory Hill Donkey Farm - All Rights Reserved

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I snapped a few pictures while we were pasture visiting and handing out donkey hugs!  Life is great!

Raisin isn't so sure about his new friend!	Pissy works the night shift guarding the hay!	Pile of little donks soaking up some sun!	Louie helping with the wash!	Hello Kitty!
Two pretty girls!	Sitting pretty!	J.R. Tusi posing!	Louie doing what he does best!	Charlotte!

And here's our oldest granddaughter; she's a sweetheart and in her first year of college and still finds time to come for a visit to the donkey farm when her car needs an inspection sticker or license renewal .......... or the fuel tank is sitting 'one little bitty mark' before empty!  Like any typical teenager, when she's here, she sleeps all day and texts all night!

Thank you for visiting our website!  You can click the link below to go to our Donkeys for Sale page; look around and fall in love!

 ............ click here for Hickory Hill donkeys for sale  ............