If you visit Legacy Sport Horses, you will find the paddocks filled with beautiful, sleek warmblood sport horses, most full of energy and playing with their fieldmates. Visiting the stallion barn reveals Arabian Silverdown chasing visitors away from his paddock, but that's to be expected. The unexpected comes in the first stall on the right on stud row. The gentle giant in this stall stands at odds with his neighbors; jet black, feathered, and with no evident desire to kick, buck, and scream like a maniac, he stands out.
Yes, Malkieri is different. The first Friesian to set food in LSH's residents' barn, he's caused quite a reaction ever since his arrival. "Everyone here loves him," owner Lauri Kiger informs, "except Silverdown. I don't know if it's the feathers, the size, the blackness, or just the fact that Silver is ornery, but I find it amusing--as long as they are safely away from each other."
So, aside from that unsurprising reaction, how has Malkieri been received? "Mal's definitely a favorite," working student Andrea Lee says, with a fond pat for the stallion. "He's absolutely gorgeous; just looking at him, especially when he's moving, takes your breath away. He's like this apparition that you don't think you can get close to... and then you do, and you find this huge lovebucket who wants you to scratch behind his ears. Really, the whole thing is just endearing."
Riding Malkieri is apparently not much different. "Few people have had that pleasure around here," Andrea laughs. "He's Lauri's personal mount; she says he's the FEI star she's been waiting for her whole life. I think Derian's ridden him a few times, and Haylie's been up there once or twice for fun... but other than that, no, she's the only one who gets to experience him. But it's okay; they have this amazing connection that makes them such a great pair to watch, I know I certainly don't feel jipped when I'm watching from the sidelines."
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