In Memory of Bridget Bauer
September 17, 1957- May 23, 2007
September 17, 1957- May 23, 2007
Bridget Bauer was a woman I completely idolized and
dreamed of living in her shoes. She had it all. She had a
small house on 35 acres in Erie, CO. She started with a
dream and that dream soon flourished into a full training
and boarding facility but it was not a "high-tempo" place
that is so common in equestrian barns. It was the most
laid back barn I have ever known, it was a place people
went to simply enjoy horses. There was no competition,
no stress of shows, nothing, just simply enjoying horses.
She too, loved the draft horses. She had a small band of
her own personal horses, the highlight being her young
Percheron Stallion she purchased at Harley Troyer
Auction in Colorado in 2003 as a 2 year old for 500
dollars. Bridget was not about forking over tons of
dollars on horses, she found all hers for extremely
reasonable prices. She just simply had a passion for the
horses that is not always seen in this industry.
I came about meeting her back in 2001, when I had left
my hunter/jumper barn because they wouldn't let me
have a Shire which was my dream horse. So I ventured
out looking for a new place to board and to keep my
dream horse. It didn't take long to find Bridget's Plane
View Farm located in Erie, CO and it happened that she
had a Shire gelding that fit my needs to a T. So I
purchased him and later in 2001 I purchased a
Gypsy-look-a-like (Spotted Draft Horse) from her as
well. It was then in the spring of 2003 I learned that
Heidi from BFSGH came for sale and so I decided to sell
the 2 boys in order to buy her and accomplish my dream
of breeding horses. Bridget really didn't like my decision,
ok, she hated it but she still allowed me to bring Heidi to
Plane View when I purchased her at the end of June. By
that time I had sold both horses and Heidi arrived at
Plane View at the end of September and REALLY tested
Bridget's patience! Bridget tried being nice and putting
Heidi out in pasture with other mares and foals, but she
attempted to attack a gelding through electric wire and
then decided that one of the foals was her's and wouldn't
let the foal's mom come and reclaim the baby. So Heidi
was placed in a pen where she still lived happily (just a
note, Heidi now lives with anything and everything, I
think she just enjoyed testing Bridget!). I then brought
Belle to Plane View in March 2004. I ended up leaving
Plane View in May 2004 for the sole reason that I was
attending school in Fort Collins which was 1.5 hours from
Plane View and my dearly beloved horses, so in May we
bought a farm in Fort Collins and boarded them at the
house. I had my first taste of living the way Bridget did,
in a small house with my horses surrounding me, it was
the best feeling ever! So fast forward to May of 2007, I
heard of Bridget's passing so contacted Liz (Liz was the
trainer at Plane View for a LONG time and we became
pretty good friends) about what the future of Bridget's
horses was. She said they were to be sold off so I said I
wanted to have first dibs on them. So it came to be that
my boss, purchased all of them because she knew their
value to me! So they are now living out back of my
house here in Phoenix, AZ and I think and pray for
Bridget every time I see them and really see her spirit still
in them. Below is an introduction to them. Pictured at
right is Tweed (grey Thoroughbred), KC (bay
Thoroughbred), and Bridgie (bay TB/Percheron cross,
her mom is Tweed)
dreamed of living in her shoes. She had it all. She had a
small house on 35 acres in Erie, CO. She started with a
dream and that dream soon flourished into a full training
and boarding facility but it was not a "high-tempo" place
that is so common in equestrian barns. It was the most
laid back barn I have ever known, it was a place people
went to simply enjoy horses. There was no competition,
no stress of shows, nothing, just simply enjoying horses.
She too, loved the draft horses. She had a small band of
her own personal horses, the highlight being her young
Percheron Stallion she purchased at Harley Troyer
Auction in Colorado in 2003 as a 2 year old for 500
dollars. Bridget was not about forking over tons of
dollars on horses, she found all hers for extremely
reasonable prices. She just simply had a passion for the
horses that is not always seen in this industry.
I came about meeting her back in 2001, when I had left
my hunter/jumper barn because they wouldn't let me
have a Shire which was my dream horse. So I ventured
out looking for a new place to board and to keep my
dream horse. It didn't take long to find Bridget's Plane
View Farm located in Erie, CO and it happened that she
had a Shire gelding that fit my needs to a T. So I
purchased him and later in 2001 I purchased a
Gypsy-look-a-like (Spotted Draft Horse) from her as
well. It was then in the spring of 2003 I learned that
Heidi from BFSGH came for sale and so I decided to sell
the 2 boys in order to buy her and accomplish my dream
of breeding horses. Bridget really didn't like my decision,
ok, she hated it but she still allowed me to bring Heidi to
Plane View when I purchased her at the end of June. By
that time I had sold both horses and Heidi arrived at
Plane View at the end of September and REALLY tested
Bridget's patience! Bridget tried being nice and putting
Heidi out in pasture with other mares and foals, but she
attempted to attack a gelding through electric wire and
then decided that one of the foals was her's and wouldn't
let the foal's mom come and reclaim the baby. So Heidi
was placed in a pen where she still lived happily (just a
note, Heidi now lives with anything and everything, I
think she just enjoyed testing Bridget!). I then brought
Belle to Plane View in March 2004. I ended up leaving
Plane View in May 2004 for the sole reason that I was
attending school in Fort Collins which was 1.5 hours from
Plane View and my dearly beloved horses, so in May we
bought a farm in Fort Collins and boarded them at the
house. I had my first taste of living the way Bridget did,
in a small house with my horses surrounding me, it was
the best feeling ever! So fast forward to May of 2007, I
heard of Bridget's passing so contacted Liz (Liz was the
trainer at Plane View for a LONG time and we became
pretty good friends) about what the future of Bridget's
horses was. She said they were to be sold off so I said I
wanted to have first dibs on them. So it came to be that
my boss, purchased all of them because she knew their
value to me! So they are now living out back of my
house here in Phoenix, AZ and I think and pray for
Bridget every time I see them and really see her spirit still
in them. Below is an introduction to them. Pictured at
right is Tweed (grey Thoroughbred), KC (bay
Thoroughbred), and Bridgie (bay TB/Percheron cross,
her mom is Tweed)
Heidi and Belle at Plane View Farm in April of 2004. That's
Bridget's car in the back and house.
Bridget's car in the back and house.
KC- KC was my FAVORITE horse at Bridget's. She was my dream
Thoroughbred back when I rode TB's. She is just such a gorgeous Bay with a
star and four whites. She is such a cutie and SUCH a sweetie! KC is now 17
and looks to be in foal to CJ for an April 2008 baby. *KC foaled a Black Filly
named Krissy by CJ in May 2008.
Update: KC had a long painful battle of weight loss, unwillingness to eat, we
tried several different feeds, medicines, etc to try and get her to love life again,
but to no avail. We decided the humane thing for her was to let her go rejoin
Bridget in Heaven, so KC crossed the Rainbow Bridge on Feb 24th 2009. RIP
beautiful girl, I will miss you forever and for always! RIP KC
Thoroughbred back when I rode TB's. She is just such a gorgeous Bay with a
star and four whites. She is such a cutie and SUCH a sweetie! KC is now 17
and looks to be in foal to CJ for an April 2008 baby. *KC foaled a Black Filly
named Krissy by CJ in May 2008.
Update: KC had a long painful battle of weight loss, unwillingness to eat, we
tried several different feeds, medicines, etc to try and get her to love life again,
but to no avail. We decided the humane thing for her was to let her go rejoin
Bridget in Heaven, so KC crossed the Rainbow Bridge on Feb 24th 2009. RIP
beautiful girl, I will miss you forever and for always! RIP KC
Tweed and Bridgie- Tweed is an aged grey Thoroughbred mare that Bridget
got in 2006 and she placed her in the pen of her favorite stallion CJ. Well
take the cute picture at right and fast forward 11 months and in comes
Bridgie. Bridgie is the result of the Tweed and CJ cross and is an adorable
bay/black/grey (simply put we are not quite sure yet what color she is going
to be!) baby that is now (Oct 07) 2 months old. She is just too cute for
words and nickers at us each time we go outside.
Tweed had a final filly by CJ that was born September 26th 2008, she is a
bay filly that literally looks like a little baby buffalo so she got the name Buffy
:). As our vet has always said, she will never win any beauty contests but she
is a super sweet super quiet little girl. New pictures of her coming soon.
got in 2006 and she placed her in the pen of her favorite stallion CJ. Well
take the cute picture at right and fast forward 11 months and in comes
Bridgie. Bridgie is the result of the Tweed and CJ cross and is an adorable
bay/black/grey (simply put we are not quite sure yet what color she is going
to be!) baby that is now (Oct 07) 2 months old. She is just too cute for
words and nickers at us each time we go outside.
Tweed had a final filly by CJ that was born September 26th 2008, she is a
bay filly that literally looks like a little baby buffalo so she got the name Buffy
:). As our vet has always said, she will never win any beauty contests but she
is a super sweet super quiet little girl. New pictures of her coming soon.
Finally Bridget's true love. CJ is a 6 year old Percheron Stallion that Bridget used to cross with TB's to create the ultimate sport horse. The
offspring have the athleticism of the TB yet the bone structure of her huge boy, CJ. CJ stands just shy of 18 hands and has bones bigger than
anyone has seen! He is very well built and just the sweetest, biggest, lap dog! Bridget spent the last bit of her life confined to her house, in
which she spent sitting at the window that looked out into CJ's pasture. CJ was her heart horse. I remember when I left in 2003 she said she
would use him throughout the season and then geld him because she didn't want the liability of a stallion at her boarding facility full of young
kids. Which is why I was shocked when I talked to Liz earlier this year to find that he was still in fact a stallion. She couldn't bear to geld her
big boy. So we are not going to either. He will keep his parts, how much more breeding he will do is unknown for the sole reason of he will
make an AWESOME rider and driver so we are going to train him to do both. If he can do both and mind his manners about breeding I'm sure
there are mares here he can have :). Anyway this is all to you Bridget! Thank you for helping me realize my dream and I truly hope you are up
in heaven smiling down on us and keeping an eye out on your crew! Don't fear though, they are WELL loved! RIP Bridget Bauer!
offspring have the athleticism of the TB yet the bone structure of her huge boy, CJ. CJ stands just shy of 18 hands and has bones bigger than
anyone has seen! He is very well built and just the sweetest, biggest, lap dog! Bridget spent the last bit of her life confined to her house, in
which she spent sitting at the window that looked out into CJ's pasture. CJ was her heart horse. I remember when I left in 2003 she said she
would use him throughout the season and then geld him because she didn't want the liability of a stallion at her boarding facility full of young
kids. Which is why I was shocked when I talked to Liz earlier this year to find that he was still in fact a stallion. She couldn't bear to geld her
big boy. So we are not going to either. He will keep his parts, how much more breeding he will do is unknown for the sole reason of he will
make an AWESOME rider and driver so we are going to train him to do both. If he can do both and mind his manners about breeding I'm sure
there are mares here he can have :). Anyway this is all to you Bridget! Thank you for helping me realize my dream and I truly hope you are up
in heaven smiling down on us and keeping an eye out on your crew! Don't fear though, they are WELL loved! RIP Bridget Bauer!
This is one of my favorite pics. Is CJ on the day of arrival
(Oct 10th) and he is standing next to Bucky who is almost
14 hands, CJ is almost 18 hands, just a small difference!
(Oct 10th) and he is standing next to Bucky who is almost
14 hands, CJ is almost 18 hands, just a small difference!
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