Circle S Miniature Overo Horses

[mini1]

My parents, Dwight and Jan Strassheim, owned Circle S Miniature Overo Horses. If anyone is still looking for information regarding their breeding program, horses, or other information, ask away.

Answers to some of the earlier questions I remember:

Mom and Dad retired about 3 years ago and dispersed their herd. I have the last horse from their program, she is 29 years old and looks great.

Circle S Midge: She was the first foal born on our place after we started raising miniature horses. Mom and Dad had to put her down as she had arthritis so bad in her legs she was unable to walk some days. She was over 20 years old when she died. She is buried in the same pasture she grazed in her whole life. She never left our farm.

Miniature Herefords (Dona): Dad did get 3 miniature hereford cows, one yearling heifer and one very small bull. The cows were bred when he bought them and he got 3 bull calves. The next year he also got three bull calves and the following year he got three bull calves. The heifer never would breed. The fourth year he got 2 bull calves and he said if the last cow had another bull calf he was selling everything. The last cow calved a beautiful, tiny, heifer calf. He was ecstatic. A month after she was born, he went to do chores and everything came up but the heifer calf. He found the hide and a couple bones. He sold everything after that and that was the end of his miniature hereford adventure.

If anyone has any questions, I would love to answer them. I miss the miniature horse "world" and love to talk about the horses we raised over the years. I love to see pictures of horses we bred or that carry the Circle S name on their pedigree.

Thanks for asking about our breeding program and thank you for all the wonderful comments made about my parents and their horses.

 

[Becky]

I own East Acres Stary Night that I purchased from Dwight and Jan back in 1998. In my opinion, she is still the most beautiful overo mare in existence!

 

[mini1]

Becky-

I was with Mom and Dad when they delivered her to you and Reflection to Frank and Charlotte in Columbia, MO at the AMHR Nationals. I'm glad to know you still have her and are so happy with her. She is a beautiful mare. Thanks for all the wonderful comments on the last thread.

Kelly

 

[Loess Hills]

Kelly, as you know, we own Circle S Aces High, and just treasure him for his wonderful intelligent personality, beauty, and what he's producing for us. His look-alike son, Loess Hills Aces Dark Arrogance, won World Champion yearling stallion at the Pinto World Show earlier this month. Here's Arrogance's picture........you can see the similarity between him, Ace, and his uncle Circle S Bill Bailey of Century Farms (in my opinion!).

 

[mini1]

Congratulations on the World Championship!! That is AWESOME! I am so happy for you!!

I check your web-site every so often to keep up on Ace. He was "my boy", he and I always got along great. I always wanted to show him, I think he would have done awesome in the show ring and I could have cleaned up in the liberty class. Unfortunately, timing is everything and he came along after I was pretty much done showing for Mom and Dad and had moved out on my own.

I do see the family resemblance in Arrogance, he's beautiful, and am very happy that he is doing so well for you (both Ace and his offspring).

If I ever get up your way, I would love to come see Ace again. I'll give you a call if I ever get close.

Thanks for the update and the kind words.

Kelly

 

[Dona]

Kelly.....thank you so much for the updates! I often wondered how your Mom & Dad were doing. I remember like it was yesterday, the first time I talked to your Dad on the phone about our Miniature Herferd Bull....Tank. He told me I didn't know what I had with "Tank", since he had been looking all over the country for a nice "little" bull to start his herd with (Tank was only 29" at the hip!) And I agree....I didn't know what I had, as I knew nothing about Miniature Bulls. I had bought him as a Father's Day present for my husband, from a friend who found him at an exoctic animal auction. We lost him after owning him for just a short time, due to bloat from eating alfalfa after it had been frosted. I wrote an article about it that was published in the MHW....and that is how your Dad found me. That article generated a LOT of calls & letters about Tank. I actually heard from a man in Russia, who had inherited a lot of land after the wall came down, & was wanting to raise Miniature Animals. He asked me if I had any contacts on where he could get a tiny bull like Tank.



Your parents stopped in to meet me once on a trip thru Ohio. VERY nice people, your Mom & Dad....of course, I'm not telling you anything you don't already know.

I had nothing for sale at the time, but they eventually ended finding one of my home bred fillies (a CockRobin daughter) Kickapoo's Cameo Rose. (bought from someone else) She was a very pretty little girl...deep chestnut with big blazed face & two ice blue eyes, with white stockings & flazen mane & tail. I think Serendipity Farm has a son of hers if I remember right. Do you happen to know where Cameo Rose is now, if she is still alive?

 

[Reignmaker Miniatures]

Dona, I assume you are referring to Circle S Bright Red Baron (?) and if so I believe Serendipity sold him recently. I bought his son SMO Smokin Hot from Serendipity as a weanling 2 yrs ago. I'm always excited to find any information on the Circle S horses and my colt's background so this has been a fascinating thread for me.

 

[kaycee]

i have ace's high five that i bought from your folks 5 years ago. i had just broke my arm and just 6 weeks ago broke the other one. did your folks get any of the high water we had last year? are they still on the farm? had lots of fun around them at the des moines county fair when you were little!!. and yes i still have rocky. he is 29 years young.

 

[mini1]

Kaycee-

The farm Mom and Dad owned was completely underwater during the flood of '08. However, they had sold the house, buildings and pasture in November of 2007, about 7 months before the flood hit. The water was just below the ceiling in the first floor. It was really hard to go back and see the destruction to the house I grew up in and the barns I spent so much time in. Mom and Dad now live on "high ground" in Sperry. They (mostly Dad) are now into classic cars and have a couple that they take to car shows in the area. They are having alot of fun being retired and are hardly ever home it seems. They family that bought the farm from them decided to fix the house and buildings and move back.

Forgive me for asking and you can e-mail me if you want but I cannot for the life of me remember who "Rocky" is. Is Kaycee your real name or an i.d. that you use. I am pleading old age as the last Miniature show at the Des Moines County fair was YEARS ago. Please remind me who you are. I need all the help I can get.

Kelly

 

[mini1]

Dona-

I always have to laugh when anyone says they remember the first time they talked to my dad, it seems most people don't forget him once they have talked to him. He has a big personality that sticks with you.

Once he saw your stallion, he was on a mission to find a Cock Robin daughter and I remember when he bought Cameo Rose. She was a sweetheart. Unfortunately, I don't remember where she went. It seems, though, that she ended up in the Southwest, Texas or Oklahoma maybe. Like I said, I'm not sure. There were so many horses and I remember most all of them but when Mom and Dad dispersed, it was over a couple years and I didn't always know when and where some of them went. That's why I like to hear on here where some of our horses are today. Especially the ones that carry the Circle S prefix.

Kelly

 

[I AM Ranch]

Hi Kelly,

Do you remember a Circle S Abigail? We have a mare that was produced by breeding her to Little Kings Supreme Dream. She is one of my favorite mares...such a great mind, sweet temperament and beautiful face....and then, she also can trot! She is one of our fastest driving mares. Here is a link to her page http://www.paintedsunminiaturehorses.com/minidream.htm We only had one baby this year and it was by this mare. http://www.paintedsunminiaturehorses.com/mini_supreme.htm

Thank you for offering to talk to all of us about Circle S horses! Any pictures??

Blessings,

Beth

www.PaintedSunMiniatureHorses.com

 

[mini1]

Hi Beth-

I definitely remember the name Abigail but I can't say I really remember the mare. I'm going to go out on a limb though and say she was probably a pretty nice mare.

I can tell from the picture of your mare that she must have been nice, your mare is very pretty. I will say that Abigail was probably one of our earlier foals. I looked at your mares pedigree and because Abigail was sorrel and because of her bloodlines, I would guess she was from our earlier breeding program (pre-overo I mean).

Thank you for sharing your photo with me. I really do like your mare, she is very nice, I love her head and neck and am glad she has been so good for you.

I may try to get some pictures put together and get them posted somewhere, if so, I'll let you know.

Thanks again,

Kelly

 

[Orkie]

Kelly,

Are their any pix availabe that you have of Circle S Midge? I believe she is the dam of Circle S Bill Bailey. I have a Bill Bailey son.

Stacy

 

[BBH]

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[BBH]

I own a daughter of Circle S Aces High and have been researching for pics of both top and bottom of pedigree. Have not been able to find pic of Circle S Midge.....would also like to see pic of her and to have for my records.

 

[mini1]

Orkie and BBH-

Yes, I do have a very nice picture of Midge. It is probably the best picture that was ever taken of that mare and it was taken just a few years before she died. If you would send me your addresses, I would be happy to make copies and send you each one for your records. The next time I am at Mom and Dad's, I will see if I can find pictures of her parents also and will include copies. I think we may have one picture of each of them but may take me awhile to find them.

Orkie, yes, Midge is the dam of Circle S Bill Bailey.

Do you guys have pictures of your horses that you could post for me?

Kelly

 

[Orkie]

My Bill Bailey son is pictured in my alvatar.

 

[kaycee]

kelly-

kaycee is a pre-fix i use. my name is marty maurer(late husband charlie).

rocky is the 28 1/2 inch chestnut i drove/jumped/did obstacle.

ask your mom and dad they will remember rocky and i. and high 5.

[email protected]

 

[Loess Hills]

I have some pictures of Circle S Midge, with some of her colorful foals.

If Kelly doesn't mind, I'll post them here.

She has to have been one of the most beautiful Arabian-type mares.

I wish Pat Elder would include her in a 2nd edition of Outstanding Miniature Mares

because she was the dam of several National Champions.

 

[mini1]

If this works........... this is Circle S Midge.

If this doesn't work, well, it's been a long time since I posted a picture here.

This picture was taken in the Spring of 2000. This is her last foal, Circle S Bright Impression.

Rose, of course I don't mind if you post pictures of Midge. You can do it better than I can. I have been trying all evening to get this posted. :arg!