Since I haven't clarified "Westley" is the barn name for our show horse listing "As You Wish". Dense on popular culture as I am this reference to The Princess Bride had to be explained by our production assistant Ellie McDonald, who is clearly more hip than I (she also informed me the pretty girl in our David Yurman ads was Kate Moss . . . and then had to explain who that was).

Appropriate is an understatement, this horse is a love-stricken prince. The first time I met Westley was on a brisk morning at his home stable just outside of Chicago. The mission was to procure suitable photos for advertising. We parked Westley on a pretty hill outside; myself, his trainer Connie Stevens, and his owner Sharie Maloney. It was cold, the horses had been inside for months, and modeling for conformation was the last thing on Westley's mind. The first? Mom. No matter where we placed Sharie he craned his neck to see her, even looking straight ahead you could tell his attention was elsewhere. Sharie was wrapped up in a giant cooler and apparently resembled a mobile treat dispenser. Poor Connie, trying desperately to stand him up, confirmed this was usual business for the two.

So I'm not surprised when Westley tromps off one way and mom another as Tammy Provost is now saddled and ready to ride Westley in the Green Conformation division at Showplace Spring Spectacular. I spend a moment chatting with Sharie as I keep an eye on Tammy warming up. Poke. Poke. Poke. Westley pokes around the ring like an overgrown pony or an extremely fancy Childrens Hunter. He sneezes a few times, takes in the scenery, and flicks a silent "hi!" to some horsey friends. Reins are flopping and after a lap or two he moves into his rhythm; legs reaching, toes pointing, nice and long through his topline. Tammy maintains this working trot a minute or two each direction and steps into the canter. La-ti-da, a couple circles, down the long sides each way, jump the vertical, back up the small square, a few fence adjustments and a few more jumps and off to the show ring they go. I barely had time to get my camera adjusted.

I scurry to the 3'6" ring and set up on the far side, next to banned-from-the-ingate mom, Sharie. Westley and Tammy saunter into the ring, and I mean saunter. Reins still flopping Tammy casually weaves through the odd maze of hay bales at the lower end of the ring. She pays them little attention as she goes over the course in her mind; Westley thinks the bales are the coolest thing ever and tries to eat a potted plant.

Reins shortened and off they go. The fences are absolutely stuffed with filler, clearly in preparation for the Hunter Derby to be held the following week. Several verticals have enough brush piled on to qualify as spread fences, and one of these horse-eating-monsters is graced with a brilliant inlay of yellow flowers running its entire width. Westley's only concern is if it's edible.

They plop around as though they jump these fences daily, taking Reserve Championship in the division and 4th in the $1000 Open Hunter Classic. Westley and Sharie go on to pin well in the competitive Adult Amateur division over the weekend, placing 2nd Under Saddle and 3rd, 6th and 10th over fences.