Reno Gold
8-year-old Paint cross gelding
"Reno" is in training with Robert and owned by Gloria Anderson. He came to Stoneybrook three years ago and now competes in pleasure and combined driving. He has competed at the challenging Beavercreek Combined Driving Event four times. He received his ROM in pleasure driving from the Oregon Horseman's Association in 2005, and has received numerous OHA driving and reinsmanship awards over the last three years. Reno is the barn clown and has invented some interesting sound effects to get attention. Robert and Gloria hope to pair him this year with his full brother, Keno Gold, a solid palomino.

Reno at the 2005 Beavercreek CDE, driven by Robert Shannon

Cedar Hill Nimrod Luca
5-year-old Canadian stallion
"Luca" has been shown in combined and pleasure driving and halter. He received his ROM in halter in 2005 after just one season of showing, was also the OHA Stallion of the Year and the top driving pony in Area II. He has been started under saddle and loves to jump. He is standing at stud beginning in 2006. He is one of only three living stallions from the famous Tonka Wonka bloodline and his excellent conformation and temperment make him a wonderful choice for Canadian broodmare owners. He would also make an excellent cross for a hunter or jumper pony.
Visit Luca's page.

Saroma Fortunat Jujube
7-year-old Canadian Horse gelding
"Jeff" has a sweet laid-back nature that naturally lends him to being a lesson horse for both driving and riding, and he is the new pairs training horse for Stoneybrook. Jeff won the Iron Horse Competition at the 2005 Canadian Horse Heritage and Preservation Society's Maple Ridge show in B.C., Canada. Owned by Ken Morris, he is also used for Civil War cavalry and artillery reenacting at battle events, parades and school demonstrations. Jeff's "innocent", curious personality sometimes gets him into trouble, but it usually gets him out of it, too!
Click here to see our Grand Floral Parade story!

Jeff at the 2006 CHHAPS show in B.C., shown by Michelle Heffner.

Saroma Noireau Hercule
8-year-old Canadian Horse gelding
"Herc" is both a riding and driving horse. He is Jeff's most recent pairs trainee and they have been working together for a year. The pair pulled the Molalla Buckaroo's stagecoach in the 2006 Portland Grand Floral Parade. He and his owner, Mary Miller, have been working with Robert since the fall of 2004. They began competing in combined and pleasure driving shows in 2005 and placed well in several tough classes at the 2005 and 2006 Oregon State Fair's open pleasure driving and Maple Ridge CHHAPS shows. Herc is also a great mountain horse, has been used in cavalry reenactments and loves water.
Click here to see our Grand Floral Parade story!

Herc at the Stoneybrook Driving Trial 2005, driven by Mary Miller.

Prairie Creek Fonzorelli Janvier and
Prairie Creek Fonzorelli Jeena
7-year-old Canadian Horse gelding and mare
"Blaze" and "Jeena" are owned by Joe and Linda Hamer and were trained at Stoneybrook to pull a Civil War artillery limber and cannon. This requires the driver to ride the near horse, which is challenging but a lot of fun. These two are inseperable and their matched sizes, colors and blazes make them a perfect pair. They are very calm in the heat of battle and the crazy buzz of parades.

Blaze and Jeena at Stoneybrook, driven by owner Joe Hamer.
Photo by Charles Shannon.

Rocky Road
9-year-old POA
"Rocky" has been driving for about two years. He has a huge extended trot and is also very maneuverable in combined driving hazards. His first CDE was the 2005 Stoneybrook Driving Trial and he placed well considering the "pilot error" that sent him the wrong way down the course in the marathon! This year he placed third at the Stoneybrook trial, seperated from first by just a few points, and won the Training Single Pony division at Beavercreek! His other job is as "uncle" for resident weanlings. He teaches them stall manners but also befriends them and shares his food with the youngsters.

Buddy
8-year-old Jack Russell Terrier
Ok, so he's not a horse, but he has one of the biggest personalities at Stoneybrook! He owns the place, no matter what anybody else thinks. He came to the Shannons as an 8-month-old puppy who had been mishandled (unintentionally) by children. His favorite toy is a soccer ball, but if there isn't one around a large rock will do. Buddy protects the place, patrols for barn rats and generally keeps everyone in line.

Buddy at about a year old

"Dallas" and "Rose"
Shire gelding and mare
Dallas and Rose were trained at Stoneybrook to pull a wagon and to plow as singles or a team. Their owners, Buzz and Julie, plan to show them in plowing demonstrations at the Champoeg State Park this summer. Eighteen-hand Dallas was a huge challenge to train because he grew up wild and thought that anything behind him was a predator, but now he is the rock of the team. Rose had a colt, Duke, two years ago, and they will begin training him to drive this fall.

Dallas pulling a harrow at Stoneybrook

"George", "Yankee" and "Grace"
Miniature Horses
George, Yankee and Grace added a lot of character to Stoneybrook. The three of them shared one large stall. Yankee was the 4-H driving champion of Multnomah County in c2000, competing against many ponies and horses. George, Yankee's sire, was also a driving pony but went blind several years ago as the result of a reaction to vaccinations. He is very trusting, though, and even loads in the trailer easily. Grace was given to Robert, and he used her for driving and riding lessons with small children. These three sweet minis deserved more attention than they could get at this busy training barn, so they were given to a wonderful new home. They are endlessly pampered and the family takes them for daily walks in the woods.

George and Grace

"Buddy"
Percheron gelding
Buddy was Robert's lesson horse and was also used to train pairs. When training a new teammate, he would reach over and give them a nip if they weren't pulling their half. He even had to teach a pony to drive as a pair, since there was no other suitable pony available! He was also famous for "walking away" with green drivers who did not keep enough contact on his bit- he just mosied on home if the person didn't do it right. Buddy died a few years ago, and is still missed.

Buddy driven by Robert Shannon.

"Peggy"
Appaloosa mare
Peggy was Robert's dressage horse for many years, working up to Level 1 in competition. She was also trained to drive. Later in life she lost her vision in one eye but it did not affect her rideability or her personality. She was something of a barn mom, adopting mistreated Lakota as her buddy. Robert lost Peggy in the fall of 2005.

Peggy and Robert at a dressage show