Just 20 minutes west of downtown Minneapolis, Enchanted Hollow Stables is located on 10 rolling acres in the picturesque lakeside community of Orono, MN. It is home to more than two dozen miniature horses, eight of which have accounted for AMHR Nationals titles in Model, Halter, Pleasure Driving, Country Pleasure Driving, Park Harness, Roadster, Jumper and Hunter. Four of the horses are double registered in AMHR and ASPC, and are descendants of the legendary Seth Thomas.

We are huge fans of the storied D&S line and are thrilled to have four D&S horses on our show string.

The first horse we acquired from the Seth Thomas line is D&S Double Dutch Chocolate. Dutch, for short.

A striking chocolate-colored gelding sired by BHR Chocolate Sundae and born May 28, 2003, Dutch already has won 10 AMHR national championships and four Reserve National titles in Model, Halter and Roadster and Country Pleasure Driving classes. Eight of Dutch's wins came in 2005 and 2006 in the Over division while he was with Jo-Co Miniatures of Allen, Mich. He won Youth Roadster and Country Pleasure Driving championships at the 2007 AMHR Nationals, and had top five and top 10 finishes in both Amateur and Open halter and driving classes. (Dutch is pictured on the far right of the photo at right with two other Seth Thomas Collection horses -- BHR JC's Primetime and D&S Excuse My French.)

In October 2006, Karen Johnson of Jo-Co contacted our family after she and her husband, Frank, decided to disperse their outstanding herd of miniature horses. We had purchased a Jo-Co horse at a Minnesota auction in May 2006, which is when we met Karen and Frank. Karen watched our brood compete at the 2006 AMHR Nationals – husband, wife and three kids under the age of 12 -- and got in touch with us because she wanted some of her horses to go to a show family with children. (That's the family at left after Dutch won Adult Jumper at the 2008 Shetland Congress; Dutch is pictured below left with Sawyer after they won Open Hunter at the 2009 Shetland Congress.)

We consider it an honor that she entrusted Dutch to us, along with two other exceptional Jo-Co miniature horses who have won AMHR national titles. Dutch (AMHR #242111T and ASPC #152515A) competed during the 2007 show season in Model, Halter, Country Pleasure Driving, Roadster and Liberty and had outstanding results.

Dutch has been exceptional at the last two Shetland Congress national competitions. At the 2009 Shetland Congress, he won three National championships and four Reserve National titles. At the 2008 Shetland Congress, Dutch won three National championships and three Reserve National titles and finished as the overall High-Point Pony in a field of nearly 500 Foundation, Classic, Modern and ASPR Ponies.

Meantime, BHR JC's Primetime, another Seth Thomas Collection horse, was the Reserve Grand Champion in Classic Pleasure Driving at the '08 Shetland Congress. In '09, he was the Reserve National champion in Classic Country Pleasure Driving. Primetime was the third Seth Thomas horse we added to our personal collection.

We acquired our second Seth Thomas descendant after a conversation with Dale Lutke. Thrilled with Dutch, it was mentioned that our family would love another horse like him. Dale said he had one – D&S Excuse My French, a.k.a. Frenchy. After several discussions with Dale and Larry Parnell, who was training Frenchy to drive, our interest increased. We added Frenchy to our little herd after meeting him at the AMHR Area IV show at Gordyville in Illinois. A week later, in his first-ever show, Frenchy won his Model, Aged Gelding and Senior Grand classes and finished as the Reserve Grand Champion in Halter in the Stallion Over division at the AMHR Area VI show in Winona, MN.

The 2007 AMHR Nationals was only the second show in which Frenchy competed in driving classes. He was terrific, winning the 7-and-Under Youth Pleasure driving class with our five-year-old son, Spencer, and finishing third in the Open Roadster class.

At the 2008 AMHR Nationals, Frenchy won Youth Country Pleasure with Sawyer and took a Reserve National title with Ken Porter in Golden Age Country Pleasure Driving. (Frenchy is pictured below right with Sawyer winning at AMHR Nationals.)

Frenchy had a nice showing at the 2009 Shetland Congress, winning one National championship and three Reserve National titles.

Having watched Seth Thomas horses excel at the national level, it had been our goal to own a member of that magnificent bloodline. And now we have five. We added 3-year-old D&S Jack of Hearts in the fall of 2008. Jack, an Over gelding, shows in Country Pleasure, Roadster, Hunter, Jumper and Liberty. In early 2009, we took a road trip to Larry Parnell Stables in Arkansas to pick up D&S 2 Bits, an Under gelding who shows in Country Pleasure, Roadster, Hunter, Jumper, Halter and Liberty. Dutch, Jack and 2 Bits all were sired by BHR Chocolate Sundae, and Jack's' grandsire is Frenchy's sire -- the legendary D&S Spooktacular.

Enchanted Hollow Stables
Bob & Mary Sansevere
745 Orchard Park Road
Orono, MN 55356
612-384-0279
bobsansevere@yahoo.com
www.enchantedhollow.net