Welcome to Hawthorn Hill Foxtrotters
Thanks for visiting my site! Updated 03/27/2024
The goal of Hawthorn Hill Foxtrotters is to promote usefulness and versatility in order to restore the breed’s credibility as a true working horse that quite frankly, it lacks these days. Gaited horses were the first choice of mount for cowboys “back in the day” when they needed a comfortable horse with good worth ethic that was capable of going all day long. Now, all you see in the working pens are Quarter Horses. Achieving a change in perception toward our breed requires producing safe, athletic horses with naturally good dispositions, conformation, correct gait, and substantial size. A range of horses are offered for sale from weanlings to finished riding horses, ready for the trail, show ring, and everything in between. These horses are loved and handled daily from birth, and it shows in their love and trust toward humans.
Training: Our Philosophy
We are extremely excited to announce that we will now be offering training services for horses of all ages and disciplines! It takes a good foundation to create a solid, reliable horse and at Hawthorn Hill Foxtrotters, we believe in starting with the basics to find any “holes” in the horse’s training. Starting basic doesn’t necessarily mean slow progress; it means creating an understanding so that your horse moves forward with an understanding of their partnership with you.
We are unique in that we are a team- Claire and Trent Burch both have backgrounds in colt starting and working with a wide range of breeds but of course, the Missouri Fox Trotter is our specialty. We work with all ages, from halter breaking and ground work with weanlings and yearlings, to starting 2 and 3 year olds under saddle, to finding and fixing the root cause of your discontent with your older horses.
Another aspect of our program that really sets us apart is the careful research that goes into the well being of the horses in our care. We invest in quality tack and equipment so that your horse has the best experience possible. We educate ourselves as much as possible in equine biomechanics, saddle fit, and nutrition so that your horse comes home their absolute best both mentally and physically. We don’t do what we can to cut costs but instead give your horses all the best and hope that you see the difference that we do.
Weanlings and Yearlings: Respect from the Ground
$950/30 days
Weanlings and Yearlings: Respect from the Ground-Get your young ones leading, trailer loading, standing tied, standing for hoof trimming, bathing, a fluent understanding of ground work, and so much more!
Colt Starting
$1,500/30 days
Colt Starting-Let us create a willing partner both on the ground and under saddle with a solid foundation in the arena and on the trail! Whether you have a performance show prospect, versatility prospect, or trail prospect, we believe in starting them all the same. We will put a good foundation on your horses as well as lead you through having the same success with them yourself once they’re ready to come home.
The Finished Horse
*Inquire about pricing on tuneups, problem horses, cowhorse training, and multiple horse discounts*
The Finished Horse-While we believe there is always more to teach a horse, we offer to put those “finishing touches” on horses past the colt starting phase. From training for the performance ring, to reining, cattle sorting, roping, endurance conditioning, and more, we work with you to create a safe mount that loves what they do.
Foals
Coming March 2024
$4,500-$5,500
Sheza Whole Lot Of Chocolate "Maddie" has been bred to C.I.A. for a March 2024 foal. While I'm excited to cross her with Bentley in the future, C.I.A. was undoubtedly the best option for Maddie while Bentley was away for the show season. With the big motors and amazing front ends on both sire and dam, this foal is guaranteed to be a show prospect, but as with all Hawthorn Hill foals, it’ll have the conformation and disposition to go in any direction. This foal will be conformationally solid, stocky, and fancy as it gets- the color possibilities of silver dapple, black, sorrel or a sorrel silver carrier are truly just a huge bonus. If this foal takes after it’s sire and dam, it will be in the 14 hands but extremely wide and solid built.
Coming September 2024
HHF Final Play, “Lila,” is expecting her first foal, sired by HHF Bentley, in September of 2024. I am extremely excited about this cross, especially since Lila and Bentley are both second generation horses that we bred and raised. This foal checks every box- perfect gait, both sire and dam have lovely canters, conformation, disposition, naturally brave and curious, Lila has natural cow sense and a fantastic work ethic, and the foal should be a perfect 15-15.2 hand height based on parentage. You also can’t go wrong with a set of papers like this, with names including Cardinal’s MVP, The Cardinal M., Playboy Remedy, Time To Tango, Jester’s Charming Legend, and Sunrise Tradition.
HORSES
Horses range in price due to their natural abilities, training level, future potential, and ability to reproduce. Prices on young horses will be updated every few weeks to reflect their training.
HHF Bentley
$24,000/Stud fee $650
Bentley is a September 2019 colt by Time To Tango and out of a Sunrise Tradition mare. He has a World Grand Champion title in the Open Weanling Model division, Reserve Champion Yearling at the National Breeder’s Championship show, and Reserve World Grand Champion in the Amateur division in 2021. I have many videos of his amazing gait and welcome visitors! I am extremely excited to spend the winter exposing him to the trail, cattle sorting, roping, reining, and whatever I can throw at him. He has such a kind, willing disposition and so much try, but I want to keep training exciting for him and find what he truly loves. He is what I believe is an ideal representation of the breed. He has such a quiet, gentle soul in the body of a giant. Bentley is currently 15 hands and almost 1,200 lbs, with bone circumference you don’t often see in this breed at just 4 years old. He has the traits of a true working horse that I want to preserve in this breed- with his disposition, bone, fantastic hooves, and all around solid conformation, he is built to get the job done and to last! Being smoky black, he can produce black, bay, smoky black, buckskin, palomino, and chestnut with a “plain” chestnut mare, though he was not bred for color. As we make moves toward reducing our breeding herd as we focus more on the training side of the business, I would love for someone to purchase him as a stallion. Every mare way out produced herself this fall and I just have too many foals I’m excited about keeping and bringing along.
Playboy Remedy’s Golden Spell “Katie”
$24,000
Katie is a true 16 hand 2016 mare that is Southern Playboy line bred. I have not run out of good things to say about this mare since I bought her from Clyde and Samantha Connelly in February of 2018 as a long yearling. She has the disposition, speed, athleticism, gait, conformation, and size I’ve always dreamed of having. She is the easiest horse I’ve ever broke to ride and has carried me many, many miles in the past few years and is a proven competitive endurance horse up to 55 miles. There is absolutely nothing this horse will not do under saddle and gives 100% effort every ride. I have videos of her riding down busy highways, through the city, around moving trains, she’s been roped off of, loves water- I truly have yet to find something she won’t do. She has been used as a lesson horse and had a partial lease to a beginner rider in her 70s, but I will say that she really likes to move out and will be happier with a rider that lets her do so. To be completely honest, it can be a challenge to clip the insides of her ears but it is doable and she is very easy to clip elsewhere. She has TONS of rhythm and shake, with her flat foot walk and running walk being her strongest gaits, though she does have a lovely fox trot, and produces gorgeous, performance style movers when bred to the right stallions. She produced HHF Final Play, a stunning, confident, people oriented, black filly by Cardinal’s MVP in 2021, and a gorgeous colt by HHF Bentley in October 2023 that we’d like to retain. She is open but can be sold in foal to HHF Bentley this spring at the buyer’s request. Take advantage of her dramatic price cut now! We’re extremely overwhelmed with 14 horses at home (we have a few AQHA as well) and need to make room. Her price will increase again, as I plan on really putting some time into marketing her next month.
Perfect Tango “Cricket”
$35,000
Cricket is a WIDE 14.3 hand fall 2018 mare by Time To Tango and out of Twilight Tradition (by Sunrise Tradition). She is a full sibling to our stallion, HHF Bentley. She was bred to be a performance quality show horse and that’s exactly what she is and then some. Her stride length at her breathtaking fox trot is absolutely unreal and she has a beautiful, correct lope. She eats up the distance on the trail, excels in all aspects of ranch work, rides bridleless with a neck rope, and has really turned into an all around safe, useful horse. She performs well for timid riders as well and has been used for lessons. She has so much try & is an absolute joy to work with. On top of her promising career under saddle, she is also the 2022 Open Junior Model Reserve World Grand Champion. She has proved her worth time and time again, being used in real world scenarios on ranches and out performing Quarter Horses when gathering cattle, sorting, and roping. She is my go-to horse to grab when I get a call that someone needs help with their cows. She is exactly the type of horse I wish to continue to produce. She produced one of the nicest fillies I’ve ever seen in September 2023 and I’m only willing to let go of Cricket right now due to wanting to keep this filly.
Mouse’s Magic Misty Grey
$3,500 2 in 1 in foal to Bentley
Misty is a 14.3 hand 2004 mare by the late, great stallion of the 80s, Grey’s Stud Mouse. Though she has changed hands numerous times through the years, I have contacted numerous previous owners and heard many wonderful things about her. She has an easy, natural flat foot walk and big, flashy fox trot, and will not surprise you with any alternative intermediate gait. She is an easy keeper with likely 10 more years of riding left with proper care. She is so incredibly sweet and will follow me anywhere with the largest, kindest eyes. She was shown in her younger years, used to check cattle, and was a good, solid trail horse. She has such a quiet, calming presence that is just amazing to be around but I have not been on her in about a year. She really out produced herself with a gorgeous colt in September 2023 by HHF Bentley. The plan is to breed her back this spring for a 2025 foal to sell for a 2 in 1 deal. She is an amazing mother, very vigilant, but let us interact with her colt from day 1 with zero issues. Due to her age, I will be picky about her going to a good home.
Hollywood Ellie Mae S.
$12,000
This 15.1 hand, 2008 Hollywood Playboy daughter belongs to my grandfather. She had extensive Parelli training before purchase, hundreds of trail miles, broke to drive, and on top of that, she’s sired by one of the leading performance sires in the breed today! She is truly a “full package” horse, with disposition, quality, and extensive training. She has been a huge asset to my breeding program, as I’ve purchased her September 2023 filly by HHF Bentley. Because my grandfather no longer rides, he would like to sell her upon weaning in the next few months. I am currently taking her through the Clinton Anderson fundamentals, intermediate, and started on the advanced series in the meantime to really get her “polished” for her next home. She is also currently being used for youth riding lessons. She is open but can be bred to HHF Bentley, at no additional cost, at the buyer’s request. There has been a lot of time and money put into this mare to make her the horse she is today. If you’re wanting something reliable but ready for something you can really have fun on, this mare is exactly what you need. She may be 15 years old but she’s given me no reason to believe she won’t have another good 15 years of sound riding left. I believe she’s in her prime right now but take advantage of her price- it would be considerably higher if she was 10 years younger!
Little Birdie
Not for sale
Birdie is a February 2022 filly raised by Susan and Gary Thomlinson. I have immense respect for their breeding program and jumped on the opportunity to own this filly. She has the disposition that their herd is famous for and is as gaited as it gets. She will be an amazing model, versatility, ranch horse, and beginner friendly trail prospect. She is a Chocolatier granddaughter out of a Gone N Dun It daughter. She is homozygous for black with one copy of the silver gene. I bought her knowing that she would cross extremely well with Bentley someday to produce some seriously stocky offspring and perfect all around prospects. She is currently 14.3 hands and her heart girth measurement puts her at over 900 lbs at 21 months old. I would expect her to mature at 15.1 hands with an extremely wide frame. We have done extensive work from the ground with this horse and are extremely impressed with her willing disposition. She stands for trimming, regularly stands tied for an hour or two at a time, stands for bathing, loads easily, and wears a saddle while working on the ground work exercises in Clinton Anderson’s Fundamentals and Intermediate series to a B+ to A range in proficiency, and even a few from the Advanced series, like picking you up off the fence. She’s softer in the bridle than 90% of the broke horses we’ve ridden for the public. She’s so broke on the ground, I’d take her out trail riding & driving cattle today if she was physically mature enough. She just needs time to mature and will make a fantastic trail/versatility/ranch horse prospect once she’s ready for work under saddle. Unless someone makes a BIG offer on her, she’s going to be a fantastic first horse for our daughter.
HHF Final Play
Not for sale
I am extremely excited to announce that Lila, one of the last offspring of Cardinal’s MVP, and out of Katie, has returned home. This April 2021 filly is everything I dreamed she would be. Photos do her no justice; she is extremely well built with kind eyes and Katie’s beautiful arched neck, shows absolutely amazing rhythm in her flat foot walk and fox trot, and is so smart and easy to work with. She is on track to mature at a wide framed 15.1-15.2. I have been taking her through the ground work exercises in Clinton Anderson’s Fundamentals, Intermediate, and Advanced series and is now working through the Fundamentals under saddle. You never have to worry about what gait she’ll give you- she is geared to flat foot walk, fox trot, and canter, and will walk slower at “Quarter Horse speed.” She could go in any direction and will cross extremely well with Bentley. Update- she is in foal and due in September 2024!
*recent official name change with MFTHBA from Cardinal’s Golden Spell to HHF Final Play*
Sheza Whole Lot Of Chocolate “Maddie”
Not for sale.
Maddie is a stunning 14 hand, 2013 daughter of the world famous Chocolatier, who was purchased and shipped to stand at stud in Austria, and out of a very nice performance mare with greats on her papers such as The Cardinal M., Cast Iron Willy, and Traveler’s Jester. She has really stood out in the show ring, being one of the few horses of rare color in the performance ring to really hold their own and place well, even at Ava and the NAB show. I’m excited to see what she produces- she is such a high quality mare, regardless of color, and will produce great performance prospects with bright futures, color or no color. She has been bred to C.I.A. this spring and will be bred to Bentley in the future. She is not for sale due to the fact that a friend entrusted me with her in hopes that I would be her final, forever home, and I happily respect that.
HHF American Muscle- name pending
$5,000
Born 10/10/2023 and pictured at 5 weeks old. This colt is absolutely breathtaking! The quality in the conformation, disposition, and gait bred into him have come from inheriting the best possible combination of traits from both Katie and Bentley. I am so smitten with this big guy! He’s the biggest foal I’ve ever seen, has that “born broke” disposition that Bentley and Southern Playboy are known for, and is just stunning to look at on top of it all. At 1 week old, he was leading like an old lesson pony, and stood without a care in the world while I clipped his face & ears. Bentley is 3/3 for producing the most phenomenal dispositions we’ve ever seen in foals! He can really move and is going to be HUGE, just like I wanted! He stands at 13 hands already at 5 months old, is projected to mature at 15.2-16, and is so solidly built! As we work toward downsize our breeding program in the coming year, I believe it’s in our best interest to retain this guy as we work toward promoting this amazing younger generation. He is a phenomenal example of the quality Bentley produces and will remain intact for now. He is a color tested cremello (ee/aa/CrCr).
HHF Hollywood Mercedes
Not For Sale
Introducing Hollywood Ellie Mae S. and HHF Bentley’s filly, “HHF Hollywood Mercedes,” name pending, born September 6, 2023. Read more about Ellie Mae & Bentley under their respective sections in “Horses.” I think this is the perfect cross, combining Time To Tango with Hollywood Playboy bloodlines, to produce the best gait possible, size (projected to be 15.1-15.2 and wide), amazing hooves and gentle dispositions from both, with Bentley adding bone, a more refined head, and his natural curiosity. She should be the perfect western horse, that ideal ranch horse look and agility level, but with GAIT! She is a color tested perlino, specifically Ee/Aa/CrCr. We are looking forward to seeing how she matures and would love to keep this filly to help promote the next generation stock we’re so proud of.
HHF Mayhem
Not for sale
Perfect Tango had a gorgeous sorrel filly by C.I.A. just in time to share a birthday on September 14th! Read more about Perfect Tango under “Horses.” There is so much to say about C.I.A. A performance World Grand Champion, National Association of Breeders Champion, as wide as he is tall, with fantastic bone circumference and large hooves, a huge, muscular shoulder and hip, with a pretty little dished face. This foal will have perfect gait, perfect conformation, and a perfect disposition. This cross checks every one of my boxes except for height. She stands at 11.3 hands at 6 months old and is projected to mature at 14-14.2 hands. As someone that likes a taller horse, I still can’t imagine a better cross for Cricket, HHF Bentley’s full sister. She certainly inherited the best traits possible from both her sire and dam. This is one of the prettiest, most powerful moving foals I’ve ever seen, guaranteed to have natural talent to boot! She has that “in your pocket” disposition that I love and immense athleticism on top of it. While I think she’d be a knockout in the performance ring, I think she really has the intelligence, athleticism, and coordination to excel in the versatility ring. As we’re dramatically downsizing our breeding program, we’ve made the decision that we will need to retain her as we work toward promoting our next great generation of horses.
Sold Horses
Elinor’s Southern Rhythm
