By Ben Gunter
Two horses. Two worlds. Both coming together in Tallahassee on April 26.
The horse with the rider in a 17th-century cape is named Suwannee Love. She is a four-legged ambassador from Spanish La Florida. The horse with the rider wearing the 21st-century coat is named Matagente. He is a galloping embodiment of Florida today. Both horses will be coming to Goodwood Museum & Gardens from noon till 5 p.m. on the last Sunday in April to appear in Florida for Sale, celebrating the 200th anniversary of Florida becoming US territory.
Suwannee Love will let you touch a living piece of Florida’s history. Born on Valentine’s Day 2010 at Galiceños of Suwannee Horse Ranch in Live Oak, Florida, she is a direct descendant of steeds that Spanish settlers brought to the New World 500 years ago. Her size and her spirit tell us a lot about Spanish La Florida. Suwannee Love is surprisingly small – only 4 feet tall at the shoulder – but amazingly strong. Her stamina, intelligence, and willingness to work show why horses like Suwannee Love made a world of difference to explorers who were carrying Spanish culture across the Americas. According to trainer Rick Blaney, Suwannee Love is also the perfect horse for bringing kids of all ages face to face with Florida’s past. “She is one of the favorites because of her gentle nature,” says Blaney. And she’s a beauty, too. Her color is “Red Dun” with dark cross lines on her shoulders, and “zebra stripes” on her legs.
Matagente will let you catch a glimpse of Florida’s future on the move. He was born 9 years ago in Climax, Georgia, by a Hanoverian stallion out of a Quarter Horse mare. His mestizo lineage and his majestic size – over 5 feet tall at the shoulder – make him a timely reminder that Florida continues to play a key role in setting standards of excellence for horse breeding and horse training in America. His coloring is “alazán tostada,” a red roan, and the white mark that runs down his nose in the shape of snake gives him his name (which means “People Killer”). According to trainer Richard McNelis, Matagente’s intelligence makes teaching him an adventure. Their most challenging lesson so far, says McNelis, has been coming to the mounting block “without moving his rear away. Because for years I taught him to face me – never turn his butt toward me, because that is step one on the way to kicking. So, we worked for weeks at approaching the mounting block. He got it when I varied it by bringing him to the fence so I could get on (like I was too old to get on any other way). You have to see things from the horse’s point of view.”
This April, come see Florida from two points of view. Step into Spanish La Florida 200 years ago with Suwannee Love. Meet characters from history who played pivotal roles in Florida’s transition from Spanish provincia to US territory, and hear them tell you in their own words the hopes and dreams they cherished for our state. See Florida step into the future with Matagente. Celebrate Earth Day on Florida’s birthday, and help set a green direction for our state’s third century. For more information, visit www.theaterwithamission.com and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Don’t miss this tale of two horses!