Statesmans Silhouette

Color: Dark Bay with small star
Height: 15.1 hands
May 3, 1990 - May 31, 2022
Sire: Chief of State
Dam: Meadowrock Melanie
Registries: American Morgan Horse Association; American Warmblood Society (Approved and Branded - one of only a handful of Morgan Stallions Approved by AWS)

​With his wonderful Morgan temperament and exceptional sport horse movement, during his career this athletic stallion bred an average of a dozen mares every year while competing successfully through 3rd level dressage, winning almost 70 percent of his classes during his career and seldom placing lower than 3rd. He added jumping to his repertoire in 2003 and took home the Mid-Atlantic Regional Championships Sport Horse Award.  See major awards. 

But this only tells part of the story. Surviving a severe hock injury as a yearling, multiple vets said Silhouette would never be sound enough to compete. With a resilience and toughness known in the breed, and through the care of his trainer, Lori Shoemake, he overcame his injury to compete successfully. But his journey up the levels in dressage was halted by arthritic damage to his stifle caused by compensating for the original hock injury. He retired from competition in 2008 and despite a serious bout with Lyme's disease became a favorite school master for Lori's students and continued to live out his years under Lori's watchful care until his death at 32 from a nasal tumor .

As a sire, Silhouette produced more than 100 Morgan and cross-bred offspring, with sons and daughters throughout the United States, Canada and Europe. Many took their owners to championships in dressage, combined driving, pleasure carriage driving, working hunter and sport horse suitability. He has the distinction of siring the most Morgans to have competed at third level or above and the FEI levels in the breed.

Silhouette's pedigree was a mix of Old Government, Brunk and Lippitt. See pedigree. His father, Chief of State, competed successfully in dressage and carriage, winning the National Combined Driving Pairs Championship with his brother, Atavista Statesman. His mother, Meadowrock Melanie, was a favored mount for his breeder's students. 

Silhouette's loss is felt everyday by all who were blessed to be touched by his noble spirit. We all feel lucky to have known and loved him.