Sometimes great blessings come from great sorrows. Zingo has been that blessing for me. He was a bit of an accidental find after I lost a horse – not exactly what I was looking for but it turned out he was exactly what I needed. 

Zingo was originally purchased as a one-year-old colt by a 5th generation Italian acrobat to be trained and exhibited in the Ringling Bros. Circus which he did successfully until the age of 6. I found Zingo on an obscure draft horse sale site and fell in love with his “My Little Pony” looks. He was being sold because the circus trainer had trained him specifically in chariot racing paired with another horse and the other horse died – so the trainer decided it would be easier to start over with a young horse than to re-train Zingo in a new “act”. I purchased him based on his many videos of the trainer doing jaw-dropping feats of spring-boarding onto him at a canter with Zingo completely voice trained to remain on a circle with no barriers or anyone holding him – it was magical to watch. So, without actually seeing him in person, the trainer’s brother brought him to me from Florida.

Zingo’s name is also a bit of an accident – I thought the trainer was saying the name Zingo whenever we spoke on the phone – I found out later he was actually saying Zingaro which is Italian for Gypsy (Zingo is a Gypsy Vanner) but with the accent I was hearing Zingo – and Zingo just stuck. Zingo has been a Jack-of-all-trades doing whatever is asked of him with such a great attitude. He has been trail-riding, learning dressage, ridden western, jumped with my daughter, and pulls friends and family – and even Santa and Mrs. Claus! - in a carriage around Fair Oaks Ranch which is something I never dreamed I would be doing. The most amazing part is he is still a stallion and has sired a few offspring – 2 of which we still own. Not many stallions have the disposition to be an all-around family horse. Zingo is 16 years old now and is slowing down a bit, but he will always have a home with us and loves his fans in Fair Oaks Ranch.