South African Trainer Brings Natural Horsemanship To Mid-South A curious route has brought Dudley Mandy and Springbuck Horsemanship to Fayette County, Tennessee. Dudley terms his natural approach to training “springbuck” after the national sporting emblem of his native South Africa, the springbuck antelope which personifies not only the love Dudley holds for his country but also his deep and abiding passion for the ultimate prey animal - the horse. Dudley was born the middle of three sons to an affluent family. His father, Aubrey, was a national caliber sportsman and athlete that represented his country in soccer, horse polo and water polo. After his father’s untimely passing when Dudley was only 12, an uncle with a farm in the Free State took Dudley under his wing. This uncle was the first to recognize and appreciate how horses were naturally drawn to his nephew and the respect they gave him. As a young rider Dudley rode in gymkhanas which involved flat racing on improvised race tracks, tent pegging with sword and lance, polo, polo-cross and events similar to the cowboy races in the U.S. After obtaining a Bachelor of Science degree in Agriculture at Natal University, Dudley moved to Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) in 1967. Dudley purchased 25 acres of land near the town of Gwelo and developed a facility where he bred Saddlebreds and Anglo-Arabs. Just when his operation was really starting to thrive the so-called “terrorist war” made Rhodesia unsafe and he moved his young family back to South Africa where by extremely good fortune he met South Africa’s premiere sportsman - the great golfer, Gary Player - who appointed Dudley as his farm manager on his beautiful Thoroughbred Stud farm in Haenertsburg named “Bellerive” after the golf course where he won his first U.S. Open. Through his association with Player Dudley had the opportunity to visit America for extended periods which increased his horse education dramatically. In the early ‘90s Dudley was given a much copied video by a friend who didn’t want it because it featured an American doing “strange things” with horses in Australia. That tape of Pat Parelli became Dudley’s most treasured possession and helped to give Dudley’s own natural abilities new dimension. In January 2000 the worst floods in South African history ravaged the northern part of the country where Dudley lived. It wiped out the farming area that his business depended upon. To make matters worse, the changing political climate in South Africa and the rapidly deteriorating conditions in Zimbabwe and Mozambique were creating dangerous and unsafe conditions. In mid 2002 he decided to leave South Africa and on the 5th of February, 2003 Dudley arrived in America on a 3-year work visa to take up the position of Farm Manager at Cadron Creek Arabians in Quitman, Arkansas. However, the dramas of his life continued when that farm closed to bankruptcy a mere four months after his arrival in the U.S. Dudley met Marcia Lynn Kisner at the prestigious Egyptian Event horseshow in Lexington, Kentucky in June 2004. It was love at first sight. They married seven months later and started Mandalay Farms. Marcia, a native Memphian, had been living in Folsom, Louisiana and breeding Egyptian Arabian horses since 1995. When it was realized that Katrina had wiped out the economy for the horse business in their area the Mandys relocated with 30 horses to North Texas in October 2005. For them Texas was an equine school of higher education. With reining slated to become an Olympic event already with International appeal, the Mandys formulated a new direction for Mandalay’s breeding program. A chance visit to Kyle Ranch in Whitesboro, Texas led to the purchase of a cremello colt, Sparks Sun Wizard (Sayos Shining Sun x Kalliope Jac), from Pete and Tamra Kyle. The plan is to breed the colt to Mandalay’s Egyptian Arabian broodmare herd to produce Half-Arabian reining horses of color (palominos and buckskins). The Mandys will continue their program of breeding quality Egyptian Arabian bloodstock with their stallion, A Sacred Chant (Imperial Imdal x Thee Ananda), winner of the Extended Specialty Stallion class for 3-year olds at The Egyptian Event in 2004. Both stallions stand at Mandalay and breeding inquiries are welcome. “We are very happy that we made the decision to settle in Tennessee,” says Dudley. “We are very much at home here and have been welcomed enthusiastically by the horse community of the Mid-South. Our focus is to offer natural horsemanship training for the inexperienced horse owner as a way for them to best learn horse behavior, overcome fears and develop the confidence needed to handle their horses safely as well as for experienced owners seeking to improve upon their abilities.” Dudley gives demonstrations at Mandalay by appointment for anyone seeking a better way to communicate by appealing to the natural instincts of the horse.