Triple Play, better known as “Yogi” around the barn over at Bright Star Stables, is a 6-year-old Dutch Warmblood bred by M.J. Smits. Yogi is by Hotspot and out of Niveau. This handsome young gelding has a cute spot on the right side of his belly, he has a white blaze and four white socks. Yogi is owned and adored by Emily Voelkel who trains with Marieke Slik at Bright Star Stables outside of Houston, TX.
Emily shares that her favorite memory with Yogi is the day they met. “I didn’t think my dream of getting Yogi was going to come true. My parents kept it a secret from me for a month while he was being transported and couldn’t sleep for weeks while I was hoping for him to arrive. When he finally came to his new home with us I was able to sleep well again. When he arrived I spent the whole day with him. Getting to know him, learning his personality, some of his likes and dislike, everything I could just soaking up all the time with him.”
Yogi was imported from Holland and Emily’s trainer, Marieke, found him for her. It was like any other day Emily was going out to the barn to ride, although it wasn’t any other day. Her parents were waiting with Yogi at the barn and surprised Emily with him for her birthday!
Yogi loves to take naps anywhere and everywhere. His belly spot is pretty unique and it’s Emily’s favorite feature on him. She shares that he’s so sweet, incredibly loving, and lives up to his name Yogi bear. “My dad is definitely one of his favorite people. He always knows when my dad is in the barn because he always brings carrots.”
Yogi’s favorite treat of all time besides carrots, of course, is Uncle Jimmy’s molasses treat ball. He is an absolute Cookie Monster and loves anything with sugar. He can be very picky about certain foods, he doesn’t like most fruit or peppermints.
Emily started taking riding lessons when she was 5-years-old and caught the horse bug. She told her mom that she wanted a horse, so she got her a stuffed animal. Emily proceeded to explain to her mom, “I can’t make it to the Olympics on this”. Yogi is Emily’s first horse to own and she will have owned him for a year in May. She shares that her favorite part about becoming a horse owner, “is getting to watch him grow and live on him.”
