I am writing to you in Heaven to thank you for a lifetime of love that will be hard to match.
Fourteen years and 20 days ago we met at Leonard Dunne's barn. It was love at first sight and he'd asked me to help him find a sport horse home for you. I'd said I would share you around to a few friends. I'd lied... I never did (Sorry Leonard. LOL) I worked hard to sell the horses I had at the time and bought you the first chance I got after you ran in November of 2004. This album is framed by the first picture being the first picture of the two of us ever taken. And the last picture is the last picture of the two of us ever taken. In between is a snapshot of a long and memorable life together.
Initially I was going to make you an eventer but that plan got waylaid after Rob Bailes sent me to Belmont Park. You had to come too, so instead we turned you into a steeplechaser. At Belmont you were my pony, who just happened to gallop 2 miles 6 days a week, and when the point to points started I sent you to Virginia to run and be trained down there. Simon Hobson trained you the second year and Gregg Ryan always rode you. Linden Ryan likely still has memories of your hooves being at eye level as she also went over hurdles next to you. You were a fabulous horse, just not a fabulous racehorse and we moved onto eventing after you'd had enough.
You got to live with a donkey at Sue Griefer's barn and then goats at Maura O Ruffing's. You evented well, but I was a bucket of nerves and my life was getting busy at my farm job. It's hard to believe that when you were 9-10 that I got burnt out enough at my job that I couldn't find the desire to ride you. Thankfully my friend Holly stepped in and brought you down to ride with her for a while. Then you went to Kristin Rene Gratz's barn and after that we let Amy Phillips at Oldfields School borrow you for a bit too. But miraculously I changed jobs and found the desire to ride again.
So we moved you to Great Scott Farm with Lindsay Langan and Connor Langan. We all loved living there and got back into showing, specifically jumpers, which I have always loved. And at this we were competitive. More so in the Thoroughbred Shows. We would go on road trips and take on Karen Benson, Terry West, Sasha Moran Reinhold, Olivia Stanley, Bethany Kilby and so many more fun Tb folks. You kicked ass and laid the ground work for the success that I'm having now. And you tried to jump me off a time or two!!!
Eventually you started to slow down and we let Petey and the young guys go to the shows and you gave John Salvaggio a few rides and helped me to teach lessons to Tyra Wiegers, Shannon Bristow and gave some fun rides to Jeanne Wood and others. You did a great job at everything. Including bringing home a few hunter ribbons. At some point we wondered if you wanted an easier job and we leased you to Becky Turner who did Pony Club stuff. That was great until you went lame out of nowhere. Liz Arbittier worked hard to find answers but nothing easy was found and so you came home, but now home was 10 mins away turned out with Rose Nolen-Walston. And as a result you FINALLY got to live with mares. Something you'd always wanted.
After a while we thought you might be able to do something and through Yvonne Lucas we connected with Alison Teetor and you went to Virginia to help her and her hubby to trail ride.
Last fall you came home (to Rose's) for good. We gave you a really nice warmblood mare to live with and a TON of grass.
Today you told us it was time to call it a life. I won't lie I didn't want to agree. But in your usual loving way you licked my hand and told me I would be ok, after eating the 2lbs of mints I brought you. I told you to find a foal's body (with good breeding that I'd like) and become it's soul. Make sure you live for peppermints again and I promise, I'll find you.
I can tell stories about you forever and I probably will. Just to keep you alive in my heart and in my mind. Outside of my family you were the longest and most consistent thing in my life ever. No dog of mine has lived this long, I have never lived in one place this long, I have never held a job, or loved 1 man (yet
) this long. You were such a huge part of my world and me that I know only that I won't let your memory fade. I need it to guide my future with all the challenges to come.Thank you for choosing me. Thanks for biting me on our first day together and for knocking me in the head today. Go find your mom and dad and one day maybe we will meet again. Until then, be well my love.
Em
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