A Dedication to a Beloved Friend

"There is something about the outside of a horse that is good for the inside of a man" ~Winston Churchill.

Dear Family, Friends, and Fellow Blog Followers:

I dedicate this blog to my dearest four legged friend I had over owned.  Bolero has been my rock in my life and has been there for me as a teenager through my adulthood.  Bo has been my "heart horse" and even though I had to give him to a new home, I always felt a sense of peace that I knew he was alive and well.  Bolero gave me confidence in myself and inspired me to be adventurous.

My parents bought Bo for me in the middle of my Junior year of high school.  I went from my medium Welsh pony Tex to this 17.1 hand Belgium Thoroughbred Cross.  Despite his size I felt protected by Bo.  I would like to thank Pat Anderton for finding me this treasure.  I had no idea at the time the adventures he and I would take.  I will never forget the first time I jumped him, I felt like I was jumping over the moon.  I felt a little scared but at the same time exhilarated as if I could touch the sky from his back.  I looked forward to Sundays of sneaking out of the house and leaving a note for my parents letting them know I was going for a morning ride on Bo at our farm (Cypress Trails Farm).  I never saw this big scary horse to ride, when I looked at Bo I saw my best friend who I knew who would take care of me no matter what and in return I constantly worked on giving him the best life possible.  

My Senior year of high school Bo and I were on the road almost every weekend going to various "A" shows in Florida to work on getting points to go to Capital Challenge.  There was a lot of tears, sweat, and sprains but I would never trade those moments that Bo and I had.  Even though we didn't get to go to Capital Challenge because I was a Freshman in college when the show took place and we didn't get Champion titles at every horse show, Bolero was always my Champion.  He taught me to be a better rider and horse women in general.  There are countless times I may have not been making the best decisions but Bo would step up to the plate and help me.  Bo had this calm and inviting aura about him that help me get through high school when I was mercilessly bullied by some of the people I went to school with.  Bo never judged me, he made me believe anything was possible, and there were many things in life worth living for.   

While I was a Freshman in college Bolero stayed at home with his best friend Welsh Pony friend Arthur recovering from two tears in his suspensory ligament.  I came home that Summer and spent everyday making sure he had a healthy and full recovery to go back to work.  Bo seemed to enjoy every long grooming session and all the walks around Cypress Trails Farm into pastures and big open fields.  After a slow and steady recovery in the Summer, Bo came to college with me.  He became the Gentle Giant of the pastures taking care of the other horses.  College was the first time I rode Bo bareback.  One day I just hopped on him bareback in a halter and lead rope and rode off on a trail to a big open cow field.  I trusted Bo would take care of me and from that point forward I would ride him bareback in a halter whenever I had the opportunity.  Bo and I used to take a precarious trail to get to our riding lessons at Singing Wood Farm.  He never spooked at the big yellow school buses that would zoom by us on the road or the construction workers on top of houses with staple guns and flapping plastic.  The only thing that scared poor Bo were goats playing King of the Hill on a metal flat bead.  That is one of the few times Bo spun and took off (by trotting off) down the drive away.  Debbi White, my trainer at college helped Bo get past those evil goats.   

Bo went to Camp Seafarer with me where he enjoyed a swim in the Neuse River.  It took me 20 minutes to convince Bo to get in.  After about 10 times of standing at the edge of the water, letting the waves crash on his legs, and running away, I finally got Bo into the water.  He had such a grand time he began to swim because the water was deep and seemed on a mission to swim to the other side of the river.  Thankfully I was able to get my students to get their horses to shore and Bo followed not wanting to be left behind.  Apparently when Bo got back to school he missed the river so much he decided to get in the kiddie pool in the pasture that they were currently using as a water trough and began to splash around.  

Bo spent my Senior year of college in Florida while I finished school and he healed from a trailer accident.  I was thankful that I did not see the accident.  The trailer had jack knifed and Bo was ejected onto I95.  By the grace of God and the Angels who watched over Bo, he ran to the side of the highway and started munching on grass waiting for someone to get him.  I was told that a bus driver held on to him while the trailer and truck were being checked along with the other horse he was traveling with.  Bo walked away with road burn on one hip, with a small chunk of his skin taken where he caught the trailer on his way out and a puncture wound in his jaw.  I thank God everyday that is all he walked away with and was able to calmly get back on that trailer to get back to Florida.

Bolero was with me through my first job in Texas at Equest where he quickly became friends with another Welsh pony named Beach Boy.  Bo was Beach Boy's protector of the water trough.  Even though my saddle time with Bo was sparse he shared his gentleness with every rider who past his stall.  He also was a gentleman to everyone who cleaned his stall and enjoyed the treats like animal crackers and peppermints that were given to him.  After two years I decided to go back to school for my Masters which mean Bo was going with me.  The hardest thing was watching and hearing Beach Boy whinny frantically for Bo who normally led him in from the pasture.  Bo was on his way to Virginia that day.  

Bolero became best friends with another chestnut gelding named Prince who was a 17.1h Thoroughbred owned by another little owner and my best friend Seana.  The two shortest girls in the barn with the 2 biggest horses became best friends and we went trail riding in the Blue Ridge mountains.  Bo was around 18 years old but he would occassionally act like a 4 year old like when Winter was turning to Spring.  Bo was generally the calm baby sitter on the trail with Prince,  well we think ice or snow cracked a branch and Bo did a buck and "galloped" maybe two steps and stopped. He was so winded from the physical exertion of bucking and then calmed right down.  Bolero jumped 18 inch jumps once in a blue moon, but to keep in shape we rode on the hills and we started more dressage training.  When we went to a clinic thanks to our Aunt Seana, the clinician thought my horse was 8 years old.  I explained that he was 18 years old at the time.  I wanted Bo to live a long healthy life.  When I was out of town Seana, Anna, and Lauren Axselle, and other WRF girls would help me take care of Bo while I was away.  I always explained that Bo was very particular about his grooming routine.  I explained you always start with his hooves and then curry comb him. I returned and Lauren realized I was not joking.  Apparently she started with the currying and Bo looked at her in the cross ties with a glare of "You are supposed to pick my feet first".  At that age Bo was entitled to his grooming routine.  

When I graduated from my Master's program I had to find Bo a new home because the economy had turned and teaching jobs were sparse. After interviewing 10 people through various e-mails God blessed me with my final hope Ginger LaBarre.  He was going to belong to one of her adult students but in the end he became Ginger's or should I say her daughter Sydney's horse;)  

I want to thank everyone for their prayers.  I know Bo has been a major part of my life and his memory will live on in my heart.  I know his gentle manner and unconditional love spilled over to everyone who walked by his stall.  

I love you Bolero and no horse could ever replace you.  Thank you for your unconditional love and loyalty towards me even when I could not always be there.  In heaven you will gallop without pain and eat as many fruit loops as you want without worrying about cavities.  One day we will meet again and we go on endless adventures.  You will always be my horse who gave me wings for this life.  My favorite quote from the movie "Dreamer":

"You are a great champion. When you ran, the ground shook, the sky opened and mere mortals parted. Parted the way to victory, where you'll meet me in the winner's circle, where I'll put a blanket of flowers on your back."