The monster-sized garbage truck was headed straight for the horse I was riding down busy Columbus Avenue, at the height of evening rush hour on New York City’s Upper West Side. Gears grinding loudly, the vehicle kept chugging toward us as I maneuvered my horse as close as possible to the parked cars along the curb in an attempt to avoid a truck-horse-human collision.
The perpetually rearing wooden horse still stares out the enormous picture window oblivious to the constant bustle of New York City, just as he’s done since 1912. All around him, the world has changed. The once plentiful shops offering equestrian accouterments to clients with names like Rockefeller and Kennedy have disappeared, leaving Manhattan Saddlery as the sole surviving tack shop in the borough.
It was 8:45 p.m. on a Thursday evening. It was dark, wet and cold outside. I had 24 hours until the chili cook-off fundraiser I’d been planning for the Area II Young Riders, and the anxiety was setting in, as it always does before any function I plan.
I was doing my best to balance my time between my full-time job at Sinead Halpin Eventing, my part-time job at Prestige Saddles, my commitment to Young Riders, my part-time job teaching at River Edge Farm, and my personal commitment to fitness.
Uni Griffon, an up-and-coming advanced event horse, collapsed and died after completing the cross-country phase of the Maui Jim Horse Trials (Ill.) on July 11. He was 10.
Owner and rider Lisa Marie Fergusson, Vancouver, B.C., first met “Uni” when he was just 2 days old at breeder Carol McDonald’s farm in Langley, B.C. The 26-year-old Canadian rider had a strong bond with the Welsh Cob-Thoroughbred gelding, whom she trained herself.
Rodney M. Swanson, a longtime huntsman and horseman, died on July 3 at his home in Hull, Ga., following a courageous yearlong battle with leukemia. He was 69.
Mr. Swanson’s lifelong love affair with horses and hounds began in his teens in the Chicago, Ill., area and was polished during five years in England, Ireland and Wales while training with the British Horse Society.
Jolyn Montgomery’s work covers a large variety of subjects including children, families and animals of all kinds. A native of Portola Valley, Calif., she’s a graduate of the University of California-Los Angeles.
Montgomery, Woodside, Calif., was selected as the official artist for the 2007 Menlo Charity Horse Show (Calif.). Her painting, Hunter, is a mixed media on canvas and was featured on the horse show prize list, invitations, program and memorabilia.
Carol Lush, a prominent sport horse and pony breeder, lost her 2 1/2-year battle with ovarian cancer on July 19 at her home, Maple Side Farm in Quakake, Pa. She was 58.
Mrs. Lush’s whole adult life was devoted to her passion for breeding good horses. She began her program in the 1970s by putting together a broodmare band of exceptional individuals. Before the days of the Internet, Mrs. Lush became part detective, making exhaustive searches and tracking down Thoroughbred racing mares with top sport horse jumping pedigrees.
Damien, a CCI**** event horse, was euthanized on July 11 in his pasture in Vass, N.C., after he suffered a severe colic episode. He was 17.
Damien, a 7/8 Thoroughbred—1/8 Dutch Warmblood by Dynamite Cap was bred and owned by Mari and Roger Secrist. The Secrists knew he was special from the day he was born.
Mari started and competed him through the preliminary level before turning the ride over to Phillip Dutton, who swiftly brought him up through the three-star level, placing third at the Bromont CCI** (Que.) and the Foxhall CCI*** (Ga.).
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