Post by afleetcommand on Mar 22, 2007 19:12:31 GMT -5
Diesel..he's the horse my eldest daughter has been riding up until this year when "Monster" came into his own..Diesel's track name was "War Apple"!!!! How do you live a name like that down?? A Fruit? Nope. Not really......
Diesel has been an emotional roller coaster for her. He was our third thoroughbred, her first. Was an impulse situation where a freind was planing to put him in an "auction" that didn't bode well for his future so we piped up and bought him...to bring him home and find a bad club looking foot and a dead lame horse. That foot looked like a block of wood. My wife was in tears fearing we would have to do drastic things but I convinced everyone to wait until "Norman" our ferrier took a look. Norm is magic when it comes to these things..and said he could make him sound in 4-5 months...which he infact did. Diesel now is as hearty as they come and its hard to tell he has any hoof issues at all...but thats another story!
This last year when "Monster" took "Diesels" place as No.1 in that girls heart was a tough one for Diesel. He is an emotional sort..and gave Jess two amazing rides this year. One to a reserve champion in her class at a local hunter pace and the other is the subject of this short story..
We have a local 4-H that puts on shows here in town. Jess has been a part of that for years and this (2006) was her last year and the event her last event as a 4-H member. So she and a friend cleaned up in the English Classes during the morning with Monster & Flashman (Our big Quarter Horse from Colorado)...wasn't many so the competition was light. Didn't scratch the itch for Jessica. SO she decides to bring DIESEL to the afternoon gymkana events for kicks.
Diesel has NEVER done those types of things. Period. She didn't have any western tack at all, so she showed up in her english tack and polo gear and helmet. Definitley stuck out like a sore thumb. Diesel's first pole bending event was that very event on that very day, his first texas Tee...etc. He didn't embarass himself or Jess, but didn't win either. Just got progressively better at picking up the games as the day went on. She ran both the senior classes and the open classes...took home some 3rd &4th &5th place ribbons and was generally in the upper quarter of the placing..a testament to DIESEL more than Jessica. He really liked those games.
The last event however, was a bit different. It was the four barrel race..now THIS was something he knew how to do! She had to wait for around 6 or 7 Gym Khana horses to go first..and they tore around those barrels looking pretty quik..it was their game! I was a little apprehensive to say the least..and my freinds from the 4-H were pretty hard on my girl with her english style thoroughbred horse playing western games. And then it was her turn...she was nervous and Diesel was..well...Diesel. She cut him loose and oh my god what an explosion of dirt and dust! The difference between Diesel and her all hunckered over his mane in a two point hanging onto his mane and all the others up to that point was stunning! She blasted around that course in eight and one half seconds. Not impressed? Well the next closest horse was an adults very expensive and accomplished gymkana/barrel racing horse and it ran the same course in around 9.25 seconds. No one else even close.
So now the whispering starts. Was it really a sub nine second time? was it a fluke? How could that T-Bred out gun all those Paints&Quarter horses...she's never going to back it up in the next run...and all the standard stuff when something difference upsets the status quo.
The event continued, horse after horse failed to break into the eights. Finally it was her time again. (best of two times on this day) NOW she had an audience. NOW I Was sweating bullets...was it really as big a difference as it seemed? Was it just a proud poppa's interperatation? And all the folks were now hanging on the fence to see this crazy thing.
She circled once and turned Diesel loose again and...No it wasn't a fluke! She had him healed over to far (In my eyes) and he was digging in so hard around those turns, sand was hitting the rails..and he was taking a wide line because of his speed...right along the rail. The one thing I will never forget was NO ONE MADE A Sound. All you could hear was Jessy Encouraging Diesel, Diesel's hoofs pounding the arena, AND the hiss of the sand spray bouncing off the rail. Nothing else. Truely weird. I was certain those wider turns cost him ....time?
Nope. 8 seconds flat. The local pro turned in a 8.8 second run later in the day but Diesel and Jessy stole that show.
Had this old man all choked up. An event I will never forget and one of the many Diesel Stories that have enriched my life.
What a way to end a chapter in his life. Amazing powerful horse..a handfull but when the chips are down that horse could move.
Pix of him..
Diesel when he first became sound...
www.thoroughbrednet.us/discussions/uploads/1172184274/med_gallery_640_10_13980.jpg
Diesel in an awkward momnet...
www.thoroughbrednet.us/discussions/uploads/1172184274/gallery_640_10_20226.jpg
Diesel after a workout this fall..
www.thoroughbrednet.us/discussions/uploads/1172184274/gallery_640_10_14357.jpg
Diesel has been an emotional roller coaster for her. He was our third thoroughbred, her first. Was an impulse situation where a freind was planing to put him in an "auction" that didn't bode well for his future so we piped up and bought him...to bring him home and find a bad club looking foot and a dead lame horse. That foot looked like a block of wood. My wife was in tears fearing we would have to do drastic things but I convinced everyone to wait until "Norman" our ferrier took a look. Norm is magic when it comes to these things..and said he could make him sound in 4-5 months...which he infact did. Diesel now is as hearty as they come and its hard to tell he has any hoof issues at all...but thats another story!
This last year when "Monster" took "Diesels" place as No.1 in that girls heart was a tough one for Diesel. He is an emotional sort..and gave Jess two amazing rides this year. One to a reserve champion in her class at a local hunter pace and the other is the subject of this short story..
We have a local 4-H that puts on shows here in town. Jess has been a part of that for years and this (2006) was her last year and the event her last event as a 4-H member. So she and a friend cleaned up in the English Classes during the morning with Monster & Flashman (Our big Quarter Horse from Colorado)...wasn't many so the competition was light. Didn't scratch the itch for Jessica. SO she decides to bring DIESEL to the afternoon gymkana events for kicks.
Diesel has NEVER done those types of things. Period. She didn't have any western tack at all, so she showed up in her english tack and polo gear and helmet. Definitley stuck out like a sore thumb. Diesel's first pole bending event was that very event on that very day, his first texas Tee...etc. He didn't embarass himself or Jess, but didn't win either. Just got progressively better at picking up the games as the day went on. She ran both the senior classes and the open classes...took home some 3rd &4th &5th place ribbons and was generally in the upper quarter of the placing..a testament to DIESEL more than Jessica. He really liked those games.
The last event however, was a bit different. It was the four barrel race..now THIS was something he knew how to do! She had to wait for around 6 or 7 Gym Khana horses to go first..and they tore around those barrels looking pretty quik..it was their game! I was a little apprehensive to say the least..and my freinds from the 4-H were pretty hard on my girl with her english style thoroughbred horse playing western games. And then it was her turn...she was nervous and Diesel was..well...Diesel. She cut him loose and oh my god what an explosion of dirt and dust! The difference between Diesel and her all hunckered over his mane in a two point hanging onto his mane and all the others up to that point was stunning! She blasted around that course in eight and one half seconds. Not impressed? Well the next closest horse was an adults very expensive and accomplished gymkana/barrel racing horse and it ran the same course in around 9.25 seconds. No one else even close.
So now the whispering starts. Was it really a sub nine second time? was it a fluke? How could that T-Bred out gun all those Paints&Quarter horses...she's never going to back it up in the next run...and all the standard stuff when something difference upsets the status quo.
The event continued, horse after horse failed to break into the eights. Finally it was her time again. (best of two times on this day) NOW she had an audience. NOW I Was sweating bullets...was it really as big a difference as it seemed? Was it just a proud poppa's interperatation? And all the folks were now hanging on the fence to see this crazy thing.
She circled once and turned Diesel loose again and...No it wasn't a fluke! She had him healed over to far (In my eyes) and he was digging in so hard around those turns, sand was hitting the rails..and he was taking a wide line because of his speed...right along the rail. The one thing I will never forget was NO ONE MADE A Sound. All you could hear was Jessy Encouraging Diesel, Diesel's hoofs pounding the arena, AND the hiss of the sand spray bouncing off the rail. Nothing else. Truely weird. I was certain those wider turns cost him ....time?
Nope. 8 seconds flat. The local pro turned in a 8.8 second run later in the day but Diesel and Jessy stole that show.
Had this old man all choked up. An event I will never forget and one of the many Diesel Stories that have enriched my life.
What a way to end a chapter in his life. Amazing powerful horse..a handfull but when the chips are down that horse could move.
Pix of him..
Diesel when he first became sound...
www.thoroughbrednet.us/discussions/uploads/1172184274/med_gallery_640_10_13980.jpg
Diesel in an awkward momnet...
www.thoroughbrednet.us/discussions/uploads/1172184274/gallery_640_10_20226.jpg
Diesel after a workout this fall..
www.thoroughbrednet.us/discussions/uploads/1172184274/gallery_640_10_14357.jpg