2025 started so poorly for me, that I took it as a sign that it was going to try and rival 2024 for the Worst Year Ever award.

Fortunately for me, I have been able to pull myself up by the proverbial boot straps and just keep trudging forward until I felt my feet free themselves from the mucky hill we were climbing.

That’s another post…in the meantime, I ran across this old “note” on my fb account, and I want to preserve it, here, rather than trust the fb gods to take care of it properly.

Anyone who knows me, knows how ridiculously in love I am with my horse, Rock. When he injured himself in 2015, I was devastated. I cried for days, feeling like this was somehow my fault. A horse like Rock should never have injured himself the way Rock did. It was inconceivable to me. I am long past that grief stricken day, but it haunts me still. On the bright side of all this, is that not only did Rock recover, he has continued to shine brightly over the last 10 years. He was the best patient ever and we have gone on to being a team still. He’s my ride or die, my shining star, the father to my next unicorn. His get all shine with promise, as he did when he was their age.

My post, a fb “note” from 10/20/2015:

My Rock Star…

I am nearly still without words. I’m stunned, in disbelief and some denial. As high as 2014 was for me, 2015 has been the equal amounts low. The year started with me losing my beloved Oso, so it wasn’t going anywhere but uphill from there.

This horse…he is that once in a lifetime horse. He has been my partner in endurance for the better part of 4 years. He greets me when I get home, he keeps order on the ranch from his pasture. In retrospect, my calling his pasture “Fort Knox” was akin to saying “Hey, come take a sail on the Titanic, because God himself couldn’t sink her!” And so it goes.

This horse…he came to me with some good base training, but not ridden for a few years, but trained by one of the best in her day, Pat Richardson. She put such a good start on him! He and I started slow, taking 10 mile trail rides. Why? Because he couldn’t go any faster without losing his mind! He and I had discussions on the trails in the desert in those days. They amounted to, “Hey Rock, you’re gonna go down this trail nice like.” His answer, “Hey D, I’m gonna RUN and BUCK! I’m happy!!” My answer, “Uh Rock, try longeing in the sand a bit, let me know how that plan works for you.” His answer, “Ok, let’s go, this isn’t much fun.” That’s how we spent our first winter in Powell Butte together. By spring, I could get him around the 10 mile loop at a nice trot with little fuss.

We headed off to the Grizzly Mtn ride and he completed his first 50 beautifully. Over that season, Rock proved that endurance was his job, his game, his passion. I couldn’t have been more happy. That was the beginning of many happy endurance miles for Rock and I. We finished 6 rides in 2012 and every one was better than the last. 2013 we started with a 75 miler that he just rocked! His buddy and training partner, Ramone, took home the BC that day, but Rock soon matched Ramone’s challenge and took home 3 BC’s that season, finishing up with the AERC National Championship 100 miler out in Idaho.

As many already know, 2014 started with a goal of finishing Tevis. Rock was a well oiled machine now, all business at the races, happy to be out on the trails and happy to be my partner. I couldn’t have loved his work ethic more ever. Every time I swing a leg over this horse, he reminds me of why I love their species so much. He reads me, he gives me his all. We returned to the Grizzly ride and took 3rd place, and earned another BC in a tough crowd. Turning our attention to the Klickitat Trek ride, we did the 75, and not an easy 75 either. Rock got the BC there, in a tight race with his sister, Finale. One has to understand that all this time, I was in college, trying to succeed there and get my life goal of a new career off the ground. Rock kept me going many nights. My time on him, around him, sometimes just caressing his soft neck kept me sane and gave me something to smile about. He would meet me at the gate, demanding I feed him now. We went off to Tevis, finished respectably and then Rock got learn what his “other” job in life was going to be. STUD!! He went to Bend Equine and met his 2nd favorite girl, Shannon Findley, DVM. They trained him to the phantom, which he took to almost as quickly as he did endurance!

2015…Rock and I started our season with the 75 miler at the Grizzly ride. A win and a BC. No horse has ever performed so flawlessly for me. He is so happy to be out there. I enjoy pretty much all my time with him. I’ve had to whoop him for being the boy that he is from time to time, but he knows. 2015 has been such a weird year for me. New relationship after 3+ years of being single and happy. Losing my best little wow friend, Oso LaMio in April…having a total hysterectomy in June, new ranch in July. Lots of stuff that just didn’t involve endurance. I had to put endurance on the back burner for awhile and I was ok with it. Anyone who knows me and what this sport means to me, knows what I’m saying here. It’s felt good to kind of let it go and not be so attached to it. This means I don’t have to escape from my life via endurance riding anymore. That’s a good thing. It’s a healthy hobby again, balanced with the rest of my life. So, September comes, and Rock and I are fit enough again to go out and try the 75 miler. I know that I’m a long distance rider at heart and Rock has more than proven that he’s a 100 mile horse at heart. What does this mean, you ask? It means that pretty much any horse can do a 25, most horses can finish a 50, some can do 75’s and 100’s, well you can condition a horse to do a 100, but you can’t make them love a 100 miler. The horse can finish a 100 because they’re conditioned to it, they eat, they drink and they take a pragmatic approach to it and they finish. Those other horses, the “100 mile horse” attacks a 100 miler, eats up the miles, spits them out, and finish asking you, “That’s the best you can do?” Rock is that horse. He finished Tevis asking me that. I knew if I’d had to take him on another 10 mile loop, he would have cantered out of that stadium and ate up that 10 miles. Me…not so much.

Off to the Oregon 100 we went. Rock started like the champ he is. He finished with the two other front runners, Warrior, his full brother, and Ramone the BC Mule. Rock deservedly got the BC that day. We had planned on the Haunting to finish off a good quiet season for us.

Last Thursday, I got home from work to see Rock standing in a part of the pasture he doesn’t spend much time in. I went directly out there to ask him what was up. He didn’t cage around me like he can do. He just stood there and made me urge him forward. My heart fell through my feet into the hole I was standing next to. This is not what MY 100 mile horse does. I went and got his halter, caught him up and led him haltingly out of the pasture. Every step causing him obvious pain. My breathing was a ragged as his. I looked him over thoroughly with my old equine vet tech eyes and couldn’t see a thing wrong with him. His feet were cool, his legs were cool and tight. But…he was pretty much non weight bearing on his right front leg. I’ve been told by an old vet down in Eugene that 90% of shoulder lamenesses block out at the heel, but my gut said this one wouldn’t. We watched him over the weekend, continuing his bute. No improvement. Called Bend Equine on Monday and took him in. The radiographs gave the diagnosis, but not the My Rock Star is officially retired to stud. He’s not entirely unhappy, but I’m heartbroken. He has a fracture in his elbow that most likely came from racing around in his pasture, possibly fell in a badger hole, ramming his right front leg into the ground. We have a long road to recovery for him, but this horse has earned his spot in my pasture. He talks me when I go to work in the mornings. He talks to me when I get home from work, he lets me know he’s my guy. I love him for that. I only ask now, that he’s a good patient and lets me help him heal. I want to see his babies running around, making us proud and making SAR proud, with their athletic prowess, showing off their 48/48 (or better!) CRI’s, and to die for strides, earning BC after BC, like their daddy.

Fit horses do stupid things. I’ve always known

it, saw it happen to others, but never me. It’s my turn in the barrel, and I’m not one bit happy about it. But Rock will always have me to advocate for him. Because I love him.

The Oregon 100 75 and BC was our Swan Song endurance ride. I have no words. I’m still in disbelief.

And now 10 years later, older, wiser, and just as majestic, my RockStar still shares my life. Neither of us is as fit as we once were, but we’re still here, still kicking, still greeting each day with a small shake of the head, determined to make it a good day. We occasionally head out and compete in an Equine Trail Sports competition, sometimes we go for a walk together, or a trail ride, and sometimes we just stand together and reflect that we’re still here, still kicking.

I love my RockStar beyond reason, still.

And my unicorn baby by Rock, my beautiful Moon Rock, is coming up, showing me his father and his mother’s beauty and their sense of humor in spirit and body. I couldn’t love him more.

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