Oh my gosh! Just got my Hunt Roster issue of the Chronicle. I noted that the horse on the cover looked a little familiar. I was in an early morning fog, not paying attention.
Then I opened it up to the first story.
That’s my DAD!!! And ME!!!
I totally did not realize that they’d chosen my dad’s hunter IFeelLikeASnake (a horse that I raced for years, all over the world, with great result) for their “Horse of a Lifetime” series. Molly Sorge had called me a while ago to talk about the horse, but I did not realize what it was for. I thought she was just passing her lunch hour!!
Absolutely sumptuous issue - tons of photos, great stories, and some neat excerpts from the Wasworth book. Make sure to get it.
Is that your dad on the gray horse here (right-side column) on the website’s front page? http://www.chronofhorse.com/
Linquest – yes it is!! My goodness. What a neat thing to have a surprise like that.
HR,
That is awesome! I had been considering taking CoTH up on the $35 a year Online offer, but after reading that you & your family were featured, I just purchased my subscription so I could read the article.
Oh, and I signed up for the Chronicle of My Horse too. LOLOL
Beautiful big Grey HR!!!
~Kerri
Great story!
Betsy, it’s so cool to see that steeplechase picture of him as a dapple gray! Is it you riding him in that picture?
You mean you didn’t know? :lol: I opened it up and thought -geez - she didn’t even tell anyone she was going to be in the magazine!
I thought it was a terrific article and I am pea green with envy. What a great horse he must have been. And there you are - racing him. Perfect form. (even more pea-green with envy) 
Ooh, I’m going to have to read on line tonight since my hard copy won’t arrive for weeks.
I loved that horse, he was so fun to watch!
Yeah, Susan, that’s me!!
For those of you (all of you, obviously) who don’t know, me and SuBK grew up pony club-ing together. She doesn’t know this, but I was always ALWAYS so very envious of her long legs and perfect horses. Seriously. She was ‘the one to beat’ at every competition we went to as juniors.
It’s just so cool to ‘re-visit’ people from childhood 30+ years later – we met again only through this kick-a$$ website.
Just read it and I’m all verklempt. Wow what a life! In nearly all the pictures Snake looks like he is smiling, what a grand horse. Kudos to you and your family for giving him such a great life.
[QUOTE=Hunter’s Rest;3549011]
It’s just so cool to ‘re-visit’ people from childhood 30+ years later – we met again only through this kick-a$$ website.[/QUOTE]
I second that! The rest of it I think might just be blowing a little smoke!! Of course I was envious of Betsy for the fact that the rest of her family actually rode and did horses too. Mine just played, watched and talked about football, basketball and baseball. No one in my family was quite sure how I ended up with this horse crazy thing.
I suspect what you are mistaking for a smile is really a snarl! That horse is truly a legend around here both for his disposition and the fact that you never knew where he’d show up next. It’s great to see that legend shared…
Really nice article and love all the photos! :)
Yay! Snake made it on the cover! I hunt with DB and she was telling me to keep my fingers crossed. What a small world Boy, that horse is legendary around here. She gushes about him all the time!
Well congrats and what a meaninful surprise to treasure.
My COTH’s take 7-9 days to get from VA to KS so perhaps this weekend I’ll get to enjoy the article.
Is there more to share about this horse?? He sounds like quite a character. Where did you race him and in what?
He really does look happy and interested in what is going on, another adventure - or perhaps he is just “ready for his close up!”
That is wonderful! All of your beasties are so photogenic. It will be a couple of weeks before I get my copy way out here, but now I have something to look forward to…
Thanks SLW. He ran on the (formerly very active, like Virginia) Midwest circuit and all over the US on the NSA circuit (he ran on the flat in the mid Atlantic.) He won from Kentucky to St. Louis (yes, there was a jump meet out there) to Callaway Gardens to Nashville and all over. I went with him to Cheltenham (he was 6th of about 15) and at Leopardstown in Ireland (about 7th or 8th of 15 or so.) It was a kick.
I rode him primarily over hurdles and when I ‘retired’ from jump racing my dad gave him to me to train. He won his debut over timber at Nashville but then jumped awkwardly enough his next 3 starts to lose his rider each time and he was retired and sent hunting then eventing.
Still waiting
I’m still waiting for my issue as usual. Guess I’ll just go online tonight.
Wow, that is very neat. Does the transition from running to win over fences on a long course to fieldhunter come easily or is it a case by case, horse by horse basis?
wow
just wow. What a really neat horse. And how great that you had him for so long.
