Mystery Photo Number 2 from N/L No 7 revealed: -

Lil'Bit Misty and Roz Smith

A strange catalogue of events led to Misty's appearance in the photograph printed in the Spring Issue of ApHC UK.  For my 5 th birthday, my parents gave me the Observers Book of Horses and Ponies.  In this book, there is a well-thumbed page, showing a black and white blanket spot, 14.3hh Appaloosa.  This was my dream horse!  A dream held close to my heart for 36 years when in 1989, into my life trotted 'Little Big Man' a black and white blanket spot, 14.3hh Appaloosa gelding - a 2 year old with no papers and no manners!

John and I joined the Appaloosa Society in 1989 and we went to the national show at Stoneleigh in Warwickshire.  Here I discovered western riding and extended my dream accordingly by buying a western saddle.  In the 1990 summer edition of a BAPS magazine I spotted yet another picture and the dreaming started again!  Joyce Nutland had an imported western trained sorrel/white, snowflake filly with a fantastic, cascading, flaxen tail.  This tail and the horse that came with it, I had to have. She became known as 'Flashy Pants' which eventually was shortened to 'Pants'.  Her pedigree name was R C's Inspiration.  Pants grandma had held the world record over a quarter of a mile in the USA.  Pants inherited her speed and it seemed from a standing start that she could all but fly!

I took western lessons with Bob Mayhew at Wye Oak and Pants and I became successful in western trail, however, in pleasure, she just had to pass everybody and leave them for dead!

At this time, from Illinois, John bought a black Appaloosa filly, Apollo Strawgirl (Bugsy) in foal to Mighty Executive and a black and white, blanket spot colt was born in February 1993 named Might Strawman.

Pants, in foal to Amazing Blue, was sold, midst many tears, to finance yet another dream, in the shape of two year old Medicine Hat Overo paint filly, Stardust Sonny known as Whitey.

Mighty Strawman matured and was invited by Barrie Hunter (owner of Pants) to a one-night stand in Lincolnshire and on May 19 th 1997, Misty; a sorrel with white lace blanket was born.  Barrie sent John and I a photograph of Pants gazing lovely at Misty.  We were delighted for Barrie, but at the time, had no idea how this story was to unfold.  Meanwhile, we imported more paint horses from the USA, bred and sold Doc's Lil, Angel, Smokin Poco and Sonny's my Star. All these horses were Medicine Hat Frame Overo fillies and John and I had no intention whatsoever of rejoining BAPS.

One Tuesday, whilst I was, yet again, 'missing in action', John received a sad, but exciting phone call.  Barrie Hunter was moving house to paddock-free suburbia and Misty the last horse to leave was unable to find the sort of home acceptable to Barrie.  I returned home to become involved in a 'tackshed debate', the outcome of which, had already been decided by John, in 'The Chair'.  Too many horses, lack of holidays and the BAPS unwritten policies re: Western Import were all factors in my argument.  John overruled all these with one question "What are you intending to ride for two years whilst Whitey's baby is being weaned?"  I had decided to breed for myself another dream horse, which would carry me through a dozen years of competition before the inevitable hip replacement! I have always vowed, the day a mounting block became necessary, I would quit in shame!   The wear and tear of transport related accidents from ponies to cars was, by then, likely to have taken its toll.

Eventually I responded thus, "I am going to Scotland for a week on Friday to work 'Chiefy", 'Whitey's first foal, with a view to competing in the Scottish Nationals at Gleneagles.  "That is ok", said John, "we'll go to see Misty tomorrow".  Within the next 24 hours Misty's future was sealed.  A crash course of intensive in hand discipline commenced.  With just 6 weeks to go to the ApHC UK Nationals at Rodbaston College in July 2001, John arranged membership and transfer of registration document and at the 11 th hour, Misty finally achieved a dream 'square up'.  Misty loaded like a dream, travelled like a dream, showed like a dream and the dream came true!  Misty was 4 years old, had never travelled, never experienced show preparation nor had she every seen a show ring in her life.  Despite this, she was entered in the mare class - 4 years and over and was selected for the 1 st place trophy by a trio of international judges from USA, Germany and the UK. With this trophy under her belt she qualified for entry into the female championship again for both UK and USA registered horses.  Placed 1 st again as Female Champion on both registers, we automatically entered the show champion for UK registered horses.  Supreme in this class and a lap of honour later, Misty now faced the ultimate challenge - champion of champions for USA registered horses.  A life alone in a Lincolnshire paddock and the close proximity of the boys in the final line-up, resulted in an inability to square up one last time and she was placed Reserve Champion of Champions in the shadow of Constant Tom-Tom.  But what a day for the unknown country filly and the realisation of a near perfect dream for me!!

From the Editor:-

Roz, what can I say? -  a dream horse!

Thank you for telling us yours and Misty's story;  it was fascinating to read.

I think the boys had better watch out next time!!