This short anthology contains three true stories about an old mare who becomes a superstar and her son who takes over where she leaves off. Contains the stories: Kelly: The Horse I Didn’t Want: Kelly was already eighteen years old when she arrived at my barn as a thin, nervous Thoroughbred ex-racehorse with a host of bad habits and behavioral problems. Little did I know she would become my equine soul-mate within six months of being given to me for free. She won numerous dressage, show-jumping, and eventing competitions until her death many years later. Kelly Comes Through: The story of how Kelly comes to the last minute rescue of a courageous teenage girl in the bid for her Pony Club badge, when her original mount went lame on test day. Kelly’s Son: After a rocky birth and a youth filled with accidents and injuries, Kelly’s son Cruz Bay develops into a consistent winner of blue ribbons. But not without more setbacks along the way!

Bridled Passion: A Horse Trilogy

At four o’clock the next morning the equine companions trotted in obligingly for an early feed. By six o’clock Ellis and her mom were polishing my horse again, and a glistening Kinley was loaded into the trailer for a short trip to the rating at our local hunt club.


The first part of the Pony Club test was a tack inspection followed by leg bandaging, while Ellis longed for the riding to begin. Thirty minutes later she and Heather—the other girl being examined—were warming up their mounts in the sand arena. At 16.2 hh, Kinley looked huge compared to Heather’s diminutive pony, Domingo.


All of us—parents and assorted well-wishers—relaxed on canvas chairs to watch this fun phase.


Then, for some reason, Kinley wouldn’t give Ellis her canter lead to the right. As they trotted round for another try I thought, Is he moving short behind? 


Chapter 4