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[RC] OD Dove Tribute to Maggie Price - Flora HillmanI
didn't know Maggie well -- she was in her declining years when I met her for the
first time -- which was, not surprisingly, at the OD ride.
I was new to endurance at that time and didn't know her history other
than she was a staunch supporter of the OD, and on that day was doing
what would be (I believe) her final endurance ride. Because her
condition was such that she could only ride at a walk, not many were sure she
would be able to do it. But, with the help of a corp of supporters and friends,
and astride a wonderful mare, she rode, at a walk, the whole OD 25,
crossing the Shenandoah River and back, and making it to the finish line with
just moments to share. I remember the standing ovation she got at the
awards ceremony, and her big smile -- all because she'd completed the OD once
again.
For
those who remembered Maggie Price's final desire for an OD dove release
tribute -- a tribute which has now become an OD tradition for
those who were instrumental to the OD ride, and the sport of endurance
-- you'll be delighted to know she got her wish. And when
I tell you that she got *exactly* what she'd wished for, I'm not
kidding.
At the start of the Awards Program on
Sunday several entertaining and touching stories about Maggie
were shared with the crowd by those who knew her best, including
an emotionally choked Stagg Newman -- which ensured there was quite a
few moist eyes being dabbed at the end. The crowd was then
invited to step outside the big tent to encircle a wicker basket containing 13
snow white doves owned by OD members Lisa and Andy Green. Their
9 year old son, Hunter (who had been first to finish the Friday 30
LD), performed the release.
It
was a very moving scene as the beautiful creatures burst from the basket in a
flurry of sparking white, and flew upwards in a magnificent spiraling group
flight. All eyes turned heavenward
as the flock circled wider and wider over the valley, turning and
winging and glittering in a loose, yet perfect formation, going every
higher until their flight turned into a magical sparkle of dotted white
against a brilliant blue sky and the deep forest green mountains.
As
the doves reached the height of the mountain
crest they abruptly, and quite
unexpectedly, converged into a tight formation, looking remarkably like
a white arrowhead pointing west. It was so unusual that everyone
gasped. Someone called out "they must have seen a hawk", but as everyone
searched the sky ... lo and behold -- - a buzzard floated into
view over the top of the western mountain range, directly above the
doves! As everyone stood in complete amazement, an entire flock
of buzzards drifted over the mountain to join the first, offering
their own gentle, circular aerial tribute as the doves circled in
flickering white just below.
Never
in my life have I seen anything so incredibly perfect ... or so unreal.
I'm sure that the entire delighted crowd felt, as I did, that
Maggie had
had a hand in this, and was sitting up there in the heavens, watching,
just smiling from ear to ear.
She'd gotten her heart's
desire. Buzzards for her OD
tribute.
It
couldn't have been more perfect.
Way
to go, Maggie. Way to go.
Flora Hillman
President, OD
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