Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

 From Kerry and Christine Ridgway:

The endurance world has lost a precious member

On September 18th the endurance world lost a wonderful member of its family. Howard Harris rode his last endurance challenge as he had ridden throughout his entire career, with hard training, scientific approach and the will to win. Howard succumbed to mesothelioma cancer after a two year plus battle. As many of you know, he competed in Aachen at the World Games for his beloved country, New Zealand, while battling this unrelenting disease.  His will to win remained strong and positive, even in his last day.
Howard went through life like a comet, always blazing and always casting a bright light and a big presence. He was one of the people instrumental in developing endurance at the FEI level in the Southern hemisphere. He did much to bring good people to Australia and New Zealand to teach the care and management of the endurance athlete during events. His eye for horses led him to breeding very high quality endurance horses. He studied, relentlessly, to bring the best to the sport and for the good of horses.
Howard's approaches to getting things done were not infrequently vexing to those who worked with him. He had little patience for impediments to accomplishing tasks - whether it was writing a constitution, participating as a member of the FEI endurance committee or seeing that horses were properly trained and conditioned, not to mention in his riding. Howard was so often ahead of the curve that some, at the time, were not able to fully appreciate his generosity of time, effort and willingness to help those in the sport; however, few could not appreciate his passion and commitment to the world of endurance riding.
In a sense, he even won this last competition with mortality. He reached a place of peace, acceptance and love. He will be much loved and missed.
Howard is survived by his wife Lisa and his two sons, Lachlan 10 and Elliot 7. Their loss is incommensurable.
Details of the funeral arrangements will be sent in a further email to the endurance list.
Kerry J. Ridgway, DVM

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