Roses are Red - Maggy

[Barbara <madill@teleplex.net>]

	Since I rode with Maggy on her very first long distance ride (NJ 3 Day 100
in 1969) I guess I've been trail riding with her longer than any of you.

	In 1969 I was an EXPERT with MILEAGE  --  I'd finished 165 miles!  I'd
been trained by one of the early greats of 3 day 100's - Sky Hopper.  

	Maggy wanted to compete with her wonderful stallion, Sharaff, and I wanted
to condition in hills, so I trailered my mare to her place and we rode
while I told her what little I knew about the fledgling sport.   

	Anyone who ever questions whether stallions belong on rides should have
known Sharaff.  He not only didn't say a "word" to my mare or any others,
but when the bull snap on his halter dropped open during the evening trot
out (in those days the "committee" thought we were all cheating at jog out,
so a committee member did the jogging, using the same lead on each horse,
so it wasn't Maggy's fault!), everyone gasped, expecting the stallion to
start a ruckus.

	Not at all.  The handler, realizing that he might have a problem, did
nothing.  He kept his hand beneath the stallion's halter and completed the
jog out, replacing the lead when he halted.

	Maggy's stallion was Reserve Champion and Maggy was hooked, to say the
least!  Because her entire family shared her interest in horses, Maggy has
had more opportunities to compete than have I over the years.  I've always
taken a vicarious joy that she turned out to be such a valuable asset to
the long distance arena.  Wanting to crow a bit, I announced that Maggy had
been my first "protege".

	Eleven years later, our son, Robertson, was challenged by Maggy's daughter
to compete in the 1980 NJ 100.   After all,  they had ten days in which to
prepare after their college semester.  (Mind you Robertson's prior trail
riding experience was as a 12 year old, and that lasted only until Little
League  practice began!)

	Since I'd hardly succeeded with Robertson's riding tutelage, Maggy decided
that she would assume responsibility for the preparation of HER "protege".
Maggy's sincere belief in "to finish is to win" was apparent even in those
days....  

	At the PRE-ride dinner, she presented a T-Shirt to our son on which the
following was written:

		Roses are Red,
		Violets are Blue,
		If the Horse doesn't finish,
		It's made into glue!

	Robertson, and the horse, did indeed finish.  As he dismounted, he claimed
credit for TWO 100 mile rides -- His First and his Last!  To this day he
has kept his word!

		As a thank you to his mentor, Robertson presented to Maggy a T-shirt
announcing:

		Roses are Red,
		Violets are Blue,
		The Horse DID finish,
		And the protegee, too.
Barbara