Re: endurance mules

[Merryben <Merryben@aol.com>]

In a message dated 4/28/98 2:47:27 PM Pacific Daylight Time,
rides2far@juno.com writes:

<< After he disposed of his endurance
 mule, he was doing the Tevis and came up on a German lady who had leased
 that famous mule who had won the Haggin cup or something wonderful.  It
 seems that they had changed the trail that year and the famous mule
 refused to take one step in the new direction.  Nothing they could do
 would change his mind (even though Danny enthusiastically joined into the
 encouraging).  She finally had to pull. >>

That is a very true story.  I have that mule now.  He is not the mule that won
the Haggin Cup.  That was Hugo.  Lord Fauntleroy [Leroy] won the Great
American Horse Race from New York to Sacramento in 1976 when he was 5.  The
book says he was older, but trust me, he was 5.  He is will be 27 this year.
Anyway, the German lady was carrying a crop with her on the Tevis and kept
tap, tap, tapping Leroy and annoying him.  Leroy's loyal crew kept telling her
at every vet check to quit it and leave the crop or she would likely regret
it.  But she would not listen.  Leroy had done the Tevis a lot of times and
knew the trail quite well.  Leroy wanted to go the way he had always gone.
The German lady wanted to go the correct way on the new trail.  Finally, Leroy
just refused to move.  And believe me when a 16.2+ hand mule does not want to
move, he doesn't.  He had no faith in the lady and she deserved what she got.
We affectionately call him the Fuzzy Black Boulder.  On the other hand, when
he gets tired of whatever you are doing, he simply walks off, dragging whoever
is on the end of the lead rope with him.... Maryben Stover