Happy Birthday, Race!

By Susan Acree

Today would have been my beloved Race’s 21st birthday. It is hard to believe he has been gone almost eight years already. I still miss him.

I remember when I first got Bonus, as a five year old OTTB, I would be brushing his tail and forget it was Bonus, and slip into a daydream and feel like I was brushing Race’s tail. Even though they are different in body color. Race was dark chestnut and Bonus is more bright chestnut/sorrel, their tails are almost identical.

As I move forward with my horse life with Bonus, I never forget my special Race. When I was looking for a horse after losing Race, some of my main criteria was that the new horse must have a kind eye and loving and loyal disposition. Bonus has all of these qualities. So as I spend time with him, I feel Race’s spirit within him.

Race was the inspiration for my book The Horses I’ve Loved, A Memoir, and as I travel the country sharing my experiences and my book with like minded horse people, he is never far from my consciousness.

So, my first thought this morning, as I noticed the date on the calendar, was “Happy Birthday, Race, Wish you were here, I’ll love you forever.”