Shane's Gold Coin
In Loving Memory
April 26, 1988 - December 24, 2001
Shane was born in April of 1988. When Shane was a three-year-old, he was sent to us to be broke and trained for another family. While my mom was training Shane, she told the family that owned him that she would be interested in buying Shane if they ever thought of selling him. A year later, in 1992, the family called and told my mom that they were going to sell Shane. Well, I was about to have her 10th birthday! My mom thought that Shane would be a wonderful birthday gift, so April 26th, 1992 I got Shane for my 10th birthday.
From that day forward, Shane and I became best friends. We taught each other many things over the years... from the simple pleasure of being on the trails and camping together to showing and all the way to participating in the 1996 Paralympic Games in Atlanta, Georgia. I had seen an ad in Spur magazine looking for horses with a dressage background to compete in the Paralympics. My mom had applied on my insistence; well little did we know that Shane would be accepted. So, in 1996 Shane, mom and myself headed for Atlanta for a month. History was made; Shane was the youngest horse to participate, and I was the youngest groom. 1996 was the first year the equines were added to the Paralympic Games.
After the Paralympics, Shane retired and became my schooling horse. Shane and I were bonded to each other. He would do anything I asked of him. Right up until the night of December 24th, 2001... Shane lost his life due to severe colic.
This is a love that will last my lifetime.