This gentle giant, who opened a whole new world to me, passed over to the rainbow ridge. A part of my heart went with him. He belonged to Jennifer Conour, who generously loaned him to me to try and make it to WEG at the last minute. There was one more qualifier for the selection trials... in Canada. My second horse had also come up lame and there was one week to go before this last qualifier. Jennifer allowed me to come try Ollie (who had been retired, but she brought him out of retirement for, I think, the 3rd time, for me.) After one ride together, I shipped him to Canada the next day and flew out myself. My second ride on this big boy was on the day of the jog. 3rd ride was down centerline. We did get our scores for selection trials that weekend and ultimately made it to be alternates for WEG, thank you to the awesomeness of Jennifer Conour for sending her horse out of the country with someone she had met once and to Shelley Van den Neste who coached me and helped me learn the ropes as I winged it. Little did I know how kind, gentle Ollie with his massive height of 17.3 and his big broad shoulders would propel me into a whole new arena in life. I will miss the six to eight months we spent together, him beginning to reteach me movements I had to relearn after my accident (He retaught me my flying lead changes with James Dwyer giving us an "8" on our first ones while we trained with Missy and Jessica Ransehousen at Blue Hill Farm!) ...him sleeping standing over my wheelchair...him taking my ponytail and twirling in in his upper lip over and over... his gentle nicker when he would see me...him following me around like a puppy - only he was a quite massive puppy.... As my riding improved, he gave more - never more than I could handle, but always enough so I was challenged. When other horses would spook at an object, he would literally look back at me as if to say, "You're ok. I've got this." and he would steadily go ahead. He was such a confidence builder.
Jennifer asked me if the winters were to get too cold, could he come south with me - and if anything were to ever happen to her, would I take Ollie. Of course, I immediately said I would. I've made sure I've had room for him wherever Ghlen and I go from that time forward. I am going to miss my great, big, massive godson who was a legend in his own right. He helped so many get their bronze, silver, gold medals. He helped me gain international experience. He taught so many and was so generous a schoolmaster, from beginner to grand prix, it didn't matter. He was a saint.
It's not often that a retired Grand Prix jumper/Grand Prix dressage horse comes out of retirement to show you the ropes, reteach you some skills and give you the confidence to move on. Ollie, you were one of a kind and I hope you are one of the first ones I see when it's my turn to cross the rainbow ridge. RIP my dear, dear friend.
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