IN MEMORY OF WILLIAM

Michelle and William receive State Championship Award

Monday March 10th.

William is gone after a short illness ...

Michelle made the difficult decision yesterday and during the night her friend got a lot worse. Darrel was able to keep him reasonably comfortable until the vet came.

William has been a part of the family since he was 12 years old and he lived to within a month of 28 years of age. Twice in the last several years he came back from the brink including surgery with impossible odds. But, this time even Carol horse cookies didn't help him rally for long.

William carried Sandy Howard to 4th in the nation. The Ives family acquired William from Sandy Howard and  Michelle worked hard with him and they reached region six and state dressage championships. Michelle met William while she was being mentored by Sandy at her farm in California.

We have expressed our appreciation to Val Zeek who went to a lot of trouble these last two weeks setting up temporary corrals so William could eat fresh grass which was all that interested him. (Besides Carol's Horse Cookies.) Darrel and Val kept him going with water infusion several times a day. 

William had a long full life and was very happy winning with Michelle and in later years as a school master in the teaching program at the Ultimate Piaffe.

Frankly, we almost feel as sad for Ideal who will surely miss William who was stabled next to him, as we do for ourselves at the loss. Ideal and William were great pals. They loved to banter back and forth and tease each other as if they hated each other.. The opposite was true. A few years ago when William survived an against all odds colic surgery and was on a restrict diet, Ideal often slipped the forbidden alfalfa to William.

There is a long list of Michelle and Darrel's students who have William to thank for his wise instruction. He was a vallant friend to many.

Michelle was with William for the last time this morning and waited to leave until she was able to thank the Vet (himself ) for the service he was about to perform.

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