Judy Harris yearns for “Just One More Chase” on her favorite mare, Practice. Bonnie Smith photoI remember the pounding of her strong heart
In sync with mine, she was ready to start.
It was our first morning, a dream come true
Out in the hunt field, alert for a view.
Excitement, adventure and thrills abound
Observe and listen and follow the hounds.
So we kicked on for ten years or more
A bond, a friendship a lasting rapport.
Many years later, she’s fought the good fight
but can no longer carry a rider in flight.
She whinnies from pasture upon my return
Eagerly waiting the day’s story to learn.
Oh, how I wish she were a bit stronger
To carry the saddle, just one day longer
To ride to the hounds, the wind in my face
with my very best friend, just one more chase.
Judy Harris hunts with the Monmouth County Hunt (NJ). Her dad raced Thoroughbreds for a time, and Practicemksperfect—aka Practice—was his first foal. Harris adopted her in 1986 as a three-year-old, right off the track.
“She was my first horse ever,” said Harris. “I’d had no formal lessons, and it’s nothing I would suggest to anyone else. But ignorance is bliss, and our experiences are what make the bond so special.”
“I always wanted to foxhunt, and she allowed the dream to come true. My dad has since passed on, but he left me the greatest gift!”
Posted March 9, 2011