Team #631 Cary Bowen and Cha Cha Cha

Team #631: Cary Bowen and Cha Cha Cha
From: Franklin, Kentucky
Ages: 76 & 24
Combined Age: 100
Test: Training Level Test 2
Date: April 22, 2023

I cannot remember a time in my life when I did not want a horse. When I was nine my mother found a teenager who would teach me to ride American Saddlebreds. I was not the most talented, but I was the most persistent. When I was 10, my dad, a lawyer, took a five-gaited pleasure horse as payment for services rendered. She was wonderful, and patient, and brought me years of pleasure. Her name was Fair Oaks Treasure, but we all called her Mama. After showing her for several years, I retired her and bought a five-gaited show horse, Beau’s Merry Waltz. I showed her several years too. All my friends had trail horses, so I had the best of both worlds and lots of help at horse shows.

I had a wonderful childhood that had to end when I got married and raised three boys. That was wonderful as well. At the age of 43, I decided it was time for me to get back into riding. I bought a flat-shod walking horse for trail riding. Then my husband started riding just so we could do things together. He had a beautiful, quirky racking horse named Rebel, and I had a racking horse named Daisy. My husband eventually could not ride anymore due to medical issues. I sold Daisy to a friend and kept Rebel until he died. 

By this time, I had two granddaughters who loved horses. When the older one was ten, I rescued a Walking Horse. Her name was Misty. If ever there was a horse angel, she was it. She was 21 when I got her. After the first year, my younger granddaughter wanted her and the older one wanted a horse that could jump. I had a foot in both camps now. Misty showed, gave riding lessons, and trail rode until she got sick one day at age 34 and we had to put her down. People came to say goodbye for several hours while we waited for the vet. She was well-loved. 

For my granddaughter that jumped, we leased a Quarter Horse, Cash. He too is well-loved and is now 34 and still giving riding lessons at Creek’s Bend Farm. My children grew up and now have their own lives, but I still wanted to ride. Holly Moyers at Creek’s Bend Farm let me start taking dressage lessons. With her patience and excellent teaching, I have been able to compete in dressage several times. She let me ride her horse Cha Cha Cha (Greta at home) in several shows. I am forever grateful. If you love horses and are lucky enough to have the health and access to ride and learn, then you are lucky enough.