Snowview Farm - Morgan Horses

IN MEMORY OF

(Tedwin Topic X Equinox Polly Pepper)
1984 bay mare
1984-2008

Laila Ali

(Tashota's Warrior X LCS Fine Crystal)
2006 brown filly
2006-2008

I have had the joy of breeding and raising our beloved Morgan horses since 1978, and over those years have been blessed to be owned by a few of the best. One of those was LCS Fine Crystal who was born in 1984 and the last of a great cross that produced three full sisters when Tedwin Topic was bred to the grand producer Equinox Polly Pepper. She was a weanling when she went through the Triple Creek dispersal sale and was purchased by Bob Brooks. I am sure without asking that the tremendous Red and Brown Pepper, Upwey Ben Don and Nocturne that flowed through her veins made for exciting breeding plans.

“Crys” had moved from Bob’s to Debi & Bob Boies’ and then to Tom & Melody Faber’s in Georgia. She produced Trijas Potpourri (by Trija Mr. Pepperpot), Trijas Mr. Topper and Trijas Penelope Pepper (by Trijas Mr. Peppertime), CastleRidge Crusader (by Phar Above), CastleRidge Aboves My Dad (by Above Command), Telishan Rejoice (by Telishan Santiam) and Clear Intentions (by Futurity’s First Edition). Fast-forward to April 16th 2006 and Crys produced what would be her last foal, a very dark brown filly sired by a son of WC Serendipity Storm B (Tashota’s Warrior). A dream come true for me, as Crys had survived the rigors of insulin resistance and some problems with her feet and returned to excellent health with careful diet and medication.

All this started the year after Clear Intentions was born. I was never sorry I’d sent Crys to Marilyn Esteb’s beautiful farm in Colorado to be live covered for this special foal. This special filly, however, was born prematurely and spent the first four days of her life in the ICU fighting for her life. Thus, she was given the name of another female fighter: Laila Ali was a survivor and fighter. If all that was not enough, she fractured C2 in her neck at the age of three months but overcame the incident with quiet time- a small sand turn out to make for soft ground and a chance to heal- and she did.

As she grew up nothing stopped “La”; she was loving and kind, a little slow about some things but all she ever wanted to do was please you. Every vet who met her, read her documentation, watched the videos we made or looked at her x-rays commented that this was indeed one beautiful and tough fighter. Every vet encouraged me and La to see if she would outgrow the odd side effects of her premature birth and broken neck. She did not appear to be in pain, and by fall the bones had healed, and she was running and bucking and playing with the best of them. What she couldn’t do was walk in a straight line or step off without a dramatic swing of her head (it seemed in order to get herself going). I had already promised Crys there would be no more foals, though I have to say, it was a sad discussion as she was one of, if not the best, broodmare I’ve ever known. No frills, no worries, she was fully present and aware of her babies and took exceptional care of them. She raised them with proper manners and respect, and they were a pleasure

to have. Everyone who knew Crys said the same thing in their own words.

The winter of 2007 was hard on Crys. Laila was having some dramatic side effects of her growth, and we were at risk of Laila hurting either herself or me. I knew I had to make the decision for both of them, and I knew the only honorable thing was for them to cross the “rainbow bridge” together. So on May 16th 2008 (Crystal’s 24th birthday), they traveled together. Two of my best friends, teachers, the past and the future gone but never forgotten for what they each brought to my life and the lives of all who knew them.

For Holly

Hoofbeats clatter across the bridge,
A phantom stallion gallops down from the ridge.
The two mares stop while he snorts and blows,
Thinking these mares came from somewhere he knows.
While he arches his neck and caresses their sides
He glimpses a shadow on the other side.
He nickers a plaintive, “Why do you turn away
“When you promised we’d meet here again someday?”
But the shadow walks homeward with halters in hand,
Not yet ready for the phantom’s land.
There are still fillies to raise and shows to attend,
Still friends to greet and she’s not near the end,
But someday she too will walk to his side
And keep her promise to forever abide
On the far shore with all of the horses she’s known
And they’ll all be together and never alone.

By Elizabeth Waters Goldmann
May 18, 2008

SNOWVIEW FARM | Holly J. Butterman | 801 Highland Trail | Chapel Hill, NC 27516 | (775) 846-1707 (cell) holly@snowviewfarm.com