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The grand dame of my little farm, Victoria was queen of everything right up until the day she crossed over the rainbow bridge. She was a maternal sibling to the incomparable Immortal Command, and enjoyed a long and successful career as a very versatile show horse. After winning the Connecticut Nutmeg Futurity as a youngster, Victoria brought home blue ribbons in English Pleasure, Pleasure Driving, Western Pleasure and even Classic Pleasure. She and I made our last show ring appearance together at the 1998 Mother Lode Show, placing in the top three
in each of her classes at the dignified age of 21 years old. Rum Brook Victoria was born at the Preston's beautiful farm in Epping New Hampshire in the spring of 1977. She was so like Viva, Immortal Command and Viceroy her brothers and sisters. Torrie had an incredible ability to draw people close to her with her "larger than life" posture - high headed - long necked - deep bodied and a beautiful face with the tiniest of ears and biggest of brown eyes. Shown very successfully as a young horse by Betty Daniels, Dr Bob Orcutt and Cass Booth, she won the Connecticut Futurity as a 3 year old and was sold that fall to Bunny & Phyllis Wiley of Bangor, Maine. They were like parents to me so Torrie became a new family member instantly. Bunny was fighting diabetes. He loved his redheaded mare but knew he was losing his eyesight so the next summer he bred Torrie to his favorite old stud "Meadowbrook Comet" and just a month or so before the Deerfield Fair he asked me if I would get her ready and take her to show one last time while he could still see. Of course my answer was easy - and we had never shown again it wouldn't have mattered. It remains a highlight to have shown under judge Tom Caisse against some of the greatest Saddlebreds, Arabians and Morgans in the Open Ladies Pleasure class of 28 entries and come out with the blue ribbon. We won or were second in all our classes that weekend. Bunny sent Torrie home with me and I guess he knew that she would always be the love of my life - I bought her with the down payment of a gelding I had bred and raised and monthly payments. When her papers came in my name I cried… and it was not long after that Bunny passed away and the sadness of his leaving was felt deeply. Torrie produced three incredibly beautiful offspring. A lovely chestnut filly the spring after that show - Buffmeadow Brooke was a wonderful bright and easy to train filly. Two years later I bred her to Elm Hill High Hat and she produced the colt Buffmeadow Cooper. He was also bright and easy to train and for a long time was the photo model on "The Morgan Dressage Web Site Mentors" page. He has grown to be a beautiful and athletic horse. Then I decided to breed Torrie to Ultimate Command - who was young and had been bred by the Preston's but had been purchased as a weanling by Peter Schwartz. This cross produced the incredibly beautiful and noted for winning in hand from Maine to California during her show career, Buffmeadow d'Vision (short for double Vision as her papers indicate.) Victoria also lost two foals after d'Vision and she and I made an agreement she didn't have to go through that ever again - those were sad days. Torrie traveled from Maine to New Hampshire to New Mexico to Nevada as my life took some turns that certainly were not expected - but every step of the way she was there with me. Through five separate knee surgeries and subsequently a total joint replacement - she reminded me that I could still ride no matter what. Through a marriage over 21 years and subsequent divorce she reminded me that I could still live and be happy no matter what. She was the inspiration of my last 22 years and she was a stoic and tough soldier through her own losses. I always use to say "Torrie never was sick" because she never showed us anything that resembled sick. She was never lame and she was always the first to speak in her low comforting voice in the morning when I opened the barn door. This past summer was like all of her 26 summers - her coat was shiny and bright and her eyes were big and bright and soft as always - her demeanor was always the same… she was the most important horse and demanded to be treated with the respect (and mints) that go with that position in life. She still "snaked" her neck at any new horses or passers by as if to remind them - with ears pinned and teeth barred that there was only room for one Queen Victoria on this farm. Torries last day was incredibly peaceful - I've written about it and left those details on my website. She had visitors and friends and it was warm and sunny all day. I turned her out with her daughter to spend their last hours - I was manned with a supply of pain meds to keep her comfortable. After the big loader left, we went out to the apple trees and took her halter off and she ate grass that was up to her eyes and all the apples she wanted while we waited for Dr. Peck to arrive. When he had called that morning (the day we validated with x-rays that she had rotated coffin bones in both front feet) all he could say to me was "I don't know how she hid this from us… and I don't know how she has been able to stand and walk… you don't need to see the x-rays". Everyone who knew her misses her - and her friends here on the farm who still look for her each day when the barn doors open and the morning sun comes up. She was my best friend - my soul mate - and the love of my life, my Torrie Dorrie. -Holly J Butterman, November 2003 More pictures of Torrie (click on any thumbnail to enlarge)
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SNOWVIEW FARM | Holly J. Butterman |801 Highland Trail | Chapel Hill, NC 27516 | (775) 846-1707 (cell) holly@snowviewfarm.com |
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