Harry K
Secretariat x Bony Roany by Figonero
1984 - 2008
Rest in Peace and enjoy green pastures.
Thank you for spending your last years on this earth with me and showing me what a big heart and true soul really are. You were my once in a lifetime horse and while I wish our time could have been LOTS longer, I am thankful for what you gave me and taught me while you were here. Most of all thank you for letting me know it was okay to let you go, for making that last decision for me. While I would never want you to suffer, our time together was much too short and it was so hard to let you go. I don't think there has ever been anything (except Ke'ala as you know) that has hurt so much. You were there for me when I arrived home in a messed up state and you just hugged me and let me cry when we lost her and let me rest my head on your shoulder. You helped heal that hurt and now there isn't much there to help heal the hurt over your loss.
I promise to give the best chances I can to your son, he is so like you in so many ways. And while having him helps some, he is still not you but his own "person", exceptional in his own ways. I pray that God keeps you close to his heart and by his side until we can meet again. You were the most exceptional horse I have ever met, you will always be in my thoughts and never forgotten. You touched the lives of so many when you arrived here, so many people marveled at your pedigree. I did as well and feel special to have owned an on son of such a magnificent horse, but honestly, while you may not have been a Triple Crown Winner, you may not have won much money, you were still a hero in my heart. With all you had been through, you decided to trust again. To put faith in humans one more time. I wish your previous owners had valued you as much as we had. As much as I'd like to say I hope your previous owners never suffer the way they let you, in my heart, I hope they do since because of their neglect I had you even a shorter amount of time than I would have liked.
God knows when you arrived so under weight and so angry at humans in general, I had thought to myself, MY GOD, what has someone done to you and what have I gotten myself in for. And several bite marks and bruises later I found out. (AND BOY DID YOU BITE!) Your soul had been bruised and you had been so terrified of what was truly going to happen to you. Its still a running joke that we didn't see your head for at least a month when you first arrived. You were too busy eating. Two months later when you realized you would have all the food you could eat and all the love you could stand, was the first time you didn't try to attack me over the pipe. When you realized we expected nothing from you but for you to get better, you began to put your trust into me. You put your head on my shoulder and blew into my hair. I fell in love right there. Once I found out all you had been through, I promised you, you would be with me until your end. God knows I wish it had not been this soon, it was the shortest 4 years of my life but the most blessed.
I can't count the amount of times that you brightened my day and lifted my spirits, just to see you asking me to hurry up with your grain, trotting, tossing your head, calling for me for your carrots at night. Thats one thing I will miss the most is your loud voice and your funny way of grabbing your carrots with your tongue. You had some of the most outrageously funny habits. I will miss spraying you down with water and scratching you until you wanted to fall over. I will miss seeing you and Dirk standing there playing games with your grain. Shoot old man, who's going to be there when Dirk leaves for Iraq again. You were there for me every time he was gone and listened to me cry and complain while I groomed you. You used to murmur to me as if to say, he'll be home and its alright.
You became a changed man here, never biting, never kicking, never angry any longer, how we loved to see you run around the turn out and kick up your heels. Or how beautiful you were showing off for your mares.
Harry, my heart hurts to know you are no longer here in this world with me, but God knows that it is also lighter because I know you no longer hurt. And "old man" we miss you, and your girl misses you. I was very lucky to receive you as my wedding present, nothing could have been more special to me. Thank you once again for being that one in a million horse and let me say that I was owned by you even if only for a short time. And trust me old man, I can't look around without feeling something is missing and don't worry Dirk misses you too. My deepest sorrow is that Devan never really got to know you, but thank you for letting her pet you. I wish now I had gotten a photo. Sleep well and we will see you as soon as we can.
You are always in our hearts and our day to day,
Naomi & Dirk
PS don't worry, we are saving you, your favorite blanket, (special thanks to aunty Michele, it was the first blanket he ever wore and the last, it will be treasured and kept for him always), your favorite feeders and of course a big bag of your grain and a bigger bag of crunchy carrots!