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The Plaid Horse

By Devon Taylor

www.theplaidhorse.com

Gary Zook: Larger

When someone dies young, it is an undeniable tragedy. It doesnt matter the reason. It is tragic if it was expecteda slow train coming that no one could haltand it is a tragedy if it was sudden and without warning. ere is no happy ending when it comes early. When I got the word on May 31, 2012 that legendary horsemanand close family friendGary Zook had passed away from a heart attack at age 48, I felt the weight of this loss for both reasons. Gary had lived hard for those 48 years, keeping a breathless pace that almost guaranteed him an early arrival at the nish line. However, it was exactly this boundless energy and intensity that made his death almost incomprehensible. Few people ever radiated the enthusiasm and vibrancy that Gary did. e essence of Gary was talking a hundred miles a minute and energy, just constant energy. When he was teaching, he would half-pass himself across the ring to demonstrate what it should look like and make a rider position while he walked and then hed run sideways and turn le and march. He was just so energetic and passionate, described former student and longtime friend, Jen Barry-Baltrus. I grew up with him training both my sister, Meredith, and me and he made regular trips to our farm in southern New Jersey to teach riding clinics. He spoke and moved with such ebullience, such vitality, he could be exhausting to observe but for how energized he made those around him feel. When he taught, especially in clinics, he got everyone so excited. He could have taught the entire day and then said, Okay, were all going to get o our horses and change and do a whole other clinic and they would have all done it, said my mother and his longtime friend, Denise Worrell. He was just that good. Anyone who knew Gary knew that this energy never took the day o . He exuded life.
His life began in 1964 in Evanston, Illinois. ough Gary grew up in a northern suburb of Chicago, his golden blonde hair and blue eyes made him the picture of a Midwestern farm boy. Early on, his father, Gary, Sr., a lawyer, taught Gary and his younger brother, Greg, two important lessons. e rst thing he preached to us was to get up every day, put your pants on, and go work. Do something. Dont sit around, said Greg. From the time the boys were old enough to hold a rake upright, they worked for their allowance. Greg remembers childhood a ernoons spent with his brother raking leaves, clearing out gutters, and cleaning windows. e other thing Gary Sr. advised his boys was to discover

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their passion. Dad always told us to nd something we love, Greg described. at mattered to him. Heeding his fathers advice came easy for Gary when, a er the family moved to Birmingham, Michigan, he took a group riding lesson at a local stable. He was twelve years old, said Greg, and right away he fell in love with riding. He was taken with it and just loved it. Hearing Greg describe his brothers enthusiasm, its easy to imagine a younger version of Gary, full of his natural energy and further buoyed by the thrill of discovery, bouncing home from the stable, bursting to tell his family all about the horses. Gary realized quickly that he could combine both lessons from his fatherto nd his passion and work hardwith the horses. Within two years, he found a new stable and moved up the ranks from beginner rider to riding camp counselor. By fourteen he was teaching lessons. Greg recalled his rapid growth: When Gary got into horses, he realized he could make money at it. Just a couple of years into his horse career, he was already getting paid. His parents, Gary, Sr. and his mother, Joyce, were in full support of Garys newfound passion. Mom would get up early to drive him to the barn, Greg recounted. She drove him about an hour and a half every single day. A er the family moved to Somerville, New Jersey around 1978, his parents helped to buy him his rst horse. He began to ride with trainer Patty McElvey and soon a er joined the crew at Briarwood Farm under the tutelage of Jack Benson, where he excelled as a junior rider. Former Olympic show jumper Nona Garson recalls seeing Gary at horse shows in those early years. I met Gary when he was still in high school, she said. I remember being very impressed with his way. Even as a young guy, he had this great way about himself. It was in New Jersey that Gary really began to come into his own, both as a rider and in his personal life. As high school wound down, lifelong friend, Paisley Knudsen, who knew Gary from his riding days in Michigan, remembered him grappling with whether to continue on with school. He and I talked a lot about college, she said. It was always his parents wish for him and he was a good student. However, perhaps knowing he was already where he belonged, Gary made the decision to stick with the horses and committed himself fully to the equestrian life. Gary also made another important decision at that time to come out to his friends and family. It wasnt a big deal, Greg said, and then added with a laugh, Plus, I would get all my dates from my brother because, of course, all the girls wanted to date him.

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A er high school, Gary set out to make his way in the horse world. He began to work with the United States Equestrian Team in 1983, though his role was hardly prestigious. He told us he used to muck stalls for the USET, recalled Meredith Taylor, my sister and his long-time student and business partner. It wasnt long, however, before Gary developed a partnership with renowned equestrian Michael Henaghan that catapulted his career. When I met him he was only nineteen years-old, Henaghan recollected. It was at a time when he was just barely a liated with the USET and just getting started in the whole thing. Few remember Gary as a rider, though it was in the saddle that Gary rst found success. He hadnt really had the opportunity to do a lot of competing, Henaghan explained. We went and got him a horse from Carol ompson and he was one of the rst winners of all the adult equestrian classes. Gary and Henaghan struck up a relationship and began to train together under the Huntover Farm banner out of Whitehouse Station, New Jersey. With Henaghan, Gary established himself as a premiere show trainer. ough barely of drinking age, he possessed a con dence and poise that belied his youth. Gary possessed an ability to be both assertive and kind, o en in the same breath, and early on he developed an ability to get the most the most out of any horse and rider. He was a natural horseman and a natural trainer, Henaghan recalled. He was very good at what he did. Both talented and a able, Henaghan and Gary made an excellent team. When [Gary and Mike] were at the same show, trainer Je Wirthman recalled, you knew they were a strong force. e two were at the top of the sport in the 1980s, training some of the biggest names among the junior riders. We were together when Ray Texel won at pony nals and then went on to win both the Medal and Maclay Finals, Henaghan said. We also trained Cheryl Wilson who won the Medal Finals. In 1989, the State of New Jersey gave us a wonderful award for outstanding achievement because we won both the Medal and Maclay nals. Not many years a er having rst sat on a horse himself, Gary was at the in-gate of the countrys most prestigious shows helping coach riders to major success. As the business grew and more riders joined Huntover, it was Gary who headed up the role of training the pony riders at the shows. Back then Gary was the pony trainer, Meredith explained. In addition to training Texel as a pony rider, Gary also brought success early on to a number of would-be professionals and their poniesincluding Darren Graziano, who was a frequent winner on his small pony, Yes I Can, helping launch both of their careers. It was not long before he had a slew of pony kidsand pony mothersto play ringmaster to at the shows. I remember Merediths rst pony nals in Quentin [in 1988], Worrell recalled. Gary had ve ponies there, all of which came equipped with a pony mother. ere were ve frazzled mothers dragging ve pony riders to the ring. And the ponies all got ribbons and the kids all rode better than they could and Gary didnt kill any of us. at was Garyalways, always able to bring out more in a horse or a rider than seemed possible. Among the young talent under Garys guidance was

Samantha Darling, who began riding with Gary and Henaghan when she was nine years-old and her parents felt it was time for her to move to a higher level. Darling remembers riding with Gary fondly. I have had many trainers over the years, she said, but Gary has always stood out as one of my favorites. I think what I loved most about riding with him was the incredible amount of energy and enthusiasm he always brought to his training. It was easy to see why a rider like Darling would enjoy her experience with Gary. He made riding funand funny. Gary knew how to keep the kids entertained, Meredith described. He had a really bizarre sense of humor, but a good one. Somehow it always ended up going in some direction that you didnt expect it to. His boundless enthusiasm and tireless wit made him an easy guy to like and an easy trainer to follow. Not only did Garys students adore him, but he adored them. It was perhaps because of the years he spent working with young riders that Gary developed a true compassion for his students that extended beyond the ring. e success was important to him, but just as important were the lives of the riders. Gary made it clear that he really cared about the people, not just the winning, Worrell remarked. He knew the personalities behind the kids, the familiesthey were real people to him. Darling agreed, adding, What I found so special about Gary was that he treated all his kids the same. He instilled the same e ort in the rider who had all the talent and won all the classes as the one who had no talent and didnt win much. When Texels father died while Ray was competing with Gary and Henaghan as a young junior, Gary was there to care for his student. Garys in uence on my life is something I will always be grateful for, Texel remarked. His care-taking of me a er the death of my father is a model of support and strength. A er six years of working and training with Henaghan, it came time for Gary to strike out on his own. He le Huntover in 1989 and partnered with rider and trainer Ken Berkley to form Rivers Edge in Flemington, New Jersey. Somehow along the way Gary met Ken and they fell in love, Greg remembered. ey were great together. Not only did they complement each other as partners, but they were striking as a pair, each with Hollywood good looks. However, they were young, only in their twenties, and they had just a couple of horses and riders at the outset. Rivers Edge Meredith Taylor winner of the as a venture marked a big 1995 Medal Finals with Gary, Missy Clark and Ken professional risk for them. In the beginning, their business was new and they needed us as much as we needed them, Worrell described. My sister, Meredith, who had been with Gary since Huntover, was one of their rst students and, though our family was unable to a ord the heavy cost of training and showing, Ken and Gary took her on. Within a year of the move, Meredith became a xture at Rivers Edge. In 1990, I started staying there in the summer as a working student, Meredith explained. I needed more help and so I worked for them to pay for my lessons. In the winters I went to Florida with them. ough

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the business picked up quickly and more ridersand with them more moneycame through the door, Ken and Gary did not put any less e ort into Meredith or expect anything more in return. Just as before, Garyand now with him, Kenput the riders before the money. At the timeand stillour family looked at the generosity o ered to Meredith as an incredible gi . However, I wonder now if Gary didnt see a bit of himself in her. It was easy to forget in those years when Ken and Gary lived on a beautiful farm and enjoyed such success that Gary didnt begin there. Like Meredith, he was not born into horse show royalty. He had found his way up the equestrian ranks due in no small part to professionals like Jack Benson who were willing to take a chance on a kid without much money, but with a great deal of passion. Just a few short years ago, when Benson passed away, Gary recalled, e trainers I used to ride with [before Jack] would always put me down because I didnt have the best horse and I did my own braiding. But he never said you have ugly braids and ugly clothes. Jack took me as is. Perhaps it was because of this generosity that Gary was willing to pay it forward to students like Meredith. Trainer and friend Lynne Tarves remembered Gary o ering the same good will to her and her daughter, Ellen, a talented young rider. He never charged us. He used to trek down here [to Cape May County] all the time to teach, Tarves said. He used to say that Ken couldnt believe he would do it with the cost of travel or everything, but he did it. I think he believed in Ellen and wanted to help us. What a student lacked in funds Gary was willing to overlook if they made up for it in grit and determination. Gary made a name for himself teaching riding clinics all over the country and one of his frequent stops was at the Tarves farm, where he was favorite among the riders. One reason Gary was so e ective as an instructor was his creative and innovative approach to teaching any horse-and-rider combination. He wasnt afraid to ask a lot, Tarves described. He might set things up that were a little unorthodox, but the design was to get you riding. Maybe your horse was a little too green or only half-trained, but so what? ats what you had to work with and Gary was going to get something out of it. Tarves recalled one trip Gary took to her farm to teach a clinic where the sprinkler was accidentally le on overnight and the ring ooded. Rather than cancel the clinic or move it to another area, Gary used it as a learning opportunity. He said, Okay, were all going to do water today, Tarves remembered. And not only did everyone have to trot and canter through it but, sure enough, he put a jump right in the water. Gary was committed to teaching riders to be versatile and well-rounded and this included making the best of unforeseen elements. People got their moneys worth at his clinics, too. Gary was famous for teaching every single stride of a course, in a sense riding each step of it with his students. A visit to youtube.com and the dozens of videos shot at his clinics reminded me how much Gary channeled his energy and loquaciousness into his clinicsand what strong results he got. His clinics werent entirely about teaching, though, Lynne admitted. He was always shopping for horses, she said. When he came down here, every horse that came in, he was assessing. Gary had a natural eye for a horse and an uncanny ability to nd a diamond in the rough. On one trip down, Tarves recalled,

is skinny horse came into the ring and I looked over and Gary was just about hyperventilating. I said, whats wrong? and he said, this horse is amazing. I said, really? and Gary just said, trust me. Ken and Gary bought the horse and he went on to great success in the show ring as a hunter under the name Tell e Truth. Gary also found hunter Star City on a trip down to the Tarves farm. Not only did Gary bring the gi of nding horses to the Rivers Edge enterprise, but he was also a natural salesman. Whether he was selling horses or promoting one of his riders, Gary was masterfully persuasive. He could sell anything, Meredith described. And he could convince you of anything. He could tell you that you were purple and have green hair and by the end of the day you would say, I guess Im purple and have green hair. You convinced me that this is true. He would say it in a way that was like being purple and having green hair was the best thing that could have happened to you and that you are so lucky to have that and that you should go show it o because its just that fantastic. By the end, you wanted to be purple and have green hair. It was exactly this ability to sell anything that made Gary such an e ective teacher. He was a born communicator, Garson observed. Gary had an ability to instill con dence in his riders in a way that they truly believed they were even better than they were. I remember taking a lesson [with Gary] a er I had just gotten Color Guard, my equitation horse, recalled former student, Hilary Sivitz. Another rider was also in the lesson and she was already a really successful equitation rider. But he somehow made me feel like I was already at that higher level, too. He didnt baby me or act like he had di erent or lower expectations for me. It wasnt an act of deception for Gary, either. He was able to size up exactly what a rider was capable of and bring him or her to that level. Worrell described, I think he had an instinct. He was smart as a whip. Some people are just really good at guring out what has to be done. He was a natural at being a kind of psychologist in lessons. He knew how to get the best out of people. And get the best out of riders he and Ken did. ey worked tirelessly to bring the horses and riders of Rivers Edge to the upper echelon of the show circuit and it wasnt long before Gary was back at the in-gate for the big victories. When Meredith won the Medal Finals in 1995 and nished second in the Maclay and USET nalsjust six years a er Rivers Edge was establishedGary cemented himself as an icon in the horse show world. He proved that he could duplicate the success he had at Huntover and continue to stay on the top of his game. He was the man, Barry-Baltrus said. He was on the cover of Practical Horseman every other week, teaching all over the country, winning the Medal and Maclay nals year a er year. As Merediths younger sister, I certainly was privy to the big moments of success, like her wins at the nals. However, for me what punctuated these years of riding and showing wasnt just the pomp and circumstance of the horse shows, but the humid, hot summer days at Rivers Edge, when Gary and Ken would teach lesson a er lesson. When the days got long and monotonous, Gary would sometimes break up the boredom with a comic bit he would begin spontaneously, such as giving everyone nicknames

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and insisting we all refer to each other that way or creating a game as we cleaned stalls. He would get a devilish grin on his face and, whether you felt he was silly or ridiculous didnt matter. He was irresistible. I was young, though, and only got a small taste of the joy of riding with Gary. Meredith remembers more. Gary was always fun to be around. If you were having a bad dayor even when you werent having a bad dayhe could make a joke and just lighten the mood for everyone, she described. One year he got a camcorder for Christmas and he went around with it pretending to be Barbara Walters and interviewing everyone. He would say, Hi, Im Barbara Wawa. It was really funny. Garys quick wit and e usive, charming personality lit up the room, o en to the delight of his clients. Because of so many aspects of Garyhis looks, his persona, just everything about himhe was really one of the most memorable people Ive ever known, said Tarves. Being around him was such a great, unique experience. ere were nights at Rivers Edge in those years when, a er the last of the horses had been ridden and the stalls were mucked and the aisle was swept, a motley crew of trainers and riders and parents and grooms would gather on Ken and Garys patio for a party. I was fortunate to be a part of a couple of them. e farm would look serene in the gloaming, the elds mowed and the horses grazing in the pastures, and the air was full of the sounds of laughter and glasses clinking and the door of their house swinging open and closed as friends streamed in and out. e parties went on long into the night, long a er Id been sent to bed, and I would fall asleep to the rhythm of rst a low, quiet voice I knew to be Garys outside across the patio, followed by thunderous laughter as he delivered yet another joke, entertained yet another friend. In those years, Gary loomed larger than life. A er Meredith nished up as a junior, she joined Ken and Gary in the business as a rider and trainer. For several years they all ran Rivers Edge together and it looked like the success might continue forever. However, the relationship between Ken and Gary had begun to deteriorate, slowly and irreversibly. In 1998, they decided to go their separate ways. at was a sad loss for Gary, his brother recalled. Meredith joined Gary in creating yet another new partnership. She and Gary, along with Merediths future husband, Matt Amoroso, formed a show stable together. It was the end of the 1990s and the venture marked yet another new beginning for Gary. I went with Gary to be the show rider, Meredith explained. I was with Matt by that time and we all formed the business together. Fittingly, they named the new stable Millennium. Initially, things picked up at Millennium right where theyd le o with Rivers Edge. Just as always, riders ocked to ride with Gary and now with newly minted professional, Meredith. I rode with Gary when he was working with Meredith, Sivitz recalled. It was great. I remember the energetic lessons and how he always seemed so zoned in.

I loved riding with Meredith, too. ey worked great together. e business picked up steam and Garys riders continued to nd themselves in the winners circle, just as they had for the past two decades. However, a er a couple of years, Gary began to distance himself from the shows and le more and more of the responsibilities to Meredith and Matt. He dated a string of boyfriends who werent a liated with the horses and who led him away from the single focus and dedication that had long characterized his career. Rumors began to circulate around the show world that Gary had gotten caught up in the party scene and was abusing drugs. By late 2001, Meredith and Matt made the di cult decision to part ways with Gary and begin their own show stable, Meredith Taylor, Inc. I wasnt in touch much with [Gary] at this time, Meredith recalled. It was also in 2001 that Gary lost his father, Gary Sr. is marked the start of a di cult time in his life. Gary moved away from New Jersey down to Virginia and began working with Je Kohlhas out of Full Cry Farm, but the business didnt last. His relationship with his family became strained. Gary and I were only in touch a little during this time, Greg described. It was o and on. Unfortunately he started to disappear for years at a time. For the rst time in his life, it seemed that Gary had lost his way. Looking back, its di cult to tell what led Gary of courseif it was the break-up of Rivers Edge, the death of his father, or if all of his success had given him the false sense that he could take risks and always come out on top. In late 2004, Gary reappeared on the New Jersey horse show scene and back into my familys life. By that time he had been dealt another di cult blow by the news that he had contracted HIV. My mother remembers getting a call from him. When he resurfaced he had been diagnosed and was humbled and unsure of where he t, she said. He began the long road back. ose few years a er Millennium had been di cult ones for Gary and his reputation and personal relationships had su ered as a result. He had a great deal of mending to do. At some point a er he came back, Gary called [Matt and me] to apologize, Meredith recalled. As he always did, Gary relied on his ability to teach riding to pay the bills. Slowly he rebuilt. First he did a little freelancing and he started to teach clinics again, said Meredith. en he was able to start up and rent some stalls and get himself back going again. ough his business grew, those who knew Gary well saw a change in him from the man who had been a part of so much success with Huntover and Rivers Edge. e spark was gone from him, Meredith described. He wasnt happy, my mother agreed. You could hear the unhappiness in his voice. Gary had made the decision to forego any romantic relationships due to his illness, which, for a man as passionate as Gary, was a hard loss. A er he found out he was sick, he knew he was never going to have another relationship, Meredith said. at had to be tough. Due in part to the medication he was on for his HIV, Gary also gained weight, which added to his melancholy and weakened his self esteem. Additionally, many of his former friendships had fallen apart. A lot of people abandoned Gary in his down days, said close friend, Bob Smith. I wasnt one of them, he added. e decade continued to deal Gary tough losses when, in 2007, he lost close friend Joseph Connolly, the stepfather of BarryBeltrus, to cancer. A year later, his dear friend, Margaret Gerby, also passed away. at same year his condominium caught on re,

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which, in addition to the downturn in the economy, crippled him again. Even his friends outside of the horses could tell that Gary nancially. In 2009, he lost both Lydia Connolly, Barry-Baltrus was enthused about horses again. Said Loprete, He would always mother and his good friend, as well as his beloved mother, Joyce, call me from the showsand I know nothing about horsesbut with whom Gary was exceptionally close. Barry-Beltrus rememhe would tell me all about the wonderful things his students were bers this di cult time. His core family, like the people he was doing and how well they were doing. He would try to explain it to closest tohis mom and dad, my mom and stepdad, and Marme. I didnt know anything about horses, but I could tell that was really good at it and that he absolutely loved it. garetthey all died, she explained. Gary had a lot of reasons to In May 2012, Garys students successfully competed at be very dark and sad, honestly. He went through some extremely tough emotional times. He was very alone. e people that were the Garden State Horse Show where he was once again among like his blocks, the ones he looked to for support, were gone. the top riders and trainers in horses. A couple of days later he Despite the tremendous losses, Gary continued to try to move visited the doctora frequent stop for him in the years since being forward and rebuild. Gary always tried to stay upbeat and posidiagnosed with HIV. He called Barry-Beltrus a er to report to her tive, Smith remembered. e cup was always half-full for him. about his check-up. Gary was always calling me with questions He always said things were improving and getting better, even if it about his medications and about his health, she explained, adding wasnt always the case. ose who knew him well know the very with a laugh, even though Im a vet, he thought I knew about terrible, horrible times he went through, but he kept positive. human meds, too. Gary let her know that his health was getting Just a decade a er being surrounded by a myriad of better. He told me, the doctor said my white count is really, repeople who loved and admired him, Gary was alone. He leaned ally healthy and you would never even know I am sick. But he is hard on my mother during this time. She runs a bookkeeping putting me on all these heart medications because he said a heart attack is going to kill me before anything else. I said, Gary, its business and was managing Garys business nances, so they were wonderful youre doing well and its easy to go to the gym and eat in constant touch. He called a lot, Worrell recalled. O en when healthy. You know, youve been sick for like ten years and, in that he called, he just wanted to talk. He would refer a lot to the old time, the people that were around you got sick and died. You have days because he knew I remembered. He knew that I really knew been worried about dying for ten years, but youre the one that is him. Gary also struck up a close friendship with an employee of still here. Youre here for a reason. at night a er Barry-Beltrus my mothers, Maripat Loprete, who worked on his account. We got o the phone, she felt encouraged that talked all the time, Loprete described. He Gary was starting to be okay with who told me everything. Anything that was he was and what his life was and who he going on with any of his business relationwanted to be. at would be the last time ships or his friends, he would bounce o of they ever spoke. me. He was trying to straighten up his life Just a few days later, in the early and put it all back together. morning hours of May 27, 2012, Gary Slowly, he did begin to put it su ered a massive cardiac arrest while back together. While many thought his alone at home. He was not able to make a days as a top trainer were done, Gary call to 9-1-1 and doctors believe he died wasnt ready to be counted out. He began almost immediately. to nd his way back by returning to where e news of Garys death sent ripples he started: a love for horses. It is what of shock through the horse community. I brought him to the horse world as a young Gary and his brother Greg couldnt believe that the news of Garys passkid and, in those tough years, it is what susing was true, Wirthman said. Gary was one of those people who tained him. Gary loved horses, said Henaghan. A lot of people had no end, whose energy and ability to light up the room was that are successful in our business dont and its about the bottom endless. Tarves felt the same disbelief. It just blows my mind that line and how much money you make. But Gary loved horses, he hes gone, she said, choking back tears. He was indelible to me. really did. Barry-Beltrus agreed, noting, at man understood Meredith was hit hard by the news. He was like another parent. exactly what makes a horses whole body move in some uid moHe did a lot for me and I spent a lot of time with him, she said. tion. ere was some energy between him and horses and that is Im going to miss him, Meredith added, her voice breaking. what kept him going. He just loved it. By pouring his time into On June 11, 2012 in a small chapel in Pittstown, New getting back to the basics, he was able to recapture that love. Trainer and rider Kelly Wilson, with whom Gary worked Jersey, deep in the horse country Gary loved, family and friends gathered together to say goodbye to him. Extra chairs were for the past few years, saw the change in him. He was excited. brought in to the tiny sanctuary where dozens upon dozens of He had some clients and horses that he really believed in, she dethose who loved Garyloved him in the good times and in his scribed. Barry-Beltrus also observed that Gary was turning things strugglessat to celebrate his life. At the door to the church around. e old Gary was coming back, she said. For a long time, he was going to work, but he didnt have any passion about it. stood an easel with a picture of Gary atop a hill, a big smile on his He was just doing it. But that was changing. He was getting excited face, and behind him a ring lled with jumps. Gregs lovely wife, Jen, said to me, Greg told me that was how he always wanted to about the horses again. e spark was coming back. He made an remember Gary, referring to the picture. Later Greg remarked, impression on my sister, who had seen him at highest highs and I will miss having my brother. I will remember his smile and his lowest lows. I think he was coming back, said Meredith. Just humor. watching him at the last few shows. He had some good customers and he was making good deals and he just seemed like himself Gary Zook...continued on page 14

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Gary Zook...continued from page 12

Gary passed away in the early pre-dawn hours on Sunday of junior weekend at the Devon Horse Show and County Fair. Twenty- ve years prior, Gary had led me in the lead-line class that very weekend. Devon had been the site of tremendous amounts of success for Gary. His tall gure, with his trademark blond hair and bright smile, had stood at the in-gates of the Dixon Oval and the Gold Ring countless times as he clapped and whooped for one more of his riders, for one more of his kids. So many of those riders had gone on to stand at the in-gates as trainers for their own students. So much of his wisdom, of his guidance, of his ability to see and understand horses had found its way into those rings in generations of horsemen that echoed long a er the lessons he had taught. Horse shows are lled with memories. ey are places where kids in jodhpurs and braids grow into long, lean equitation riders, and then into wily and brave grand prix competitors, and

then li their own children onto ancient and kind Welsh ponies, and then stand on the rail and hold their breaths as those kids make impossibly tight turns and jump impossibly high fences. And then those people grow old and disappear and new riders on new horses arrive. ese riders receive trophies on which are etched names of horses and riders long gone who have stood in those same places and felt that same joy. Horse shows keep moving and our calendars keep turning over because they must, but at every show are the memories of the thousands of riders and trainers and horses and ponies who have turned over that footing and lingered at those rails before. And among those memories are a few who managed to do it just a little bit better. ose people like Gary. ese are the legends of the horse show worldthis little world that is all at once inconsequential and so very important. We remember these legends and what they taught us.
Devon Taylor is a writer who grew up riding and showing horses. She lives in Memphis, TN where she is earning her MFA in creative writing and teaching composition at the University of Memphis.