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by Kristy Hallmark
Deuce and I competed in the High School Rodeo for 4 years and every where we could turn a barrel. We set records all over the Midwest and won a trunk full of ribbons and trophies. Deuce was my first barrel horse and I rode him everyday even in the rain.

Right after I was off the bus from school I went to the barn to saddle Deuce up. Deuce ran a barrel pattern like a train. He taught me more about barrel racing than any book or video could. Deuce's life was cut short and he passed on August 11 2001. He was hit by a stray bullet and died at 14 years old and his prime. Losing my barrel horse was a terrible loss, I still feel the pain and miss him.

The last memory I have of Deuce was him standing at the gate looking at me. Deuce wanted to go for a ride but had to go to work.“Deuce I can't now I have to go to work.” I said as I patted him on the head and left.

The next morning, I drove by the barn and Deuce was not at the gate. I thought he was probably eating in the back pastures. Instead of going to look for him which I wanted to do, I went to work.

A few hours later my Mom called me and I knew it was bad news.

Mom does not call me at work unless something is wrong. Mom had been crying , I could tell and she said that she found Deuce. "Oh, is he hurt?"

There was a pause in the phone and mom said “No.... He is dead Kristy, you need to come home.”

I left work and came home, mom's words still running miles in my mind. Deuce was laying in the back pasture and I felt so bad. He died alone and maybe if I had looked for him I could have helped him.

The backhoe dug his gave and then it drug Deuce into the hole. It took some time to get over Deuce and I really was sick and hardly paid attention to any of the other horses.

It was funny how when I fed the other horses none of them would go into Deuce's stall. Like the horses knew he should be there but was not. Time passed by and I was ready to look again for another horse.

I looked for a sibling of my first barrel horse Deuce for a long while.

I looked for 3 years and found Sarita I bought her without hesitation after seeing her papers. She was a Granddaughter of Easy Jet and Hempen.

The day we went to pick her up and bring her home was a happy day. Sarita's first ride was not exactly great and I soon found out why she was sold.

Sarita was a barn sour horse and she would have fits when I tried to ride her away from the barn. I worked with her for months and walked her by hand away from the barn and rode her till she would have a fit. Get off her and walk her again. Me and Sarita walked for miles away from the barn.

I finally broke her of the of being barn sour for Sarita knew I would not give up. After this I could ride her all over the country side. I wanted to get her back in shape to run barrels.

We went trail riding at High Knob, a camp ground in Shawnee forest in Illinois. Sarita walked the trails twice as fast as all the other horses. I held her back all the time for she wanted to go and go. I had never let Sarita into a run-- not one time-- because I did not trust her.

The trip to High Knob did me and Sarita some good. Sarita seemed to enjoy trail riding and did well. The third day my mom's horse Baby ran away from us and headed back toward camp!

Travis my fiancée wanted to go after Baby but I said no. I feared that Travis would get hurt as this was his first trail ride. If he did get hurt he may never want to ride again.

I took off on Sarita after Baby down the trail as fast as she could run. Baby had a head start and Sarita took off like a train after him.

She jumped over logs and went around turns in the trail like she was a trained cross country. We caught up with Baby and he was still running flat out.
I grabbed onto Baby's reins and stood on Sarita with my right foot on my saddle and left foot on Baby's saddle and yelled “Whoa!!” stopping both horses.

I rode Baby back to mom and Travis with Sarita walking behind covered in sweat and still ready to run. We walked over 2 miles back to them. Mom was so happy to see me and both horses safe.

Sarita and I had learned to trust each other and catching Baby was a turning point. Sarita became so well mannered after that and loved me - she would put her head onto my stomach for a hug.

Sarita and I were as inseparable as me and Deuce once were. We were ready to go to the big races, for we both were in the best shape of our lives.

I felt that I had my barrel horse and we were ready to compete against the world. I was so excited and ready for the next season of barrel racing to start.

Then I found out some news of my own. I was pregnant and barrel racing with Sarita would have to wait till after my baby came. I was going to be a mommy!

Sarita surprised me one day in August. I walked out to the pasture and seen Sarita had eight legs! I was pregnant and my horse just had a foal! I had no idea she has been bred when I bought her.

I named the colt Lunar after the lunar eclipse the night he was born, August 28th 2006. Sarita had Lunar so late in the year that I gave her a year off from breeding in 2007.

Trenten my son was born on April 12, 2007 and he is my pride and joy. Having my son really changed everything -- now I had a little me on my hip everywhere I went.

Trenten and I play with the horses happily every day. Sarita would let my two-year-old climb all over her and not move a muscle!

After giving her a break, I bred Sarita for a 2009 foal with my stud Tipper. It was to be his last foal-- after the breeding, he was gelded to be my mom's retirement project.


I had my vet out to do Coggins tests on April 6, 2009 and check on Sarita. He noticed that Sarita had some facial paralysis on her left side. She did not respond to touch at all by her eye and her lip on the left side was hanging down lower than the right side. Me and the Vet both thought she had a pinched nerve from being in foal.

On the 16th of April Sarita could hardly walk. She kept stumbling and tripping all over herself. I called my vet. He came out and looked at her.

"Well Kristy, Sarita has brain tumor, I am sorry. She will only get worse”, he said.

Well, I looked at my Sarita and I cried. She was in foal and the thought of losing her at this moment in time was awful. I asked my vet if we could save the foal.

He said we might be able to save the foal, if the anti-inflammatory drugs would work to keep the swelling in her brain down. We gave Sarita medication daily, praying that she would live long enough to deliver the foal.

Sarita would be the second barrel horse that I had to bury before their time. I was determined to do all in my power to save her foal. I hoped that Sarita would live long enough to see her foal.

I knew I would miss her when she was gone... but with any luck, I could save her foal and and that would help both of us. I knew this foal would not only be Tipper's last, but Sarita's last baby as well. We were having sad times, but a new foal would bring happiness to Hallmark Stables again.

By April 21st Sarita started to wax-- I was so excited, this meant her foaling time was close. It had been a long week for Sarita and I wasn't sure how long she would be with us, but she clearly had a strong will to live.

It gave me hope, but I knew in time the medication would not be enough to stop the tumor from growing-- I knew I'd have to face her death.

On April 23rd, 2009 at 3 AM, Sarita foaled a small, healthy colt. He looked a lot like his mother and I named him Lucky, because he truly was. I was glad Sarita had held out and was able to nuzzle and nurse her newborn foal.

The next day, Sarita's health began to decline drastically She started walking aimlessly in circles, and pushing her head up against barn poles and me to try to gain relief from the tumor. She became disoriented and was in great pain.

We had to separate her from Lucky because she lost her balance. Even when she could no longer stand, she kept an eye on Lucky and nickered to him to comfort him.

I was able to get her up and lead her out of the barn when the Vet came. She followed me so easily that I was amazed. She could have stomped me to the ground for separating her from Lucky, but she trusted and followed me right to the vet. She was still the gentle mare I had come to love at the end of it all.

I held her head and patted her face as she received the shot to end alll her paint. She went peacefully.

I could only hope now that I can save her colt. He was only one day old when he was orphaned.

I cried as I walked back to the barn to Lucky. I realized that Sarita was gone but part of her still lived in Lucky-- and I had to save him.

Lucky refused to eat from a bottle and nipple, so I fed him milk every two hours using a turkey baster, a little at a time. By the second day he was learning to eat the milk replacer better. Me and my two year old son spent more time in the barn than in the house. I knew I had to be there for Lucky, or he could become depressed and give up on life.

After time, Lucky grew stronger and happier. I've sent so much time with him, that he sees me as his mom.
Lucky is much more than just a horse to me-- he is like a son. He runs just like Sarita and I know he'll make a great barrel horse.

I thought long and hard about the last six weeks of life. Things do happen for a reason, I guess. I am just glad that since Sarita had to leave so soon, that she left the best of her behind for me.

- Kristy at Hallmark Stables.