"Badger" was not always special. He was, especially at the beginning, downright homely, and seemingly untalented. Brought to us and dubbed a "near runaway", he'd had a small amount of training for speed events. This was virtually unnoticable at first. You see, Badger was lazy. He was lazy to ride at home, he was lazy in the work pen, but in the showpen- now that was a differant story. There it quickly became apparent that "Badger" was easy to misjudge. In the showpen he was all business, and all heart.
A consumate professional, it mattered not one bit to him if a novice or a pro was on his back. He knew his job, and he was going to do it to the best of his ability every time. In 2004 he was 5th in the Non Pro Camas Prairie Stump race with his owner, Linda Fuller, at her first World Show. Extrodinarily forgiving of any pilot errors, it didn't make one differance if was waaayy behind running for the finish line. He would reach down someplace deep within himself, and he would cross that finish line first. He quickly generated a fan club. He was "the little horse that could". No where was this more obvious than in the Open Rope Race that year. He was the shortest. He was the lightest. Yet somehow, he toughed it out to earn himself the red ribbon and his owner her first world show trophy.
It wasn't always smooth sailing with "Badger" however. Early in 2003 he severely pulled a hamstring. That injury threatened to end his carreer forever. "Badger" was not one to be counted out though. He came back from that to put in his amazing performances at the 2004 World Show. But it was never to be repeated. Various ailments sidelined him throughout the 2005 season. Despite the best treatments from vets from New York to Maine, "Badger" was euthanized in December, 2005 due to complications from colic.
You may never have won a beauty contest, but you knew better than us where true beauty lies- in the heart. Even if you had never won a trophy; Even if you had never heard your name chanted by an arena full of people; you were an amazing individual. You pulled each and every one of us beyond ourselves.
