Best Of Me

Best Of Me

I came to the harness racing industry in January of 2012. In my interview with Mike he told me that I was to NOT fall in love with any of the horses, because in this business they come and go. Owners will buy and sell and chances are very high that you’ll only be around a horse for a couple years. That didn’t sound hard to me at all. I had my own riding horse that i loved dearly. So another horse wouldn’t come in the way.

So i thought!

I was assigned six horses to care for and one of them happened to be Snooze. He was this big, gorgeous two year old bay pacing colt but he was a giant a$$! We didn’t get along at all. He was still a stud and an ornery one at that. He was constantly trying to bite and kick me all the time. Everyday was a constant battle with him and I strongly disliked this horse.

Then came the week i got the flu. I couldn’t afford to take the time off from work, so i sucked it up and went. That week happened to be the week Snooze would lose all man hood. He was getting cut. I remember this like it was yesterday and not almost five years ago. I walked into his stall the morning after he got cut and i just looked at him. He looked like how i felt, miserable. So i finally just said “Bud, i don’t feel good and you don’t feel good either. So can we please just be cool?” He stood there for a moment and looked at me before walking up to me and placing his head against my chest. That was the first moment he had ever shown me any compassion.

And that was the moment i fell in love with him.

The next thing I knew Snooze and I had become best friends. He had become the reason I woke up in the morning and went to work. He knew how to start my day off right when i would walk in the barn. He was always so excited to see me. This horse had become my world. He was all that i talked about. And he was just as in love with me as i was him. He'd make me laugh when id take him out to his paddock so he could run and play. He'd stand by that gate and knicker as i walked away as if to say, "where are you going come play?"

Snooze was the horse you see in the movies. He and i would run around together in the paddock and id lay down in his stall with him and take a nap. He hated to see me give attention to anyone but him.  

Fast forward to the next year, 2013. Snooze didn’t make it to the track as a two year old. I came back for summer vacation from Vincennes, beyond excited to see my favorite boss and favorite race horse. Snooze and i were inseparable. I thought when I left for school it would have changed but nothing had. 

I had to stay with him at all times in the paddock at Hoosier or else he’d throw a temper tantrum that would result in security coming to find me. He didn’t like others being around me except for mike. He knew I was his person and he was my horse. We were like peas and carrots!

I was able to convince Mike to let me break him to ride. And it only intensified our bond. We'd go out there and just forget everything. 

But racing came to end for the season so Mike and the other guy who owned Snooze decided to send him out east to race for the winter. I wasn't fond of the idea but i knew he’d come home in late January. I also knew the couple that would be training him would treat him well and spoil him like i did. So everything was going to be okay. 

or so i thought.

Snooze was racing very well out there. Repeatedly placing second in his races. So he’s homecoming date got pushed until what was looking like Valentines day. Which i was thrilled because i had just gone through a breakup and who better to be my valentine then my horse. It was great and i was so happy to see his success. But with the success came offers to buy him. 

February 12th, 2013 I received the text message that the offer had gotten to high to refuse and just like that Snooze was gone. And my heart had shattered. The breakup i had been going through seemed minuscule to this. I had just lost my best friend. He was no longer coming home but was on his way to New Jersey. 

I watched and waited patiently, trying to not lose hope that he would someday come home. But it got hard watching him come up for sale and not being able to afford the price. i was losing hope in ever seeing my best friend again.

Snooze eventually left New Jersey and made it to Ohio. Which was a little closer to home. A trainer had him and he was eventually claimed in a claiming race by a man named Greg and his wife Wendy. How did i know this? Because my mom was able to find out who the lucky person was to have Snooze. 

We were able to tell him the story of Snooze and I and that if he ever came back up for sale to let me know. He agreed and kept me up to date on how Snooze was, sending pictures and videos of Snooze eating bananas. I couldn't have asked for him to be with people that treated him as well as they did. They spoiled him just like he deserved.

I recently had shoulder surgery so i have spent quite a bit of time sleeping due to my pain medication. Thursday was different though. I went to the doctor because my pain had started to increase and my medication wasn't doing anything to help except making me sick. So i went to the doctor where they made sure there was no infection and changed my medicine. Which actually helped. So i came home took my medicine and fell asleep.

I woke up to some missed calls and texts and one voicemail. I checked the message and what i heard made my heart stop. Greg had called asking if i still wanted Snooze and to give him a call. Of course the first thing i did was freak out, yell for mom, and call mike. I told mike what was going on and that i was getting ready to return the phone call. I was nervous because i didn't know what was going to happen.

So i called Gregg and asked what was going on. He told me that they had decided to stop racing Snooze and were wanting to know if i still wanted him. Which of course i replied with a yes. I asked him what were we looking at with the price which immediately made my heart speed up. But his response shocked me.

"We talked and decided we would just give him to you."

I cried in that moment. I was so surprised he could understand what i was saying. I cried because this couple was so graciously giving me my horse back, my best friend. I cried because God had answered my prayers. I couldn't believe it. I couldn't believe that after two years i would finally get to see my best friend again. This time i would own him.

We decided it'd be to long of a haul for me for just having shoulder surgery. So we set it up for someone to pick him up at North field and to meet us in Dayton on Sunday. I hate not being able to thank this amazing couple in person for taking such amazing care of my horse and for letting me have him. But they will forever be a blessing to me. I am so grateful that God had them claim Snooze. I am beyond grateful to God for them.

Sunday I will be reunited with my horse. I don't know how long the next couple days are going to seem due to my excitement but Sunday better hurry up. But this brings me to this. No matter how hard some things are. No matter how long things seem. No matter what happens, God will bring you through it. God will give you a happy ending and God is always listening. It may have taken two years but God set all of this up.

There is always that one horse that will impact your life and forever leave a mark. That one horse that will change your life. I've dreamed of this moment for two years, because that horse is Snooze.

Jesus is the Wayy!!

~ Lexi