This amazing California Appaloosa story has its roots on the
outskirts of Pensacola,
Florida. According to Diane Morgan-Duacsek, Pensacola was a
mere speck on her road map itinerary and never dreamed the
horse of her life would be found in such an out of the way
place. Diane had been on a quest for some time, to find the
perfect hunter/jumper and had purely by accident, stumbled
across Oak Meadow Farm.
Happening upon the farms roadside sign, Diane pulled off
the highway and followed the driveway to the barn. She inquired
about prospects and was informed of a near four-year-old
unbroke mare that resided out in the north forty. Diane was
quick to decline, stating that a three, soon to be four-year-old
unbroke, Appaloosa mare was the last thing she would ever
consider, thanked the owners and drove on.
As fate would have it, three weeks later Diane found herself
once again passing through Pensacola, and decided to give ‘that’ filly
a look. Once she laid eyes on Lets Fly, she was overcome
by a powerful hunch to take a chance on the young mare and
purchased her on the spot.
Foaled on February 20, 1976, the colorful mare, sired by
Leo Patchy and out of Zumbrota Bay Snip, had been officially
registered as Let’s Fly,
by her breeder Elaine Koehler of Lillian, Alabama.
Admittedly, Diane didn’t feel at the time that she
knew a thing about the Appaloosa
circuit but thanks to her good friend Karen Thomas, upon
whose insistence she and Fly entered their first Cal-Western
approved show in 1984. The pair were entered in two jumping
classes and exhibited against 20 plus contenders in each
class. By days end Diane and Fly were in possession of the
blue ribbons for their outstanding performances for both
classes!
Diane never put Fly with
a breed trainer, but for herself, felt comfortable
showing the regional ApHC and open show circuits, and
for many years didn’t
even consider showing Fly all around until the mare
was nearly 15.
After many years of showing on both the open and ApHC
breed English division circuits in the disciplines
of dressage, eventing and jumping, the pair began competing
in the western classes. They added Suitability for
Dressage (Hunter In Hand) and Saddle Seat when Fly
was 15, Heritage at 16, then the speed events were
added when she was 18!
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In retrospect Diane says she wishes
she had done it all when Fly was much younger but then smiles
and admits to extreme pride in Fly; that she picked up and
was willing to try everything and anything, learned it well
enough to be most competitive and on a National level at
that.
In October of 1998 Fly was stricken with a near lethal bout
of laminitis. Diane and Fly miraculously worked through the
laminitis and in June of 2000 were again showing and winning
on the Open All Breed Dressage circuit.
In Fly’s long and illustrious career she was widely
recognized and admired in both her worlds of breed and open
circuits and was known far and wide as a great Appaloosa
Ambassador. At the young at heart age of 26 years, Fly was
selected by the Equine
Affaire’s Olympic Dressage Clinicians for their demonstrations.
They were so very
impressed with Fly’s attitude and performance abilities
that they contacted Diane for a return appearance and performance
the following year.
Always known for her gentle spirit especially with the youth
handicap riders, Fly took many youngsters for their first
rides and toted more than a few to their first blue ribbons
that could and did change a child’s life with new found
confidence and optimistic outlook. Wherever Diane went with
Fly they had the ability to draw a crowd. With Fly’s
flashy color as a draw and her kind disposition she could
be counted on to remain absolutely still as wheel chair bound
children would pull up next to Fly in order to pet and feed
her treats. Fly always looked and acted as if she enjoyed
this as much as the children.
Let’s Fly passed away on December 4, 2003 at the age
of 27 and has left a huge void in Diane’s life but
she considers herself to have been blessed with all the wonderful
years she has spent with Fly. Just five days after Fly’s
passing Diane was presented with a third level Amateur dressage
award.
Diane has many, many favorite memories of Fly to tell but
she puts it best in her own words; “I have so many
great memories of Fly; she did so many things and affected
so many people’s
lives. All manner of things that most Appaloosa people may
not even be aware of. For instance, she was a Girl Scout
Badge horse for
many local troops where we would work with scared girls;
by the end of the lessons they would have their arms around
Fly planting kisses and hugs on her roan hide. Or the time
she was presented at the Just Born, Inc., annual meeting
in 2000; when that story made the newspapers, Fly was featured
standing next to their marketing
director eating “Peeps” candies! But of all my
memories, it would have to be galloping through the fields
with our friends on trail rides, swimming, or the reading
of stories toFly with my niece Raquel, who had learned to
ride Fly by tapping her feet when she was just 2 years old;
going to ropings for a lark and chasing cows with the ropers.
But most of all I will always be in awe of the way Fly loved
life and especially the children”.
Story by Patti Ansuini © 2004
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