REMEMBERING APACHE

     I found this picture the other day while going through some old family memorabilia.  It was taken in the late 1940s. My cousins Elwood and Noel are on each end and my sister Jeanne and I are in the middle.  The horse is Apache.  I have to admit, I get a little misty when I look at it too long.
     My great grandad Jesse gave Apache to his grandkids Elwood and Noel.  She was a warm blooded mare out of his thoroughbred stallion, Gold Pan.  Great grandad Jesse bred and raised polo ponies.  I’m guessing that Apache didn’t measure up to polo pony standards and that’s why she ended up at Elwood and Noel’s house.
     Whenever we were at cousin Elwood and Noel’s, life centered around Apache.  Didn’t seem to matter if one or half a dozen kids were riding her she was the perfect baby sitter.  Apache was always quietly submissive and willing to pack us around for hours. Needless to say, we all fell in love with her.
     I can’t remember all the circumstances but when I was around twelve years old Apache foaled Nugget.  Nugget was a sorrel gelding about 15 hands with a white blaze and three white socks.  He was sired by one of great grandad Jesse’s stallions.  I learned how to ride on Nugget.  We spent many hours together over the years.  One of my most treasured memories of growing up is the time I spent with Apache and Nugget. 
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Making memories that last a lifetime is what Trailhead Youth Ranch is about.

God bless you all and happy trails,
 
Trailhead Tom