Diedra and Bandit
Eight years prior to getting involved with Rodeo City Equine Rescue I was working for the Department of Agriculture placing Apple Maggot traps in trees around Ellensburg. At one of my stops a paint mare had just given birth to a black and white baby boy. My husband had dreamed of having a black and white paint. I wanted to surprise him so I had asked the owners if they had intended on selling the colt once he was weaned. They said “no, they were going to keep him for their grandkids when they came to visit”. I never forgot about that little black and white colt. I thought about him often throughout the years.
Jump ahead 8 years when I started volunteering at Rodeo City Equine Rescue. I decided that I would help out and start fostering. I was asked to pick up and foster my first horse; there were two horses coming in from the same place, a mare and her eight year old son. I was fostering the gelding and the mare was going to another foster home. This was as much information I had about the two horses.
As we were driving out to pick up the two horses I was telling my husband about the black and white colt that lived out in this area that I tried to get for him eight years ago. We kept getting closer and closer to where the colt’s home was and then we turned down the driveway. We were picking up that colt and his mom. I couldn’t believe it!
The colt, Love R Bandit (Bandit), never left his mom or the property and was not broke. As you can imagine he was a bit timid and not sure of the world…not exactly a husband safe horse. Because he wasn’t a husband safe horse we would not be adopting him. However, there was something incredibly special about him. He tried so hard for me and our trust in each other grew and grew. He was fostered at my house for almost 6 months without a single inquire about him. The more time I spent with Bandit, the more I fell in love with him. Finally, I talked with my husband about adopting him…he had found his forever home with us. It turned out that he was never meant for my husband he was meant for me, my soulmate.
After 12 hours under saddle I entered us into an ACTHA competition, this is not something I would normally do with a green horse but Bandit was different, our connection to each other was different. We didn’t win the competition that day (we didn’t come in last either) but to me he was a champion that day and everyday since the day I picked him up. He puts his whole heart and being into everything he does and continues on even if it is scary. He is constantly reminding me that scary moments in our lives are only moments. If we push through them they are no longer scary. I think of him when a scary obstacles comes into my life and I continue on. Bandit’s heart, willingness, and trust is like none I have ever known. My heart smiles every time I think of him.
-Diedra
