^CH Unforgiven

I could pour out pages about ^CH Unforgiven (but just "Clint" to me) Yet I will try to be be summary!. My first sight of Clint was during Bonnie Blue 2000 when he and Mike Tunstall literally "marched" intothe Park Ho rse Class with as much presence as if it they owned ithe entire arena! Clint's pride in himself took my breath away, along with my equally breathless and far-away dream of showing such a magnificent horse. I dropped my paper cup in my chair, and until Clint left the ring,I left it where it fell!!! Fast-forward to 6 months later when Nancy Troutman took me and 2 other clients to KY to look for new horses. She announced the many barns we would visit, but left the names of the horses unspoken so that we would have no preconceived notions. When we stopped at Mike's barn, our very last visit, I had no paper cup in my hands to drop, but my jaw dropped just the same! There he was! My dream boy, Unforgiven! And I rode him!! What a thrill! It went so well hat Ididn't hear Mike and Nancy hollering to me" OK! That's good! That's enough!!. Stop!!! " So I kept riding ........as I did throughout the ongoing 8 years, after Iimmediately bought Clint and even throughout the later years when Clint and I switched to driving Fine Harness.

Clint was a dream-come-true. He personified my image of the perfect Saddlebred. He had talent, enthusiasm, pride, honesty, willingness, and the extra-added ingredient which I call"an interested eye"... meaning that nothing escaped his happy view of life. And he was the happiest horse that I've ever known.

I know I should list his biggest victories for everyone to read, but aside from our 2 apperances at the WGC in Freedom Hall, (where due to my green-horn operator errors) we placed 7th or 8th) there were so many other wins that astonished me and so I gave up keeping track, but I never gave up being happy and thrilled! (Perhaps you can track his wins thru ASHA if you feel it would add to what I've written. I most truly want to honor him in the best way!)

Clint was formally retired in 2009 during the ASHAV horse show which lauded him with all the full honors that he well deserved, and although I've had wonderful horses since then, there will NEVER be another Clint. We were made for each other. Since then, he's been here at The Big lonely, my farm, now at age 20, and he's still happy all these years later with his furry mountain- winter farm coat, his freedom in the pastures, and his nose buried in springtime grass. But what l love the best is that he's still enthusiastic about life, still in love with me, and especially happy with my attenti6ns to him which, of course, include his weight in treats and schmoozing! And of course, he's till number one in my life!
Karin Banks

Posted 3/2013