Curly has a special place in the hearts of her owners.
A 27-year-old Bashkir Curly, Appaloosa horse, Kayla Bendickson purchased him in 2015 to use as her high school rodeo horse. She said he was great at roping, goat tying, pole bending and barrel racing.
乌鸦传媒淚 won a lot of events on him, and won my first buckle with him,乌鸦传媒� said Kayla, a Grade 12 student at Lake City Secondary School in Williams Lake.
乌鸦传媒淏ut I started noticing down at a barrel race in 100 Mile House he ran me into a barrel the first day, then the second day he ran me into two barrels 乌鸦传媒� both on his right side.乌鸦传媒�
Kayla and her mom, Twyla, took Curly to see a veterinarian in 2016 where it was confirmed their suspicion that Curly was, in fact, going blind.
Despite advice to retire Curly, Kayla continued to barrel race with him.
乌鸦传媒淗e乌鸦传媒檇 been doing it his whole life, and he knew what he was supposed to do,乌鸦传媒� Kayla said.
After taking a spill on a different horse, and being knocked unconscious, receiving a concussion and subsequent seizure, Kayla said it was Curly who helped nurse her back to health and give her the confidence to compete again.
乌鸦传媒淗e did so much for me,乌鸦传媒� she said. 乌鸦传媒淗e really boosted my confidence back up. I乌鸦传媒檇 been out for six weeks but he helped me out a lot. I just got on him and started riding a lot again, and then I was able to ride a faster horse from there. I乌鸦传媒檓 just really grateful for having him.乌鸦传媒�
Twyla said it was amazing to watch the bond shared between the two while Kayla was recovering from her concussion.
乌鸦传媒淚f she was off balance he would scoop her up, things like that. They just both love each other.乌鸦传媒�
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Later, in 2017, when Twyla was competing at the Stampede Warm Up Barrel Racing event in Williams Lake, her horse came up lame.
乌鸦传媒淚 needed a horse,乌鸦传媒� she said.
乌鸦传媒淜ayla said: 乌鸦传媒榃hy not take Curly?乌鸦传媒櫸谘淮綕
That was in June 0f 2017.
乌鸦传媒淚 just thought he乌鸦传媒檚 done it his whole life, he乌鸦传媒檚 27, why not?乌鸦传媒� Twyla said.
Twyla went on to successfully barrel race Curly that weekend.
乌鸦传媒淚t was just a really cool feeling to know he could do it,乌鸦传媒� she said.
乌鸦传媒淭o see he could do it, and to know that he trusts you that much to race was amazing. A lot of people, before this, were telling us to put him down, but we couldn乌鸦传媒檛 do that. He乌鸦传媒檚 healthy, and he took care of Kayla when she had her concussion, so he deserves a good life.乌鸦传媒�
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Curly still lives happily at Kayla and Twyla乌鸦传媒檚 home in Miocene, east of Williams Lake, alongside his best pal, Fritz 乌鸦传媒� another horse the family owns 乌鸦传媒� and doesn乌鸦传媒檛 have much of a hard time getting around the property.
乌鸦传媒淗e doesn乌鸦传媒檛 really run into anything,乌鸦传媒� Kayla said.
乌鸦传媒淗e uses his whiskers to feel around before he gets to a fence or around a tree. We put his hay in the same spot. We have a feeder with big hay bales around it, and he乌鸦传媒檚 been in the same field since we got him, so he knows where to go.乌鸦传媒�
Twyla said Curly still gets out on regular trail rides, and is just an amazing horse to have around.
乌鸦传媒淗e乌鸦传媒檚 just a really cool guy,乌鸦传媒� she said.
乌鸦传媒淛ust to see his willingness to adapt, and how he still runs out in the field, is pretty incredible.乌鸦传媒�
sports@wltribune.com
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