LISTEN TO HIS SONG! https://youtu.be/_t262zn5Fb0
Once in a blue moon, a rider is lucky enough to own a horse that can do it all, safely, willingly, and will right you when you’re wrong. Souvenir Chanson, is just such a horse, and when I purchased him 24 years ago, I was just hoping that he would be the perfect show horse for my youngest daughter, “K”. She had sadly outgrown her pony, “Oatsie Daisy” and was ready for her first Morgan show horse. K was a spirited saucy child, noisy, often lacked focus, but she also had that certain je ne sais quoi that got her noticed. She was the “squeaky door gets oiled” type of child, so, not just any horse would have been a good fit. My older daughter “S”, was a quiet elegant rider who loved a complicated horse, got along with mares, and could tame a contrary beast, and make it look effortless. Surely, none of her past rides could be handed down to a wild tornado of a girl!
A friend of a friend of a friend told me about a gelding that had been driven hooked to a large cart all over a small town in Oregon, in traffic; he had been on stage in a play, had ridden in an elevator, and was gorgeous — dark liver chestnut! His size and price were right, and I bought him and had him shipped to Oklahoma. He arrived unfazed by the long trip, and thus began his adventures as a child’s mount! K was 9, and the horse was 11.
Souvenir Chanson came with the call name “Chance”, and by chance, he was one in a million. He forgave rider mistakes, was unflappable, and he loved his girl! Patient and kind, putting up with erratic grooming, loud noises, fast and unexpected rider movement, singing, hugging, cats or dogs, he was a horse you could count on. This upcoming April 30, 2016, Chance will have his 35th birthday, and as a tribute, I dedicate this blog with tears in my eyes and a catch in my throat. He is that special.
K was showing what is called “walk/trot” when Chance came into our lives. Chance was much taller and bigger than Oatsie Daisey, he had a long stride (and a longish back) so K had some real catching up to do. Her first Grand Nationals was on Chance, walk/trot, and the class was huge! About 20, more or less, kids riding “saddle seat” in the area, and its surprising no one had a mishap with so many young riders. A lot of the kids were riding very expensive horses too, and Chance’s price was a bargain. A horse is only worth what someone is willing to pay, they say, and Chance’s price was cheap, we didn’t know before that time, that we got more than we bargained for. Because of his huge trot and his love of traveling forward, K must have circled the arena more than twice what the other kids did! He knew what he was about; although Kelsey was flirting with the judges and the audience, Chance took control, showing them both off to full advantage. He knew the commands and when the ringmaster asked for the trot, he was off! The ringmaster called for reverse – Chance reversed, he knew the voice command for “walk” and when the judge asked for the kids to line up – he was the first to line up and park-out. When the judge asked K to back, Chance was on auto-pilot! She was top 10 (8th) out of a lot of fancy horses her first show. Chance didn’t care about the judges placing, he knew they had won!
By the time K was ready to move up to the walk/trot/canter, she and Chance had become a real team. Chance later was shown western, hunter and hunter over jumps, classic, equitation and driving. He could do it all. Finally, K had outgrown him, and was moved up to another horse, but luckily for us — and Chance, the stable where we trained bought Chance as a lesson/show horse.
For over 20 years Souvenir Chanson taught many children and adults to ride. His canter was a true “rocking horse” canter, and many who had trouble learning to canter found their way, learning on Chance. After he retired from being ridden, he still loved the kids, and has been used as a model for kids to learn to groom, braid mane and tail, in summer camps.
HAPPY 35th BIRTHDAY CHANCE, WE’RE SO GLAD YOU CAME INTO OUR LIVES AND THE LIVES OF ALL AT MAJIC STABLE! YOU ARE TRULY OUR SOUVENIR CHANSON, “MEMORABLE SONG”, THANKS FOR THE MEMORIES.
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