Twenty-two year-old Jessie Swickey of Edmond, Oklahoma never imagined that she would see, let alone own, her former horse, Zippos Leading Lady again. But through a series of “meant to be” events, that’s exactly what happened. Lady was being sold in the August On-Line Professional Horse Services auction. Jane Rollison, a friend of Swickey’s, just happened to see her the day of the auction and tagged Swickey on Facebook to let her know that she was in the sale.
“I panicked, screamed, freaked out, and my coworkers were looking at me funny because I was just in a hot panic,” recalls Jessie, who works as an AT&T Sales Representative. “My mom was in class and my dad was in a loan committee meeting. No one was answering the phone, so I frantically registered to be a bidder and placed a bid. Jane, my parents, and several other friends were all logged in bidding. I have a very hard time getting good cell phone reception at work so the last words I told my mom was, ‘do whatever it takes, please, this is it, I need her back.'”
Jessie continued, “The auction ended at 6:00 pm and I didn’t get off work until 7:00 and my phone died so once 6:00 came, I was still just as clueless. I ran out of the office and to the car at 7:00 where I charged my phone and saw the most amazing news–joyous tears and laughs. I finally feel like my heart is healed. I feel whole again. We were the winning bidder.”
Swickey, who has been involved with horses since she was 10 and showed on the AQHA and APHA circuits, says that no horse she ever owned touched her heart more than Lady. This two-time APHA World Champion Western Pleasure horse was her youth horse for only one year–her final year of youth, but this mare made a lasting impression. Her grandfather bought her Lady on one condition that she had to sell her the following year at the Youth Paint World before she left for college.
“I thought that was a win/win for me and I was all on board to make this all about business!” Swickey remembers. Swickey showed with Arturo Maestas her final youth year and found out about Lady through Arturo since he had her in his barn at the time. “What I was not prepared for was how much my heart would be filled with love, respect and admiration for Lady. There was something very different about owning her compared to my other show horses. I was crazy in love with her–little did I know how much Lady had won my heart the very first time I saw her.”
Swickey says that Lady’s personality at first was strictly business, “She made it clear that there was to be no lovey dovey pats, kisses or touching of the face.” However, Jessie said that Lady loved cookies. “Lady worked extremely hard, and she expected you to do the same,” Jessie recalls. Lady definitely made me step up my game, keep my legs still and be a much better rider because she would always tell on you if you weren’t contributing to the work. She was such a beauty queen and she was not about to allow poor rider mistakes have anyone furrowing their brow.”
In her last year of youth, Swickey and Lady quickly noviced out of their classes in their first show together. The team placed well at the Pinto World before she said the “dreaded” Paint World came up later that year. “I feel the extreme pain and respect for all youth riders who have to sell their youth horses. It’s the world’s worst break up that your heart never heals from and a reminder that your youth showing days are over.”
True to her promise, Lady was sold at the Paint Youth World. “Trying to comfort me, Arturo said, ‘One day she will have babies, so for now, you go to college, get a degree, find a great job and buy one of her babies some day so you will have a piece of her.'” Swickey said that she cried all the way back home to Oklahoma, pulling an empty trailer.
Yet, that sadness and emptiness was all about to change. This past Labor day weekend, Swickey and her mother traveled 12 hours to Minnesota to pick up Lady who is currently in foal to VS Flatline. Swickey talks about their reunion when she first saw her in the stall.
“I think she remembered me because, as mentioned before, she did not like to be hugged or have her face touched and she nestled right into my arms and hugged me right back,” Swickey says. “The whole way home looking in the driver side mirror and seeing her little white nose peeking through the trailer window brought a flood of emotions all over again. I cannot even believe she’s mine again and all I want to do is make a pallet in her stall and sleep with her every night!”
Swickey adds, “‘Arturo’s words keep ringing in my ears, ‘Go to college, get a degree, find a great job and buy one of her babies some day and you’ll have a piece of her.’ Never did I expect that would ever happen… let alone one of her foals and her. All the amazing feelings she brought to me while we were competing doesn’t even hold a candle to looking in that mirror and knowing I’m bringing her, home. My heart is so full.”
