“To see a horse is to see an angel on Earth.”
-Unknown-
On January 16th, Chad Christensen and his barn family at Christensen Show Horses welcomed a beautiful sorrel embryo transfer filly by VS Code Red and out of their late multiple APHA World Champion Mare, Sleek Sensation. There was already a lot of anticipation about the foal because of her breeding and the loss of her dam last year, but the timing of her arrival provided some incredible comfort and perhaps otherworldly presence.
Three days before the filly’s birth, Sally Bowser, the longtime client and friend of Christensen Show Horses, lost her battle with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, (COPD). Her barn family was mourning the loss of such a significant presence, and they all knew that life at the barn and horse shows would undoubtedly never be the same.
Sally’s journey with Christensen Show Horses began four years ago when Drenda Chappell called Chad and told him she had a special friend looking to buy a paint horse. “Sally had shown quarter horses before, but since she was disabled and had some health issues, she needed a special horse to take care of her. And that horse would have to be able to tolerate her three-tier mounting block, oxygen tank, and scooter that she used to get around a lot of the time,” he says.
Despite her health, Sally (pictured right) always dreamed of showing at the World Show. Immediately, she started practicing diligently to attain her goal.
After realizing her dream and collecting top ten accolades in Amateur Walk/Trot events, Sally continued to dream big. “She eventually started dreaming bigger and purchased Who Painted Me, also known as ‘Taco,’ to be more competitive at the bigger shows and finally decided to start loping and showing in the novice amateur classes,” says Chad.
Sally called Taco her wonder horse, and Chad knew that they were a match made in heaven and that he never had to worry about her when she was on him. “A bomb could have gone off and Taco would have just stood there and taken care of Sally. They were made for each other,” he recalls.
During the past year, Sally started having to wear her oxygen more and more and sometimes she even had to wear it while she was riding. “We knew her health was declining because she was hooked up to oxygen most of the time and spent more and more time on her scooter,” says Chad.
Despite being ill, Sally continued to be a mentor for everyone in the barn, especially the kids. “She was always taking the time to play with the kids,” Chad recalls. “She would drive all the kids around on her scooter, and as an ex-school teacher, she would always take the time to talk to them about school and encourage them to take their studies seriously.”
Cara Christensen, Chad’s daughter (pictured left), loved Sally and always looked forward to time spent with her both at the barn and the horse shows. “She was one of those people everyone loved. Sally was never negative, and she never had a bad word to say about anyone. She told the best stories and always kept us laughing. Sally had her two passions, riding horses and buying things on QVC, and she was happy just being a part of our world and sharing her world with us,” he says.
Around Christmas, things took a turn for the worse. “Sally told me she wasn’t feeling well and she kept going to the doctor. One day, her breathing became so labored that she called the ambulance to take her to the hospital and she was never able to recover,” says Chad.
Sally spent her final days at the hospital in Denton, Texas and her barn mates visited her every day. She passed on January 13th, 2017 surrounded by the people who loved her most, telling stories about horses and all of the good times they spent together.
A few days later, a silver lining appeared in a dark cloud when the Christensen’s welcomed their new sorrel overo filly into the world. “When I brought Cara over to meet our new foal for the first time, I asked her what she thought we should name her, and she immediately said she wanted to call her Sally.”
Through many tears and a tremendous loss, they agreed that Sally was the perfect name for their new foal. There was a comfort knowing that their new filly’s name is Sally, who got her wings just days before the foal’s birth.
“To have this filly is an honor. I feel like she was sent specially to us by her mother, Sleek, and Sally. Usually, I sell my horses, but this filly will probably be around for a while. I hope she turns into a great one and leaves a legacy as impressive as her namesake,” he says.
Along with Sally sending the gift of the filly from Heaven, Sally Bowser left her mark not just on her barn family, but the entire horse industry.
“Sally taught us that if you want to do something, you should always dream big and never let anything stop you. Honestly, Sally shouldn’t have been able to ride horses, but she wasn’t going to let anything stand in her way and steal her joy. She was one of the strongest people I have ever met and she fought through every bit of adversity to live her dreams. Her presence in our lives was a gift,” says Chad.
Many of her barn mates and people in the horse industry have been using the hashtag “#rideforsally” to keep her memory alive and to remember the joy she brought to their lives.
We send our sincerest condolences to Sally’s family and her entire Christensen Show Horses family for their tremendous loss. We hope you find comfort in the arrival of Sally the filly and that she continues to remind you of the joy that Sally brought to your lives for many years to come.
