GoHorseShow is heartbroken to report the passing of well-loved youth horse, Picasso By Q (Boomer), who was owned by Carly Veldman of Colbert, Georgia. Anyone who has spent time with Carly is most likely aware that Boomer was her baby and they had a very special bond.
“Boomer had an HYPP attack, and unfortunately, he didn’t recover this time,” says Carly, who was teary eyed when talking about her equine friend. “He was taking medicine and we usually are able to get him through it, but his attack started in the middle of the night and we caught him too late this time.”
The eighteen year-old gelding was by halter stallion, Quorum and had an astounding 7,283 points. He was also a 17-time APHA World and Reserve World Champion in a variety of events ranging from Working Hunter to Western Riding. He was a true all-around horse that could compete and win in every event.
“I would do anything to have him back,” Carly told GoHorseShow. “He was my best friend and I couldn’t love him more. We grew up together and he taught me more than any person ever could. He got me through high school, came with me to college, and helped me start my career.”
Veldman, who is a well-respected horse trainer and judge, named her business, On Q Performance Horses, after Boomer because she says that he deserved the credit of getting her where she is today.
“Boomer was full of personality, and he was full of sass and would always test me in a fun way. He would do anything I would ask of him, but he would always add his special twist and spunk to whatever he did,” Carly recalls. “He had the biggest heart and a horse psychic once told me that Boomer believed that he was, ‘so much fun’. Not sure if I believe in psychics but I could definitely imagine Boomer saying something like that.”
Picasso By Q had the run of the farm, and he was allowed to go wherever he pleased. He loved to be the center of attention and would always make strange noises with his mouth when he believed he wasn’t getting enough attention. Boomer would knock on his stall when he was ready to be let out and he would roam around the farm.
“He was always in the middle of the arena watching lessons and causing trouble,” Carly remembers. “I remember one time when he pulled the bridle off one of the horses and took off running. He was more like a person and I would take him wherever I would go. I remember one time during Spring Break, I found a place in South Carolina where I could take him with me. I would study for tests in his stall. He was everything to me.”
Carly would like to thank everyone for all of the kind words and messages about Boomer. “It makes me so happy because I know how much Boomer was loved by everyone,” Carly says. “He was a once-in-a lifetime horse and it’s so amazing how many lives he has touched. I was so lucky to have him. It is just so hard to lose him because he was such a huge part of my life.”
