July/August 2024 Issue

The Directory Horse & Pet Cremation Emergency ServiceAvailable Harness/Tack/Leather Repair Horse Stalls Trailers Trailers Manure Removal kevin.bomgardner@aol.com Manure Composting For more information about advertising in The Directory please call (717) 509-9800. Reach Over 38,000 Horse Owners! EAST COAST EQUESTRIAN July/August 2024 Page 37 Remembering Accomplished Western Horseman, Terry Helder did not have time to record points or create an album afterward; it was back to work on Monday followed by riding in the evening to prepare for arduous weekends. We practiced every discipline from showmanship to gaming in almost any weather, like the post- man delivering mail. With jeans too tight and a stiff upper lip, sometimes I was scared as hell. What was important were the moments engraved in my heart. It is no secret that the year I first came to Evergreen, around 1986, was indeed a blessing. Expe- riences and events since then have molded who I am today. I went from being the so-called English rider who couldn’t maintain her seat on a black and white tobiano, Vicki, who jiggled like an angry rattlesnake, to a woman who learned to stick a saddle on a horse named Eyes a Mighty Goer, who pivoted in fear simply from a sad- dle pad hanging on a fence. There is no need to mention my awards or the fact that the one year I did succeed to make top twenty, APHA decided not to gift belt buckles. Instead, I won an engraved lead glass, a first-place relic that is stored in my china closet, visible to this day. The award is a reminder of the splendid year, the friend- ships, and bonds we made, lasting decades that I shall never forget. Even after 12-hour plus days, exhausting their skills to fit a rid- er to a horse, Peg and Terry still opened the doors and gathered us around their Lazy Susan to laugh and converse. But that is not what I treasure most. From a mother’s perspective, the high point of the last decades was the example they both provided, the guidance when my daughter, J.J., most needed it, and a safety net of dedication, determination, and hard work. For this there are no words. The awards and accom- plishments of Hobbys Roan Dee Voo and EF Southern Belle will forever be stalled in our hearts. The horses filled a void, taught valuable lessons that adhered to a young girl, and helped her create her own qualities of determina- tion and responsibility. We will be forever grateful for your gifts, your line of pres- tigious horses, and the character you molded, along with the Paint Alternative Competition points, Ranch Horse championships, Ex- treme Trail and Reining blue rib- bons, and 4-H titles, plus County, District and State trophies, just to name a few. I love every colossal and pocket-sized memory, even if it was forgetting a pattern in the middle of a class, or dress- ing Rhya for her angel routine, or standing on EF Southern Belle cracking a whip. Winning does not matter, it has been the journey! I was a disaster as a client, who haphazardly collected points and pictures. It was more about restoring J.J.’s trust and faith in herself. The hobby, for J.J., instilled the qualities that make her an incredible woman today. No mother could be more appreciative. Although the horses have transferred to new owners, I know they will continue to instill gifts beyond imagination because of Peg and Terry Helder. Forever grateful for the blessing of memories and his countless gifts, Terry Helder will be forever missed in the horse world and our hearts. And to his wife Peg, of 51 years. 24-7. Side- by-side. Trot-by-trot, you cared for us and our horses, and thank you hardly seems enough. May she find the strength from his legacy to move forward. Alicia Stephens Martin is au- thor of the Spurred to … trilogy, Private Mom and her latest nov- el, The Silver Cowgirls. All were influenced by her love of horses and experiences through decades with the Helders. A sequel, The Silver Cowgirls Ride Again, is scheduled for Fall 2024. (Continued from page 8) Don't Miss the HUGE September issue! Call East Coast Equestrian today to reserve your space! (717) 509-9800  www.eastcoastequestrian.net The Dressage at Devon Preview No other publication reaches this elite audience at home!