Northwest Hoof Prints

December 2008

Stormy
(Tia's Desert Storm)
by Merri Melde

These are my favorite photos of my (most beautiful) horse (on the planet), Stormy (Washington-bred Tia’s Desert Storm), who raced at Emerald Downs 1996-98 for Alana Goff and in 1999 for Doris Crozier and Chris Stenslie. He won $45,880 in his career. I got him from Chris at the end of 1999 and retired him from racing. Since then he has actually earned a little of his keep in California as a pack string leader for the US Forest Service and as a wrangler’s horse on a big dude ranch. Now he hangs around with endurance horses in Idaho, eats (a lot) and spends time in and out of Weight Watchers programs. At age 17, he gets ridden occasionally on trail rides when he is sound and not suffering from navicular.

Against a backdrop of the Sierra Nevada Mountains in California.

With his herd in Oreana, Idaho.

“Stormy Pumpkin” in Bridgeport, California.

Amid rabbit brush in Bridgeport .

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May not be reproduced without written permission.

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