18 minute read
THE GIPPER EFFECT
by Ashley Perry
When I write, I like to draft everything out before I put it down into an article format, but when writing about Gipper, it comes straight from my heart and right to the paper. Our love was so profound and unique that even though he is gone, I still feel the same level of love I felt for him when he was with me.
I started competitively showing horses in 2014 when I got my first horse, Wedding Bouquet “Piper.” I was eleven years old at my first horse show, a late start in the show industry. After two seasons of showing Piper, I experienced enough to receive a more competitive show horse.
It was December 2015, and after my lesson one day, my trainer, Jess, called me into her office to tell me we were trying two horses the next day; one of them was Won For The Gipper. The amount of excitement in me could have made me explode. Gipper had just come off a New England Medal Final Championship and a National Championship. How was I lucky enough to have this opportunity? I impatiently went home from the barn that night, awaiting the next day. That night, I was barely able to sleep. Early the following day, my mom, sister, and I drove to the barn to meet my trainers. We finally arrived after a long two-hour car ride. At this point, the butterflies in
my stomach were going crazy. Remember, this was my first experience trying a fancy show horse.
Gipper’s trainer at the time took him for a couple of laps before I got on him, and his beauty and charisma enthralled me. He was Mr. Personality, which was apparent to his most distant stranger.
It was finally my turn to ride Gipper. The instant I swung my leg over his back for the first time, it felt different, and the rest of the ride only confirmed that initial feeling. It was something I had never felt before. If I had to describe it in one word, it was magical. Of course, I never wanted that ride to stop, but I could not wipe the smile off my face when it did.
My trainers were already at his stall, and by the time I got there, he was already
Photo by Caitlin Snyman
whinnying for me. I had only known Gipper for ten minutes, but when you see, you know. On both ends, that is. I had found my horse, and he had found his person. I describe what Gipper and I had as “love at first sight.” When you meet someone (or a horse) so unique that you know they have to be in your life, you cannot bear the thought of living without them. It also came with this feeling of peace and comfort. I will never forget that feeling I experienced with him.
I went home with a whole heart that night and was antsy to find out if he would become mine. At that point, it was three weeks until Christmas.
As expected, I would not stop annoying my mom about Gipper Updates. I would always get the same answer, “We will see what happens,” until one day, I was told something I never wanted to hear, “Ashley, we are not getting Gipper. It just did not work
out, but we are going down to Kentucky over Christmas Vacation to try some more horses”. You think any little girl would be happy to hear she was going to Kentucky to try fancy horses, but not me. I was heartbroken. I could not even listen to certain songs on the radio because they reminded me of the horse I had fallen in love with. It was about a week and a half until Christmas, so I focused on other things to get my mind off Gipper.
It was the last day of school before Christmas Vacation, and I had finally accepted that I would be going to Kentucky to try horses. I even tried to get excited about it and told all my friends. My mind was always on one horse. My last class of the day was science, where I failed my test, but I did not care because I was going to the
My mom picked my sister and me up from school, and the presence in the air was so thrilling- it was finally Christmas Vacation! We did our usual 30-minute trek to the barn, and when we got close, my mom decided that she needed Dunkin Donuts before we rode that day, which was very unusual for her. After our mysterious pit stop, we headed to the barn. If you know me, I like to make sarcastic comments to confuse people. I was that way even when I was twelve years old. As we pulled up to the barn, I noticed the horse trailer was pulled out and not in its usual spot behind the barn. Entirely joking, I told my mom and sister, “Oh, the trailer is pulled out; maybe Gipper is here.” As if things could not have been more strange, my mom wanted us all to walk into the barn simultaneously because a lesson pony had just passed away, and the mood might have been sad. Reluctantly, I went along with it and walked through the barn doors, practically holding hands, per her request.
Everyone was standing oddly and suspiciously when we walked in: my trainers, friends, and other lesson riders. I started to ramble about how I needed another wrist surgery, just another typical Ashley thing. In a split second, I was cut off. My jaw hit the floor as I saw my dad walk around the corner holding Gipper with a big red bow around his chest. The first thing I did was run up and hug Gipper, and then I immediately started crying. I could not believe the joke I cracked pulling into the barn had come true, and most of all, my heart was full. It felt like I had the whole world in the palm of my hand, and I did. He was my world. It did not take me long to figure out his quirky personality. He was a total diva who would throw fits if he did not get more peppermints. He ate his food on the side of his wall. His tongue trick was unique: when you bopped his nose, he would stick his tongue out to be yanked around and scratched. He was a character, but I loved it because we suited each other well.
Like any horse and rider combination, it took some time for Gipper and me to figure each other out, but once we did, we were an unstoppable team. In our first two seasons together, 2016 and 2017, Gipper carried me to a Reserve World Championship, a National Championship, and a top three finish in the New England Medal Finals. Riding on the high of these two seasons, I went into 2018 with high hopes.
When the 2018 show season came along, I admit, I was placing too much of my success on whether I was winning or not winning. In the horse world, winning is not an accurate measure of how good of a rider you are. A lot of discouragement came with this new mindset of mine. I knew if I wanted to regain my passion for the sport, I needed to make a division change, but I still only wanted to do it with one horse.
The summer of Show Season 2018 was terrific. Gipper and I made so many memories in our new division. Gipper even carried my sister to a World Champion of Champions win, and most importantly, I found my passion again and forgot about winning. Your horse does not know what ribbon they win; they know they did their job and cared for their person. Blue ribbons are just icing on the cake. You have already won if you enter the show ring with a horse you love.
It was a Saturday in Mid-October, a week from the Octoberfest horse show, where the New England Medal Finals are held. I was having my usual
lesson with Gipper when my trainers asked me a random question.
“Ashley, do you want to show in the medal next week for fun? No strings attached, no pressure. Just for fun”.
Before my division change, I had already qualified for the Finals, so I figured, why not? The fact I had not practiced a single pattern since April did not even bother me. We were not going to tell anyone of our plan and show up in the class. I was totally into this idea! I thought it would be funny.
A week later, I hit the ring with Gipper in the Preliminary phase of the Finals. We had one of our best classes; our rail work was exciting, and our pattern, to my surprise, was perfect. Later that day, I discovered we had made it back to the final phase that evening. I was ecstatic and ready to go out and have fun with Gipper. The New England Medal Finals have unique energy, and I was excited to experience it with my special boy again.
Before I knew it, it was time to suit up again and prepare for the final phase. That ride was thrilling. I remember every detail to this day, and I still cannot put it into words. I felt happy and confident with my ride when we were in the lineup. I was not expecting to win; I never expected to win, even to this day. Hoping to win sucks the fun out of everything. When all of the riders were asked to retire to the far end of the ring, the tension started to get high among everyone in the arena. The New England Medal is tied in reverse order, which is very expected. It came down to the last five riders, the last four, the last three, and finally, the last two. Gipper and I were among one of those two combinations. I did not know what to think. The journey of a season that had gotten me to that position was highly unusual.
The announcer announced the reserve champion, and it was not my name. At that moment, I felt a rush of so many emotions. The first thing I did was reach down and hug Gipper in tears. “I love you,” I said—the first words out of my mouth after we were given the championship honors.
My trainers ran in with hugs, tears, and the same emotions I had. Winning this honorable title is still one of my greatest honors. Winning this class made Gipper a two-time champion of the New England Medal Finals. I would do anything to relive this moment with Gipper and our loved ones surrounding us.
Show season 2019 came and went with a lot of happy memories together. At this point, Gipper and I were such a strong team that I rode him bareback to change it up. He was the fanciest and game show horse, but I could take him on a bareback trail ride in a halter without any fear. If I was taking him on a walk outside, it was better if I was on his back rather than leading him. He could be a crazy diva man being shown, but he would never try any funny business if I were on his back. He always took care of me.
When the world stopped in 2020, I leaned more on Gipper than ever. When the restrictions stopped me from going to the barn to see him, I was beside myself. Thankfully it did not take long until we could see each other again. At that point, show season 2020 was underway, and I was thrilled to show my boy again.
Although we stayed local for the show season, I made some of my best memories with Gipper. So many of our family members were able to come to watch us compete and experience our bond. I loved sharing the bond I had with Gipper with anyone and everyone.
Gipper got a very long winter break after the 2020 show season. After all, he was fifteen, and I wanted to give him a well-deserved break before our biggest season yet: my last year of junior exhibitor competition. From October 2020 on, he played outside, we went for our bareback walks, and it was full of particular bonding time.
January 20th, 2021. A beautiful sunny day, a remote school day, and golden retriever puppy cuddles. All was right in my world. It was 2:30 in the afternoon: I had just finished my school day, and I closed my laptop. I took Hazel, my puppy, outside to play. My mom pulls down the driveway from picking up my sister at school. Immediately, I knew something was wrong when she did not acknowledge me saying hi to her. Instead, she ran straight inside. With Hazel in my arms, I quickly went in behind her. I see her crying, and now I know something is seriously wrong.
I fell to the ground. No words could come out of my mouth, only loud sobs. Honestly, I do not think any words could describe the feeling of being told Gipper was seriously hurt. My chest was heavy, my breathing was staggered, and I felt like I had already lost a piece of me.
My mom, sister, and I jumped in the car and drove straight to the barn. We got there so fast we beat the vet there. We pulled behind the barn where Gipper’s stall was near. My trainer Jess came out first, while my other trainers, Sam and Emily, stayed with Gipper. I sobbed into her arms, harder than I think I have ever cried. She went back to Gipper when the vet got there. Sam came out, and I cried even harder. Throughout those few hours, one of my trainers was always with me, waiting outside in the car.
After a while, the vet came outside to our car to explain everything to us. Gipper’s broken leg was
so severe that nothing could have saved him or given him a quality life. At that moment, I knew I had to say goodbye to my best friend, my soulmate, and half of me.
The very moment the vet put Gipper to sleep, the sky opened up, and it began to snow. Remember, it was a beautifully sunny day, and there was never snow in the forecast. With all of my heart, I believe that was Gipper’s way of telling me he would be okay. The day we picked up his ashes, in April, it snowed again. I will never forget how much love I was surrounded with during that time. My family, barn family, friends, and many different people in the horse industry made me feel like I was not alone.
Photo by Caitlin Snyman
school for almost a week because I had to have my mom sleep in my bed with me for a month, and I could not drive for a very long time. When you lose a loved one so unexpectedly, it gives you a whole new outlook on life. I was afraid something would happen to myself or someone else I loved, so I went into a deep protection mode by doing all these things.
My goals for the 2021 show season had to change significantly now that I did not have my perfect Gipper. I knew I needed the challenge to keep my mind off of the tragedy that had just occurred. In February, my parents purchased a young horse, George, for me to compete in equitation. I was happy to learn about the journey of equitating a young horse and being their guide.
Show season came, and I was embracing my journey with my new horse. You have to understand that I had Gipper since I was twelve, so it was challenging for me to warm up to the idea of another horse being my partner. After a while, I started to have more fun with George, and I began to enjoy our journey together.
When we arrived at the Lexington Junior League Horse Show last year, I became a more timid rider and lost much of my confidence. I believe it was my brain going into protection mode again. Although I loved George very much, we were not clicking how I wanted to, and I knew it would be best if we parted ways. I will always love him and be thankful for what he taught me. He pulled me out of a dark place, and I know he will accomplish great things.
For the rest of the summer, I continued to show my pony, Cam. His witty behavior brought me a lot of happiness at a time when I needed it. I was excited to take him to the World Championship in August and compete with the best. We were looking for a new horse for me at this point, but we were not rushing it or too serious about it. After all, I was moving into college in a month. During the whole week of the World Championship Horse Show, I wondered if I would try any horses. Again, we were not seriously looking, but it is always fun to try horses out. On the very last day we were there, I showed Cam in our championship class. We did great, and we had so much fun. I was ready to leave Kentucky with a whole heart before moving into college the very next day. We had a flight to catch in two hours, but before we could go to the airport, Jess came up and told us that she wanted me to try a horse before we left. I was excited, but I was not banking on this horse being godsent for me.
We got to the practice ring, where we watched “Marty” warm up with his trainer before I got on him. He was five years old, flashy, and huge. I was in the middle of the ring with my three trainers; my mom and sister were outside the ring. My trainer, Sam, commented to me as we watched Marty warm up. “Wow, he reminds me a lot of Gipper with how he acts.”
I was thinking the same thing.
Marty’s trainer pulled him into the center ring, where I got on him. When I rode Marty that day, it was the same feeling I had when I rode Gipper for the first time. Magical. I never wanted that ride to end either. We clicked so perfectly from the first trot.
I could not stop smiling when I took him into the center ring to line up, and I jumped off of him and started petting him. Marty’s trainer started telling us about his personality, and my heart stopped when she said one specific thing. “He has this trick. It is so weird. If you poke his nose, he sticks his tongue out and likes it scratched”.
I do not even remember my reaction, but I can tell you that I knew right then that this was the horse Gipper had put in my life. Another horse with the same tendencies as Gipper was unheard of until then. It was love at first sight, just like it had been with Gipper. My trainers, mom, sister, and I returned to our stalls. We were all speechless. Even though we pretty much had no intention of bringing a horse home for me, we all knew that this partnership was meant to be. My trainers scrambled to get a vet to check on Marty while my mom, sister, and I promptly made our way to the airport. Marty was on the trailer to his forever home in a few short hours.
Throughout this entire journey, I have learned many valuable lessons by being put in situations I never thought I would be in. Horses give us our highest highs and our lowest lows. I never thought I would be on the journey I am now, but I would not have it any other way because I am more resilient and perseverent. Of course, I would do anything to have Gipper back with me, but he put a particular horse in my life to take care of me and heal my heart.
me every moment. Every day, I use the tools Gipper taught me; at work, school, and of course, with Marty. Gipper was the most outstanding teacher I ever had, and the final lesson he taught me left the most significant mark on me:
Never take your horses for granted. Take advantage of every ride, every snuggle, every victory, and even every loss. Take care of them. Be involved in the grooming before your ride and caring for them after your ride. Hug them. Kiss them. I just love them. Because their love for you is unconditional, be the best teammate you can be for them. Most of all, ride for the love you have for them.
You never know when it will end, so embrace every little moment you can with your special partner.
This article is dedicated to my late horse, Gipper. Everything I do is in honor of you.
