Sierra's Page

We lost one of the greatest on February 21, 2005.  Sierra died in her sleep in the pasture that afternoon.  Sierra was 34 years young and even rode Amber around the pasture the day before her death.  She was not feeling bad.  She had been in season all week and tormenting the geldings.  She taught me and all Rick's kids and several others to ride.  She was a once in a life time horse and we will miss her terribly.  We rest in knowing that she has a wonderful last seven plus years of her life and died a peaceful death. Sierra came to us in September 1997.  Rick and I were about to be married and realized that I needed an older horse to learn to ride on.  We scouted the papers and went to see a 15 yo horse out east of Tulsa.  When we arrived we found the starvedest critter you have ever seen on barren land.  Since we had had some mishaps Rick got to test ride her.  Sierra did everything you could ask for.  We bought her on site fearing that she might starve to death before we got back.  She was a whopping $600.  The first vet we showed her to let us know that she was not 15 as advertised.  She was closer to mid-20's, so he placed her at 26.  He also proceeded to tell me she would not make it through the winter. We took Sierra on Jess's Fall Color Ride and I worried the whole time that I was going to kill her.  She took her sweet time and taught me how to ride along the way.  She would stop and move her back under my rear so I would learn to be more centered.  She growled if I didn't lean back enough on down hills and forward enough on up hills.  She bowed a tendon about two years later and got some time off.  Amber had been begging to ride my horse so when Sierra healed she became Amber's (on loan).  Amber is a really great rider due to Sierra.  They won bareback games for years at Labor Day.  The kids after Amber didn't get to call Sierra theirs.  By then she was nicknamed "God's Horse" because we knew it was a matter of time. Along the way Sierra has done some amazing things.  You could put babies on her and she would barely walk and keep them on her back.  You put someone that knew something on her and she would fly.  If you could ride and pointed her at barrells or poles she would breeze past them and bring you a close to winning time every time.  (She did loose a step or two with age.)  She place two different years in the Tulsa County 4H shows and won the kid riding her a belt buckle in 2000.  Just this last year Madison won in a western pleasture class on her at the same show.  This was a horse that without practice you could take to the show ring and place to the end. As you can see on the other pages most of our animals have several names.  Sierra always "her her'd" for her friends and she had the wiggliest nose ever.  I will always think of her when a horse wiggle their nose at me looking for treats or peppermint. We know she was greeted in Heaven by Rick's horse Lady (who passed in Nov. 2000) and was Sierra's bestest bud.  The two greatest friends are reunited. Sierra, Wiggly Nose, Herher we will miss you dearly.  From all the riders you taught.  And there were many. Please email us with tales of Sierra and we will add them with time. Hope you enjoy our pictures.

Deb and Sierra in 1998 getting ready to ride at Oolagah Lake.

Use the Menu to see Lady's Tribute Page!

Deb and Sierra at the Sept. 2000 Oklmulgee Charity Ride.  Rick and Lady are close behind.  We were late and made up the distance running to catch the ride we wanted to be on.  She was not my main horse at this time.  Just let me have a good ride on that day.

Amber and Sierra in Sept. 2000 at Walnut Creek State Park

From left:  Harry, Deb, Sierra, and Angle Swift.  We are ready to do the Tusla Parade of Lights with the BGTRC.  Look closely.  This is the only time my First Place Headstall has been on a horse (Harry).  Harry was up to his name that day.  Very dirty.  :)  It took most the afternoon to clean him up.  When we pulled up Sierra she seemed to know what was going on and was trying to get under the brush and comb while I was trying to still get Harry clean.  :)  Sierra and Harry were perfect in the parade.  Other horses were scared and mine just stood.  Sierra walked the perfect parade walk.  Harry, the world's slowest trail horse was sped walking the whole time.  :)  We gave Harry to a well deserving home that understood his arthritic problems and learned he died the Winter of 2003.

These two are of Sarah and Sierra at the Aug. 2000 4H show in Tulsa.  Sarah was riding Sierra some and had some wonderful trail riding experiences on her.  This year she one the belt buckle and placed well in English and Western classes.  She also used Sierra in 1999.  Some time ask Sarah about what NOT to point Sierra at.  :)  She impressed lots of cowboys one day by asking Sierra to drink in a creek with vertical banks.  Sierra had a sense of  humor and took Sarah up the bank (about 12 ft or so) straight up.  Sticking each hoof in the sand and making the last part a jump on to the bank.  Needless to say no one followed.  :) Below:  Ashley and Sierra, Sierra Labor Day 2001, Lidnsey and Sierra in Clayton in Oct. 2002.