RJ Smith - R.I.P.

We didn't know RJ very well, but still, his passing saddened us because he was a genuine horseman, a nice person - and a bit of an unconventional horse dealer.

By the time we met RJ we had a long and unsuccessful spell behind us trying to find the right horse for JP. His previous experience with a "well broke" draft-horse cross resulted in five broken ribs and a permanently crooked finger. As we found out the hard way, once fed and drug free the "well broke" horse turned out to be a world-class bucking bronc.

Sandy suggested we contact RJ. He was the local cowboy, helping with problem horses, trailer loading, etc. So I called RJ and asked if he would have a "babysitter" for my husband. First there was dead silence, then came with a drawl "Well, Ma'am, somebody just traded in a young Quarterhorse for a gaited mule". Oh great, I thought, what's wrong with this Quarterhorse if people trade him in for a mule?? RJ insisted that the horse was "really nice". OK, well then, we decided to check him out. Oh, did I mention the horse's name was 'Country Twister'? Hopefully the saying "Nomen est Omen" didn't apply!

At RJ's no frills place a sturdy five year old Palomino was waiting. RJ in person turned out to be a very nice man, who had spend a good part of his life on the rodeo circuit - and looked the part. Without further delay RJ suggest to JP to "go try him along the road". Sharp breath intake on my side: It was a busy paved road with cars flying by at 70 MPH. That went just fine, but keeping lessons learned in mind I was not sold yet. So RJ invited JP back to go on a trailride "with the guys". Yep, great idea: Take a beginner on an unfamiliar, green horse out in the middle of nowhere! But clearly, RJ wasn't worried about JP getting killed. (For the record: I was!). The man just knew how to read a horse and assess quickly if horse and rider were a good match.

And a "trailride with the guys" it turned out to be: Four hours fast paced riding over rough terrain, fueled by a potent Whiskey-Cola mix. Needless to say, JP came home beaming and sold on the horse. Just to be on the safe side, lest the name might be an indication of things to come, we gave 'Twister' a gentler name: Chambord (a beautiful castle in France, build of stones in color similar to a Palomino).


While this process certainly had some nerve-wracking moments by not being your typical "try out the horse in the arena" standards, it was nevertheless a fun experience. We enjoyed the interaction with a true and gentle horseman who sold us an honest horse. It sounds so simple - but yet it is very profound.

So, RJ: Thank you - Godspeed - May you always ride a good horse and have plenty of Whiskey-Cola with you!