One time my father was driving this horse and this rig, taking my young cousin on the little road to Four Winds Farm, in So Reading, Vermont, a farm owned by Mrs Derby, and rented each summer by Admiral Joel and Mrs Boone.
Suddenly, the reins went slack in Dad's hands, The snaffle bit ring had broken, and there was no bit in Bongo's mouth. He was trotting down a slight incline, and as he started trotting faster, he broke to a canter, then to a gallop.
The cart careened around a curve, tipped over, and both Dad and my cousin got flung out, but weren't hurt.
Bongo stopped, and somehow the Meadowbrook wasn't smashed, but my little cousin was crying from understandable fright.
Along comes the indomitable Mrs Ethel Derby, President Theodore Roosevelt's daughter, then in her late 70s. Mrs Derby sits down with Carol, and says, "Why, aren't you the LUCKIEST girl! What an AMAZING adventure you have had to tell all your friends about. Won't they wish that THEY had been in a runaway!
Within a minute or so, she had my cousin laughing and excited to tell all her friends about her fun day with Uncle Ed.
(Post written by Denny Emerson, copied without permission -- but, I don't think he'd care that I've posted it here..)
Posted by Tamarack Hill Farm on Monday, October 19, 2015
No comments:
Post a Comment