PAINT GELDING

Turp

Turp was one of the first weanlings we bought at the Rocking W Annual Auction sale. 
Terry bought him as a weanling and Turp came home with another weanling we bought at the same sale - Tri Bars Jackie.

Turp was a flashy little guy but kind of pathetic looking when we got him.  I remember the auctioneer announcing that he would be a "big horse" someday.  I remember thinking the guy was just giving a sales line - introduction to my first lesson in genetics.  The announcer knew his horses and he knew with Turp's breeding he was going to be a big boy - and the announcer was right.  Turp is now a huge horse.
Since my husband bought Turp, he was his horse and he did all the training with him.  He did a pretty good job for someone who knew nothing when he started.  He got Turp to the point where he would ride him to town for coffee (we were about 1/2 mile out of town).

But my husband lost interest in horses and Turp was to be sold.

  One memory I have of Turp was right after we got him home.  We put him in our old barn, in a nice high box stall.  It wasn't much later we were sitting in the house looking out the window, probably talking about what a great purchase we had made and admiring Turp and talking about our dreams for him when we looked out the window and saw him trotting down the driveway headed for the highway.  We sprang into action but by the time we got out he was cruising down the highway at a full gallop taking the time to make a left turn at the lights at the corner and then he was headed east.  No halter on, as far as I know had never really been handled  at this point - just straight from his momma into a trailer - blasted around a sale pen - then another trailer ride and run into a stall - and now he was free - how in the world were we going to get a hold of him?

Old Joy provided the answer.  We didn't know a whole lot about horses yet, and Turp had not actually met Joy yet either, but we thought if we would ride out to him he would follow Joy home.  By the time I saddled Joy and rode out to where Turp was he was one and half miles away - but the plan worked perfectly.  I rode right up to him and he followed her like she was his momma.  I rode Joy right home, down the driveway and into the barn and then we closed the doors before I got off.