Part of the folklore behind Teddy Pony was how he came to be a part of the Friedrich/ Winning Ways herd.  This is an excerpt from Newton’s Eulogy written in 2012: “When Newton heard that he was going to be a Grandpa he did a “Happy Dance” jig and told Kelly to go buy that little buckskin pony for his grandchildren. Newton has since spent many happy hours with the two “little angels” on birthdays, Halloween and Christmas where he enjoyed their love and laughter, being one of his greatest sources of happiness.”

Since the eldest angel is now 18, that means that Teddy joined the herd in 2006.  We saw Teddy first, at the Prairie and Forest Horse Show in the summer of 2006, and it was a short while later that we learned that we were going to be grandparents. The first photos of Teddy are from the winter of 06/07.

There are hundreds of pictures of Teddy on the computer.  Some just because he was cute, and many commemorating yet another human experience.  There are photos of Teddy carrying babies, mothers AND daughters, grandmothers and a whole range of adventurers. I had a very difficult time selecting some photos to present here.  I wanted viewers to see the full breadth of Teddy’s participation in life at Winning Ways. Everything from lessons, trail rides, cattle drives, bringing in the cows, Horse Shows, Playdays, Parades, and being a great little taxi to just go from one part of the yard to another.

Teddy was a very unique color and I’m sure that added to his charm and allure.  Teddy had an amber champagne coat color and the most bewitching amber/hazel eyes.  Those eyes mesmerized many a child and adult as well.  His tricolored mane and tail were all part of the champagne coat color. 

Unfortunately, Teddy developed heaves, and the past few summers of smoke filled skies were terribly hard on him.  His breathing could be heard all across the yard.  Additionally, about 4 years ago Teddy was diagnosed with Cushings Disease and was given steroids to combat that.  He gained a great deal of weight, and it was hard to feed him, because he could absolutely not have anything dusty, and grass made him gain more weight.  We tried to keep him in a very overgrazed paddock where there was not too much grass.  This winter he lost a great deal of muscle mass and was in danger of falling because he had become so unsteady.  It was time to say goodbye.

Teddy will be missed … by the “little angels”, who have grown into fine young women, by the many Winning Ways crew members who got to know the cute, little, buckskin pony in one way or another, by my family and myself.  

Elegy for a Pony

In the quiet fields where once you grazed,

Now shadows linger, memories unfazed.

Your hoofprints etched in earth's soft clay,

A testament to paths we'd often stray.

With mane that danced in the gentle breeze,

You carried dreams beneath tall trees.

But now you've journeyed to distant shores,

Leaving behind these empty moors.

Your eyes, like pools of midnight's hue,

Held secrets of the world you knew.

In every gallop, a song would rise,

Echoing beneath vast, open skies.

Though time has stilled your sturdy frame,

Your spirit roams, untouched by blame.

Elegy for a pony, noble and true,

In fields of dreams, we'll remember you.

So let the stars guide your onward flight,

As you roam through the realms of night.

Though parted now, our souls entwine,

In the tapestry of memory divine.

- Sarah Waters