Today I laid to rest an old friend

Little Bita Coker "Beauty"

by Marshall Coker, AQHA 2X Supreme Champion

1984-2011

Today I laid to rest a lifelong friend.  I have been grieving her death for weeks leading up to today.  It was hard to fathomparting with her.  I mean...I have had her since I was 15..I'm 38.   To say Beauty has been with me through all of life's ups and downs is an under statement. 

I remember the year I got her.  My Mom and Dad had recently divorced, and life was really hard for me at the time.  My cousin Earl wanted to get back into horses but didn't have the time to dedicate since he was a busy attorney at the time.  So I remember he told me if I found the right horse and set everything up, he would consider making the investment.  So I started right away making phone calls, researching blood lines, etc.  And I found Beauty. 

She was just a 2 year old when we got her.  And since she had not been handled much, the first couple of years were, well, interesting...  But around the age of 6 she really came into herself.  And it was also around this time that people would just come up and start talking to me about her, about how they couldn't get over how pretty she was.  She Was pretty, picture book pretty.  Up until she was about 10 I had offer after offer to sell her, and I just couldn't.  She was family.

Beauty always had a way with kids too.  So many little children experienced their first ride on a horse on Beauty.  I remember when my niece Jessica was just little, maybe 18 months or so, she would come stay with Mom and I and right at the crack of dawn she would come find me and her little fingers would peel back my eye lids and say in the cutest little voice, "Aunt Dicki, when are we going to go feed BEEEUUUTTTYYYY?"  Lol.  She had to annunciate each syllable of Beauty's name.  So Jessica also had her first horse ride on Beauty.  It was so cute too, because as soon as her little butt hit Beauty's back she would squeal and giggle as she held onto Beauty's mane.

Once I graduated from highschool, I still continued to do barrel racing, on a small scale, mostly local county rodeos.  Beauty loved the barrel pattern.  As soon we lined up to go in the ring she would start hopping up and down with her front feet, like she couldn't wait to get going.  Aside from barrel racing and showing, Beauty was just my buddy ya know?  I can't even tell you how many times I had a bad day at work or a fight with a boyfriend, and I'd walk out to the barn, bury my face in her mane, and just cry.  She would always reach around and nuzzle me as if to say, "It's ok, I'm here for you."

There are so many memories I have of Beauty, I could probably write for hours and still not cover everything.  I just wanted this post to honor such a great horse, and great friend.  A horse that crossed the boundary long ago of just another horse, she was family...and she will never be forgotten.

Beauty, I hope that now you are in horse heaven somewhere, running with no more pain in your legs.  Maybe Mom is even getting a chance to ride you now that you both have been restored to total health.  I love you Beauty.  There will never be another horse like you.

"Beauty"

1984-2011