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 LIFESTYLES: JANUARY
2002FROM THE GROUND UP | 10 DAYS IN HELL | TOGETHER TIMES | OLDIE BUT GOODIE
What first seemed like a disaster was a blessing in disguise. By Jody Johnson Aboard the oldest horse at the World Show, Candace Hoke was psyched to earn a fourth world championship in amateur jumping. Her trusty, off-color buckskin gelding, Try Fudy, was fit as a fiddle at 25 years old. Hoke and "Fud," together since the horse was 6, are a tried-and-true team with multiple AQHA World Championship Show and year-end high-point awards. They hit the World Show fairgrounds from Hempstead, Texas, along with husband, Jim, thinking nothing could stop them from giving this year's competition another run for the money. Until colic hit November 6, just three days before their amateur jumping class. It was dinnertime, and the giant, 16-3 hand gelding lay in his World Show stall, reluctant to get up and eat. "That was unusual for him, so I put a halter on him and brought him out," Hoke said. "His bowels worked right away, but he immediately got very painful, looking around and touching each side. Then he acted like he wanted to lie down again." The Hokes quickly found World Show veterinarian Dr. Brian Carroll, who immediately had "Fud" trailered to the Oklahoma City Equine Center, P.C., where Dr. Larry Powers began colic surgery. Powers found a fatty tumor called a lipoma attached to the small intestine wall, which was creating a kink in part of the intestinal coil. The fatty tumor was removed and, miraculously, the 25-year-old horse immediately started a smooth recovery. "When they brought him out of recovery to ICU, we knew he was going to be great because when he wants something he starts licking and sticking his tongue out to convince you that he needs to be fed," Hoke said. "He was looking for food. There were no problems with his recovery." THINKING POSITIVE Although they missed their shot at another world championship, Hoke is glad Fud's colic occurred when it did. "It's disappointing that he didn't get to ride, but it was the best thing in the world for Fud to have a problem here at the show because he got the best and fastest care possible," she said. "At home, he couldn't have gotten the prompt attention that he got here. They got to him so fast that there was no loss to the blood supply to the intestinal tract. They didn't have to do any resections." Fud, who almost never has health problems, is expected to recover fully. "The way it looks, the doctors say he'll be back next year," she said. "We were fortunate because he was in the best physical shape he'd ever been in. We have a lot of hope for him. We're not upset that this happened. He's doing great." LIPOMA Fud's condition was a type of colic common in older horses, World Show veterinarian Dr. Dee Gragg explained. Fud's fatty tumor, the lipoma, wasn't completely pinching his intestinal tract, but lipomas often do, causing severe pain and even death. Fud's surgery was fairly simple and took about an hour. Unfortunately, there is no good way to avoid lipomas in older horses, simply because as a horse gets fat on the outside, fat is also deposited in the body cavities - including the intestines. Despite Fud's excellent body condition, his old age made him a likely candidate for lipoma. It is not known whether Fud will be more susceptible to them in the future, but Hoke has vowed to keep an extra-close eye on her faithful friend. PASSING THE BUCK Fud's absence from the world show arena didn't mean Hoke went home. In fact, it gave Hoke's new horse, No Cause To Wonder, a chance to shine. "It's like Fud stepped aside for just a little bit to let his stablemate try to prove himself," Hoke said. In his third year of qualifying, 12-year-old "Champ" gave Hoke a
good run in amateur jumping, taking eighth. "He's been doing pretty
good," she said. "He's usually right underneath Fud in the timed
jump-offs, and in the last couple of months he's actually beat Fud.
Unfortunately, he has a big pair of shoes to try to fill." As for Fud, when he returns to the show scene, Hoke expects he'll be hard at it for years to come. "His career will last until he's ready to quit," she said. "In the past, he's thought he wanted to retire. He'll decide he really doesn't want to get in the trailer. So we let him stay home and turn him out. It usually lasts three to four months. Then he starts griping and pushing around all the broodmares. He lets us know that's not what he wants to do. So we bring him back up, and he's bright and perky. I guess he needs a periodic vacation." And Hoke's willing to bet he'll be back at the World Show next year. "He loves it here," she said. "He's from Oklahoma originally. At the World Show, he perks up and just loves it." OVERCOMING OBSTACLES TOGETHER Not only is Fud honest and talented, he's also amazingly understanding of Hoke's limitations. In 1993, 18 days before the World Show, Hoke suffered head, neck and spinal injuries in a discount store after being hit by two large merchandise boxes that fell from their shelves. The repercussions of the injury included seizures, double vision and impaired balance. Most of Hoke's horses won't tolerate her seizures and instability in the saddle. "Fud put up with them," she said. "I couldn't ride after my injury. I had to learn how to do everything over again. Fud packed me around while I learned how to ride again." Not accepting her body's limitations, Hoke mustered the courage to compete at the 1993 World Show. Fud, adjusting himself to accommodate Hoke's unbalanced body, took each jump virtually by himself, miraculously earning the world championship. TRACK RECORD Fud and Hoke have been a strong team through the years. World Show amateur jumping placings: WHAT ABOUT FUD? Hoke's super senior has more than earned his keep. Hoke had her hands full when she started working with Fud at age 6. The gelding was riddled with bad habits. He had been started early for a small child, she explained, and the pairing was disastrous. The young, inexperienced Fud often refused jumps, throwing the scared child into the air. "He learned to be a quitter," Hoke said. "The small child didn't have the ability to make him go. So he was retired at 4 1/2. He was a reject." A racehorse trainer told Hoke about the tall gelding, and she was reluctant to take a look at him. "Of course, I didn't want a buckskin because hunters and jumpers don't ride buckskins!" she said. But she agreed to check him out, and she immediately realized his potential. "I bought him for a little bit more than dog food price," she said. "We spent a year traveling the hunter/jumper and Quarter Horse circuits, making him understand that he has to jump and not be nasty. Now he's totally honest." He also pays his own way ... and then some. "His winnings pay for the tires on the truck and all of his equipment," she said. "He pays for the rest of the barn's equipment!" One thing's for certain - Hoke counts her lucky stars every day that she found her amazing horse. "He's been one of the best rejects you could ever find, even if he's off color!" she said. |
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