Little Squire: The Jumping Pony

LittleSquirewasborninanIrishmeadowonanearlyspringday.Thecoltwasbeautifullyformedwithstrong,straightlegsandaprettyhead.Butduetohissmallsize,itwasunlikelyhewouldbemorethananicechild’sridingpony.Bythefollowingspring,theyearlingwasseparatedfromhismotherandturnedouttopasturewiththeotherweanlings.LittleSquirewasn’thappytobeawayfromhisdamsohechargedthehighstonewallandclearediteasily.LittleSquirehadjustshownanastonishingsideofhimselfthatwouldeventuallybringhimgreatness.Overtime,theyounghorsetradedhands,crossedanocean,andendedupontheAmericanshow-jumpingcircuit.ThatwaswhenhemetanotherdiminutiveIrishimmigrant,MickeyWalsh.Thetwowereinseparableuntil,atMickey’srequest,LittleSquirewasretiredatthetopofhisgame,andwhilehewasstillsound.Hewentoutinablazeofglory,though,endinghislastperformancewithMickeybyjumpingasix-foot-twofence—rider-less—infrontofapackedarena.Duringthewar-torn30s,LittleSquirehadgivenpeoplesomethingtocheerabout.