THE HORSE GAZETTE
for the love of the horse
one man’s odyssey
Article by Ingrid Edisen, Photo by Laurie Virkstis
found a riding club in Austin.
For over fifty years
were summers of constant day
His main theme has always
ago, Freddie Strong knew he
long riding along with a good
been simply pleasure and trail
was in trouble when the horse
friend--sun up until sun down
riding--a consistent theme that
he was trying to restrain took
just jumping and riding all over
he pursues now even though he
off running. He wrapped the
the countryside. He found that
is retired from his original long
long rope around his hips and
he could ride bareback and stay
term job with the Eanes School
figured that in no time the
on a bucking horse if he wrapped
District. He still works at a post-
mustang would eventually stop.
his long legs (he’s six foot, one)
retirement job for a dry cleaners
It would simply be a matter of
just under the horse’s barrel and
Freddie digging in his heels
sticking his legs deep behind the
to help with his horse expenses.
deep enough. Freddie played
horse’s shoulders. Then he’d sit
These days he owns a handful
all sports in high school and
“in the well” and stay on. One
of horses and a pet miniature
was--just like his last name--
neighbor also had a well trained
jack named Tex that was given
strong. Any other “civilized”
cutting horse (back then, called
to him as a gift that he boards on
the east side of Austin.
horse would have stopped
His main riding
sooner or later. But as the
horse is named Rare, a white
sage grass, blackberry vines
Quarter horse that he broke
and persimmon sprouts cut
himself and has owned since
through his skin and feet and
age two. Rare has the dubi-
he saw the landscape rush-
ous distinction of starting
ing by as he was dragged
the Star of Texas Rodeo in
along by the wild horse,
Austin with a bucking dem-
he began to have second
onstration during the Grand
doubts. Many hundred of
Entrance that actually kicked
yards later, the rope broke.
off the festivities before they
“I probably would have been
officially were to begin. On
killed otherwise,” Freddie
various occasions Freddie and
laughed.
some of his friends were part
Now much older
of the processional for the
and wiser, Freddie recent-
annual rodeo in Austin. One
ly recounted some of the
year a mule team driver was
twists and turns horses have
having trouble straightening
brought into his life. He
out his team to navigate their
began riding around age 12
way into the main arena.
in Dekalb, Texas. The oldest
of three brothers, he led his
a “cow horse”) and Freddie dis-
The crowd was waiting. Fred-
two siblings into “messing with
covered the necessity of keeping
die rode up ahead and grabbed
horses” much to their mother’s
a persistent focus when riding
the headstall of one of the lead
consternation. Back then wild
that horse around cows. The
mules to help out the driver. Un-
mustangs would come up from
horse knew his job, all too well,
fortunately, Rare didn’t cotton to
the Red River Bottom and he
and if a cow made a break from
the fact that one of the mules or
and his brothers found a way
the herd, the horse would insist
part of the harness rig touched
to trap some of them and try
on pushing it back whether the
his side and began bucking
to tame them in a makeshift
rider went along or not.
violently. Freddie stayed on,
sweetgum corral. Their mother
After he got married
despite being very surprised and
told them not to do it but Fred-
and had his own children, he
that was how the rodeo started
die just couldn’t resist. She had
missed riding so he began taking
that year.
grown leary of their attraction
his son with him to a rental barn
Today he spends all of
to all livestock, especially after
in Austin and realized how much
his free time out at the barn. If
one of his brothers came home
money they were spending. It
he’s not tending to his horses,
with a bone sticking through his
only made sense that they buy
he’s helping with the various
arm after a rodeo throw from a
a horse for them to ride. But
construction projects that barns
Brahma bull.
since they both wanted to ride
and horses always seem to
There were neighbors
the horse, then it only made
entail. His mother’s warnings
on the various farms that sur-
sense that he purchase a second
never took hold on him. Look-
rounded their place and Freddie
horse, too. Along the way he
ing back, one can only say that
worked for some of them work-
gained other riding friends
Freddie never did stop “mess-
ing their horses, too. There
and eventually went on to help
ing with horses” and probably
never will.
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www.HorseGazette.com Page 5
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