My Beloved Partner and Friend

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Golden Dividend was a 16.3h dark bay Thoroughbred gelding that I was fortunate enough to have for 20 years. Dividend had amazing presence and ability, and was deeply passionate and complicated. I am blessed and fortunate to have spent such a long time with this incredible horse, and he carried me to many dreams and beyond. Twenty years felt like just the beginning and we sadly parted for now in 2005.

Dividend retired from Thoroughbred racing as a 3 year old, completing a career of 3-2-3 in 10 starts. Sent to a retraining barn in North Carolina, his trainer purchased him and began his work in combined training.

I met Dividend in August, 1985 when he came up for sale as a 6 yr old. It was love at first sight, and that never changed for me. He has always been the most beautiful animal I've ever seen. Our first year together was pretty rocky, with him bucking me off and running away with me quite a bit. Most good partnerships take time, and it was into the 2nd year that we started to click and understand each other. His size was intimidating enough, and coupled with his big movement, he could be difficult to ride and handle.

Dividend progressed to Preliminary Level eventing in 4 years. His cross country work was remarkable, and he was both bold and brave. One of our biggest wins was at the 1988 United States Pony Clubs National Championships in Culpepper, VA.

During my last two years at Auburn University, Dividend and I became competitive in Jumpers, and did well in the 3'6" - 4' divisions in Alabama and Georgia.

Houston, Texas proved an unlikely training ground for concentrating on dressage. At 19 years old, Dividend and I began focusing on dressage with the hopes of keeping him athletic. He excelled, climbing to Third Level in 3 years and doing quite well in Open, Recognized competitions in Texas, Alabama, and Georgia. He retired from serious competition at age 23 because I was working fulltime and pregnant. We had the opportunity to train with some great coaches including Gerhardt Politz and Charles de Kunffy, who couldn't say enough good things about him.

Dividend was Lauren's first show horse and teacher. They enjoyed competing in local Hunter shows together.

In September, 2005 Dividend was diagnosed with EPM. Dr. Ed Murray and Dr. Jody Wagner of Coosa Valley Equine did their best, but he succumbed to the disease 3 weeks later. This was one of the hardest experiences to go through, and we still miss him terribly.