The Daily Standard
Story Archive
Russell Dues, 9, Coldwater, walks his horse, Tacoma, 28, at the Mercer County Fair on Tuesday afternoon.
CELINA - An overwhelming display of love for a nearly 30-year-old draft horse named Tacoma turned what could have been a disheartening initial fair appearance into an unforgettable, confidence-building experience for 9-year-old Russell Dues.
Dues, who will be a fourth-grader at Coldwater Elementary School, is participating in his first Mercer County Fair with Rhinestones and Wranglers 4-H Club. Just a few days ago at the fair, Dues came down with a serious case of butterflies and contemplated going home.
He was feeling down and anxious when a person walked up to his stall in the 4-H Horse Barn and asked if they could pet Tacoma. His spirits were instantly revived by the encounter, and Dues began asking other passersby if they, too, would like to meet his friendly horse.
"All of a sudden, he's back and has his horse in the stall, and I look over and he's got people lined up clear out the door to come in and pet his horse," recalled club advisor Darcy Homan. "He's standing there with the biggest grin on his face, escorting people into the stall."
In the process of bringing about so much joy, Dues may have found his calling as a showman.
A trio of girls, along with a number of others, came to visit Tacoma at the 4-H barn over the weekend.
"They had people coming back the second day to pet this horse," Homan said. "There's more to 4-H than winning ribbons, and the theme of the fair is making memories. Oh my gosh, the memories that this little boy made for himself, made for all of these people that are lined up to see his horse, unbelievable."
Standing alongside Tacoma in the barn on Tuesday afternoon, a beaming Dues appeared poised and good-natured without a trace of diffidence.
"This is our first horse," Dues said. "This is mine and my sister's. We got it from my sister's trick riding coach."
Dues said Tacoma is a good horse, one he's enjoyed getting to know by walking, riding and moving through a series of patterns, in addition to feeding and watering him and cleaning out his stall.
A name sheet hangs outside of Tacoma's Mercer County fairgrounds stall. Russell Dues, 9, Coldwater, is showing at his first fair while his horse, Tacoma is 28.
He had Tacoma lift up one of his hooves for him to inspect for infections and rocks that can cause illnesses and bruising.
Some kids came back multiple times to see Tacoma and remarked that, "he's really nice, he's a sweet boy," Dues said. Not all horses share such a pleasant disposition, he noted, raising the example of a surly horse in a nearby stall that "might bite you."
"He's worked through so much nerves, and he's gotten so confident in himself," Traci Dues said of her son. "It's our first trip up here, it's our first horse, it's our first everything, isn't it, buddy?"
Russell managed to win a first place trophy for roping after his lasso hit all targets. He also received an outstanding rating on his horse interview.
Traci said neither she nor her husband, Andy, showed animals at the fair when they were younger.
Due to Tacoma's advancing age, his former owner retired him from heavy competition and gave him to Russell and his sister, Kylie, to "love on him and learn on him," she said. "He loves the kids, big time."
The family boards Tacoma at Circle T Ranch and Riding Stable in Celina.
"Talking with everybody out there, we wanted to learn more about horses… and how to take care of them the right way," she said.
"And we couldn't do this without all our advisors," Russell quickly added.
Russell's time in Rhinestones and Wranglers 4-H Club has been a great experience, his mother said.
"It's been phenomenal for Russell," she noted. "His confidence has blossomed with handling the horse and being able to control him up on his back and trust himself up there."
Asked what training will look like after the fair, Russell said he plans to keep working Tacoma through patterns and different obstacles.
"And just getting faster with them as he's able to control him," his mother followed up. "Every year you just work on trying to get faster at it and know how do the patterns and how to show your horse."
Russell Dues, 9, Coldwater, smiles as he gives his horse, Tacoma, 28, a warm hug.
Homan said she's proud of all 15 or so members of Rhinestones and Wranglers 4-H Club taking part in the fair this week.
"They did amazing. It's really a stressful period for the kids, especially these younger ones, but with the weather the way it was, they did great," she said.
The club was formed about five years ago by a group of parents wanting to focus on all aspects of horsemanship and horse care, not just competition, Homan said. There's so much more to horses than riding them and returning them to their stalls.
"I wanted the kids and the young kids to grow up knowing how to take care of the horse, that you have to worm your horse every three months, that you have to give vaccinations, you have to clean their feet… things to look for, safety," said Homan, who's been handling horses for nearly 50 years.
