37-year-old horse has seen 18 Butler fairs
FRANKLIN TWP — A horse of fascinating lineage is becoming a legend at the Big Butler Fair.
Welcome Frosty is the official name of the 37-year-old Colorado ranger horse that was trailered into the fairgrounds Saturday to compete for the 18th consecutive time.
Known as “Frosty” to the family who has loved and cared for him for three generations, he and his Colorado ranger horse barn mates are all descendants of two horses gifted to Gen. Ulysses S. Grant in 1878 by Sultan Abdul Hamid of Turkey.
Once in the United States, the horses sired by the two given to Grant eventually became known as “Colorado ranger horses” because of their prowess as cow ponies.
Toni Lukavich of North Washington bought her first Colorado ranger horse 20 years ago for her daughter, Amy Mershimer, when the breed was introduced to the family by a trainer in Mercer County.
Lukavich said while Mershimer, of Boyers, now has nine Colorado ranger horses at the family barn in Mount Chestnut, Frosty is the top dog.
“He is well loved and well taken care of, and he's the king of the barn,” Lukavich said.She said the Colorado ranger horses are versatile and intelligent, and Frosty is no exception.Frosty won a “most versatile” award at a national Colorado ranger horse show because he was able to perform in English and Western pleasure classes, jumping, gaming and trail classes. Most horses compete in just one category.“That's why they made great ponies for the (Native Americans) — because they could do anything with them,” Lukavich said.Frosty has earned hundreds of ribbons and shelves of trophies over the years as Mershimer and her children, Emma and Ryder Snow, as well as various other family members have ridden him in a number of different categories at hundreds of shows.The spotted horse, which is often mistaken for an Appaloosa, has gained renown among the equine competitors at the fair.“When we would pull into the fair for many years, the people would be like, 'Oh Frosty's here!'” Lukavich said.While the average life span of a full-size horse is 25 to 30 years according to multiple online sources, Frosty is still as frisky as ever at age 37.
However, Lukavich said Mershimer, who is his owner, has enacted an 80-pound rule as the maximum weight on Frosty's back, rider, blanket and saddle included.Mershimer's children are showing this year at the fair, as they do not exceed Frosty's maximum weight.“Every winter, we say we don't know if he's going to make it because winter is hard on older horses,” Lukavich said.But she said the veterinarian, farrier and other experts say Frosty is still in excellent shape despite his age.Ayana Borland, 13, of Franklin Township, is another of Lukavich's granddaughters who loves Frosty.Although she has competed in many shows with Frosty over the years, she now exceeds his weight limit with a saddle.Ayana said Frosty is so smart that he understands the “walk,” “trot,” “canter” and “reverse” commands called out on a loudspeaker as competitors ride along the railing in the show ring.“You don't have to signal him,” said Ayana. “You just have to sit there and look pretty.”Regarding his personality, Ayana said these days he would much rather be frolicking in the pasture than performing at the fair.“He's kind of a cranky old man,” Ayana said with a giggle. “If you bring him to a show he's like, 'Do we have to be here?' and he won't look at you.”Because the weight of the saddle is eliminated, Ayana said she sometimes attaches a rope to either side Frosty's halter and hops on him bareback in the barn.“I trust him,” she said.
Ayana now competes on a 22-year-old Colorado ranger horse gelding named P.D. The two fly around barrels, snake through a line of poles and rush into a box and back to the start in the fair's gaming categories.She has another Colorado ranger horse, Zippy, that she uses for pleasure classes and jumping competitions at the fair.Ayana prefers the company of her horses to other teenagers.“My horses and I are best friends and I tell them everything,” Ayana said. “Besides, they're funnier and they don't talk back.”Lukavich said she is pleased that several of her 15 grandchildren have taken to equine pursuits. Her three daughters and several grandchildren have nine horses in stalls at the fair this year.“They all learned responsibility by taking care of the horses,” Lukavich said. “I believe the horses taught them everything they needed to know.”She and her husband are no longer needed to stay overnight at the fair as in years past, as her daughters are adults and can supervise the care and showing of the horses.Still, the couple attends as many of the shows as they can and also hang around the barn. Lukavich enjoys seeing the smallest grandchild pulling their weight in the stalls with the horses.“The whole family works together,” she said. “For us, it's family time.”
