Presented at the Young Writers' Conference, representing Seymour Community School, 9th grade, age15

I've been interested in horses since the first time I saw one. I've always enjoyed watching, riding, and taking care of horses. I've always dreamed about owning my own horse. One day that dream came true, but only after the death of Saa Tang Kye, better known as Kye, a black registered half Arabian mare. The events all happened on our farm near Promise City, in southern Iowa, over a period of about three to five years. The problem was the death of "my" beloved horse, Kye. Here's how the story goes.

When I turned twelve, I wanted to started riding and taking care of my uncle's horse. My uncle lives in Indiana and can only come once or twice a year, and Kye really needed to be worked with! I finally talked Mom into letting me tame and ride her. We worked well together and soon became best friends. She would do almost anything I wanted her to. We always had a special bond after that. We explored together, and she had to have my undivided attention, whether there was anyone or anything else around, or not. I loved her dearly. She was one of the most precious things in my life.

On November 29, my birthday, Grandpa found Kye with her head under an old junk pick-up. She had laid down and couldn't get up. Grandpa got her up and walked her to a different part of the pasture where she had all the room she needed to lay down. He saved her life that fateful night. (I didn't know about any of this until the next day.)

The next day, November 30, Grandpa found her down again. That's when he knew something was wrong. He called all the surrounding vets, clear up to Ottumwa, but everyone was busy. He finally got a vet from Corydon. Kye had colic. (Colic is when an animal can't go to the bathroom and has built up gas in their stomachs. Horses can take only little amounts of abdominal pains before they just die from the pressure of the pain.) The vet really could do nothing except give her a bunch of painkillers, but, in the end, we probably would have had to put her down anyway, which would have been much worse! That night I walked her around a bunch, which seemed to help. (The old timers used to walk a horse around all day if it had colic. Sometimes they got better, but usually not.) She looked so much better that she gave us some hope!

I went out to chore the next morning, Dec. 1, and decided to check on Kye first. When I got to her pen, I found that she had died sometime during the night. It almost broke my heart to see her lying there like she was. I took it really hard. My beloved friend died two days after my birthday. What a present! I went ahead and went to school, even though I couldn't think clearly.

That was one of the worst days of my life! I wasn't sure anything or anybody could cheer me up. But then for Christmas my parents helped me find and buy a new horse. His name is Pandemonium Beau Geste, better known as Beau, and he's a registered half Arabian, just like Kye was! He's from the same horse farm Kye was from and is out of the best stock there. He's a four-year-old gelding, with a reddish-orange coat that shines like gold in the sun, and a blond, white, and light brown mixed mane and tail. He also has a white blaze on his forehead, and two white socks. He can run like the wind, but anyone who's not an experienced rider probably couldn't stay on him. He's got some bad habits that I aim to break!

I'll always remember the beautiful, brown-eyed, black beauty that stole my heart. Beau will never replace Kye, but he can bring back some of the treasured memories! He has helped me accept her death more than anything or anybody else. Some of the memories he has and will bring back are very painful, but I am learning to accept that it is a part of the healing process.

The conclusion of this little story is this: Don't keep things bottled up inside! Let people (and animals) who care, help you with your hurt and sorrows! Just because you lose once doesn't mean you can't win another time! I've lost more than once, but I never gave up--and never will! I still have a hard time accepting Kye's death, but I know God had a purpose for taking her away from me. Even though I don't know that reason, I do know this...it was for the BEST!