Hard Rock N Haida - 2004 - 2009

On Feb 15, 2009, Hard Rock N Haida crossed over the rainbow bridge.

I first fell in love with this beautiful horse in 2004, when Paige posted pictures of him on her website as a weanling. He was a stunner!!!


In 2005, Doyle and I made the decision to buy Young N High (aka Gunner) from Paige when she was up here for a visit. We then debated on Hyde...and the decision was made to bring him up with Gunner.


After a rough start at home with Hyde...he was very stubborn and shy...he became my best friend. I had decided before we bought Gunner and Hyde that I was not going to get really attached to another horse. My old mare, Lucky was getting up there in age...and I just couldn't see anyone replacing her in my heart. Well, Hyde really started to. He became my shadow...so much so that I couldn't even take pictures of him by myself. I either had to have someone hold him with a halter and lead or have someone else take the pics. He followed me like there was an invisible string between us.


He was only going to be my "at home" breeding stallion while we trained and promoted Gunner. But his pedigree (a son of the great Haidas Little Pep and out of a great daughter of Docs Hickory) kept telling me to give him a shot at the show ring.

So we did. He started off with Dale Dodd of Olds, Alberta. He did really well for her for quite some time.


He was then off to Jason Hanson of Redwater, Alberta. Jason and Hyde hit it off. They were a great team. But there was a problem. Hyde was not working well...got tired really fast.






July brought a visit from Hyde's breeders, Paige and Barry Strawn. They hadn't seen him since I bought him in March of 06. They were very thrilled to see him work - it would turn out being the last time ever. Paige took some extremely good pictures of him (for which I will be forever grateful) - warming up - working the flag - working cows - and finally a couple of themselves riding him. We then took him outside where Paige did some conformation shots.

I love this one of Hyde and Barry. It is almost like Hyde is saying "I remember you".


We took him to the vet who, in turn, sent him to the University where it was found that he had a heart defect.

It devastated all of us. He had such promise in the cutting field but just couldn't do it.

So we brought him home in late July of 2008. Hyde and I had a great summer...we went for small short rides and became friends again.




Hyde had a great winter. He was buddied up with Molson, my 2 year old red dun colt. They became very fast friends.


But everything went seriously wrong on Feb 15. We had gone to town for a little while and when we got home, it was time to do chores. Bailey was out on the deck and was calling the dogs. Maggie came in from the field. Bailey looked and saw a big brown lump. She came running into the kitchen yelling “somethings wrong with Hyde.”.

My heart dropped. I ran out to see and sure enough, he was down. I called for Shayne just in case he was stuck on the fence and we took off for the barn. I called Hyde’s name – just once – and when he didn’t move his head, I just stopped in my tracks…looked at Shayne and said “he’s dead”.

I am just absolutely devastated by this. Hyde was my “handsome man”. My next best love – after Lucky.

It really sucked at first that he could not do his job but I was soo thrilled to have him home. And was sooo thrilled to be standing him at stud this year and to get a couple little ones from him. We had always said “the best from him was yet to come”.

I guess a higher power had other plans.

Hard Rock N Haida – may you rest in peace. We love you.