How Pete got his groove back

Note: This essay originally posted on another blog in 2018. It’s a tribute to one of my favorite horses.

He rode into town on a chilly spring day in 2018. Those that knew him called him Pete. He was tall, dark, and handsome.

Pete was a stranger in these parts. The townsfolk of Centre Hall knew he’d be drifting off before the sun set, departing as mysteriously as he had arrived.

His quiet charm caused the women to giggle shyly, some blushed as his gaze swept over them, unabashedly assessing them from head to toe.

The town of Centre Hall is nestled in the lush Penns Valley, smack dab in the middle of the Keystone State, about a 2.5 hour drive from our home in Baltimore County.

This is the story of how Pete joined our family.

Ron and I had been searching for another horse for a while, traveling within a couple hundred miles of our home to find the right fit. We were looking for a calm horse for trail riding, bonus points for one that might also be comfortable participating in living history events as well.

We had driven up to central Pennsylvania that morning, met Pete, fell in love with Pete, and he happily strode into our trailer for our new adventure. We stopped off in the historic town of Centre Hall, Pennsylvania so that we could refuel our truck and ourselves. Pete makes friends wherever he goes.

Several employees from Sweet Scoops Gelato were quite welcoming and brought Pete samples. He was impressed by their hospitality and felt they were the cutest carhops he had ever encountered.

Pete remarked that the town lived up to their motto, “In the Centre of it all”, and that is how they treat out-of-town visitors, the center of their attention.

Thank you Tiff, Lillee, Emma, Tia, and Mel!