It’s All About My Dream Horse | Sad Horse Story About a Overo Paint

It’s All About My Dream Horse | Sad Horse Story About a Overo Paint

My dream horse was a gray and white overo paint gelding named “Pallaso Mac”, shown by Terry Parsons during the summer of 1970 at the Ohio and Indiana Paint shows. Pallaso Mac wasn’t an outstanding horse at that time but he was unique in his gray color, exhibited personality all his own, and I swear if he could talk I’d have been in big trouble. He would untie himself and then hold the rope in his mouth or pick up a brush with his teeth and begin brushing the stall wall. Mac was very photogenic and was always eyeballing the camera.

Over the summer he was all I talked about to my mom and dad. I had one year left of eligibility to show youth; so, my dad and I made a deal. If I could win the Ohio Paint Horse Queen’s contest, he would buy Pallaso Mac for me. I did my best but only received runner up. I wanted that horse more than the Queen’s title or anything else in the world. Devastation set in and dad decided to buy a broodmare instead.

Mom however had a different plan. She called Nancy Barbone and bought the horse without anyone knowing. As we were leaving to pick up the broodmare dad asked mom what was happening. He could tell that she wasn’t telling him something. He thought for a moment and then asked “You bought that dam gelding, didn’t you?”. All she could do was smile. I didn’t know a thing until we picked up the mare and Terry brought Pallaso Mac to the trailer. My dream had come true and little did I know there were many more dreams ahead.

The year was 1971 and it was full of wonderful memories. We showed in Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, New York and New Jersey accumulating Paint Horse points. My goal for the year was to finish my American Paint Horse Association Youth Championship. It would be a title that no one could ever beat because I would be the very first Youth Champion in Ohio. The Paint Nationals were to be held in Ohio that year but because of an equine sleeping sickness disease developing around the country, it was rescheduled and moved. The Nationals were then held in Tulsa, Oklahoma in October. Now Tulsa, Oklahoma is quite a drive from Southington, Ohio. My dad was just a regular guy who worked in a tire factory and my mom was a housewife. They gave me everything they could, within reason and only asked me to do my best in return. We finished the show season short four Youth gelding halter points for my Youth Championship. It was just out of my reach and I knew that Tulsa was out of the question so I didn’t even ask. It was a week before the Nationals and we were all sitting around the dinner table. My dad asked if we could be loaded for Tulsa by Monday, I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. We were packed and Tulsa bound on Monday morning.

I had never been to such a big show in my life. It was very far from home, and I was scared but extremely excited to be there. One morning in Tulsa I was riding outside and noticed a man leaning on the fence watching me. As I rode by he said out loud “Old Mac is that you?”. I stopped and asked if he was talking to me. He answered “Only if that’s Pallaso Mac”. I told him it was . The man’s eyes become glossy as a tear rolled down his face. Old Mac he called him but he was just Boomer to us. The man was R.C. Overman from North Carolina and he was Boomers second owner. He proceeded to tell me the story of Pallaso Mac. He was out of a mare named Zeta Waggoner and sired by Balmey L Mac. Balmey L Mac was owned by Don Richardson of Post, Texas. Mr. Overman and Mr. Richardson were partners. R.C. had been down to Richardson’s ranch when he noticed this gangly gray colt out in the field. Richardson told him to please take him home because he was bad for breeding business. You see Boomer wasn’t much to look at back then. Mr. Overman took Boomer back to North Carolina where he pampered him and raised him until he was sold to Terry Parsons and Nancy Barbone.

Everyday in Tulsa, sitting in the stands, was Mr. Overman and Mr. Richardson watching every performance in which Boomer and I competed. They even bought photos to take home and show off. The Nationals proved to be one of my favorite memories. I finished my Youth Championship with extra halter points to spare and National Champion Youth Halter Gelding, Reserve Champion Youth Western Pleasure and Reserve Champion Youth Horsemanship. Back home in Ohio things slowed down to normal after the Nationals . In November I received a large envelope from the American Paint Horse Association . Inside was my Youth Championship Certificate #8 along with a certificate for Top Ten Youth in the Nation #4. My dream had finally been fulfilled.

Boomer went on through the years with numerous Ohio and APHA awards. In April 1974, Boomer was sold to Doug Horton and in December 1974 sold to Sue Adkison. Both finished their Youth Championships, won National Championship Youth Halter Gelding and were #1in the Nation. Sue eventually sold Boomer for $12,500 to Steve Firestone in Florida. Steve also won National Champion Youth Halter Gelding title. All four youth riders won National Champion Youth Halter Geldings on one great horse. Boomers complete show record is outstanding with 100 Grands, 32 Reserves, 346 Halter and 319 Performance points.
Over the years I missed Boomer terribly and kept in contact with the Firestones on a regular basis. In one letter I asked Mrs. Firestone to please call me and let me know when he died. I didn’t want to read it in the journal, I just wanted to know.

On February 8, 1986 I received a call from Sylvia and immediately thought he was gone. I began to cry when she said, “Hi Debbie, its Sylvia”. She quickly calmed me down and assured me that he was just fine. However, they were getting out of horses completely and had only Boomer and a broodmare left. Sylvia then asked if I wanted Boomer back. I sort of chuckled and said “Thank you but I don’t have that kind of money to buy him back”. What she said next has stayed with me forever. Sylvia wanted no money but just thought I’d like to take him home. She said that no one loved him more that I did and that was so true. After that I really cried. The next week my husband, Glen, my daughter, Dawn and I traveled to Florida to bring him home. My dad said I was crazy because I was brining him home to die. That was true to a point but I was bringing him home and my daughter was going to ride him. As I walked around the barn in Florida and called his name, he whinnied to me. He was now snow white but still the most beautiful horse I had ever seen. We loaded him up and brought him home. As I watched in the mirror of the truck Sylvia was also crying. My daughter was the last person to show him. At the age of 19 he was still playing games and loved getting his picture taken. On December 10, 1995 his legs could no longer hold him up and he was laid to rest in the farm animal burial area, shadowed by the beach trees along with his friends.

Love brought him to me twice. The first time by my mother and the second by Sylvia Firestone. Did you ever have that one horse you had a special connection with? I did and his name was Pallaso Mac.

Deborah Koffel