OklahomaHorses Magazine Sept 2022

September / October 2022 • OklahomaHorses 13 Pat Murray and feline smooch their equine friend. Photo courtesy of Pat Murray. Pat Murray, 76 Harrah, Oklahoma Horse activity: owner and caretaker How did you first get involved with horses? I was born and raised in England, so I was horse crazy from the time I could walk. My first love was a donkey. He was out in our pasture, and I would crawl on his back when he got close to the fence. Then I started taking some riding lessons and eventually got a horse to show. I honestly didn’t know people rode western except in the movies until I moved to Florida. I showed a lot when we were living in Florida. And then when we got to Oklahoma, I spent a lot of time with the Choctaw Roundup Club. What do you love about horses? I’m a big animal lover, period. Horses are my therapy. When I worked in telecommuni- cations, I traveled a lot. Coming home and spending time with them, not necessarily riding, just bathing them, cleaning stalls, that’s what I enjoy doing. I just love horses. I used to raise a few quarter horses, and I truly loved it. Being there when the foals come is like Christmas. I loved handling those foals and finding out what color and gender they were when they hit the ground. Horses are good for my soul. Why should more people get involved with horses no matter their age? We used to do some trail riding, but I have arthritis in my knee and my hands, so I don’t do much riding any- more. There’s just something about horses that’s amazing. They’re my therapy, really. We’ve met a lot of nice people because we own horses. As long as I can take care of them, I’ll probably always have a horse. Virginia Walker At 86 years old, Virginia Walker was the oldest competitor at the 2022 Grand National Horsemen Association National Finals. Competing in the 47-and-older division, Walker is 20 or 30 years older than most of the other riders and still placed in five of her eight events. Now hailing from Frederick, Walker grew up on the back of a horse. The balance and coordination she first learned as a child still stick with her almost 80 years later. “I was born in 1936, and I was a farm girl,” she said. “My uncle bought us a horse when I was about five. He could pull a cart, and we could ride him too. We played cowboys and Indians in the canyons with him.” Walker graduated to a Welsh pony when she was about 10. She had a friend in town who also had horses. Almost every day of summer, the two would take off with their horses and not come home until sunset. “We packed lunches and rode all day together,” Walker said. “Our parents probably had no idea where we were.” After finishing high school, Walker worked at a bank in Okla- homa City. She met her husband, Ray, and he was drafted into the U. S. Army soon after they were married. Those were about the only years Walker can recall living without a horse to call her own. “When he got out of the Army, we decided to buy a farm and move to the country,” Walker said of the decision that led her family to Frederick. “We got a horse and I ran barrels on it, and then we got a rope horse too.” Eventually, Walker found herself traveling all over the country chasing horse shows, first with Appaloosas and then with quarter horses. This was all in the middle of farming, running a fertilizer business, and working in town at the bank. The couple had a son, Kent, who inherited their love for horses. He grew up showing horses through 4-H. “Kent married Kristi, who also liked horses, and then they had two kids — Kaisen and Kolt,” she said. “They started doing play days, and I would go watch them. I thought to myself, ‘I can’t just sit here and watch them. I’m going to start doing that too.’ ” The only time Walker couldn’t ride was when her knees wore out about 10 years ago. Now that they are fixed, she doesn’t have any physical ailments. “When I’m on a horse and riding, nothing hurts,” Walker said. “Even if you can’t ride a horse, they’re good therapy. They’re unique animals in that way.” Getting ready is the hardest part about riding for Walker. Even though she can no longer throw a saddle on a horse, she has plen- ty of family members willing to help her out with that. “I’ve had a horse basically all my life, and I’ll keep on riding for as long as I can,” she said. “Horses have done a lot for my family. It’s been a fun trip.” Walker isn’t the only one in Oklahoma who is contributing to the age statistic in the state. Check these other equestrians who are using horses to stay fit physically and mentally.