Doctor Bill Munson Passed Away Last Night

[DVeritas@aol.com]

I just returned from Shalimar Ranch.  Doc Munson died last night after a 
lengthy illness and complications from two strokes.  
    For you Crabbet afficionados, he was integral in that particular strain 
and for the Arabian community in general he was integral (along with Lois 
Selby, Alice Payne, Bazy Tankersley and others) in circulating the genes of 
RAFFLES.
    His herd was "closed" in 1949 and possessed some of the highest 
percentage of Raffles/Skowronek blood in the world.  His Raffles son, Garaff, 
started a line of unbelieveable horses, particularly mares.
    He and the late Harold Brite went to England for Bazy to acquire the 
nucleus of what would become her Al Marah program.
    He taught me courage and showed me that "grace" while diggin' out wild 
cattle and then moving them fifty miles was possible (all on the back of 
extremely typey and hard working Arabian horses.)
    "Doc" always removed his hat when a lady approached and managed a smile 
for anyone who happened to look his way.
     I miss the mornings with him over heavily sugared cups of coffee, as we 
prepared to tell each other stories while looking for the herd.
     He taught me so much more than just horses, (his knowledge of which I 
could never in my wildest dreams approach).
     I know his buddy, Jimmy Dean, was there holding the reins for him 
waiting for him to mount,
     
      frank solano