death of a horseman

["Susan Garlinghouse" <suendavid@worldnet.att.net>]

This is really sad.  I just saw on the news that the actor Richard
Farnsworth shot himself (apparently not accidently).  He had terminal cancer
and it looks like he chose his own ending.  He used to board his horse in
Griffith Park in So Cal at the same barn I did many years ago, I never
really met him other than saying hi in passing, but he always seemed real
nice.  He was there at the barn riding his horse a couple times almost every
week when he wasn't working, and while the snooty celebrities over at the
Equestrian Center had scads of grooms and trainers to do the dirty work, he
always groomed and saddled and trained his own horse and got just as dirty
as the rest of us.  The Equestrian Center had spiffy landscaping and a guard
at the gate and pretty white rails, but our shabby little barn had the best
care in the area, and I was always impressed that Mr. Farnsworth knew the
difference.  His mare always used to nicker when she saw him, she knew
quality when she saw it, too.  I can understand choosing your own terms to
die, but hope he didn't die thinking he didn't have friends in the horse
community.

Susan G