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"Bill" (aka "Bailey")
AQHA registered #1244756 Billies Bay Spirit ,
born July 4, 1976 (USA bicentennial) bay
gelding
Deceased January 17, 2007 of old age.
... by the winter of 2004, Bill was too lame for anyone
but the smallest child to ride, even a short distance. He always was badly knock-kneed, and his
left knee had gotten very painfully arthritic. By January 2007,
we didn't realize that he had quit eating hay, and suddenly there was so little left of him that one night he was down and couldn't get up.
Though we did finally get him to his feet that awful cold night, he couldn't
even walk. The vet said he could not go on. So, we sent him home to
Jesus, with many tears.
We were originally told that his name was Bill Bailey, and his previous owners preferred Bailey to Bill.
So, we knew him as Bailey during the 8 years Joe rode him at their farm. Years later, when my husband bought him, we checked his registration papers, and found
that Bailey was not
part of his registered name. And he really only answered to Bill.
So we called him Bill his last 7 years.
Joe first rode him sometime around 1992, when the lady's mother where we boarded Amir traded her speedy grulla QH for him, to be a trail horse for her daughter.
But that daughter was a busy mother of 5, first in medical/technical school, then working full
time. So Joe was his main rider for about 7-8 years.
 Bill
was a great-grandson of King, the legendary Quarter Horse sire. We're very
grateful to those wonderful folks who let Joe ride him for so many years! They
were owners of the same farm, shown here, where we used to board my
little horse.
These pictures are from the spring 1999 children's church
outing. Pastor Joe brought Bailey down bareback from the top of the 30 acres where all of the
6-12 horses boarded there roamed free most of each day (weather permitting). They were very happy
and healthy there! This is the Whites' former farm, where he lived and
to whom he belonged for 7-8 years. He's around age 20 in these pictures.
He's not small: he's 15.1 H and weighed about 1100 lbs in that picture; Joe's just
a tall guy!
 Pastor
Joe and Bailey wait for some attention...Bailey was "Born on
the Fourth of July", 1976! Since we found that out, sometimes
we call him "Bicentennial Bill". But mostly I call him "big
guy" or "old man". He's about 15.1 hands,
steady, big-boned and muscular (when he's being worked!)
Ironically, he's MY dream color! This picture was taken in 1999.
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 Pastor
Joe fixes Bailey's forelock, as Leigh Anne sits happily on his back and
the outing's organizer, Jackie, provides some attention!
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... the summer of 1999 came and went; most of us survived; on
to 2000 ....
March 2000
 Amir
Halam, the Arab, at age 20, is on the left here, with 23 year old
(at the time) AQHA Bill in the background, at their
"new home". Though both are wearing their winter woolies,
and a bit of extra fat for those cold nights, Amir still looks awfully
chunky for the purebred Arabian he is. Bailey is 1 hand (4")
taller than Amir.
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 This
is an "artistic" picture of Bailey enjoying his "room with
a view". It's VERY BIG, so don't click on it unless you REALLY
want to see a close-up! <grin>
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 A
close-up of Bailey - foundation Quarter Horse - mahogany bay with pangare
coloring (light nose, belly and "armpits").
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 Pastor
Joe joins Bailey for a pensive "guy" kind of moment. Also
a VERY large picture.
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 This
picture shows Bailey's upper facial mask and temporary leg barring typical of
countershading/ sooty/smutty, coloring. The leg barring later
vanished; it was temporary, due to shedding.
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 Joe
thinks Bill is a natural wonder!
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 Bill
Bailey, AQHA reg. as Billies Bay Spirit
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 Now
in-laws, these two remain good friends
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May 2000
  These
2 pictures were taken where our round pen is now located.
Bailey's head is not this big, the telephoto lens did it!
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 Our
dear farrier, Dave Sherman, was working on Bill Bailey's feet, June
2000. Dave's a great guy and a Christian! Too bad most
of the photos
have vanished... here's what's left.
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His last night on earth was January 17, 2007.
The pics are too painful to display, sorry.
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