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 SAMSON
There have been amazing horses and horse stories over the years, but none will ever come close to the story of Mike’s Samson.
In 2000 Mike, Ellen, Casey and Jason moved from Fort Knox, Kentucky to upstate New York. When they decided about a year later to get horses, they talked to a local guy who bought and sold horses regularly. More than a business relationship grew, and their families spent a lot of time together at each others’ farms through 2002, ‘03, and ‘04.
This family had a lot of horses. The horse-trader would go to auctions and buy the horses he thought might work out with some training, bring them home, try them out and go from there. While at the horse-trader’s farm, Mike met the stallion  called “Tiny”. Tiny was a huge, gorgeous Belgian who was often gone to other farms to father foals - he was in seriously high demand in their area. Tiny was gentle and well-mannered with amazing muscle tone, a long flowing mane, a near-perfect diamond on his forehead and almost geometrically matched markings. Only God could paint a horse like this/
Tiny was magnificent.
...and Mike fell in love. He had always thought draft horses were cool, but this? This was different. He went to talk to Tiny every time he visited the horse-trader and Sam totally responded. They had a connection that couldn’t be denied.
Finally, the horse-trader offered to sell Tiny to Mike. He wanted a lot of money, but this horse was worth it! It was 2007, he was 12-years-old and still a stallion, but this horse had captured Mike’s heart five years earlier and had never let go.
Tiny came to live at Camp. For safety’s sake he was gelded. No matter how well-behaved a stallion is, if he is in the presence of a mare in heat he will behave like a stallion, no matter who is riding the mare or the stallion. Tiny was re-named Samson and boy did he live up to his name! This gentle giant took amazing care of our guests: giving pony rides to mothers with infants or toddlers by themselves, large people who thought they were too heavy to ride a horse, children and adults who were initially terrified of horses... with Mike walking at his shoulder,  Samson would carefully maneuver his way around and over any obstacle to give these folks the ride of their lives.
He turned out to be one of our most steady, rock-solid horses for lessons and trail rides. Anyone could ride Samson, and no matter what happened on the trail or in the ring, we knew that was one rider we didn’t ever have to worry about. The HorseCampers loved Sam. He did what he was asked without attitude and was amazing to ride. Being so big, he had very different gaits and a wide broad back, so the kids could experiment with vaulting - standing on his back while he walked calmly around the ring.
He took Mike wherever he wanted to go, too, nothing was too much to ask Sam. Mike took him all over Camp - exploring old trails and breaking new ones straight through the woods. Samson swimming in the canoe pond was a sight to see, as was Samson running flat out... and you should have seen the campers’ faces during Camp Games when they heard and then saw Samson coming toward them with Mike on his back to “take them to jail”!
When Samson ran it was like something from a movie - maybe a National Geographic Special or even Sahara! His mane would flow out behind him in the wind, his muscles flowed beneath his skin with such beauty you could never doubt he was a special creation of the One True God of the Universe! His hooves pounding the ground rumbled like thunder and made you think there was a locomotive coming your way at an incredible rate of speed. And, if you were lucky enough to be on his back when he ran? You felt as if you had found Pegasus  and were flying - skimming just above the ground, and nothing on earth could stop you!
Early Spring 2008, something went wrong. Samson stepped out of the barn to say good morning to Mike and his front right knee was badly swollen. Worried, (as you can imagine!) we took Sam to our friends at Oaken Croft Equine Clinic in Ravena to see if they could help us figure this out. With medicine, cold-hosing and a lot of patience the swelling went down and Sam was good to go.
Until the next time.
And the next.
Finally, very early Spring 2009 the swelling came and would not go away no matter what we did. Oaken Croft was awesome, but there was nothing we or they could do any more.
So, after prayer and fasting, tears, time, and every remedy we could think of, our beloved Samson left this world to go hang out with God and play with the angels on Friday, March 20, 2009. Our eyes still well up with tears when we look at the field and see only “normal” size horses out there.
All of us will miss him terribly, but you know what? In Rev 19:11-16 the Bible says, “Then I saw Heaven open wide--and oh! a white horse and its Rider. The Rider, named Faithful and True, judges and makes war in pure righteousness. His eyes are a blaze of fire , on His head many crowns. He has a Name inscribed that's known only to Himself. He is dressed in a robe soaked with blood, and He is addressed as ‘Word of God.’ The armies of Heaven, mounted on white horses and dressed in dazzling white linen, follow Him. A sharp sword comes out of His mouth so He can subdue the nations, then rule them with a rod of iron. He treads the winepress of the raging wrath of God, the Sovereign-Strong. On His robe and thigh is written, KING OF KINGS, LORD OF LORDS.”
You know what I think? I think the Lord Jesus had to choose plain old white horses because if He had been riding His first choice (Samson of course!) all the other horses would have paled in comparison and He wouldn’t want to hurt their feelings!
I believe that there are horses in Heaven. And if any horse deserves to be there, it’s Sam.
We miss you, dear friend, we miss you and can’t wait to see you again.
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