Walking With Inspiration

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Winston Churchill once said, “There is something about the outside of a horse that is good for the inside of a man.” While we can all relate to that statement, it holds especially true for Pat and Sue Harrington of LaQuinta and Murrieta, California. Inspired by the beauty, grace, and spirit of horses, this mother/daughter duo has faced and overcome some incredible challenges.

In 1991, Sue Harrington, then 31 years old, was diagnosed with a very rare terminal lung disease, Lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM), and given only 2 to 10 years to live. As the disease gradually robbed Sue of the ability to breathe she was placed on the lung transplant list.

Always a horse lover, Sue later leased a pair of trail horses as a way to stay active and stay connected with friends. She relates, “It eventually got to the point where I couldn’t ride them due to their bumpy stride and unpredictable disposition. I’d heard about Tennessee Walking Horses and their smooth gait and gentle manner. I decided to buy two for my mom and me to use as trail horses. My mom had never ridden before. With the walking horses she was able to learn to ride and I was able to ride again, even with an oxygen tank. Those horses became my lifeline and inspiration. Even when I was no longer able to ride they were still there for me.”

In March of 2001, Sue experienced yet another setback as she came down with a respiratory illness and was given the wrong medicine. She ended up in a 3-week coma and had to be placed on a ventilator. It took doctors two attempts to get her out of the coma and when she woke up she was temporarily paralyzed. At that point she was taken off the transplant list and given a month to work with physical therapists to overcome the paralysis. Using her family and horses as inspiration, Sue battled back and was reactivated on the transplant list.

Upon leaving the hospital semi paralyzed and in a wheelchair, she asked her parents to take her to Golden West Farm so she could buy a show horse. She says, “I bought the show horse because I knew it would motivate me to get well.” Sue bought Walking On Thin Ice in April 2001. On May 5, 2001, Sue got the call she had been waiting for and immediately underwent a double lung transplant at the University of California, San Diego. Pat remarks, “I really want to emphasize that Sue was given the gift of life by the donor and by the donor’s family. I encourage everyone to consider arranging for such a gift because the need for organs far exceeds the number of donors.”

Pat and Sue with their very first world grand champion, Walking On Thin Ice.

In 2001, Sue flew to her first Celebration and watched Greg Byrant show Thin Ice to a fourth place tie in the Fine Harness class. Shortly thereafter, Sue asked her mother to learn how to ride and show Thin Ice in the amateur division while she continued to get better.

However, another setback was on the horizon. Just before the 2002 Celebration, it was determined that Sue had a rare terminal fungus in her airways. To fight the fungus, her doctors created a medicinal cocktail that had to be administered by IV. Unwilling to miss the Celebration, unbeknownst to the doctors Sue and Pat packed up the medicine and IV and boarded a plane for Middle Tennessee. That year Pat directed Thin Ice to a Novice World Championship and a Novice World Grand Championship. Sue returned to California totally refreshed and became the only person known to have survived that particular fungus in the lung airways.

2002 also saw the Harringtons expand their show string. That year they acquired both JFK’s Irish Dream and Oh My Gosh. During the spring of 2003, they rounded out their line-up with Jazz In Dixie. The 2003 show season promised to be very exciting. It definitely did not disappoint as all four of the Harrington horses claimed ribbons both on the West Coast and in Middle Tennessee. The year’s highlights included Pat claiming another world championship aboard Thin Ice and Sue making her Celebration debut. She directed JFK’s Irish Dream to a top ten tie in amateur three-year-old competition and Jazz In Dixie to a top five finish and a top ten finish in amateur 15.2 and under competition. The Harringtons’ Legacy Walkers was now the fully realized mother/daughter endeavor they had always intended.

The Harringtons success continued in 2004. While Oh My Gosh picked up victories at the West Coast Trainers’ Show and Dixie Jubilee, Pat collected yet another world championship with Thin Ice. Sue continued to work hard with Jazz In Dixie and JFK’s Irish Dream. She was ultimately rewarded with her first world championship when she directed Jazz In Dixie to the amateur mares 15.2 & under title. She and JFK’s Irish Dream followed up with victories at the Desert Classic, West Coast Trainers’ Show, and TWHAC All Amateur Show with a top five tie in novice competition at the Celebration.

2005 and early 2006 proved to be a time of change for the Harringtons and their horses. After winning numerous ribbons on the west coast circuit, Pat and Sue decided to focus solely on the heightened competition of middle Tennessee. To that end, they decided to relocate their horses to David Landrum Stables in Franklin, Tennessee. Although it has been difficult having their horses so far away, the Harringtons report that the welcome, camaraderie and professionalism they have experienced has made up for this deficit. The move proved very propitious for the horses as well, as all four have thrived under the guidance of David Landrum and Joe Cotten.

A hip replacement at the beginning of 2006 kept Pat on the sidelines for the beginning of the current show season. However, she is now more mobile than ever and has returned to the show ring. Sue also had a difficult time earlier this year with her fight against an aspergillus fungus, but she again beat the odds and has passed her 5th “birthday” with her new lungs.

After ending the 2005 season with a Southern Championship victory, JFK’s Irish Dream has put together an amazing 2006 season that includes amateur wins with Sue at the National Trainers’ Show and the Spring Fun Show, Reserve Lady Amateur at the Tony Rice Show, and an open stake win with Joe at the Shelbyville Central High School Band show. It’s no wonder that David Landrum calls this mare “special.” It’s a sure bet that additional accolades await JFK’s Irish Dream as we approach the Celebration.

Jazz In Dixie closed out 2005 with wins at the International and Southern Championships. Competing in both the amateur and open 15.2 & under divisions during 2006, she has picked up a blue at Gallatin and has placed in the top five every other outing including Reserve 15.2 Amateur at the Tony Rice Show.

Capping off 2005 with a couple of top three showings at the International and Southern Championships, Walking On Thin Ice is ready for Pat’s full recovery.

In 2005, Oh My Gosh collected blues at the Derby Classic, Liberty Lions, and Bethesda. In 2006, she has been shown successfully in open competition by Joe and in juvenile competition by Lindsey Landrum. No doubt this multi-talented contender will find her stride on the big oval.
The Harringtons’ story is a true testament to the greatness of our breed. From Sue trail riding with an oxygen tank, to Pat learning to ride at the age of 61, to the inspiration gained by being exposed to the beauty and grace of the performance show horse, theirs’ is the story of the power yielded by the Tennessee Walking Horse. As Sue relates, “I really truly believe that the horses were my inspiration. I always had their pictures with me. Even when I couldn’t ride, they were something inspired me to get out of bed for. When you’re battling an illness you need to have a passion like that, that’s what makes the difference.”