It just ain't the same....

......without him!

I just returned from announcing the "Ohio Celebration" the Buckeye Walking Horse Associations fall horse show. Long time show chairman, Jerry Fisher was not physically there this year. He passed away suddenly September 21, 2009 at the age of 67.
It's strange to have someone your own age pass away. It was a very, very somber feeling that I experienced when I received a phone call from my friend Linda Vaughn, "I'm afraid I have some bad news" she said. "Jerry Fisher died in his sleep last night".

He was not a close friend, but a professional friend. He chaired the show that I have had the opportunity to announce for the past several years, and he was a very high profile, high energy, high anxiety type of guy, who had forgotten more about Walking Horses then I will ever know.

There always were two opinions in his world, the wrong opinion and his opinion. He loved his Ohio State Buckeyes, his wife and family, and his Walking Horses.

On Friday night at the horse show, Jaime Hankins, Jerry's longtime friend and trainer, exhibited a lovely chestnut walking horse in a class. As Jaime came around the ring, the second way, just before he passed the announcer's stand, he looked up at me, smiled and said, "Hey Judy, look at Gus" (Jerry's horse Jose at Heart's barn name). I caught my breath and tears started down my cheeks. One last ride for the "Gipper" as it were.

On Saturday night, Jerry's wife Julie, daughter Cathy and son-in-law Greg were at the show.
Opening the show was the National Anthem played by horse show organist Chase Williams, and then I introduced a Buckeye Walking Horse member, Georgia Harvey who came into center ring and sat down at the organ. I had approached Georgia earlier in the day and asked her if she would be willing to play the Ohio State Fight Song at the opening of the evening session, in honor of Jerry. She agreed wholeheartedly, and said she would as long as the organist, Chase would allow her to play. Chase quickly agreed, and so, after the National Anthem, I asked everyone to remain standing as Georgia cranked up the organ and belted out the Fight Song. Not once, but twice, the second time it was even more resounding. A fitting tribute to a "good guy"! After the selection was played, Jaime Hankins took the microphone and made a tribute to Jerry, while his longtime friend, Bruce Vaughn, came into center ring carrying Jerry's Ohio State Football jacket and hung it up under the canopy in a place of honor.

We don't know when, or where or how most times, but we do know that our lives touch a lot of people in our lifetime.

Jerry Fisher touched mine, and I am a better person for it!

Jerry is probably already chairing a big horse show in the hereafter!

There's the one judge......there's the one!