"No hour of life is wasted that is spent in the saddle" -- Winston Churchill

Above photo of Colin Davidson and Draco from Eventing Nation

I wasn't sure I would post anything on Colin Davidson's passing, but he was such a remarkable person that it seems disrespectful not to acknowledge the pain and sorrow that is being felt by the number of special people he left behind. I didn't know Colin personally, but I had seen him ride and I have passed him casually in the commonplace goings-on that occur on grounds at your average horse trial. What I have heard and seen of him proved him to be gallant, intelligent, talented, loving, and brave. This particular web post (made by a friend of Colin's) speaks to the very subject that struck me when I heard the news that he had passed and that he would selflessly live on as an organ donor.

I have commented before on this blog about the incredible world that we eventers live in. We eat with fellow eventers, we drink with them (a lot.....but, we'll talk about that another day), we ride with fellow eventers, we train, learn, listen, experience, argue, grow, mature, laugh, cry, fight, and soar with fellow eventers. Our world is small and we know almost all of its denizens (whether we have met them in person, or not).

Colin's death has caused a shockwave to ripple through our small community that has stopped us in our tracks, brought a furrow to our brows, sprung angry tears to our eyes, and has compelled us to question the influences of luck, fate, fairness, and grace. Like John mentions in his Eventing Nation post, I feel that Colin's passing will cause all of us to pause and think about what makes us tick; what makes us who we "are;" what makes us live; what makes us breathe. For Colin, that was eventing. And, for Colin, it was horses. As this post title so aptly imparts: no day spent with a horse, or another rider,  or another eventer is never, ever wasted. Let us be grateful for our sweet horses. Let us give thanks for our fellow riders (and our families who so lovingly and graciously understand our dedication and our desire), and let us hold dear that passion that ties the knots that bind us together: eventing.

Our community will mourn the seemingly senseless loss of one of our most promising, bright young stars....but our family will also grow stronger, knowing that we daily question our resolve and challenge our worth, and -- as always -- we find ourselves made better by that which does not take us away as well. It makes me think of a quote taken from the ever-popular YouTube video that inevitably makes its rounds every-so-often amongst my crowd: "There is nothing stronger than eventing, because there is nothing stronger than an eventer."

Rest in peace, Colin.