HORSEMANSHIP TEACHES LESSONS ON LIFE

Becky Huck says she was attracted to her husband, Linus "Bud" Huck, primarily because he owned a horse and she wanted to learn to ride.

They were high school sweethearts on horseback and tied the knot. Two children later, the Hucks are a horse-riding family.

Bud works as a veterinarian specializing in horses and dairy cattle. Becky manages their 40-acre ranch, home to a dozen or more horses and mules. Nathan, 15, and Martha Ann, 11, ride horses to visit friends, on trail rides, and in competitive horse shows.

The Hucks are not alone. Equine sports are popular, as will be evident at the SEMO District Fair horse show, which begins today at 1 p.m. in Cape Girardeau's Arena Park. The stands will be full.

"We had over 400 entries last year, and we expect that many and more this year," said Becky, who helps coordinate the show. Bud serves as ringmaster.

"A lot of people do show horses and a lot of people trail ride," said Bud. He prefers trailriding. "I like to go somewhere."

Jackson, Perryville, Ste. Genevieve and many other communities have trailriding clubs.

The Hucks and a couple of other families decided to start a 4-H club dedicated to horses. Seven children signed up initially; the club now has 54 members.

It's a way of life, the Hucks say.

"I got my first horse when I was 6," said Bud. "But I was around horses since I was born. I grew up in Commerce and everybody had a horse."

As a child Becky loved horses, but didn't own her own until she was almost grown.

She linked up with former Scott City school superintendent A.W. "Jerry" Wright, who helped her learn the basics of horsemanship.

Wright, 91, still keeps an eye on Becky and her family.

"I was born back in the horse-and-buggy days," he said, sitting in the Hucks' horse barn. "My father ran a livery stable in Puxico. His business was renting rigs to salesmen we called drummers. I learned to ride horses and appreciate them."

He and friends competed on bucking horses or in horse races for fun. As the horse and buggy was replaced by the automobile, Wright kept up his relationship with horses. In 1976 he showed a world champion Tennessee walking horse.

Wright also spread his knowledge and love for the animals to those he met. "I guess I helped a lot of people get started and encouraged them," Wright said.

For the Hucks' children, riding a horse seems a natural part of life.

"We can't comprehend people who have never seen a horse," said Nathan. "I just can't understand it."

Nathan explained that in addition to mowing the grass and trying to keep his room clean, his household chores include feeding and watering the horses daily and cleaning the stalls each weekend.

Actually Nathan and Martha Ann share the responsibilities.

In the barn, Martha Ann pushed aside an affectionate horse trying to nibble at her hands as she wrestled to pull a bridle over the horse's head. The horse lowered its head so young Martha Ann could reach.

"There is a special relationship between each of these people and a horse," Becky said, watching the interaction between her daughter and horse. "Dusty hears Martha Ann's voice and calls to her."

Becky said owning and caring for horses teach lessons that apply outside the show ring.

"We both came from a family that taught us life is a precious thing," she said. "We have an opportunity to share that with our children."

"And one thing I want to teach my children is that you can do everything right and still lose. That's the way life is -- it's not always fair," Becky said.

But it's fun. "This is something I could do with my kids," said Becky. "Some children play soccer or baseball. Mine ride horses."