New Riding Breeches
I am asked by many curious and interested people I meet…”where do you get those riding pants?” My reply, I make them! But I thought this story would be interesting to many of you as to how they are made or at least one way they get made. I finally met Dee Odea in July of 2014 at the Mt Pleasant, Michigan Race Track after many years of correspondence. What follows is her story of how SHE met me. Dee gave me deer hide leather for a much needed new pair of riding pants that I sewed by hand.
This is from Dee Odea……
I read about you in my Black Canyon City, AZ newspaper the first time you rode Honor thru AZ (2007) and stayed in Crown King. I taught fourth grade and since geography was my favorite of the eight subjects I taught, a U.S. map went up on my bulletin board tracking where you came from and thus began a four year relationship with you. My class and I would anxiously await emails and pictures. We cheered for you and cried when you lost Honor. It was heartwarming reading your posts about how the people in Texas took care of you and then gave you Hart. We followed your heartbreak at loosing the puppy you picked up in New Mexico and called the Veterinary Clinic to see what money we could raise to help. Well they told my class that the bill was paid and asked if we wanted to talk to you since you were there. I had you on speaker, and you thanked my class repeatedly for concern. Then we found out that the puppy died, so we sent cards for you to a lady in Texas. But she brought you a big yellow envelope from my class while you were in Kansas. You responded with a beautiful thank you letter and postcards for my students. A few of my students still follow you. I also had a reporter the next year do an article about how my classes were still following your third or fourth long ride. You had just gotten Essie Pearl and was still with Hart I believe. I retired in 2012. I moved to Michigan to take care of my mother and had the mule skin hides from my former husband. They were just sitting in old bags waiting for the right person who was supposed to have them! I was thrilled to meet you for you are such a beautiful strong woman whom I have a lot of admiration for. My heroes are:#1. My mother . #2. Mother Teresa. #3. Bernice Ende. Lots more stories about my past parallel yours in a small way. I am a very strong, Midwest gal, who got her degree and had a dream of teaching in a little mountain school. I found it in Black Canyon City, Arizona. In 1986. Moved back home to Michigan 2013. Met you in July 2014, while my mother was still alive. I was able to share that joy with her.
