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Good-bye to a Great Horse 
Memorial Service Held at Little Ranch

Dynas Plain Special

May 11 Update 

Dear Barrel Horse World

I THANK EVERYONE FOR ALL THE WONDERFUL THOUGHTS. 

TO ANSWER QUESTIONS, THERE WERE ABOUT 59-60 AT THE MEMORIAL SERVICE. I AM OVERWHELMED AT THE RESPONSE. 

DEE DEE, TO SET THE RECORD STRAIGHT, WAS BURIED ON THE RANCH IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO SEVERAL OTHER CHAMPIONS, BUT YET SHE WAS BURIED "A CUT ABOVE." 

THERE ARE 2 OTHER NFR HORSES BURIED THERE, AS WELL AS SOME OTHER GREAT ONES, AND SOME THAT WERE JUST GREAT TO ME. 

ANYONE IS WELCOME TO VISIT HER GRAVESITE AND THE RANCH. 

I AM DEEPLY APPRECIATIVE OF THE TREMENDOUS RESPONSE TO HER PASSING. ALL I CAN SAY IS THANK YOU AND THAT I APPRECIATE SO MUCH BEING BLESSED WITH A GREAT ONE. 

MAY SHE REST IN PEACE.

Jud Little

Dear BHW members:

I've never attended a memorial service for a horse, but I knew it would be a memory worth attending.  My whole-hearted thanks to Jud for inviting us down to Springer, OK on behalf of all of you at BHW.  A horse like this does not come along often, nor do the people who can appreciate them.  

Words cannot express the service that evening, so I asked permission to take pictures from a distance.  There was a letter from the original owners, Gary and Linda Jones.  Jud read it aloud.  It brought tears.  Jud invited a pastor, who told us we were not being frivolous to gather in memory of a horse, they are honorable beasts and records back to Alexander the Great demonstrate deep emotional bonds between warriors and their beloved steeds.  God would in fact be honored for us to hold special, one of his most magnificent creations.  

And then there were those who had ridden DeeDee and took personal care of her.  A small group.  I had been doing fine until this moment, when Jud's wife, Tammy, thoughtfully handed each of them a rose.   As though DeeDee was doing it herself, they stepped forward as their names were called and took their rose.  I couldn't capture all of those intimate moments.  I couldn't see through my lens.

The pictures speak for themselves.  Thank you God for sharing her with all of us.

Dave Mattern
BHW

Jud and Tif think discuss final details of the service	A quiet walk to DeeDees final resting place	A beautiful memorial
Complete with pictures	BHW contributes flowers in the foreground beneath the "horseshoe" wreath.	Jud and Tammy
Jud delivers eulogy	Giving out the roses	Pastor Virgil Trout - with soothing words for our loss.
Rose Holders Left to Right: Dr. David Miller, Dr. Robin Johnson, Tracy McManus, Tiffany Fox, Janae Ward-Massey, Renee "Radar" Ward, Ranea Compton, Kim Thomas	A custom leather scrap book in honor of Dee Dee.  BHW Board member posts are already copied in here.	Dinner at the Little Ranch - Beef of course.

May 5 Update:

Subject : RE: Good-bye to a Great Horse - Dynas Plain Special Posted : 2005-05-04 9:18 PM Post #518935 - In reply to #516885

 I HOPE THAT GAIL WILL POST THIS FOR EVERYONE, BUT THERE WILL BE A MEMORIAL SERVICE FOR DEE DEE AT 6:30 PM MONDAY HERE AT THE RANCH. ANYONE THAT WANTS TO COME IS WELCOME, ALL I ASK IS THAT YOU CALL OR E-MAIL US IF YOU ARE COMING AS WE INTEND TO SERVE SUPPER FOR ALL WHO HONOR HER. THANK YOU ALL FOR ALL YOUR PRAYERS.

JUD LITTLE

Email Jud or call 580-226-7600 Ext. 203
Website address:   www.judlittleranch.com

May 4, 2005 Update from Owner of Dynas Plain Special

HELLO FRIENDS,

I AM TRULY OVERWHELMED BY THE OUTPOURING OF FEELING FOLLOWING DEE DEE'S PASSING AND AM ONLY ABLE TO SAY "THANK YOU" ON BEHALF OF ALL OF US HERE AT THE RANCH.

DYNAS PLAIN SPECIAL IS SURVIVED BY 2 DAUGHTERS, FROSTY FEELINS, BY SUNFROST, AND CASHS DYNAMITE, BY CASH NOT CREDIT.

A STUD COLD COLT WAS BORN MAY 2ND BY DASH TA FAME AND WILL, WITH THE APPROVAL OF THE AQHA, BE NAMED DASH TA HEAVEN. DEE DEE HAS ONE FULL SISTER HERE AT THE RANCH, FLORIDA SPECIAL AGE 3, AND TWO FULL BROTHERS, HES DOWNRITE SPECIAL, A 4 YR. OLD, AND ASPECIALLITTTLEFEELIN, A 2 YR. OLD.

DEE DEE WILL BE BURIED HERE AT THE RANCH, AND AN APPROPRIATE MARKER WILL BE PLACED. I AN DEEPLY GRATEFUL TO ALL THOSE WHO GAVE DEE DEE SUCH GREAT CARE, INCLUDING DR. RIC REDDEN AND HIS STAFF IN LEXINGTON, KY., DR. DAVID MILLER, AND DR. ROBIN JOHNSON, AMONG OTHERS.

I ALSO DEEPLY APPRECIATE ALL THOSE WHO PLAYED SUCH A HUGE PART IN DEE DEE'S SUCCESS: JOCKEYS KIM THOMAS, TRACY JOHNSTON-MCMANUS, TIFFANY FOX, AND OF COURSE THE 2003 WPRA WORLD CHAMPION AND NFR AVERAGE CHAMPION, JANAE WARD; TRAINERS, HANDLERS, AND CAREGIVERS DALE AND FLORENCE YOUREE, TIM KUSSER, AND, OF COURSE, RENEE "RADAR" WARD WHO PLOTTED AND MANAGED DEE DEE'S WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP RUN.

 ALL OF THE MANY PEOPLE WHO GRACED DEE DEE'S LIFE CAN'T BE MENTIONED HERE, BUT PLEASE KNOW THAT YOU ARE APPRECIATED.

LASTLY, NONE OF THIS WOULD HAVE HAPPENED WITHOUT THE FORESIGHT AND DEDICATION OF GARY AND LINDA JONES OF BOWLING GREEN, FL, DEE DEE'S BREEDERS, AND THEY HAVEN'T QUIT YET--GOOSE AND DYNA HAVE ONE DUE LATER THIS MONTH! MAY GOD BLESS DEE DEE AND ALL OF YOU WHO CARED SO MUCH.THANK YOU.

JUD LITTLE

May 3, 2005  Good-Bye to a Great Horse

(News post from Barrel Horse World Bulletin Board)

Dynas Plain Special (Dee Dee) from the Jud Little Ranch was humanely euthanized this afternoon in Lexington, KY after a long bout with laminitis.  She was under the expert care of Dr. Ric Redden. 

Most of you will recall her capturing the All American Quarter Horse Congress Sr. Barrel Racing Championship in 2003 as well as the WNFR & WPRA Barrel Racing Title for 2003.  (click here for Dee Dee's web page)

She will be laid to rest back in Ardmore, OK at the Little Ranch, and the trucks are in transit as we speak.  Ironically, her Dash to Fame stud colt was born just last night.  There will be a full tribute written later this month by Kenneth Springer.

Our hearts and prayers go out to Jud - who truly loved this exceptional mare.  If you wish to add your condolences here, we will print this off and take it to the ranch later this week.

Click here for related story from January 2003.