28 SIDELINES SEPTEMBER 2014
FOR HORSE PEOPLE • ABOUT HORSE PEOPLE
On their way
up: Competing
in the Junior
Jumpers at Ox
Ridge in 1972.
Photo courtesy of
Buddy Brown
Buddy and Pappy competing at Devon in the Junior Jumpers in
1972.
Photo courtesy of Buddy Brown
En route to winning team gold for the U.S. at the Pan Am Games
in 1975.
Photo courtesy of the USET Foundation
strong affinity for the breed. I had hoped that by showcasing many
of the greatest show hunters and jumpers throughout history, I
could bring attention to the plight of the Thoroughbred and its
usefulness as a sport horse.
Naturally, Sandsablaze was one of the first horses that I hoped
to include in this book. Due to the power of the Internet, in which
contact information is readily available, I was able to get in touch
with Buddy Brown’s wife, Vanessa, and explained my project to
her via email. She graciously put me in touch with Buddy, noting
that he would be happy to talk about Sandsablaze. Nervously, I
dialed Buddy’s number and left a voicemail.
I can still vividly recall the first conversation we had by phone.
Buddy mentioned that Sandsablaze (known affectionately as
“Pappy”) was in fact his “horse of a lifetime.” He offered to tell me
their story for my book, noting that it was quite a powerful tale,
worthy of a book in itself. I clearly remember that Buddy asked
me if I’d like “the Reader’s Digest version or the whole story.” Of
course, I wanted the entire story.
During the course of that first conversation, two things became
readily clear. First, I realized that Buddy Brown is an amazing
person and a true horseman, and second, he had a strong and
enduring love for Sandsablaze that continues to this day. Pappy’s
life and his bond with Buddy were indeed deserving of an entire
book. Buddy would tell me the details of their story and I would put
it into prose. I was incredibly honored to take on this project, and
hoped that I could do their story justice.
Fortunately, my editor, Whitney Landis at The History Press,
agreed that Buddy and Pappy’s story was indeed one for the
ages. Over the next year, Buddy and I spent countless hours on
the phone (as he is based in California and I in Massachusetts) as
he relived the years spent with Pappy and their many adventures.
I learned all about this amazing animal whose immense heart
drove him to accomplish what had been deemed impossible. I
also spent many hours on the phone with Buddy’s father, Graham,
who is also an accomplished horseman. The more I spoke with
Buddy and Graham, the more passionate I became about bringing
Sandsablaze’s story — and
their
story — to life.
Over the winter months, I spent my free time researching the
results of various horse shows where Pappy competed, locating
and restoring old photographs and interviewing those who were
