Willcox, AZ, visit & Sunsets Coming Home

Yesterday, Sunday, we worshiped with 8 other Presbyterians from our RV park at Community Presbyterian Church in Benson. Jon Hermes is the pastor, about 55, been there 16 years and plans to retire there. We all brought food and enjoyed a potluck lunch with the CPC members. Really neat church...very friendly.

Then, today, with new friends from Idaho who are parked in a site behind us, we visited Willcox, AZ, where is located the Rex Allen Museum in the old town of Willcox. You may be too young to remember Rex Allen, contemporary of Roy Rogers, Gene Autry, Lash Larue, Sunset Carson, Hopaong Cassidy, etc. Photos follow.

Then on the way back to our RV park in Benson, we witnessed some breathtaking sunsets. See photos below.

Rex Allen Museum...hundreds of items, photos, etc. Very interesting!


Statue of Rex Allen, 1920 - 1999.


Koko...Rex Allen's horse...buried here...died at 28


My Ferrier friend (horse-smart) told me today that Koko died of founder disease, which I understand to be a disease that destroys the horse's hoofs. Koko was put in a stabled and provided unlimited amounts of feed. He overate and developed 'founder'.

My friend also related that Barbarosa, the race horse that broke a leg in the Preakness (?) was 'put down' because of founder disease. The vets fixed his broken leg, but the race horse developed founder disease in the other three hoofs and was 'put down' because of the results of founder. Barbarosa's other three hoofs became extremely painful because of founder and there was no remedy to save the horse. Barbarosa did not die of a broken leg, but of founder.

Googled 'founder' -- Laminitis (Founder) in Horses: Founder is one of the most crippling diseases of horses and ponies, which in severe and recurring cases, can reduce a horse's usefulness and lifespan. Laminitis, the initiating cause of founder, can affect any horse, of any age or sex, at any time of year. Although it is traditionally considered a disease of fat ponies, laminitis can be triggered by a variety of metabolic or physical causes in any horse. Laminitis is now considered to be caused by devitalistaion of the supporting laminae within the hoof, leading to painful breakdown and tearing of the support tissues suspending the pedal bone within the hoof. If laminitis is not treated properly, the pedal bones drops or rotates downwards, resulting in founder, with total collapse causing severe lameness and risk of death.

Arizona Sunsets on the way home today