Have you ever sold a horse and regretted doing so? Amateur exhibitor and horse show mom Jennifer Corea of Palmer, Texas had long regretted selling her eight year old son's horse, Reno.  However, she had a wonderful thing happen at the recent horse show in DuQuoin, Illinois. Thanks to her daughter's keen eye and perhaps a little luck, Corea found Reno and was able to make her son very happy. 

The family bought Reno in 2007 along with another palomino, Multiple PHBA World Champion Lincoln Strawific. Reno had been trained to be an all-around horse and had earned several PHBA points. After they bought the two horses, Lincoln was working out perfect for daughter, Lily, but Reno wasn't coming along the way they had hoped. The Coreas had recently purchased quite a few other horses and decided to sell Reno.

"Bobby had started riding Reno, and he was great with Bobby but he had his old horse Rice--so we let Reno go. Two years later, Rice had to be euthanized," Corea recalls. "We tried so many others horses, but not one of them got along with Bobby like Rice or Reno. When other horses wouldn't do what Bobby wanted, he would whine and cry, 'I wish we had Reno.' I can't remember how many times I have heard this and wished to God that we had never let Reno go."

In a chance encounter, a few weeks ago, the Coreas were showing in Du Quoin, Illinois.  Jennifer's astute daughter, Lily, spotted a palomino gelding, and, said, "Look mommy, it looks like Reno!"

Jennifer recalls, "So many times we have seen horses that look like ones we've owned and it's never them. I was in disbelief, but it did look like him. When we asked his name, my heart skipped a beat when their trainer, Jon Barry answered, 'Reno something.' It was him and I had to get him back for my little boy!"

Luckily, the Corea family was able to work out a deal to get Reno back. "Bobby, doesn't care about showing, but he liked to hold onto the horn and kick Reno to make him go in any random direction," Jennifer says laughing.

A few days later, Jennifer told young Bobby what she had found. 

"When we told Bobby about Reno and showed him a picture. His eyes got really big and a big smile appeared on his face. He was quiet, yet amazed, and then insisted that we were lying. We go to pick up Reno from Jon tomorrow to take him to the Tom Powers for Bobby to ride around for the first time again. We can't wait!" Jennifer says. (Bobby pictured left with Reno since reuniting.)

Sometimes things are just meant to be! Welcome home Reno.