Sunday, September 21, 2003

In Memoriam - Winnie Hathaway

We have had heavy hearts here at DressageDaily headquarters, over the loss of our beloved Corgi Winnie, who passed away September 4, after a brief illness.

Winnie had been a part of our lives for 12 ½ years, and was on the scene at almost every show we covered, along with our other corgi Gizmo, who has been moping ever since.

Descended from a long line of well known corgis from the Dressage world, Winnie's Grandmother was owned by Kay Meredith, and Dennis Callin bred Winnie's father, Bandit, owned by Lisa Goldman.

Her daily duties included making sure her owner Mary did her morning 4 mile walk, and that JJ always had a place to rest his hand (on her head) next to his chair at the end of the day. She also diligently guarded the camper and house and warmly greeted customers and friends (as long as they weren't children) who stopped by for a visit.

Winnie also hosted a popular feature on HorsesDaily.com called Canine Corner, for a short time, before health issues dictated she should have less stress in her life.

In her memory, we will revive Canine Corner, beginning in 2004, featuring the canine companions of some of the equestrian stars featured here.

She left this world as she lived her life, gently and with dignity, and her spirit will always be with us. Winnie had many friends and admirers, and she will be missed by all who knew her.

A special thanks to The Countryside Animal Clinic for helping us care for Winnie, and giving us more time with her than we hoped to have. Thank you to our colleagues at Markel Insurance for the lovely sympathy basket. To Lori and Jodi Kelley, thanks for the daily e-mails and shared tears. And to Betsy Steiner, and Irwin and Margery Gaffin, thank you for being there and bringing words, and thoughts of comfort. Also, to all our friends who responded with such empathy our heartfelt appreciation.

It is a wonderful world we live and work in, with people who share the same love and appreciation for our animal companions knowing the depth they bring to our lives.

And finally, a special thanks to our own Tracey Scharf, our office/life manager who found an ad in the paper for corgi puppies. Our hearts are a little less heavy now, with the new addition to our family, Trooper, who joined our lives this week. He has moved right into our home and hearts, and is looking forward to meeting Winnie's fans.

Related Links
Horsesdaily Canine Corner